MUSIC AND ITS VALUE TO THE COMMUNITY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3619, 29 March 1927, Page 4

MUSIC AND ITS VALUE TO THE COMMUNITY.

An interesting anil instructive lecture, under the auspices of the Foxton Chamber of Commerce, was delivered by Mr. J. Holmes Runnicles, professor of music, in all Saints’ school room on Thursday evening. Mr. J. K. Hornblow presided and welcomed the speaker. Mr. Runnicles in defining music said that it must mean that many sounds of nature are brought into orderly sequence and conveyed to us in specific performance. This does not mean that the sounds of nature are not ordered; nature usually is very orderly, but it toucans that they are so ordered as to come into general understanding, the modes of speech being the rule of measurements—that is in articulate sounds; but there is another rule of measurement, that of motion, movement, or what is technically galled rhythm, which takes first place in the ordering of music, just as the young animal first indulges in movement, before articulating sounds. Music he said, is, first, movement, then sound articulation, both of which need no laws to cultivate them other than the natural laws which govern all things. Music also becomes a means of expression either in movement or articulation, and that expression may be indulged in in a variety of ways, peacefulness, joy, boisterousness, sadness, of fierce abandon. Music to the untutored savage consists of sheer movement, allied to articulate cries accompanied with much noise on unmusical instruments. For example, the tribal dance, which may mean much, be it a festival occasion or the means of conveying a declaration of war, thus making even the emotion communal, all this apart from the desire of the individual to express his own private emotions in solo performance. We can trace our military bands, said the speaker, back to the tribal war dance, and the arrangement keeping up the warlike emotions by the lending of the tribes by a band of crude instruments. It is within living memory that military bands have ceased to lead troops into battle.

With civilised peoples the dance in all forms expresses the first order of music, more particularly when it is a communal effort as in the folk dance,' and the second order in the use of the voice either in accompanying the dance or to provide a suitable interlude, which gives us the folk song. As national temperaments differ as much as individual temperaments do, so the folk dances and songs of different nations must differ, both being expressed according to national sentiment. The use of the voice as an accessory to the dance in time became replaced by the use of instruments or perhaps both would be used. I slruments used originally for that purpose led eventually to some being adopted for solo purposes, and being the natural outcome of any individual desiring to imitate the power of the voice on an instrument; therefore we have to day a great number of instruments capable of solo performance, all of which may he used in communal efforts, to mention but a few, the violin, flute, pianoforte, organ, trumpet or cornet. The capacity for creative effort is apparent in the very young. And this should be fostered and allowed to develop. If that creative self expression of the child is hindered or stopped by inhibition, then a great harm is being done to the child, and further, if he is denied all opportunity of expressing himself in movement, then perhaps it may mean his mental capacity will not develop so rapidly as it might. The wise teacher will foster that creative side “ and will deal with , all music from the childs point of view and allow him to go on creating and in time use that very creative instinct in helping him to understand the real music of other creative beings. Hence we have in modern times play ways of teaching music to children. The young child, too, loves the communal aspect of his music, he would much rather be taught music in class than endure the sometimes painful process of an individual lesson. If children could be taken young enough in class before commencing their school career, it would mean much to their school life in stimulating the mental activity. We have proved that the child is a creative musician this, having been fostered, will enable him to carry into his school life all the bright mental powers which lie has been allowed to develop through expression in movement.

We have seen how useful business men find it. Why not the schoolmaster? A dull person is not looked upon with favour by the community either in business or pleasure, and the life of a dull child in school is not exactly full of joy. Music! can be of benefit also to the brilliant child not only in providing clear mental vision but as a mental relief.

The speaker then dealt with the origin of various musical instruments and folk songs. At the conclusion .of the address appreciative remarks were made by several present and Mr. Runnieles promised to give an organ recital at a later date. A vote of thanks was accorded the speaker for the interesting and instructive address.