J. D. Parkin Replies to His Critics

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 23, 14 December 1934, Page 6

J. D. Parkin Replies to His Critics

To the Editor Sir,-In answer to your correspondent, "Amused," may I point out that jazz did not stand most’high in the recent ballot as a reference to the figures will show. Light opera held the top position and "dance music" (not nécéssarily jazz) was only third. He unconsciously supports my complaint: concerning the superfluity of jazz records, as also does "Bing Val- . lee’; and the suggestion that license _figures would suffer is indisputably con‘tradicted by the axiomatic fact that nobody would discard their wireless. set just because there was no jazz being broadeast. . But there is a much broader and more’ serious reason for my request than either "of your correspondents has touched on. Music is. a living fact, not merely an amusement; a vital principle im life, not an indulgence. Our appreciation of music depends on our character, and that character is developed by music both in study-

ing and hearing. We take cate to keep trivial books from our shelves, and trivial and maudlin pictures from our walls; yet we court trivial music and wonder ‘why we are losing poetry and romance and the sense of taste and discrimination. Dr. James Lyon-examiner in New Zealand for Trinity College-said the other day: "The normal child likes th goods things of art; too often it is given. the bad. Again, the impressionable mind‘ of a child is almost certain to be hopelessly confused by the muddle that comes over the air, for we have jazz, crooners, sloppy sentiment, and all the rest of it dished up regardless of propriety." An influential English paper, the "Yorkshire Post," in an article on October 6 last, had this sentence: "All along the B.B.C. valiantly persists in spite of adverse criticism jn-giving us-not just what we want, but what it is considered we ought to want, especially sacred music and classical entertainment on. Sundays." "To anyone who suggests that it is a matter of opinion as to whether music is good or bad I would say he has only to take the broad term "healthy" as a criticism and he will quickly arrive at a standard. : Let him’ judge all music by that standard of melody and. content and he will find his own standard of criticism, and acquire a competent sense of discrimination which will make him improve his own mental fibre and abhor that which is evil. Frivolous minds always.turn-to frivolous music.-I am, ete.,

J. D.

PARKIN

Timaru.