PREFACE
It will be observed that in the following pages political and economic events are presented in their aspect of emotion-producing forces in social pressure, with but scant attention to their other values. An artificially selective process must also be acknowledged in that, of those events only such as seem to have produced a direct emotional reaction upon a people have been considered. Those long continued economic movements which produced no sudden changes have not been taken into account, because what may be termed their disturbing effects were too gradual to allow of their being included among specific emotion-making forces[1]; slow changes are not sensed by whole peoples. Uneducated masses, especially, do not become conscious of progressive movements until their effects are so apparent as to require consideration by reason of aroused emotional reaction. The history of a slow transition, therefore, may be for the scientific purposes of this investigation unimportant as compared with the somewhat dislocated perturbance, which resulted at the moment when the events under consideration were happening, and calling forth a reaction definitely emotional. Moreover, at such a precise moment, the events may have been raised to social consciousness, not as they appear to us in the clear afterlight of scientific attitude and historical accuracy, but as popular concepts of the moment, having power to arouse intense national emotional reaction; similar recent popular waves of feeling, due not to facts as they are, but to popular conceptions of such facts, will readily occur to each reader.
With this warning that not the dignity of history, but the intensity of public emotionalism is within the purview and area of our investigation, we may proceed to a statement of the method and of the general thesis.
The method to be pursued, is to examine contemporaneous and concurrent public events and emotion products, as expressed in Music.
The results indicated may be given a preliminary statement as follows:
1. Agitation is a cause of pulse disturbance.
2. Sufficient agitation produces fatal disturbance of bodily rhythm.
3. All strong emotions are disturbers of rhythmic motion throughout the body.
4. Rhythmic motion, too often disturbed, leads to abnormal mental and physical conditions.
5. Civilization constantly “disturbs” the bodily rhythm.
6. The political and industrial troubles of a nation are signs of national “disturbance” of rhythm.
7. Music, closely expressing the emotional life of each period, is the unconscious application of a remedy to a human need of rhythmic stimulus.
These points are part of the general thesis, which may be stated in the following terms: MUSIC IS A HUMAN NEED, INCREASING AND DECREASING WITH SOCIAL PRESSURE.
The tendency of a group in each stage of human development, is to produce Music fitting the character of the social disturbances of its time, and communities which most fully meet this need of rhythm by national culture of Music, tend to preserve for longer periods, the serenity of the public mind. Thus it will be seen that national control and support of Music may be assumed to be a national duty. This control and support will aid in the preservation of a healthy state of the public mind. Such a condition will make more effective all other efforts for the abolition of discontent, disease, vice and criminality.
National culture and support of Music are effective means of exercising social control, because of the calming influence of Music upon disturbed thought. Such an influence is a most necessary one at the present stage of mental agitation. Established within disturbed zones, national institutions for free musical instruction would place a check upon strained intellectualism, with its brood of idea-monstrosities, since Music would cause a relaxation of mental concentration. It is a matter of experience, that relaxation of tension generally accompanies the yielding of the excited mind to musical rhythm.
Furthermore, there are other and not inconsiderable arguments for the national support of Music. On account of the great expense of a musical education, much promising American talent is now deprived of cultivation. To all persons evidencing marked musical ability, and showing themselves worthy of aid, this rich country should give national support.
American national instruction in Music is also a duty to American industry because such instruction would open the employment field in Music to American wage earners. Some idea of the amount of private business along this line may be gained from the following:
MUSIC IN THE WEST.[2]
If music seems a needless luxury to some, what will they think of the cold economic fact of Chicago spending $30,000,000 in one year for musical instruments of all kinds, sheet music, music-books, musical supplies, and music lessons? This figure is “based on reliable information,” says Mr. D. A. Clippinger, in The Musician (Boston), and he intimates that this yearly expenditure of one Western city is only typical of what the great expanse of our country beyond the Appalachians is doing. It will be observed that this sum does not include what is spent to hear music, but to gain instruction in it.
At present America is obliged to depend both for her best Music and musical instruction largely upon foreign talent. With national support of her own talent, this deplorable condition would soon cease. This would also free Americans from absolute dependence upon private institutions.
Music has also become an important industry, employing a vast number of agents. It is high time that this employment were placed within reach of American labor. Such an end can be attained only by furnishing adequate training for this skilled work. At present foreigners are the agents for the satisfaction of this need for rhythm in orchestras, bands, hotels, restaurants, church choirs, studios, clubs, steamships, operas and at social functions. An important wage earning occupation is thus out of reach of our own talent.
