548 



MUSIC. 



As the efforts of the leaders of the move- 

 ment were mainly toward the popular side of 

 the art, it is all the more remarkable that the 

 influence of the system has been equally great 

 on the side of higher musical education. The 

 educational principle that simplifies the first 

 steps for the beginner, applies, with equal 

 force, to each subsequent stage. Teachers who 

 use the system are, on the average, far more 

 intelligent than those who follow the old meth- 

 od. Mr. Curwen's later works on "Harmony," 

 " Musical Theory," " Statics," etc., are, beyond 

 all comparison, more profound, comprehensive, 

 and clear than any other treatises that have 

 ever been written on the subject of music. Mr. 

 Our wen died on the 26th of May, 1880. 



Introduction into American Schools. The Tonic 

 Sol-fa movement grew to completeness as a 

 system, took possession of nearly all the chan- 

 nels of popular education in Great Britain, 

 raised up an army of five thousand teachers, 

 established an immense literature in its own 

 peculiar notation, and, during the thirty years 

 in which this process was going on, not only 

 was not adopted by any American teachers, 

 but scarcely attracted the slightest attention 

 among them. This singular phenomenon can 

 be accounted for. So many efforts had been 

 previously made in this country to simplify 

 music, so many supposed improvements had 

 been brought to the attention of the public, 

 that the subject was regarded as exhausted. 

 If the subject was not, the people were, and 

 they became confirmed in the belief that the 

 idea was wholly chimerical. Moreover, Amer- 

 ica had been peculiarly favored in the posses- 

 sion of a truly great musical teacher, Dr. Low- 

 ell Mason, who had adapted the Pestalozzian 

 method to the study of elementary music. 

 Thirty years ago the condition of popular mu- 

 sic in this country was greatly in advance of 

 that in England. A false theory (the fixed do) 

 had been introduced there, and popular prog- 

 ress in music had received well-nigh a fatal 

 check. Indeed, it was from the prevalence of 

 this heresy, and the consequent paralysis of 

 musical efforts among the masses, that this 

 great popular movement sprang. Hence it is 

 not strange that America, with an excellent 

 system in general use, and with a wide diffu- 

 sion of musical intelligence, should think slight- 

 ingly of any scheme or system that arose in 

 that country. It took many years to reveal 

 the truth that the new English system was 

 based upon a far deeper and broader educa- 

 tional principle than the American, and was 

 therefore capable of producing vastly greater 

 results. That this is true, is shown by the 

 fact that the condition of popular music in the 

 two countries is now completely reversed. 

 While England was growing year by year in mu- 

 sical intelligence, America was losing ground. 

 The nature of the musical staff is such that the 

 Pestalozzian principle can not be fully applied 

 to the study of music when the staff is used 

 as a medium, or teaching instrument. It is es- 



sentially complex, while music, as a language, 

 is exceedingly simple so simple that little 

 children can often sing before they can talk. 

 The staff, as a means of writing or represent- 

 ing the language, is very complicated. It rep- 

 resents the instrumental side of music with 

 the many arbitrary signs that are necessary to 

 indicate the flats, sharps, naturals, signatures, 

 and all else that belongs to a mechanical pro- 

 duction of the tone-language. Tonic Sol-fa 

 expresses this language in its adaptation to 

 the human voice, and is a natural and there- 

 fore simple expression. 



It was this vital distinction between the two 

 principles described that caused the remark- 

 able change in the musical histories of the 

 two countries one steadily losing ground, the 

 other rapidly advancing, and gaining not only 

 all that the other had lost, but much more; 

 leading the masses of the people to a degree 

 of musical intelligence that is wholly new. 



The System in America. Capable teachers of 

 the system came to America, one by one, and 

 musical writers and critics observed, and oc- 

 casionally reported, the remarkable results of 

 the Tonic Sol-fa movement in England. The 

 initiation of a distinctive American phase of 

 this educational reform may be regarded as 

 dating from 1881. In that year a combination 

 of teachers and friends of the system was 

 effected, and a permanent organization was 

 formed, with the title of the " American Tonic 

 Sol-fa Association." DuriDg the same year a 

 monthly organ of the movement was estab- 

 lished, called the "Tonic Sol-fa Advocate," 

 published in New York. Text-books in the 

 Tonic Sol-fa notation are also published. 



The question as to whether the Tonic Sol-fa 

 system is as well adapted to the educational 

 needs and conditions of this country as of Eng- 

 land has had an authoritative answer. At the 

 annual meeting of the New Jersey State Asso- 

 ciation of Public School Teachers in 1883, a 

 committee, composed of three school principals, 

 was appointed to investigate the system. The 

 report of this committee was rendered Dec. 

 30, 1884, at Newark. The committee say they 

 sent a circular of inquiry to all teachers, prin- 

 cipals, superintendents, etc., who had either 

 taught the system, or witnessed its results in 

 their schools. Replies were received from five 

 hundred teachers in many different States, 

 from Massachusetts to California ; and, of these 

 replies, every one was in favor of Tonic Sol-fa 

 as superior to the staff system. The report 

 concludes as follows : 



Considering carefully all the evidence we have re- 

 ceived, your committee can not form any other than 

 the following conclusions relative to the Tonic Sol-fa 

 system : 



1. It is simple and easily understood. 



2. It has a tendency to encourage pupils to sing.^ 

 8. It is well adapted to the youngest primary pupils. 



4. It holds the attention and sustains the interest of 

 pupils better than the staff. 



5. It secures the greatest educational results to the 

 greatest number. 



6. It is moat likely to be taught successfully by the 



