Pedagogy II

Bristow taught music in the New York Public Schools (1854-1898), even after relocating to Morrisania. He taught simultaneously in as many as six different schools and was known as an effective teacher. Most of his students (boys and girls) were foreign-born. The inclusion of music pedagogy in the public school system was a long and gradual process. Students in the schools with music teachers learned and performed fairly difficult choral repertory at commencements, in special concerts, and as fund-raising activities. In 1870 Bristow oversaw a “Grand Juvenile Beethoven Festival.” He also taught in private conservatories and institutions, including the New York Conservatory, where he was director for several years.