International Conference on the Role and Place of Music in the Education of Youth and Adults; Music in education; 1955

Mmic in educafion

A PEOPLE’S SCHOOL OF MUSIC

IN THE NETHERLANDS

by

G. J. Th. LOHMANN, Professor, Gehrels Institute, The Hague

Having listened to the different statements made during the conference,
we are very happy to observe that in many respects the work being
done in different parts of the world runs parallel to our own. We should
thus anticipate no difficulty in adopting the Martenot music rolls or
the Rinderer xylophone, the melodic lines or the rising and falling
notation of the syllables of which Mr.Haren spoke, or even the idea
of hand-made instruments, described by Miss Hood. In fact we have
already put these theories into practice, either because we have follow-
ed the example of others, or because we have invented them for our
own purposes.
The Volksmuziekschool in Amsterdam VMS, people’s school of
music was established in 1931 by Willem Gehrels with the object of
facilitating the study of instrumental music for any child unable to
afford private lessons (in a town like Amsterdam the number of these
pupils is estimated at 90 per cent). The VMS does not aim at giving
a professional education, although all instrumental lessons are given
by qualified teachers, and the teaching available to the pupil may very
well constitute an excellent preparation for study at the conservatory.
The lessons axe primarily aimed at the making of Hatlsnzztn%, that is,
music played at home in a family atmosphere or with a group of
friends.
The VMS has undertaken to correct weaknesses in the pupil’s mu-
sical development. His instruction is divided into three stages. The
first, for beginners of about 11 years of age, gives a two-year element-
ary training in music, using only hands, voice and percussion instru-
ments (sometimes even the recorder from the beginning of the second
year). Group lessons of two hours a week are held after class.
This first training in sense of rhythm and melody as well as in ap-
preciation allows the teacher to assess the musical aptitude of his pu-
pils and to advise them on the possible choice of an instrument,