Satis Coleman collection
Collection
0164-SCPA
Satis Narona Coleman (1878-1961) was a music educator who specialized in teaching children. She primarily taught in studios in both Washington, D.C and in New York City. Her belief was that a child's music education should begin at an early age and be an integral part of their life. This collection contains notes written by Coleman, pictures from an event honoring her in 1957, publications, and a Chinese gong set made in 1919 and tuned to the pentatonic scale. Materials date from between 1919 and 1957.
There are no restricted files in this collection.
3.50 Linear Feet
English
The Satis Coleman collection covers the period of 1919-1957 with the bulk of the materials dating from 1957. The collection consists of one legal-sized letter box containing notes written by Coleman as well as pictures from an event honoring her in 1957. Another box containing a Chinese gong set made in 1919 and tuned to the pentatonic scale is also included in the collection.
Satis Narona Coleman (1878-1961) was a music educator who specialized in teaching music to children. In 1895, she graduated from Sam Houston Normal Institute and went on to earn her B.S. (1927), M.A. (1928) and Ph.D. in educational psychology (1937) from Columbia University. Coleman also taught widely as a private music instructor before and after completing her studies.
Coleman believed that children should be introduced to and engaged in music at a very young age in order to develop their unique skills and further discover their own talents. Through her own academic studies, Coleman developed a cipher notation system that introduced children to sounds before they were introduced to the symbols used to notate music. Improvisation was key to her teaching philosophy, which was built on the works of Rousseau, Pestalozzi, and Froebel. Coleman also put forth an idea for Walt Disney to produce a motion picture depicting the history of music; this idea is outlined in her "Notes on the Evolution of Music." Disney was already producing short subjects with a similar idea, so Coleman's plan was never fully realized.
Through her research, Coleman developed simplistic instruments that could be played by children and used in full-scale symphonies that she composed. She was a music educator whose philosophy pioneered notions still held in music education today.
The Satis Coleman collection is arranged into three series:
The first donation was by Arthur Redner in March 1971. At least two accruals followed, possibly by other donors.
Part of the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library