our aid, and will find a more lively
sense of discrimination in tone quality than the average adult shows. We
can encourage the growth of high ideals of tone-beauty. We can cultivate
nice discrimination. We can, in short, use music in our schools not to
dull, but to quicken, the musical sensibilities of childhood.

CHAPTER IV.

COMPASS OF THE CHILD-VOICE.

There is the greatest diversity of opinion upon this subject among those
who have any opinion at all. It might be supposed that, among the
thousands of educators who are interested in school music and in the
singing of children generally, many might be found who have given the
subject careful attention, but such does not appear to be the case. If
we consult the musical literature published for children, the prevalence
of songs suited to the contralto voice is noticeable, indicating
apparently that the compass of infant voices at least is about the same
as that of the adult contralto. If there is any generally recognized
theory upon the subject, it would seem to be this; but from a
physiological standpoint the voices of children are totally unlike the
woman contralto, and especially is this true of children of from six to
eight years of age whose songs are usually written so low in range. An
error, started anywhere or at any time, of theory or of practice, if it
once become incorporated into the literature of a subject, is liable to
be frequently copied, and enjoy a long and useless life. So with this
treatment of the child-voice. The error is in supposing that it consists
of a limited number of quite low tones. It has its origin in the sole
use of the so-called chest-voice of the child, and when the evident
strain under which a child of six or seven years labors to sing up is
observed, the conclusion seems safe that they cannot sing high. While,
on the other hand, they manage with apparent ease to sing down even as
low as

[Music: a]

This conception has in divers ways so imbedded itself into the musical
literature for little children, that all efforts to uproot it have so
far been apparently futile. There are, however, very many supervisors of
school music, and the number is growing, who have recognized that this
treatment of little children's voices is a vocal barbarity, and the
device of pitching songs higher than they are written to overcome the
difficulty is more common than might be supposed. There can be no doubt
that in a short time the pract