Music Educators Journal

The music education of the academically talented in the secondary schools is part of a searching project to point the way to better education for the upper twenty percent of all students. This article is taken from a report originally prepared by Mr. Hartshorn for the biennial convention of the Music Educators National Conference, Atlantic City, New Jersey, March 1960.

THIS ARTICLE is taken from the manuscript of an address delivered at the biennial convention of the Music Educators National Conference, Atlantic City, New Jersey, March 1960. In his opening remarks Dr. Leddy said in part, “Although we are not otherwise separated where the invisible line of the border divides Canada and the United States, there is some divergence of outlook be- tween us, not least in political and educational matters. We quite properly stress our many similarities but we do have our differences, and it is stimulating to meet from time to time and to exchange points of view. We should do this more often, and so I appreciate your president's initiative, of which I am the beneficiary and I hope that there may be some early reciprocity on our part.”

“It is my opinion that this article points out one of the real weaknesses in the teaching of music in public high schools, that is, we must repeat material because we do not have a step-wise music curriculum.” This statement is from a member of the Editorial Board of Music Educators Journal. How wide spread is this problem? Your comments are invited.

The author of this article states that he has deliberately slanted his subject to promote discussion of a topic that is undoubtedly vital to every music educator as well as every publisher and composer of school music. The Editorial Board expressed widely varying opinions and have invited comments from readers. Many will take exception to some of Mr. Filas’ opinions, but their rebuttals should make provocative reading in a future “Letters to the Editor” column.

The Metropolitan Opera Guild's Director of Educational Activities, Vernon Westmoreland, questions Helen Plinkiewisch, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Education at Hofstra College and Music Con- sultant of Stewart School, Garden City, Long Island.

The Music Educators National Conference has enjoyed a long association with the Metropolitan Opera Guild. Over a period of years, at MENC Division meetings, the Metropolitan Opera Guild has sponsored some unusually fine sessions in which have participated some outstanding authorities in the field of opera. A meeting was planned by the Guild at the 1960 biennial convention of MENC in Atlantic City, and plans are projected for a special session in opera at the forthcoming meeting of the MENC Eastern Division to be held in Washington, D.C.

[The author of this article, Robert Washburn, was one of the twelve composers-in-residence under the Ford Foundation project which attracted much attention during the 1959-1960 school year. This article, and the comments by William Gowdy which follow, have been extracted from June 1960 Indiana Musicator, official periodical of the Indiana Music Educators Association.]

[In the April-May issue of Music Educators Journal “Joseph Merrick” wrote an article entitled “Why Bands?” posing a provocative suggestion to change emphasis from big bands to small ensembles as a means of developing individual musical growth. Here are the reactions of two readers.]