The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-27
THE MUSIC STUDENT ABROAD.

full votary of art as he or she enters upon
a course of study in the shadow of some
old world institution. long renowned for
its learning and the able talent it has de-
veloped. In answering this question, I
but refer to my own experience. When I
sailed for Germany more than six years
ago my hopes were bright my ambition
boundless and the confidence of my friends
in my ability to do great things in a short
time equally so. This was a very health
full state of affairs. But on my arrival at
Leipzig, and after learning better to under
stand just what the study of music meant,
my hopes began to wane, my confidence to
weaken, but my ambition, on the contrary,
seemed to rise higher as the task that
looked me in the face became greater with
each effort I made to master one of
its myriad difficulties. So the first impress
sion received by the newfiedged student is
the consciousness of his own hopeless in
significance and ignorance, and the vast
ness of the subject he has chosen for his
life work. And this is one of the two great
est lessons he can ever learn, the second
being his confession, after years of hard
study, and even success, that acquire what
knowledge he may. there will ever lie
stretched out before him an UNEMPLOYED
wilderness of beauty and thought awaiting
world. a priceless treasure, and herein lies
at once both the students hope and de-
spair 1t is, however, not always an easy
victory over, ones vanity to acknowledge
that our spark of talent or even genius
is not so great as the fond friends at home
have led and even forced us to believe.
For were we not the best in our town, have
we not played time and time again in
church concerts and at musicales with great
success? And 10! we come to Germany and
and no one applauds us. We go to see the
master we have chosen to study under
and when we have played to him an awful
silence ensues, whereas al home we knew
we should have to play again, so used were
we to the enthusiasm Of our hearers. Then
we turn and ask with indignant pride what
he thinks of us, and we are told as our
hearts sinks within US, that with hard work
and an earnestness of purpose we may
after years of study, become worthy of
some small respect as an artist. Oh, the
pain of our stricken pride and the cut of
this keen disappointment, how they make
the first few lonely nights in that foreign
city sleepless and full of tears and the days
as dark and hopeless But the reaction
soon comes and you lock away in your
trunk all your gay little show pieces and
the more ambitious things with which you
have won much glory at home, and
settle down to the first real hard work you
have ever done.
Close on the heels of this ardor and de-
termination to succeed in your art comes
the danger of narrowness. You lose all
interest in everything that does not bear
directly on your special work you even
avoid meeting people that you may the
more completely give yourself up to your
And this Gonlora ic
often the death knen of talent that would
have arisen and commanded attention had
1t but been open to a wider range of in
huences. For if there is one thing true
in the world it is this, that the life blood
of art is sympathy, and sympathy being
one of the grandest things in life it with
ers and even dies if it is refused broad
field of action.
Among many other strange ideas society
has regarding the study of music abroad
is that all that is necessary for one to be-
come an artist is to go to Europe, enter
a conservatory for a three or five year
course and the teachers are held respon-
sible for the rest; then there is but one
step to fame and fortune. This, many
have found to be a sad mistake, for the
best of good teaching only develop the
latent talent and ability in the pupil, it
is for her great Conservatives and renown-
ed instructors, yet the student should en-
ter upon his course of study there with his
mind alert and g fair knowledge of his
own particular needs that he may the more
readily assimilate and profit by those
qualities in his teacher that would prove
of the most practical benefit to him. and
leave the rest. For the great fault of con-
servatory instruction, as Dracticed in Eu-
rope is that the personality and indvid-
uality of a pupil is forgotten and unhead-
ed in the presence of the narrow, but pre-
vailing idea, that a method, if good for one
is good for ALL 1t is due to this unfortu-
nate mistake that so many ardent, earnest
students gain little practical benefit
from their studies. 1t is partly their own
fault IN that they have failed to study their
own case intelligently, and still more the
fault of the teacher in that he has forced
the pupil to fit his method rather than
his method to fit the individual need of
the pupil.
In piano playing the vitality of the in
dividuality of the performer is what COM
mands attention, and as the world of art
now stands, originality is the most priceless
possession this side of heaven. Believing
this, it is impossible not to recognize that
to develop ever so small a spark of orig
inallty course of study must be pursued
adaptable to the peculiar needs of each
talent This neeessitates on the part of
the teacher thoughtful study of tenn
permanent and Character, and broad SYM
pathy with the human side of art, for the
pupil should always be made to feel that
the teacher is working sympatheiically and
side by side with him. 1t has always
seemed a mistake to my mind, the system
of Encouragement and fear practiced so
largely in the world of instruction. But
then each man has his own convictions
and it is his first duty to find the courage
to live UP to them and to allow others
differing from him to do the same.
Student life in Europe is a something not
lightly to be considered. For those of us
who intend making art our profession, the
old world, with its atmosphere of thorough
ness, earnest thought and study, is the
training ground we should make the ut
most effort to reach But before setting
out our journey, it should be our first
care have a clear understanding with our
selves regarding what we are going to Eu-
rope for-that is, TO consciously feel
lust what our special needs are,
hat may lose as little time pos