Medina County High Schools - Mecoan Yearbook (Medina, OH)

Page 162 text:

History of the Medina County Music Organization The px-esent music department of the Medina County Schools began in the spring of 1921, when four schools, Lodi, York, Liverpool and Granger joined together in the employment of Mr. S. T. Burns as supervisor of music. As soon as it became known that four of the County’s schools were to have musical instruction, demands began to come from some of the other schools that they too be included in the plan. Before school opened in September of that first year, to the original four, five other schools were added: Homer, Spencer, Litchfield, Sharon, and Seville, and Miss Van Dora McKee was employed as an assistant supervisor. The success of the work during the first year led to the addition of Brunswick, Chatham and Wadsworth Township the second year, and to an increase of the time for music supervision and teaching in the schools that has had the instruction. The music staff the second year consisted of Mr. Burns, Mr. Seibold, Miss Christman and Mr. Behrens. These four teachers devoted their full time to music instruction. In addition, Mr. Beck, of Medina, taught part time in the Brunswick school. Additions to the circuit in the third year were Montville Township, Medina Town- ship, and Chippewa Lake. During this year also Belden and Wakeman, although not in Medina County, were included in the organization for musical infraction. The faculty during this year consisted of Mr. Burns, Mr. Behrens, and Miss Christman, who remained on the force from the preceding year, and Mr. Rowell, Miss Martin and Miss Freeborn. In addition to these full time music teachers, Mr. Beck continued to devote part time to Brunswick; Sharon employed Miss Reese to devide her time be- tween regular high school subjects and music; Homer arranged Miss Wertz’s schedule similarly. This year marked the beginning of the County orchestra, made up of twenty- five of the best players from seven different schools. In the fall of 1924 the Medina organization withdrew from the two schools out- side of the County, and added the Westfield School at LeRoy. Changes in the faculty brought Mr. Clough to fill the place of Mr. Behrens who returned to Oberlin for further study, and Miss Wilcox to fill the place of Miss Freeborn who during the summer, forsook the scTTool room for the fireside. The County Orchestra was continued and enlarged, and a County Band of thirty boys was organized. In all four years of its existence, the music department has furnished music for all sorts of public gatherings. Every school has its yearly musical program; in addi- tion, music has been given at the annual meetings of teachers and board members, at the oratorical and debate contests, at farmers institutes, and parent teacher meetings. In the four years of the music department’s existence, it has produced eighty-two full-evening performances and furnished incidental music for about tw T o hundred fifty community gatherings of various sorts.

Page 161 text:

a Tfce. MCCOOK. a Medina County’s Music Program The .music program of the Medina County Schools aims to give the children of the County opportunity for musical development along three lines; first, it aims to teach every child to use his singing voice; second, to give every child some acquaintance with the world’s best music; third, to give every child an opportunity to learn some musical instrument. Progress toward the accomplishment of the first of these aims is made by regular vocal instruction in both the grades and the high schools. This instruction includes the singing of songs, both in unison and parts, throughout the grades and high school; and in the elements of musical theory and sight reading in the grades. Acquaintance with some of the world’s best music is made by means of the musical material used in the classes, by the use of the phonograph during the regular music period in the grades, and in special classes in music appreciation in most of the high schools. The opportunity to learn to play some musical instrument is furnished by the classes in instrumental music which are organized in all the schools and are open without charge to all pupils from the fifth grade through the high school. The aim of these classes is to discover unusual musical talent which might otherwise lie dormant and never be developed, and to give to the pupil a technical foundation on his instrument which will enable him to continue his study under private teachers without retardation. Medina County’s furnishing this instruction to the pupils in the schools without charge, on the same basis as instruction in reading, is an unusual feature, and one in which the County is far ahead of any other rural community in the country, and, in fact, ahead of most cities. It is most necessary, however, for the schools to furnish this instruction if it is to be had at all. Nearly all of the County’s school communities are too small to afford the support of private teachers who would bring to the community the knowledge of the instruments and teaching ability that is secured by the system now in operation. Withdrawal of the instrumental instruction from the schools would mean in most cases that within two or three years the local school orchestras would disappear and performers upon any of the band and orchestra instruments would be almost non-existent. It is the purposes of musical instruction that has enabled Medina County to furnish the most comprehensive program of County musical instruction in the State and has led to its recognition as a leader in rural school music. But big and comprehensive as this music program is, it is not greater than it should be. As a means for the development of the mental processes the value of music is no less than that of any subject on the school curriculum, demanding as it does, concentration, rapid perception, and immediate response. Considered with regard to its value to the pupil in later life, it ranks next to reading and arithmetic. For there is no activitity that touches our lives at more points than music. We express our religious emotions by means of music in churches, our sorrow over the loss of loved ones by music at the last rites; our happiness and general satisfaction with life by spontaneous singing or Whistling at our work; our patriotism and love of country by songs in her praise. As a means of social recreation, and as a wholesome occupation for leisure time music is without a peer. Most assuredly music is not a “frill,” but a most essential part of life, and the music program of the Medina County Schools by developing the ability of musical expression and leading to an appreciation of the best in music for hundreds of children, means happier and fuller lives in the future, more refinement and general culture citizenship. Hundred and Fifty-Seven

Page 163 text:

Tfce, Mecoon es Seville — Cast of the Operetta “ The W ishing Well ’ LeRoy — Combined Instrumental Classes