As We Go Marching On
And sothey have all marched—the military bands, Sousa, Gilmore, Pryor, Conway, the town and community bands, and the college and school bands. They have marched right into the hearts of the people, young and old, rich or poor, from Maine to California.
“All these bands have something in common,” wrote Dr. Edwin Franko Goldman. “They are manifestations of a popular musical culture which finds in them an expression of something not provided by any other type of concert organization. Most important, they are a form of local, or regional, or national organization fulfilling a genuine community need and serving a genuine community interest....
“The band has introduced many people to music—both listeners and performers. A band plays for the masses with mixed tastes. It is close to the people, bringing many into firsthand contact with live music.”
Bands are able to perform in outdoor concerts, football games, parades and on many varied occasions. They stand or march when they play, inspiring action. Informal, outdoor band concerts will always remain great popular attractions for few concert halls are large enough to accommodate all the people who want tohear live band music. Besides, outdoor band concerts are free.
The United States is today’s greatest musical nation, and bands have played a great part in developing and spreading the love and understanding of music among young and old in this country. A band is a strong music educational force; a school or college band has the widest opportunity in the world to personally convey music to the people.
With the extensive program of concerts, radio and recording engagements, dances, football pageants, as well as the many regular functions in which the college bandsmen take part, a wealth of opportunity is given a college student interested in gaining experience in music.
In a more limited way this is true with high school bands. School bands are constantly being required to play at many public affairs in their community and school. And with ability to play in the band there comes to each bandsman a sense of citizenship, of belonging to an organization which is considered necessary to the success of public enterprises, of pride and importance in having a part in civic affairs.
People who are qualified to know state that the number of town, municipal, and industrial bands is decreasing, but it is gratifying to learn that these same authorities have found that college and school bands are rapidly increasing in all parts of the country. These organizations are recognized developments of our American culture. A national survey reveals thatin 1951 there were 75,000 bands in the United States. And there were fully 9,000,000 high school boys and girls belonging to school bands.
The activities of the high school bands are unified by the National High School Band Association; the musicians composing the Music Educators’ National Conference exercise helpful supervision. The school band is recognized as one of the greatest agencies for teaching democracy and good citizenship, as well as inducing a nation-wide love for music.
“Music,” says thePrefaceto the 1940Resolutionsof the Music Educators’ National Conference, “is an essential factor in building a cultured and happy people. It belongs to everyone.”
The shrill, noisy brass bands of early days have been supplanted by fine symphonic bands. Master instrument makers have invented a variety of new band instruments capable of producing many novel and artistic effects. Gifted musicians are composing and arranging music especially suited to these various instruments. The band has proved its worth and earned its right to the large place which it now occupies in our American way of life. A band is a necessary part of every community.
And just as the whole future of America is dependent upon the young people of today, in like manner, the fate of the bands of tomorrow depends upon the musical education and training received by the boys and girls of this present time. Youth must go marching on.
Throughout the ages man has found music to beessential in voicing his own innate sense of beauty. Music is not a thing apart from man: it is the spiritualized expression of his finest and best inner self.
There is no one wholly unresponsive to the elevating appeal of music. If only the right contacts and experiences are provided, every life can find in music some answer to its fundamental need for aesthetic and emotional outlet.
The Music Educators’ National Conference, at its national meeting held at Los Angeles in 1940, in full acceptance of its responsibilities as the representative and champion of progressive thought and practice in music education, pledged its united efforts in behalf of a broad and constructive program for music education for the youth of America. The organization recommended that the following measures be taken in the direction of general improvement:
1. Provision in all the schools of our country, both urban and rural, for music experience and training for every child, in accordance with his interests and capacities.2. Continued effort to improve music teaching, and to provide adequate equipment.3. Carry-over of school music training into the musical, social and home life of the community, as a vital part of its cultural, recreational and leisure-time activities.4. Increased opportunities for adult education in music.5. Improvement of choir and congregational singingin the churches and Sunday schools; increased use of instrumental ensemble playing in connection with church activities.6. Encouragement and support of all worthwhile musical enterprises as desirable factors in making our country a better place in which to live.
1. Provision in all the schools of our country, both urban and rural, for music experience and training for every child, in accordance with his interests and capacities.
2. Continued effort to improve music teaching, and to provide adequate equipment.
3. Carry-over of school music training into the musical, social and home life of the community, as a vital part of its cultural, recreational and leisure-time activities.
4. Increased opportunities for adult education in music.
5. Improvement of choir and congregational singingin the churches and Sunday schools; increased use of instrumental ensemble playing in connection with church activities.
6. Encouragement and support of all worthwhile musical enterprises as desirable factors in making our country a better place in which to live.
At the 1951 national meeting of the Music Educators’ National Conference, an optimistic view of the future of school music was generally expressed.