Drawing & Music

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Massachusetts required drawing be taught in all schools. In 1874-75, it was introduced into the High School and following that introduced into the remaining schools, including the Green, in 1882. Its adoption as a curricular subject was frequently misunderstood at the time, so much so that in 1885, the Middleborough Superintendent of Schools had to explain the rationale for including it as a school subject: “The aim is not to teach children to make pretty pictures, but to train the hand and the eye, and through them the mind, to accuracy.”

Initially, the Green School employed White’s Graded System of Drawing to instruct pupils. Apparently, though was some trepidation on the part of a number of teachers who felt unqualified to teach the subject, the local school committee assured that “any one who is competent to teach school can teach Drawing.” Probably because of this apprehension on the part of teachers, drawing appears to have gotten off to a slow start, the school committee in 1877 admitting that the subject “received less attention than its importance would seem to require.” Such remained the case nearly a decade later when it was remarked that “the work in drawing was found to be done in a very desultory manner, some schools doing nothing whatever in that line, although it is required by law.” While continual improvement was made in developing this branch of study, particularly helpful was the attention of Henry T. Bailey, Agent of the Massachusetts Board of Education who in 1888 helped the town revise its curricula. Under the revised scheme clay work was performed by the first grade, while drawing lines was performed by the higher grades.

In 1903, a Drawing Supervisor was appointed to oversee the course. In this role Isabel Sewall met with mixed grade school teachers “when the work of the month is outlined, suggestions given, and criticisms on work submitted made.” The Green School was divided into primary and grammar levels for drawing instruction, and in 1903 the grammar level was focused upon the task of creating a wastepaper basket involving “three processes – working drawing, construction and decoration.”

To assist suburban school teachers in their work, meetings continued to be held for them with the supervisors. One typical meeting, Spetember 13, 1907, featured the Drawing Supervisor, Mary L. Cook: "A meeting of the suburban teachers was held in the High school building, Friday evening. Miss Cook outlined the work in drawing for the coming month and the superintendent spoke in regard to the necessary clerical work required in the school management."

Periodic visits by the Supervisor also helped guide teachers in ably instructing their pupils. Odessa M. Long, the Supervisor of Drawing, remarked of the suburban schools in 1922, that they were “doing the usual work, and with the short time given to drawing, are accomplishing very good results. I enjoy visiting these schools and find a very deep interest on the part of both teachers and pupils in the work.” Sylvia C. Matheson continued the practice of providing supervision to the suburban schools through once-monthly visits.

In 1877, the school committee first broached the possibility of teaching music in local schools, looking to the model of Germany where “almost every child at school, is instructed in singing.” Initially, Massachusetts state law provided that vocal music be taught in all public schools where the school committee deemed it “expedient.” For years, informal signing had formed a recreation in schools of ten to fifteen minutes daily. “We have at present no instruction in music other than a few pretty little songs taught by rote for specific occasions”, remarked the Middleborough School Committee in 1882. Three years later in 1885, however, music – essentially singing – was formalized by the Middleborough School Committee as a specific requirement for local schools. “The methods used are those suggested by Mr. H. E. Holt, the eminent teacher of music in Boston schools.”

Progress in the subject was facilitated by the acquisition by the schools of books and charts in the mid-1880s. The Green, along with other one-room schools were furnished with first readers and four charts in 1887, and plans called for the introduction of two subsequent music readers “as soon as they shall be ready for them.” Music education at the time consisted of “systematic drill adapted to the ability of the pupils.”

Like drawing, music was a subject some teachers felt unqualified to teach, and a number made efforts to correct this deficiency. “Particular mention ought to be made of those teachers who, feeling their inability to teach this branch successfully, have availed themselves of the assistance of private teachers and the public singing school in order to do good work.” By 1894, Superintendent Jacoby was able to relate that “these subjects are now taught as regular subjects in our schools”

In September, 1900, H. J. and H. E. Whittemore were engaged to provide specialized instruction in music in the local schools, and time was devoted each Thursday morning at the Green School to musical instruction. The focus was principally upon vocal music and during 1901 each student was assigned their “proper place with reference to range of voice” by the Whittemores. In June, 1902, the Whittemores were succeeded by Austin M. Howard who devoted a half-hour each Tuesday at 11 a. m. at the Green School for musical instruction. In 1903, musical instruction was being provided at the Green every two weeks, no doubt in conjunction with the organ which was donated to the school that year.

Increasingly less time was devoted by the music supervisor to the Green, which was visited only four times each term in 1905, prompting Superintendent Bates to call for more attention for these schools in the field of music. Under the direction of a new Supervisor of Music, H. O. Wetherell in 1912, a new course of study, The Modern Music Course, was introduced into the schools in November. Each pupil above the third grade at the Green received a music textbook and followed a simplified version of the course as carried out in the central schools. Wetherell’s enthusiasm was apparent in his report for that year. “The purpose of music in the Public Schools is to teach the children to sing, to love to sing and to appreciate good music.”

In 1912, in order to better meet the needs of the suburban school students in special subjects (drawing, music and penmanship), half-day institutes were inaugurated monthly at which “the supervisors outline and explain to the teachers the work to be done for that month.” Eventually, however, these institutes appear to have been conducted once per term. Additionally, the special work in the schools, such as music, had to be “necessarily simplified on account of so many grades in a school.” Nonetheless, visits to the suburban schools continued to occur. In 1918, Supervisor Nellie M. Wicher visited the Green School every third Wednesday of the month to monitor the progress of musical education in the building. In 1924, Supervisor Wirt B. Phillips was able to visit the Green “regularly” through use of an automobile, where he noticed as well as in other suburban schools the music “going on in the even tenor of its way, part singing being the procedure in several instances.”

With the changes in school grading in East Middleborough, musical education at the Green School focused upon the development of rhythm as “the foundation and basis of future training in Music.” To forward this development, the Green was equipped with a number of percussion instruments to cultivate manipulation and ear-training. “This activity makes for recreation, socialization, citizenship, and concentration.” Mrs. Ray F. Guidaboni, the supervisor of this work, visited the Green monthly to oversee its progress, and as part of the course, music was incorporated into various school exercises including those performed at Christmas, 1936.