Mabel Madison Watson facts for kids

Mabel Madison Watson (born December 16, 1872 – died September 12, 1952) was an American composer. She was also a dedicated music teacher. She taught many students how to play the piano and violin.

Mabel Watson's Early Life and Music Journey

Mabel Watson was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Her birthday was December 16, 1872. Her father, James Madison Watson, wrote school textbooks. A well-known children's author, Emelie Poulsson, lived with Mabel's family when Mabel was a child.

Mabel loved music from a young age. She studied at the Metropolitan College of Music in New York. She learned from many great teachers in America. These included Kate Chittenden and Herbert Greene. She also traveled to Europe to continue her studies. She learned from Oscar Raif in Berlin. She also studied with Isidor Philipp in Paris.

Mabel's Unique Teaching Style

Mabel Watson focused on teaching music to beginners. She taught both piano and violin students. She even wrote an article about music education. It was called Music as an Element in Aesthetic Training.

Mabel had a special way of teaching piano. Most teachers started students with one hand and one clef. But Mabel had her students use both hands from the start. They also learned both the treble and bass clefs right away. She first had studios in New York City and Philadelphia. Later, she focused all her teaching work in Philadelphia.

Summer Music School

In 1920 and 1921, Mabel Watson directed a summer music school. It was called the Keene Valley Summer Music Colony. This school was located in the beautiful Adirondack mountains. It was a three-month program. Students could learn composition, piano, music theory, and violin. Her former teacher, Otto Meyer, helped her at the school.

Mabel Watson was a member of the American String Teachers Association. Her music was published by several companies. These included Theodore Presser Co., Arthur P. Schmidt, and G. Schirmer, Inc.

Mabel Watson's Music Compositions

Mabel Watson wrote many pieces of music. Here are some of her compositions:

Piano Music

• Alpenrose Waits
• Birthday Party Waltz
• Children's Party
• Christmas Tree (Christmas Morning)
• Dance of the Snowflakes
• Desert Caravan
• First Visits to Tuneland: A Collection of Rhymes and Tunes to Teach the Notes Up and Down from Middle C
• Five tuneful sketches for piano
• Flight of Swallows
• Folk Dance
• Games and Toys
• Heath and Hall
• Junior High Entrance March
• Little One Sleep!
• Little Tales from Tuneland: 34 Simple Tunes with Rhymes
• Little Two Voice Songs and Dances
• March of the Merry Men (Christmas Night)
• March of the Tin Cavalry
• Marionette Ballet
• Merry, Merry March
• Mummer's Parade
• Night in Venice
• On Skis
• Out of Doors: Six Characteristic Pieces for Piano
• Pirates Bold
• Playing in the Snow (Christmas Afternoon)
• Rubber Doll's Dance
• Scenes from Tuneland
• Seven Scenes from Childhood
• Snow for Christmas (Christmas Eve)
• Song of Sleep and Snow (The Night Before Christmas)
• Summertime Stories
• Tally Ho
• Trotting Pony
• Twelve Magic Keys: 40 Pieces in all the Major Keys
• Warp and Woof: Eleven little Tunes & Rhymes for Independent Part Playing

Violin Music

• Bel Canto Method (an elementary violin method)
• First Folk Songs (violin and piano)
• Five Dances in Ancient Style (violin, cello and piano)