MASON

mason, lowell (1792-1872), american musician, was born at medfield, massachusetts. for some years he led a business life, but was always studying music; and in 1827, as the result of his work in forming the collection of church music published in 1821 at boston by the handel and haydn society, he moved to boston and there first became president of the society and then founder of the boston academy of music (1832). he published some successful educational books, and was a pioneer of musical instruction in the public schools, adopted in 1838. he received the degree of doctor of music from new york university in 1855. he died at orange, new jersey, on the 11th of august 1872. his son william mason (1829-1908), an accomplished pianist and composer, published an interesting volume of reminiscences, _memoirs of a musical life_, in 1901.