Miuic in educationwork, specially written for the conference, was performed by the Inter-
national Orchestra of Musical Youth, an international mixed choir, a
fanfare of brasses, and a soloist, under the conductorship of the com-
poser. The audience took part in the performance by joining in the
choruses of the final parts. The conference thus closed in an atmosphere
of enthusiasm in which all shared, difficult to imagine for those who
were not present, but giving proof of the confidence both of partici-
pants and public in the results achieved.
This book contains the principal speeches made at the conference and
also a selection of the addresses delivered during the course of it. Except
for slight modifications in presentation, the texts are reproduced here
in their original form, with the consent and on the responsibility of
their respective authors.
Representatives of all branches of musical activity, educators, com-
posers, music teachers, students and performers of music met together
at the Brussels Conference to exchange ideas and attempt to compare
the experience gained in their particular fields. One of the first results
of the work of this meeting was to give as broad a picture as possible
of the state of music education throughout the world.
The Brussels Conference did not confine itself, however, to stating
the facts and looking for causes and effects. Faced with the variety of
musical doctrines and the diversity of teaching systems, it endeavoured
first and foremost to discover problems common to teachers and to
emphasize the essential requirements of music teaching. Hence the con-
ference was able-and this is what constitutes its value-to advocate
specific solutions for most of the problems raised; these solutions are
given in the form of recommendations at the end of this book. If they
are put into effect by the responsible authorities, they will undoubtedly
bring about considerable changes in the present state of music educa-
tion in a great many countries.
Perfect uniformity, however, was not compatible with the differen-
ces in the artistic traditions and the variety of cultural levels of the
countries represented at the conference. Divergent, and indeed con-
tradictory, points of view were as inevitable as they were necessary.
These differences were revealed, not only between regions far apart
from one another, but also within a single continent, Europe for
example, where one would perhaps have expected to find a homo-
geneous picture of music education. Care has been taken to ensure that
this book, which could offer only a selection of the speeches and
addresses delivered at the conference, should nevertheless reproduce
the diversity of opinions expressed during the course of the discussions.