In all this Talk we have said nothing about Music. If, however, we
understand what the other studies mean, what their purpose is, we
shall learn something which shall be valuable when we come to study
the meaning and purpose of music in schools. That shall be our next
Talk.
CHAPTER XXIII.
MUSIC IN SCHOOL.
"Become in early years well-informed concerning the extent of the
four voices.
"Try, even with a poor voice, to sing at sight without the aid of an
instrument; from that your ear will constantly improve. In case,
however, that you have a good voice, do not hesitate a moment to
cultivate it; and believe, at the same time, that heaven has granted
you a valuable gift."--_Robert Schumann._[68]
In the previous Talk we learned two very important facts about school
studies. They were these:
I. They are useful.
II. They are useful in proportion to our own (not to anybody else's)
real knowledge of them.
We do not study useless subjects, and it is not from our books, nor
from our teacher that we go through life, making our way. In other
words, the harder we work, the more independent we become; and the
more independent we become, the more power we have to help others.
Now, whatever is true about other school studies is likewise true
about music. It is given to children in school because it is useful,
and because a child can gain power by learning it.
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