374 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE OfE. Doc. 



may be that the community has a patron saint who invests thought 

 and time and patience and money to the end that good music shall 

 meet and conquer the invading bad. The most elt'ective influence 

 for good in songs is the influence that emanates from the home, for 

 it is lasting. The solution of the problem, however, rests largely 

 with the individuals that make up each household. They may show 

 their devotion to the high ideals of the country by refusing to buy, 

 sing, or tolerate besmirching songs of the hour. 



Suggestion is the birth of thought; 



Thought dwelt upon becomes action; 

 Action repeated becomes habit; 



Habit is cliaracter. 



Because of the comparative isolation of the country home many 

 desirable features of good home-making must come to it slowly. Its 

 very isolation and independence make it the natural friend and ad- 

 vocate of the good song. Its open windows do not let in, perforce, 

 the contaminating street song. Its doors can remain closed to the 

 rap of a blighting "best seller" until the family within have taken 

 time to pass upon the merits of that song, to discover whether or 

 not it is in harmony with the family's aspirations to secure good 

 things for itself, and whether it voices the family's spirit of inde- 

 pendence in the obtaining of these things. Heretofore, the people of 

 rural communities have hardly considered their responsibility in the 

 setting of standards for good home and community songs. ISIow that 

 the whole American people are working — slowly, it is true! — to 

 the question of good and bad songs for their homes, is it not reason- 

 able that the country people should assume a strong leadership in 

 the matter? Should they not be the ones to say what shall and what 

 shall not constitute their home and community songs? 



The meaning of a song is conveyed by the combined force of its 

 words and its melody. In a song the melody seems to give rise to 

 the words and the words to the melody. Men naturally sing of 

 what fills their heads and their hearts. The resulting song is good 

 to the degree in which it suggests the good and the beautiful through 

 its words or melody, or through both. A song is to be neither ap- 

 proved nor condemned because it is new. Nor should it be counted 

 without merit if in actual use it seems to touch the hearts of young 

 and old as it finds its way out into the world. But time and op- 

 portunity are as precious as they are fleeting; and what family is 

 there that can afiiord to rest its family traditions and future memories 

 on songs of uncertain quality when good ones can be had? 



Since I have known that we were to have this evening together 

 on ''Songs That Live" the local song traditions of Pennsylvania have 

 become of interest to me. And as truly as Pennsylvania has its 

 distinctive people, features and characteristics, as truly are these 

 distinctions written in the historical and traditional songs. 



May I say to you at this time that I have made, during the last 

 mouth, a list of songs which, by content or adaptation, or both, are 

 peculiarly expressive of Pennsylvania and its country life, including 

 some that are not only sentimentally and traditionally, but his- 

 torically ti'ue of the local life of the State. It would give me pleas- 

 ure to forward to you this list upon your request. Columbia Uni- 

 versity, New York City, through its department of agriculture for- 

 ward to me mail addressed to me, Department of Agriculture, Col- 

 umbia University. 



