“Are You Only an Applauder?” American Music Correspondence Schools in the Early Twentieth Century

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine correspondence schools of music in the early twentieth century. Advertisements in widely circulated household and music periodicals and archival copies of courses from Siegel-Myers Correspondence School of Music, United States School of Music, American College of Music, and others were examined. Research questions focused on course offerings, faculty, recruitment, and reputation of the schools. The study also examined the advantages and disadvantages of this first generation of distance education and implications for current distance education practices today. Results revealed that correspondence schools of music had more breadth and, in some cases, depth than previous research had indicated. Instruction at numerous schools was offered on a wide variety of instruments, including voice, as well as in music history, music theory, and music teacher education. One of the prominent teacher education resources was Frances Elliott Clark's Course in Public School Music offered through Siegel-Myers Correspondence School of Music. Instruction reached a wide demographic, including segments of the population without alternate access to music education. This rich history shows that distance education has been and will remain a viable and valuable option for accessing music education.

Is “Watching and Copying” the New “Listening and Copying”?

“…This suggests that each individual popular musician avails of the various technologies available to them to further their informal musical learning. This is not a new phenomenon, as demonstrated by Vogel's (2015) study of music correspondence schools in the early twentieth century, which utilized the relatively new technology of the postal service, and Linklater's (1997) investigation of audio and video music education resources for young instrument learners. Ready and relatively inexpensive access to recorded music influenced the learning strategies of Green's research participants who learned by listening and copying (along with a number of the adult Rock Jam staff), while many younger learners appear to be making use of widespread access to high-speed internet and the many affordances of YouTube.…”

Virtual Teaching in the Applied String Studio During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…20th centuries, Vogel (2015) found that many correspondence schools offered lessons in instrumental music in addition to music theory, history, and teacher education courses. With the birth of recording technology, it became possible to expand the scope of distance music education.…”

“…Distance education, “a method of teaching where the student and teacher are physically separated” has evolved alongside technological advancements from audio recordings, radio, television, computers, and the internet (Kentnor, 2015, p. 22). In a review of music correspondence courses that became popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Vogel (2015) found that many correspondence schools offered lessons in instrumental music in addition to music theory, history, and teacher education courses. With the birth of recording technology, it became possible to expand the scope of distance music education.…”