| From 1890 to 1919, The Ladies' Home Journal contained hundreds of articles on music and music education. Numerous Metropolitan Opera singers, concert pianists, and music critics shared their musical knowledge. Readers had access to information on figures like Clara Schumann and Franz Liszt; musical experiences such as John Coonah celebrations and concerts at Hull House; and music in the context of daily life, public schools, and military camps. Readers could submit questions to musical advice columns with responses provided by pianist Josef Hofmann, vocal pedagogue Mathilde Marchesi, and music critic William J. Henderson. Sheet music selections ranged from Western art music and ballroom dances to award-winning entries from the Journal 's various composition contests. The magazine's publisher provided hundreds of women with scholarships to study music at the New England Conservatory of Music.;The Journal was the first American magazine with a million subscribers. This created the potential to impact the musical experiences and music education of a widespread literate public. Nevertheless, little research has been conducted on the musical content of household magazines in general or this magazine in particular. The purpose of this study was to investigate, analyze, document, and discuss the musical content of the Journal between 1890 and 1919. Content analysis was supplemented with archival research into the corporate records of the Curtis Publishing Company and the personal papers of Edward Bok. Research questions addressed ideas about music and music education as published in the Journal , who contributed to the magazine, and how the musical content reflected ideals of the Progressive Era (1900--14), a period of societal change and social reform. A variety of social, educational, and music educational reform issues intersected with the Journal's content.;Implications for current music educators include historical insight into issues of assimilation to the dominant musical culture, gender stereotyping, and the impact of technology. This study makes this primary source material more accessible to historians of music education, thus enhancing the general narrative of the history of music education. |
