The Free Summer Hours

THE free summer hours should be used by the teachers to “brush up” on one or more subjects connected with their work, such as harmony, analysis, the literature of piano playing, biography and history. We would emphasize the latter, particularly, because they form the basis of lecture recitals or similar educational musical evenings. Why not give part of every day during the present and the next month, to study of the various epochs in the history of music and to getting a clear view of the progress and development of music? Or, confine yourself to some one period or phase, early music, the polyphonic period, the opera, the oratorio, the symphony, growth of musical forms, and the men who contributed to the development. A useful plan will be to look into the careers of the composers represented in your teaching repertoire, also to study the various forms, classical, song, dance, etc, represented in the pieces you will give to your pupils, the marches, waltzes, polka, sonatina, sonata, song without words, romance, rondo, etc. By this means you become thoroughly the master of your repertoire, not confining your knowledge to the notes and their execution on the piano. A few hours a day, spent in this kind of work, will greatly help the teacher when the new season opens.