The Establishment of the Swinney Conservatory of Music at Central Methodist University

Abstract

The Swinney Conservatory of Music at Central Methodist University in Fayette, Missouri has a long history with unique beginnings. After the Civil War, Central College (Central Methodist’s original name) grew alongside a “Female Seminary,” Howard-Payne Female College. Through the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the two schools developed their own distinct musical cultures with Howard-Payne faculty developing a music curriculum, and Central students forming their own musical ensembles. When the schools merged in 1923 these two cultures united to create a conservatory of music at a time when many other American conservatories were being established. Just before the merger, Kansas City banker Edward Fletcher Swinney, who had strong family ties to the Fayette area and a history of philanthropy towards causes in Missouri education, donated $35,000 to Howard-Payne College for the construction of the conservatory building that would eventually bear his name. This article focuses on the early history of both Central College and Howard-Payne Female College, the role that music played at both schools (as a curricular and non-curricular activity) and the events leading to the formation of Central College’s music curriculum and construction of the Swinney Conservatory.

Design and Implementation of Teaching Assistant Software for Vocational Undergraduate Music Education in Digital Environment -Design and Analysis of "Mentor", an Auxiliary Software for Solfeggio Teaching

“…With the development of computer technology, the development of solfeggio education technology is also facing new challenges. Digital music is made and processed by computer-simulated musical instruments, which is also called "computer music" or "MIDI music" [2][3]. However, for the digital teaching of solfeggio, it does not abandon the traditional teaching mode.…”