The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-26
A Hard Pressed Trade.

In the National ReUietC for July there Is
a report upon an occupation in great distress
from paucity Of wages and from difficulty
in placing its members, with the prospect
darker even than the present. The indus
try Of the people in this particular line of
labor is p%roverbial. They are not lacking in
thrift, either. Even the most mendacious
demagogue would not venture to charge
their troubles to the oppression of capital or
the avarice of employers. There is no Trust
In the business. All the profits 60 to the
laborers. They are the musicians.
Musicians are poor and growing poorer,
as the National RevieW says, because i" the
profession of music has overf1own to an ex-
tent unparalleled in any of the other pro-
fessions." In regard to music what is true
of England is probably true of all European
countries, n is or is likely to be true of
the United States. The increase of English
music teachers during the last twenty-five
years has been immense. Between 1871
and 1891 in England and Wales they have
just doubled, having risen from 10000 to
nearly $4,000. AS these are the figures of
the Government Boards, q great number of
teachers, women particularly, who live at
home and do other things thar teach, nave
probably escaped the official census.
Schools and colleges of music have grown
in every direction, the scholars keeping
pace with them. For example, the Guild
hall School of Music has 4, 1000 students in
place of the go in 1880; $4,000 In fees
were paid last year In place of $500 in 1880.
TIL Royal Academy Of Music, the Royal
College Of Music, the Glasgow A~theneum
of Music. the Manchester School of Music
have grown in the same way. There has been
an immense increase also In the number of
irresponsible and semi-private colleges and
schools for music, many Of them purely spec
u~latfve, which provide an education that is
cheap. These institutions offer Inducements
beyond the ordinary professors power.
They offer scholarships and guarantee ap-
pearances at concerts and confer deprees.
Thousands are pouring into the ranks of
music under the influence of their own az.
pirations and the unlimited encouragement
showered upon them by kindly and gently
disposed people, who are Indifferent to the
grinding competition" that awaits the
objects of their rejoicing. "The only pros.
pect for the great body Of young musicians
Is to take the bread Of poverty put of some
one else's mouth"
To earn a living as q music teacher now.
adays a man in the ordinary rank must
teach all day and every day from early
morning until late at night" The writer
In the National RepteD knows a largo
number of professors who start out about 7
or 8 In the morning and have hardly a mo-
ment that they can call their W until 10
o'clock In the evening. The mass of people
will pay but little for instruction in music,
and at best, therefore, the professor in the
ranks earns but enough to enable him to
dress respectfully and eat three meals q
day" He provides for old age no more than
does the ordinary day laborer, and gem
orally less.
Down deep in the same crush also is
the player. OF the 1900 orchestral players
In London not 100 average $3.50 a day.
The Orchestral association Gazette tells US
that nowadays a player must be in every
thing and attend rehearsal after rehearsal,
be at concert after concert until he is worn
out at an age when other men are In their
prime. Then, of course, he is cast off," The
press teaches that cheap concerts are a
blessing to the public, but they grind the
player terribly.
Singers are turned out with similar speed.
They are 30 crowded M the struggle to
get up into public notice is so hard that
young singers gladly pay, II they have
the money, to be allowed TO sing. There are
ladies OF title In London who add hand
somely to their incomes by exActing heavy
fees from aspiring vocalists for the priyi-
lego OF singing at their AT Homea." One