pupils of the High schools personally, and, in addition, to exercise a general supervision of the musical instruction in all the schools, devoting the whole of the school-time to the service of the city. Mr. Sharland personally to teach the first class in each Grammar school, except those in Dorchester, devoting himself to the service of the city during all the school hours. Mr. Alexander to carry forward, with the aid of the regular teachers, the musical instruction in the second class of the Grammar schools, excepting those in Dorchester, giving four-fifths of the school-time to the service of the city; provided also, that he shall take from Mr. Holt, if circumstances will admit, the third classes of the Grammar schools, excepting the schools before. mentioned. Mr. Holt to carry forward, as at present, the musical instruction in the lower grammar classes; and Mr. Mason to continue also, as at present, in the Primary schools; each of these gentlemen to give to the service of the city all the school hours, and each to be exempted from teaching in the Dorchester district. Mr. Wilde to continue in charge of the musical instruction in the Dorchester schools, with the exception of the High school, giving four-fifths of the school-time to the service of the city. Ordered, That one half-hour each week be devoted to musical instruction by the music teacher in the first class of the Grammar schools; and that ten minutes each day be devoted to musical instruction in the second class in the same schools, under the general direction of the music teacher for the class. Ordered, That section 10, chapter xii., be amended so as to conform to the foregoing orders. The report was accepted, and the orders were then adopted unanimously. The operation of the plan as set forth in the above orders has been in the main satisfactory. Naturally, some little friction was to be expected in the first working of the new machinery, and some modifications necessitated. Your Committee believe that the plan would work more smoothly, and a fairer division of labor among the corps of music teachers be effected, if the relative positions of Messrs. Alexander and Holt be changed, the former to take charge of the fifth and sixth, the latter of the third and fourth of the grammar classes (as classified under the new arrangement in the gradation of the Grammar schools), while to Mr. Sharland be given the first and second classes of the new gradation. And your Committee further recommend that ten minutes in each forenoon be devoted to musical instruction by the regular teachers of these two upper classes (under the general direction of the special teacher), in like manner as is now done in the classes below these grades. They also respectfully recommend that musical instruction be introduced as a recognized requirement, on two days of each week, in the Latin and the English High schools, under the supervision and direction of Mr. Eichberg, with such aid as can be afforded by the regular teachers in these schools. This last is required to complete the plan of musical instruction as applied to all the departments of our public-school system. In the general progress and improvement in musical attainments throughout all the schools during the past year, your committee find much to commend. The esprit de corps among the teachers of this specialty is excellent; their faithfulness and devotion to their duties most admirable; and the increasing interest of masters, teachers and pupils in this branch of study, is unmistakably manifest. Appended hereunto are the reports of Mr. Eichberg, the recently appointed supervisor of music in the Boston public schools, to this committee, and the several reports of his associates in the corps of musical instruction. To the Chairman and Members of the Committee on Music. GENTLEMEN : — Enclosed you will find the reports of the music teachers in the public schools, with the exception of that of Mr. Alexander, who has been sick most of the term, and consequently not able to give much attention to this department. Personal inspection has shown me that, while the musical status of the schools has been steadily improving, there are a few points upon which I have to attract your attention. I cannot but think that eventually we will require the services of an additional teacher to act as a deputy for any one that might by sickness or otherwise be incapacitated to teach for a shorter or a longer period; this deputy to draw a limited salary, and hold himself ready for any emergency. While inspecting the primary schools, the want of some musical instrument in the class rooms has struck me as a drawback to the musical studies, inasmuch as most of the teachers have to rely upon their ears for giving the pitch, and in doing so are liable to errors. If no appropriations can be had for this purpose, and as a substitute, until something better is provided, each primary teacher ought to be furnished with a common pitch pipe, giving either ā or ē, which would be certainly an improvement upon the total absence of any instrument with fixed intonation, in most of the school rooms. In consideration of the bad influence of using pianos that are out of tune, in schools, I have instructed all the music teachers to report such cases directly to me; and in this manner these instruments can be soonest looked after. Meetings of the music teachers, being an excellent method of bringing unity into our musical instruction, will be held, in future, once a month. I have taken steps to provide the pupils of the training school with adequate musical instruction, to be given by the teacher of music in the primary schools and which is to be of a normal character, to prepare the pupils to efficiently instruct music in the public schools. Preliminary measures have also been taken for the giving of musical instruction to the pupils of the Latin School. Mr. Charles J. Capen, a master in this school, and an efficient musician, will take charge of this branch, under my supervision. The following schools have been instructed by me personally :1. Girls' High and Normal School. 2. Roxbury High School (mixed). The Girls' High and Normal School, owing to its size, is instructed in four sections, the others in two. In schools 2 and 3, I have successfully introduced singing in four parts. The school 1 has been practising solfeggios in one, two, and three parts: The High and Normal School compares favorably this year with any preceeding school-year, and the middle and senior class are a great improvement in reading at sight upon any previous class. The Roxbury and Dorchester High Schools have also made progress in reading music, and since the introduction of mixed part songs, a great interest has been awakened among the male scholars. Annexed are the reports of Messrs. Sharland, Holt, Mason, and Wilde. It gives me pleasure to state to your honorable committee that my intercourse with my associates in my official capacity has been a uniformly pleasant one, and that all my suggestions have been received in the best and kindliest spirit by them. All of which is respectfully avbmitted. JULIUS EICHBERG, Supervisors of Music in the Boston Public Schools. BOSTON, December 8, 1870. DECEMBER 8, 1870. TO JULIUS EICHBERG, Esq., Supervisor of Music, etc. REPORT FOR UPPER CLASSES OF THE GRAMMAR SCHOOLS. These classes have passed through musical theory and practice, from September 1st, to date, as follows: 1st. Review of musical characters. 2d. Positive sounds with triads. 5th. Signatures, giving power to recognize the same in any piece of music. 6th. Exercises in time, giving power to sing under a conductor, without piano, written upon the board in 2, 4, 8, 9, 8, 1, etc. 3 7th. Solfeggios from the book in one, two, and three parts, without piano. Different keys. Examples. |