Mabel Madison Watson

rdf:langString Mabel Madison Watson

rdf:langString Mabel Madison Watson (December 16, 1872 – September 12, 1952) was an American composer who taught piano and violin students. She was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, to James Madison Watson and Emma Hopper Watson. Her father wrote several school textbooks, and children's author Emelie Poulsson lived with the Watson family during Mabel's childhood. Watson graduated from the Metropolitan College of Music in New York. She studied music with Kate Chittenden, Herbert Greene, Albert Rosa Parsons, Harry Rowe Shelley, and Otto Meyer in America; and with Oscar Raif in Berlin and Isidor Philipp in Paris. Watson concentrated on teaching beginning piano and violin students. She published at least one article in the journal Kindergarten Review: Music as an Element in Aesthetic Training. She was known for having beginning piano students use both hands and learn both treble and bass clefs right from the beginning, while most teachers started students using only one hand and one clef. She initially maintained studios in New York City and Philadelphia, but eventually closed the New York City studio and focused on her work in Philadelphia. In 1920 and 1921, Watson directed the Keene Valley Summer Music Colony (or School) in the Adirondack mountains, with assistance from violinist Otto Meyer, her former teacher. It was a three month class for instruction in composition, piano, theory, and violin. Watson was a member of the American String Teachers Association. Her music was published by Theodore Presser Co., Arthur P. Schmidt, and G. Schirmer, Inc. Her compositions include: