The traiiiing of the teacherTEACHERS OF THE RURAL MUSIC CENTRES
We are here concerned more particularly with specialized music
teachers who are ready to give ordinary primary teachers the benefit
of their detailed knowledge in a subject to which primary teachers have
not always been able to devote much time or effort. The study of
music requires regular daily work, long practice and perseverance;
and not all teachers can devote themselves to it. The children, there-
fore, in order to ensure that they receive the best possible music educa-
tion, are given experienced musicians as teachers.
The musicians who are thus chosen for the music education of
children know, however, that their task is not to turn their pupils into
professionals. Their main object is to initiate them in music, considered
as a force-the most active force that can arouse every vital power in
man. It is therefore in order to perform an educational task, like the
ordinary primary teacher and in co-operation with him, that the music
teacher undertakes to reveal the world of music to children.
The music teacher must, then, be a good musician, ready to share
his love and knowledge of music with others. Further, he must be
capable of teaching, must be as good a teacher as he is a musician.
While the music teacher gives a general musical initiation to children
in school, obviously in a village he must do more than that. He will
be responsible for organizing all kinds of popular extra-curricular
educational activities-post-school choirs, various instrumental en-
sembles, lectures and talks, fktes, etc.
The music teacher will thus be an organizer, also anxious to ensure
that all around him may share in the joys of music, provided they
learn to listen to, appreciate and understand it.
Clearly, then, the music teacher, in addition to being a musician
and an educator, must have other social and human qualities-ability
to influence, a sense of initiative, enthusiasm and faith.
BODIES PROVIDING SUCH A TRAININGHow are such teachers and organizers to be trained?
Training was first attempted at national seminars, which have been
held for some years now at the Centres d’Education Populaire de la
Jeunesse et des Sports; but the short duration of these seminars
rendered them inadequate in face of the ever-increasing number of
music teachers which the municipalities and the rural schools required.