Once referred to as “the most maligned musical instrument on earth,” the harmonica holds an important historical place in music education as an instrument around which bands were formed, solo and ensemble competitions were held, and in some cases, careers were born. Much of this activity centered itself on city recreation programs as well as public schools. The instrument’s size, low price, and relative ease of sound production were appealing for these organizations. The boys and girls that lived and studied at the Hebrew Orphan Asylum of New York City were engaged participants in these contests as well as performing in radio broadcasts of harmonica band playing. This paper examines the history of this ensemble as a representative of the incredible activity in this underresearched area of music education.

中文翻译：

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“我们的目标是高质量和好音乐”：希伯来孤儿庇护口琴乐队（纽约）和音乐教育，1924-1930

口琴曾被称为“地球上最受诟病的乐器”，在音乐教育中占有重要的历史地位，作为一种乐器，乐队围绕着它成立，举办独奏和合奏比赛，在某些情况下，职业生涯由此诞生。这项活动的大部分内容都集中在城市娱乐项目和公立学校上。该乐器的尺寸、低廉的价格和相对容易的声音制作对这些组织很有吸引力。在纽约市希伯来孤儿收容所生活和学习的男孩和女孩都参与了这些比赛，并在广播中表演口琴乐队演奏。本文考察了这个乐团的历史，作为这个音乐教育这个研究不足的领域中令人难以置信的活动的代表。