Influence of Music

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1052, 16 August 1930, Page 10 (Supplement)

Influence of Music

GREAT VALUE TO COMMUNITY

Educational Force

(By Alice L. Law, L.R.A.M. (London;. CA.V Uimse'iifi it ■. or Id 'vit.houf. mi; if. ! Wore ino.-io to bo lost to th* world, it would be ju-.t ;; flower a had a:! <-d arid the in had eea-ed to shine. Mu-se can be elat'ed aone o- t; e ,-;.0,t Mpliftintr of the ble- .n<+\ we have had bestowed on •.0r.,. • r. ror.t Ir.r. /■ * ro/.r. -. -r* Vf , / Ldoo/I tri on obi ♦r. wior, e. This f.rf. r.f the Srr*-S*o-a? ftfflCCft

women aro ••tirred, we find mu*ic a> the on)verbal factor. A church service v/1 thou* rnuHe would 10-'e a 2* real deal of If - o ' rn. grand" a wedding or a funeral, each has Its special anile, f orne the itipi* « antre ; ;m'l monotony of O' ' ;.y tasks, and as an aid to labour The sailor . on the old mailing ship ang lb<:ir "chanties” during fbe bo; Grig of the anchor or the lift. ftecent experiment h Indicate that, for certain kinds of work, the accompaniment of music produces more work with less fatigue on the part of t e workers. We all heard of the wonderful effect music had in keeping up the morale and courage of our brave oldiers. during the Great War. The Highlanders, for example, were capable of marvellnma endurance If the music of the bagpipe a accompanied their marching

M j , Indeed, 1 ao aid to many activities of every-day social life. It ■ • an art of such an unusual nature that those who have never Mu died or given any attention to It find it dim f -ilr to reali e its power and Influence on human life. The Htidy of tnuaic i* not only an ad vantav ; to the e v/ho mean to do vo*e their live . to the art or v/ho u.-'.e It a . a mean?, of entertainment and recreation, but it Ih of Immense value to quite another group in the : community. STIMULANT AND REST Those who take a prominent part In the every-day work of the world often feel the need for both a {stimulant and a rent from the hum-drum j monotony of what we call modern ! bu in* A man v/ho i? worked to j the last point of which his brain or I oin nerve is capable must have Homo- ! thing to which he ran turn in order I to save his brain from exhaustion.

’ Thi- in one of the greatest, offices of music, and everyone v/ho ha?, mental problems to deal with during the day would find that performing and even listening to good music is a great relief and distraction. Mechanical music is not meant here, but the real music of an instrument. Those of Us who attended the recent concerts of that wonderful pianist Wilhelm Back; a us, all roust have felt how the music soothed and comforted. We felt as if we had been j lifted above material worries and troubles, and were, for the time being, soaring in an elevated plane, where beauty and happiness surrounded us. IWe cannot always* have such an artist with ijk, but a great deal of j happiness may be found irj the peri aonal playing of an Instrument or in ' listening to it played in one’s own I home by someone v. jth whom one is In complete sympathy. In this day of scientific research, when every meant is employed to

ma>:c -uman Deir.gn more i. ?eehis strange that this oldest and most powerful agent for the stimulation and healing of mind and body should have so little attention derecognise the power of music over human emotions, it Is not so easy to realise its effect on character. Yet the one inevitably follows toe other, as psychologists ail tell us that character s to a great extent dependent on one’s emotional hfe. We can, therefore, deduce the theory that music rightly used has great power in character-building. It is, then, of the highest importance that young people whose minds are in the formative stage should be brought into contact with the emotional stimulus of good music. The result will be the formation of highly-desirable habits of thought which will probably colour their attitude toward life and its problems. The sacred music which is heard in our churches raises the hearer to sublime heights and gives him noble thoughts. A similar result is achieved by the compositions of the great masters when played by well-trained orchestras or solists. There are other ways in which good music serves to build character and, fortunately, they are less abstract and easier to comprehend. In the case of a growing boy, the joining of a school band may have a tremendous influence on him, especially if , the bandmaster has a fine character and enthusiasm, both for music a.-; such and his special form of work in it. A boy in such a. band learns to be constantly on the alert, both j mentally and physically. He also i learns team-work and how a splendid j result may be obtained through j

working with, others. Another wav in whi-a music h*!ps to bal'd charemploy their leisure hoars prosUblU There is a a old proverb which hays “The de-.;! finds some mischief still for idle hands to do.” Every parent e.” teacher of children knows ho*?.- r.rne r h( s Of coarse, the individual child must take part in the music himself by practising and playln? an . instrument. Even if a child has only moderate mrjsicaJ ability he can derive great pleasure and amusement from this. Every child should be given an opportunity of studying music during the plastic period. Music as a school subject is so unique that it has value for nearly everyone, both Intrinsically and because of the training It gives. We should cultivate in children and young people a broader attitude toward music as an art subject. Lesson-. should be given in listening as well as playing an instrument. Then concert audiences will appreciate the best perrormances. MENTAL EXERCISE ! I ne great pianist and statesman, Paderewski, says: “Music in itself is j °ne of the greatest forces for de- [ yeloping breadth in the home.” The j intellectual drill in studying music Is | of great educational value, and noth- ! ,D *s else will take its place. Many great educationists advocate it I The actual study results in limitless pleasure later on, in the understanding of great masterpieces. W e aro told that arithmetic is taught in schools, not only to enable our future citizens to handle figures * necessary in their daily lives, but to ' stimulate perception. Every musical exercise, it may be pointed out, is a study in mental arithmetic. It is Just 1 as good montiil training to decide the j

proper value of a domed sem: r.ave: as to work out a de :mal fraction. Ic a survey of 'he schools in one of the American States, it was found that school children who studied a musical instrument stood on an average of three degrees higher in their regular school work than those who had never studied music. To quote Henry Finck, the famous writer: •Positive proof that music is the best rrt in dtrainer has come from Magdalen College, where all the musical instruction at Oxford University s given. Only 10 per cent- of the students at Magdalen take music, yet this 10 per cent take 75 per cent, of ail tpe prizes and scholarships at the college, leaving only 25 per cent, for the other 90 per cent of students. This is not the record of one year, but the average of Z 0 successive years.” In a Sense we might say that music is the very foundation on which the | educational system is erected. After *he necessary instincts of self-pre--ervation rhythm, which is music in its simplest form, is almost the first thing a baby learns. It is almost impossible to think of ian education entirely without music but, as has already been pointed out. \ i wonderful benefit would accrue if j music was more generally studied. Many men and women today aoknow- \ ledge how music has influenced their [ lives for good, even though they did \ not realise it in early years. To quote an American writer: “Very j few' understand that the musical in- * stinct is as deeply rooted as the j speech instinct, and to deprive a child of music is to rob him of his birthright.”