Developing the Art of Music 



America or other countries. They speak different languages 

 and some of them do not understand what others of the 

 same group are talking about. They are arranged in separ- 

 ate groups and before them are many kinds of musical 

 instruments. These are arranged in different groups. Many 

 of these are so made that it is necessary to blow through 

 them in order to make a sound. These are of various sizes 

 and shapes. They are called wind instruments. Some of 

 these instruments have strings stretched across their surface 

 and these strings are either set in motion by scratching or 

 plucking. They are fastened at one end to pegs or posts so 

 that the tightening or loosening of the string may be accom- 

 plished by turning the post. This is done in order to produce 

 the proper vibration. Others are made up of the skins of 

 animals stretched over a hollow chamber. These are called 

 instruments of percussion or drums. Before each of these 

 performers are sheets of paper upon which are printed 

 strange and curious symbols. There are horizontal lines 

 extending entirely across the sheets. There are dots, dashes, 

 bars and many other symbols. To the persons unschooled in 

 the purpose of these strange markings and symbols, they are 

 as meaningless as are Egyptian hieroglyphics. But to the 

 musicians assembled, they are characters representing a 

 common language. These persons have spent the greater 

 part of their lives studying these characters and learning 

 their meaning. These characters were first aranged by some 

 great composer and these musicians are about to interpret 

 their meaning with the use of the instruments before them. 

 The rendition of some great masterpiece begins. The har- 



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