p. 30 | New Course in Music by Frederick Griggs

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 17, 1908

New Course in Music

By Frederick Griggs

As previously announced, Prof. Gerard Gerritsen has prepared a course of music for our schools, and at the recent meeting of the Department of Education held at Cleveland, Ohio, it was voted to ask him to put this in shape for trial. We earnestly hope our teachers all over the country will give this system a trial, and a critical examination. Professor Gerritsen writes as follows of the course:—

“Nearly all teachers understand the rudiments of music fairly well, and can teach the subject to their classes; but when all that is done, they find that the child has yet gained no practical knowledge of music, not being able to read music at sight fluently.

“Musical rudiments, as the subject is popularly taught, gives us only the rules of a system of notation, while the most important part, the music itself, is left untouched. In the course which I have outlined, the musical sounds that the staff symbols represent are so taught that when each new musical fact has been thoroughly learned, it is applied to the staff notation, with excellent and permanent results. This is accomplished in such an easy and gradual way that neither the pupil nor teacher alike is aware of the great difficulties they are daily overcoming by the use of simple and logical exercises.

“In this course the manner of teaching the scale is very logical, in that it follows the harmonic tendency of each tone. This is very natural, and is proved to be correct by the study of acoustics, in which the overtone series of any fundamental tone is clearly demonstrated. To the average beginner, the step-by-step progression of tones does not make a sufficiently striking difference to his untrained ear; hence in the standard course, the tones of the scale are taught through its harmonic constituents. First the tones, do, mi, sol, are learned, then the tones, sol, te, ray, and then the tones, fa, la, do. Each tone having an individuality, and causing thereby a mental effect characteristic of itself, the pupils are taught to recognize them, and to sing each tone according to its proper mental effect.

“As with tone, so with rhythm. Time drills are given the pupil till he can tell the exact grouping of different rhythms, and sing them correctly.

“The method of teaching followed in this course is not an untried theory. It has been followed with much success in Great Britain, where it has done wonders for musical development and good taste for the British youth.

“Every step of progress is carefully explained in the teacher’s handbook, so that any of our teachers with little knowledge of music may be helpful to her charges in a musical way. The student will be provided with lesson-sheets, corresponding to the lessons in the handbook. On these lesson-sheets are many helpful exercises in music writing and singing practise, with ruling appropriate to each exercise.

“Arrangements have been made to publish this course in monthly instalments. These will be sufficient to keep the teacher in material throughout the school year. The subscription to the manual is one dollar for the entire course, and the lesson-sheets will be furnished for the students at one cent each. Four lesson-sheets will be needed each month for each pupil.”

The course should be ordered of Prof. Gerard Gerritsen, care of Walla Walla College, College Place, Wash.

FREDERICK GRIGGS.