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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 903, 8 March 1879, Page 2

IT has been suggested that Bchootoaaster: should teach vocal music and • drill,. « order that the Otago Education Boare may be relieved of the burthen of payin; the salaries of teachers of those branchei of education. "We can only conclude juapni from the manner in whiish~ttii Boardhas cornered the OamaruSchooli Committee, that that body is quite careless whether thoaabranches are taught in.oui schools or not. The suggestion itsel savours strongly of ignorance or careless ness. The idea of adding to the othei scholastic duties of a pedaguoge that 01 teaching singing. . Why, any ordinanlj enlightened person knows that there an people who are quite incapable of receiving musical impressions. The most intellectua teacher in other respects is often th< jrreatest dunderhead musically. «ho na: not met with such ? They are known bj their futile attempts to sing any note in particular, and they could nol stive out a steady " doh, if the Accomplishment of such a feat wen the only means of saving them from im mediate destruction. What use woulc such be as teachers of vocal music in a school? They may learn perfectly th< theorv; but a practical expenmenta knowledge is also necessary; and so fai as the latter is concerned they are as un impressionable as a rock. A man ma 3 learn to be a moderately good painter and may become, to the casual observer a pretty aood imitator of the grea masters of the art he has espoused, anc although he may be by no means a bon artist, his pictures may he pleasing t( the eve. But it is as impossible for : man whose ear is defective to become s «ood vocalist as it is for a man who v color blind to become more than a danbei tit the art of painting. No hal. measures will do in music. It canno {,»> said that singing out of lime i' even moderately nice—it is the mos obnoxious—the most soul-tearing opera tion—anvonc can listen to. Music sung: shade tint «>r sharp would be a good in »tntmcnt to assist in the filling of on. lunatic asylums,' and yet people oftci perpetuate this enormity with smiles upoi their faces, whilst their auditors an writhing in agony. Although what w« are stating is pretty generally admitted t< be true, the Otago Education Board, whei wc point out that singing is in the curriculum enforced by the Act, sayait ha achwl-teachers must teach it in additi-u to the branches already under theii charge. This is obviously begging th. nttestion. We tell "the Board that w< onttot allow our children to grow tq etitirtflV ignorant of the art Of singim.' and we are referred to these who ale, n nine cases out of ten. totally iin.-.,ual t. tf,e task of teaching the art heeaiiso the; are and. because of natural barriers ktwW* will bt-r, ignorant of it themselves ThtV d«M>h- resemble* a }<>U-: but tin rnd.it'"-. Seh""l C'TntutU..:".-. and i.-a-rh-.-r: wilt'tVel «ti.4tne!mcd :•■ be humor ,*rs utk"" wli's sabji-et. if is lw B \,fce «•> thm it i: f,> anvbodv *W. W«• could be enter tainwfbv a coi.templa't-ii -t the aim... eft»rt." '«»' will be t.ut tori f> vtf -rtarit! , t-b'"-'t-t» , aeiH-R.toqt;:i:i:vt:i.:ui ."[vt<- t „ teach thu v.-un- idea u>'w :• An ,/ : i,„t iv.im-\: contd pr>i*;l«.."> ► tirv if-udt. \ <.cd inusi, ditV-T* 'iv''in instrumental mu.-ie in tite-i rUpecta—the is nn'icwk.,-! nuxhaiii sal ; the second u. innate. As there is. u the tuc "t vocal music, it" m-tnime:u a. a nwdimn to call forth mechanical geniu to the aid of more or less inusica abilirv. it conies direct irom t:ie *-. tiL : > - 1 " before it can do *"« 1E >" :l - st h ; lV0 . , : ' 1 existence- there. ,M i« «?* ««* »'« "« U! r,vr wtiieh we are indited t- tne Oug. Education Boird w»H be likely to a.l-e teachers. We illume that v-cal mu,u will hemic of the bratiche., ot ediic:iii.,i in which they will m future b. examhwd. AdmiraW* teachew m even other resect will ta'mr in vain to brmj theawetves up t-i the require" stair .lard. Snnu- will succeed : others wi! not be able to beyond the i.i.«i »inipte scales, and «iU stumble_ over : natural, flat, or sharp as uiotigh it were : mountain. Arc the latter class to be '• plucked " because they cannot complj with a whim which has grown out ot the disinterestedness of the Otago Education Board I Is the country te be deprived .o, the valuable services of the most able ttachurs because of the initiation ot a ttupid priKSM which is designed to sjivc the JJtwml an expense »* L-W ptr annum >. If a knowledge of vocal music is to he a teat in tliw Ai'e of Oamaru schoolteachers, it must become general throughout the Cohmv. But that cannot be done a t the will of the Otago Etlucation Board, who are only interpreting the Act which governs education throughout she Colonv to sr.it their own purposes. We could do letter by ourselves,; Mil we entitled-tr» a Board of our own hrt tvany reasons, and we strongly urge 'hat we should insist upon having one. VVe fait to discern that any .advantages ,rc derivable from remaining under the stint: o£ the Otago Education Board. fheir conduct towards us is not characterised by so much superior intelligence hat separation would be an occasion for fiicf Hicre is scarcely a man in this •wmmanitv but would be ashamed to act U the Board has done in the matter on vhich we are writing. These are the men hal should conduct our educational aliairsv VVe shall have something to say on the necessity For the retention of the services »f our drill instructor on another 00.;asion. ■"