he part which the principles of
music should play in the consciousness of a civilized nation is to
learn the part they have played in history. A survey of this history
shows that all the phenomena of musical development, even those
apparently transient and superficial, testify to a necessity of human
nature, an unappeasable thirst for self-expression. In view of the
relationship of musical art to the individual and the collective need,
it is plain that musical history and musical appreciation must be
taught together as a supplementary phase of one great theme. And,
furthermore, this phase is one that is not only necessary in a
complete scheme of musical culture, but is also one that is conveyed
in a language which all can understand. It is significant of the broad
democratic outlook of our American institutions of learning, in
contrast to the universities of Europe, that the needs of the
unprepared students are considered as well as the benefit of those who
have had musical preparation, and the mysteries of musical art are
submitted to all who desire initiation. Too much emphasis cannot be
laid upon this wise and generous attitude toward the fine arts which
is maturing in our American colleges; by which they demonstrate their
belief in the power of adaptation of all manifestations of beauty to
the condition of every one of intelligence, however slight the
experience or limited the talent. There are, unquestionably, certain
puzzling difficulties in imparting an understanding of musical
structure and principles to those who have not even a preliminary
smattering of the musical speech, but the experiment has gone far
enough to prove that music, with all its abstruseness, complexity, and
remoteness from the world of ordinary experience, has still a message
so direct, so penetrating, so human and humanizing, that no one can be
wholly indifferent to its eloquence when it comes through the ministry
of a qualified interpreter.

=The properly trained college teacher of music=

A qualified interpreter!--yes, there's the rub. Only a few years ago
men competent to teach the history and philosophy of music in a manner
which a college or university could consistently tolerate, were almost
non-existent, and even today many colleges are out of sheer necessity
giving over this department to men of very scanty qualifications. Few
men have faith enough to prepare for work that is not yet in sight.
Then with the sudden breaking out of mu