Miscellaneous Information
Bibliography of Sources on This Member
Biography
Mr. Birge was born on June 12, 1868 in Northhampton,
Massachusetts and was the third of seven children. He came from a
musical family and music was a major part of his family life. It
was common for family and friends to get together for an evening
of music. His father was the conductor of the Florence Musical
Association where he directed the band and chorus. His mother was
a concert pianist.
At the age of six, he began to play the violin. Soon after, he
taught himself to play the piano. He emulated his older sister as
she was an accomplished pianist. This relationship provided young
Birge an early appreciation of the piano music of Beethoven,
Chopin, Mendelssohn, Weber, and Schumann. His most influential
teacher, though, was his father. The would play instrumental and
vocal duets on a regular basis.
He began to demonstrate leadership abilities during his high
school days, where he organized and directed a sixteen member
glee club. Before graduating, Birge began to study the organ and
was offered an organist job at a church.
After graduation, he attended Brown University. Musical
activities at the institution were all extracurricular. As a
freshman,he directed a small orchestra of thirteen musicians. In
his sophomore year,he directed the glee club. He continued these
activities through his junior year and added to his conducting
responsibilities, he taught high school in the afternoons. In the
spring of that year he toured with the Brunonian club, the
university minstrel company. Birge traveled to Europe during his
senior year to study piano in Italy and returned in the spring to
graduate.
Birge remained in New England for ten years after graduating.
The New England Period:
At first, he taught in the public schools and later in a normal
school. During this time, he became acquainted with eastoners who
were shading the music education movement: Sterrie Weaver,
Benjamin Jepson, Francis E. Howard and Luther W. Mason. In
between their teaching years, they would gather at summer
institutes to exchange ideas in music education. Birge's
positions in New England were Easthampton, Massachusetts public
schools and the New Haven Normal School (Central Connecticut
State College) as the director of music.
The Indianapolis Period:
He married Mary Thompson in 1901. After their honeymoon he began
his work as the director of music in the public school of
Indianapolis, Indiana. There, he encouraged classroom teachers
with musical background to teach music in all the grades. He also
organized adult musical groups which were quite successful.
Birge kept his ties with friends and relatives in New England as
well. He took a one year leave of absence in his third year, to
study at Yale University.
On his return, he continued to establish many organization to
promote music making in the Indianapolis community. Among them
were:
Teachers Women's Chorus
A 500 voice Children's Chorus
People's Concert Association
People's Chorus
In 1906, he taught theory and advanced composition at the
Metropolitan School of Music. This is when Philip Hayden invited
him to attend the First Supervisors Conference in Keokuk, Iowa in
1907. He was an active contributor at the conference and was
selected to serve as an officer: treasurer.
Following the conference, he taught annual three-week summer
courses at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. At that
time, it was called the "American Institute of Normal
Methods." He collaborated with Will Earhart and Otto
Miessner in many projects. In 1908, Birge presented his first
paper in Washington at the Music Teachers National Association
meeting. In 1909, he became president of the Supervisors
Conference. In 1911, Birge initiated and promoted more advanced
courses in high school music. He was instrumental in establishing
appreciation programs in Indianapolis. Factors included:
player pianos and phonographs at the schools
improved vocal and instrumental ensembles in the schools
music memory contests
concert series for children
a growing staff of trained musicians in the public schools
In his second decade in Indianapolis, Birge administered a team
of supervisors and teachers and seldom taught in the schools. His
people admired his musical and administrative abilities and felt
privileged to work under him. Lastly, his long association with
Silver Burdett Company as an editor of children's song series
began during this period.
The Bloomington Period:
"Birge was appointed to the faculty of Indiana University in
1921 as Head of the Public School Music Department and Director
of the University Chorus. During the next eighteen tears he
trained students to become teachers and administrators
choral-instrumental works. His desire to bring the students and
townspeople into a closer musical relationship was evidenced by
his work in the Bloomington Public Schools, his interest in civic
musical organizations, and the annual presentations of the Messiah,
which combined the musical forces of the campus and the
community. Further evidence of his interest in community music
was his long and devoted service as organist and choirmaster of
Trinity Episcopal Church.
Students, friends, and faculty associates were always welcomed
into Birge's attractive home, which was noted for its frequent
musical activities and social gatherings. Birge's wife, Mary
Birge, was held in high esteem by the campus community for the
pattern of gracious living that she established and for her
organizational ability in civic endeavors. During his retirement
Birge remained active in community music, edited and compiled
music for children, maintained a strong interest in public school
music trends and developments, advised the Music Educators
National Conference, and continued to serve the Conference as
Chairman and, later, as Chairman Emeritus of the Editorial Board
of the Music Educators Journal." (Schwartz, 1966:
116-116)
Story/Oral History
Three months after accepting his job in Indianapolis, Birge
received a memo from the Superintendent of Schools:
My dear Mr. Birge:
I am in receipt of a letter from one of our most competent
principal whose name has not been passed between us, from which I
quote. "I think Mr. Birge an exceptional music teacher. He
is the first man I have ever known who is a thorough music
teacher and who combines what seems to me the vital principles of
true pedagogy, concentration, enthusiasm, drill, economy of time
and effort. His system is fine, and he will teach much more than
music." I venture to send this to you because I believe
human nature is pretty much the same in all of us and because it
will give you an idea of the way the teachers, I believe, are
responding to your efforts. I am truly yours
[signed] C. N. Kendall, Superintendent of Schools (Birge
Collection in Schwartz, 1966:51) .
Pictures
Publications
Birge, Edward B.
History of public school music in the United States.
Washington, Music Educators National Conference, Dept. of the
National Education Association, 1937, ML200 .B5 1966
Chadwick, George W., Osbourne McConathy, Edward B. Birge, and W.
Otto Miessner
A Book of Choruses for High School and Chorale Societies.
New York: Silver Burdett Company, 1923
Earhart, Will and Edward B. Birge (ed.)
The Master-Musician Series. 6 vols. Boston: C. C. Birchard
Company, 1909-1912.
Earhart, Will and Edward B. Birge
Songs of Stephen Foster: prepared for
schools and general use. Pittsburgh, PA, University of
Pittsburgh Press, 1938. M1994 .F78 S6x
1938
McConathy, Osbourne, W. Otto Miessner, Edward B. Birge, and Mabel
E. Bray (ed.).
The Music Hour. 14 vols. New York: Silver Burdett Company,
1929-1938.
McConathy, Osbourne, W. Otto Miessner, Edward B. Birge, Mabel E.
Bray,Marshall Bartholomew, James L. Murcell, Russell V. Morgan,
and Jack M. Watson (ed.).
New Music Horizons. 9 vols. New York: Silver Burdett
Company, 1944-1953.
Parker, Horatio, Osbourne, W. Otto Miessner, Edward B. Birge, and
W. Otto Miessner.
The Progressive Music Series. 13 vols. New York: Silver
Burdett Company, 1914-1925.
Birge's writings are mostly found in:
Journal of the Music Educators National Conference, 1914-1952.
School Music Monthly, 1907-1932.
Papers and Proceedings of the Music Teachers National
Association, 19008-1940.
Books of Proceedings of the Music Educators National Conference,
1914-1940.
Bibliography
of Sources on This Member
Schwartz, Charles Frederick, 1934- Edward Bailey Birge; his
life and contributions to music education. Thesis (Ph.
D.)--Indiana University, 1966, Ann Arbor, MI., University
Microfilms International, 1988. ML423.B45 S39x
Special Thanks to
Music Educators National Conference, for permission to
display photo
____________________________________________________________________________
Submitted by
G. Mancho Gonzalez
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