Medina High School - Medinian Yearbook (Medina, OH)

Page 33 text:

MEDINIAN ’37 Other factors contributing to the general education of our people are the grow ' ing musical libraries ' , foundation schools for the training of talented students, the development of radio, and mechanical devices for recording music. America should in time be music conscious. Opera has not yet been naturalized and has not found a firm foothold in the United States as a whole. America is a new country without a history vanishing into myth or legend, so American opera can have little native basis, but a few good operas have been produced based on Indian stories. Waldo S. Pratt said, ‘The art of music has become what it is, not by the miracu ' lous work of a few great composers but by the momentum of large mental movements in nations, periods, and classes of men. “And if we look back we will see the truth of this statement. When religion was the chief interest — hymns; during the Revolution- patriotic and natonal songs; during the Civil War — songs influenced by negro music; in the post ' war period — ballads; with the turn of the century and a new era — “rag ' time, 1 ' Sousa’s marches, and “jazz,” with a hint of the negro folk song. Popular music always had and always will have its place in the lives of people who have had no special study of the art of music. Since reconciliation has been sought by both the cultured and the unprofessional multitudes, music has reached its modern world ' wide significance with the level of com- mon intelligence and feeling raised so that the unmusical may become musical and the musical more artistic. Owing to political and religious conditions and geographical position, music has had a hard struggle for recognition. Fate has been kind, and all three obstacles have given way — religious conflicts have subsided — the distance from art centers of Europe is no longer important — and the country’s great wealth is assisting in the development of native talent and musical production. Between the Civil War and World War, rapid strides were taken due to the ad ' vance and material prosperity, immigration of musical foreigners, and improved commu ' nication and industrial appliances. In spite of this rapid progress, America still lacks the spirit necessary and looks to Europe for her opera singers and conductors. A strong musical interest has been created, but relative to the magnitude of our civilization, our musical culture is still in the making. But criticism should not be the slave of history in measuring the present by the past and notwithstanding our deficiencies much has been accomplished and the outlook is ever growing brighter. In every phase, America has shown that she can produce as great talent as any country of Europe. We know that music is growing whether we understand it or not, and the good is handed on to’ the next generation even though much “falls by the wayside.’’ So, let us say that musical art will be the delight and the inspiration of all people, and that like our class — music in America is — Launched But i Anchored. Thirty-One

Page 32 text:

VALEDICTORY By Sara Hammer schmidt A Sage once said, “Let me write a people’s songs and I care not who makes its laws.” Laws seem necessary for civilization but civilization means a getting away from the physical and ugly as much as possible toward the spiritual and beautiful — corn sistent with the preservation and perfection of the race. A complete civilization must take account of art and beauty as much as of morality and intellectual development. By art we mean the Fine Arts — one of which is Music. To what extent has the United States taken account of Music, and what are the underlying causes for its slow develop ' ment? The rise and progress of the musical art in the United States is a story of assimila ' tion rather than creation. The American people have no common background, racial elements, or geographical environment on which folk music could be reared. The fea ' tures of our art show that they come from “the melting pot.” There is, however, an Americanism that is the result of the intermingling of all nationalities. It is the spirit of the pioneer that sent our forefathers westward — the spirit of a new country. This must be found in our music before we can claim a national idiom. The colonists brought their music with them, but they were confronted with too many stern necessities to think of music as anything but an item in a religious service or a means of relaxation. Music in the dawn of American statehood was subservient to the church; psalms and hymns were the only tunes allowed in New England, where music as a trade was forbidden. Spiritual tunes were gradually accepted. Music in the South served merely as entertainment. But nothing — that lives — stands still; there must be constant change and growth or decay sets in. So there was an era of attempted improvement in music. Our first musical uplift came with the advent of the singing master and the church organist. Owing to the efforts of a few organists in New England, by the beginning of the nine ' teenth century music had become firmly fixed in the life of the American people; but the art was still in its infancy. The first real American music was made during the last part of the eighteenth century in spite of the interruption of the Revolution. Out of a few singing schools came choral societies, devoted to the study of oratorios. Festivals and national music clubs soon developed and encouraged the cause of music. Thus concert life of the United States took on a serious aspect and led to orchestras. At present, we have at least three orchestras equal to those anywhere, and one has the reputation of being the finest in the world. Hundreds of theaters provided excell ' ent orchestras until the recent invasion of sound pictures. However, high schools and colleges have been stimulated into the development of bands and orchestras. In fact, one of the most significant signs in the United States is the remarkable development of musical activity in the educational system. More attention is paid to music in our public schools than in any country of Europe. A t ft i ! A N Thirty 1

Page 34 text:

SALUTATORY Louise Oberholtzer It is with great pleasure that we welcome you, friends and relatives, to our com ' mencement exercises. School has been to me like the pages of a book. Each phase of school life has added another chapter, until now our book is practically completed. In our book, we started out with the “settings,” that is, the time, place, and characters. Corresponding to the time we have our entrance into high school with much trepidation and many misgivings. We were somewhat acquainted with the place but had never thoroughly explored everything. We found that there was such a thing as a Chemistry Laboratory as well as an aquarium in the Biology Room. The characters were perhaps the most interesting and yet the newest part of our book. We had never met in other books such different characters. They were, namely, the Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors. We constituted the Freshman class and had an idea who some of the Sophomores were, but as for the Juniors and especially the Seniors, we placed them as the most important characters and set them up as our ideals. In the second part of our book we find the climax or highest point of interest. This is found in our Junior year. We have the honor of publishing an annual ex ' clusively by our class. Those more capable in the class are placed in positions of great responsibility and upon them lie the duties of collecting the material, procuring the money, and getting the annual published and on sale before the close of school. Such a climax as this keeps the whole class worked up until the last bit has been completed so that their annual may be known as one of the best or, perhaps, the best. Then, comes the end of our book. We enter upon the last lap of our Senior year. When reading a book we are thrilled upon nearing the end and excited upon discover ' ing some of the conclusions of important events. Then we have it all read and are rather sad because now that we have finished it we are sorry that we skipped a few parts here and there in order to conclude it more quickly. In our Senior year we be- come worried about annual parts, our pictures, the class play, and commencement itself. We become so keyed up with excitement that we can hardly contain ourselves until the final plan has been carried out. Finally, we have finished our book. We are sad and melancholy upon departing from the setting and foregone parts of our book, which have now grown so dear to our hearts. However, a second volume of our book is about to begin and we must each go down our separate walks of life. As a prelude to this second volume of our book, let me quote from Van Dyke’s poem: Let me but live my life from year to year, With forward face and unreluctant soul; Not hurrying to, nor turning from, thp p Not mourning for the things that disappc In the dim past, nor holding back in fer From what the future veils; but v And happy heart, that pays its to To Youth and Age, and travels on v er. Thirty-Two M e E ! N I A N ’ 3 7