It may be argued that considerable expense is already incurred by municipalities and states, for training in musical appreciation in the form of concerts, public school instruction, park bands, etc. These expenses are admittedly very large and yet what is their productive value along the line of musical instruction? What is the real value, for instance, of the many thousands of dollars annually expended upon public Music in a city like New York? The educated listener finds the programs faulty, falling far short of a true expression of a composer’s idea, while to the uneducated hearer, it is principally a diversion of his attention, without teaching him anything. The establishment of musical departments in colleges will never be able to meet this crying need. The majority of the institutions which depend even in part upon tuition-fees received from their pupils, reach the least needy of our people, and sometimes the least talented. Where the industrial shoe pinches the hardest, there is where the national social or political danger lies, and there is where the need is greatest. Where the social pressure is most felt, there is formed a mine of musical diamonds. Neither the city nor the state can so control musical development, as to produce a national type in musical composition. Music is a universal need, passionately craved by the nation’s children. Hence our federal government should attend to this demand, which is becoming more and more insistent every day, indicative of a national want. We venture the not idle prophecy, that the whole American nation would cheerfully bear a tax, for so good a work as the establishment of national free schools of Music all over our land. That European countries have recognized this need is shown by the statistics which will be found below.[3] These statistics were very difficult to procure, and are rather surprising in content.
A copy of the questionnaire sent out will be found in Appendix A. The nations from whom we expected the least expenditure for musical culture, were found to be the most lavish. The United States stands apart from the world’s array of musical patrons. The recent interest in Indian and Negro Music may, however, prove an entering wedge to a wider cultivation of our national musical resources. Our State universities and our public schools are institutions of which the nation is justly proud. Why not open your arms a little wider, generous America, and take into your embrace your own fair musical child, now so weak and puny, but full of promise for the future? The hope of the writer is, that this cry will be heard by the nation’s head.
With such national support in view, we have gathered our statistics. City ventures are not considered; park bands, military bands,[4] new buildings for national musical academies, in short, all outlays for Music not tending to contribute directly toward the musical education of the people under consideration, are omitted. Thus the large contributions of cities for public entertainments are left out of our calculation entirely. The United States has not fallen into line with European countries in national culture of Music, but probably this is simply because the attention of our nation has not hitherto been called to Music as a health measure. Too much ink has flowed in describing Music as a diversion, as an amusement, as an ideal, as a superfluous luxury, whereas no greater physical and mental need exists, than the unconscious physical need of rhythm, the conscious physical need of Music.
The world, it is true, may not at once accept the theory of “rhythm” herein set forth. An investigation of it, however, would bring about some new and interesting discoveries, in regard to unsuspected effects of Music upon the nervous system. In any case, Music is a wonder worker which should now occupy the attention of sociologists, psychologists, and physicians.
Music has been generally regarded as the language of the emotions, but it has never been determined why these emotions, having art, poetry, the dance, and many other means of partial expression, so insistently require sound for complete self-realization. The beat of the pulse and the measure in Music are similar rhythmic expressions, but the close relation of one to the other has heretofore been ignored. Yet groups have a pulse; history has a pulse; the phenomena of the physical universe have a pulse; all life manifestations are demonstrations of pulse action.
What becomes of the countless millions of musical sound vibrations sent into space by the orchestral performances in a great city? Are they all impotent, reaching only to the auditory organs, and dying there? Or do they actually enter the human system and set to their own perfect rhythm, all of the discordant motions therein encountered? Do they not “act as stimuli on the sensitive psychoplasm and effect changes in its molecular composition?”[5]
All rhythm, however divided, is perfect motion. Rhythm, acting upon a disturbed motion, tends to impose its own motion upon the discord, if stronger than the disturbance encountered. This theory not only imputes a higher mission to Music than has heretofore been realized, but also accounts for phenomena of organized sound vibrations, and for the craving of all human life for Music. This passionate desire for Music is an established fact, and it remains but to show the need of this inspiring sound stimulus, in order to place Music in the list of recognized national necessities.
