_The educational age._ Youth is the dominant educational period. Those who in this period qualify for higher education can and should continue their studies with organized effort and with confidence in success; but, on account of the American popular demand for higher and higher education, many of those who should be eliminated during this period float on, ill-motivated, ill-directed, floundering through college or professional education without regard to the worth-whileness of the procedure. Unfortunately American education has not made adequate provision for the diversifying of training, especially in the practical outlets at this age. This educational dominance of the period of the teens is particularly true for music. Unfortunately, large numbers of youth naturally endowed with the power of enjoying music have not even been discovered up to this time, either by themselves or by others, and they may pass through this last stage of opportunity without being discovered and often without realizing what they are missing. At this age the prospective musician will begin to try himself out, will discover the necessity for untiring and well-directed work, will concentrate in the field of his most natural musical outlet, and will work hard in the face of the imminence of the decision as to success or failure in his own judgment, in the judgment of his teachers, and in the judgment of his companions and public. If successful here, he may continue his musical education in specialization, since music is essentially a body of skills. At the same time he may show a due regard for the necessity of a broadening education under larger horizons. Fortunate are they who follow these sound procedures. However, many students overlook the fact that, if their music is to be an avocation, it is to be pursued merely for the pleasure inherent in it. They may struggle along simply because they have had initial training in this field, but without adequate motivation or anticipation of significant results. Achievement in music is an artistic performance, and we should not add recklessly to the large group in society who feel that their early efforts were wasted and who have to go through life apologizing for their failure or mediocrity in the artistic sense. At the same time we must bear in mind that satisfaction in musical performance for the great majority of persons comes from the pursuit of the cruder forms of music, especially singing. Group singing, ordinary piano accompaniment for singing, dance music, and ragtime of all sorts should not be discouraged in so far as they form a natural outlet for those who pursue them. After all, "high-brow" music plays a very small vital role even in high society.