The willing response of Austria, Bavaria, Belgium, Denmark, England, Equador, France, Holland, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Russia, Saxony, Sweden and the United States to the author’s request for musical statistics merits special mention. Prussia alone of the nations applied to for statistics appeared either unwilling, or unable to furnish the same regarding her national support of Music. The author shared the general opinion that Prussia led the world in this field. But although requested through proper official channels, from several influential quarters, no response was obtained. A cable from the United States Consul in Berlin says that the musical “statistics are unavailable.” The letter from the Minister of Saxony may give some insight into the real condition of German musical support, and as such it is added in Appendix E.[6]
The Appeal in this work is for a system of public musical instruction upon the principles governing our public school management. This would be a step in advance of the systems of governmental support of musical institutions, as represented in the statistics included in this work, which systems generally place a small charge upon those pupils who are able to pay. All of these institutions admit to full privileges free of any charge, the exceptionally talented among the poor. The object of each such institution as we advocate, should be the support, by the government, of native musical talent, without regard to profit or loss in the management. Music is one of those sciences which do not attract the untalented to their study, and, this being the case, little loss of instruction is involved. The proper study of Music includes so many of the regular public school studies, and so much of the elements of higher education, as Psychology, Biology, Sociology, Physics, Economics, Social Legislation, History, Languages, Literature, Physical Training, Self-Control, to say nothing of the mathematical studies included in such branches as orchestration, harmony, counterpoint, etc., that a model musical college would furnish an education and culture, far more beneficial to individuals and the group, than is offered by some of the present systems of education. The immediate cost would be immense, but the author is convinced that this outlay would bring quick returns, in decreasing costs for the protection of the native individual, from many of the effects of nerve derangement in children and in adults, in lessening discontent, riots, antagonism between labor and capital, and many manifestations of partial insanity. In short, such a system is a prime factor in social control, to the lack of which may be ascribed in some measure the present peril to civilization.
We take this opportunity to express our indebtedness for the statistics furnished in each case to the following gentlemen, who, either in their official or in a private capacity, replied to the questionnaire submitted, and whose co-operation has been invaluable in our attempt to present the most recent conditions of State-aided Music abroad: Wilhelm Bopp, Director of the Imperial and Royal Academy of Music and Fine Arts, Vienna, Austria; M. Steiner, Minister of the Interior for Religion and Schools, Bavaria; M. Phillis, Minister of Arts and Sciences, Belgium; J. Clan, Danish Consul-General in New York, and Cornelius Rübner, head of the Music Department of Columbia University; Olmedo Alfaro, son of the President of Equador, and the Directors of the Conservatory of Quito, Equador; A. W. Twenlyman, of the English Education Board, London, England; I. Philipp of the Paris Conservatory; Th. Heemskerk, Minister of the Interior, Holland; Luigi Credaro, Minister of Public Instruction, Rome, Italy; Ole Olesen, Military Inspector of Music, Norway; Wm. Thackara, American Consul-General, Berlin, Germany; Alexandre Lyssakovsky, First Secretary of the Russian Embassy, Washington, D. C.; (Graf) Vitzhum von Eckstaedt, Minister of the Interior, Saxony; Bror Beckman, of the Royal Conservatory of Music, Stockholm, Sweden; L. A. Kalbach, Chief Clerk of the United States Bureau of Education, Washington, D. C.; Mr. Wm. H. Taft, ex-President of the United States; Naray-Szabo, Secretary of State, Hungary, and Dr. Paul Majewsky, Chief of the Fine Art Section of the Royal Hungarian Ministry of Public Worship and Education, Budapest.
Gratitude is due also for the inspiration found in the courses of studies pursued under the direction of the following Columbia professors: Dr. F. H. Giddings in Sociology, Dr. Henry Seager in Economics, Dr. S. McC. Lindsay in Social Legislation, Dr. E. R. A. Seligman in Economics, Dr. J. B. Clark, Dr. A. A. Tenney in Sociology, Dr. R. E. Chaddock in Statistics, Dr. C. Ruebner in Music, and Dr. V. G. Simkhovitch in Economics. Not one of these courses has proved superfluous in the present dissertation, and we are proud indeed that Music, so long considered as a luxury, can show the relations to the interests which they represent. Especially great is our obligation to Professors Giddings, Seager, Chaddock, Lindsay and Ruebner.
Our sincere thanks are due, in the gathering of these statistics to Commendatore Eugenio di Pirani, President of the American Philharmonic Academy.