The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-06
MUSIC STUDY ABROAD.
French Do Not Understand the True
Art of Teaching.
!. Thomas. in the Independent.


f. G. Thomas. in the Independent.
1t is the manner of young things to move
by bounds and to exaggerate feeling. Con-
WINGED that Europe possessed what tney
did not piqued by the TACT ana ae1ern have
come to Europe in bands of earnest Pill
grims, to see what ii was they lacked, ana,
if possible to acquire it, With Keen
trained intelligence they have gone to the
root of the matter in essential points with
remarkable ease marking ana leaving the
false choosing the good gathering valua-
BILE observations, and studying like oea-
verS without cease or respite TO overcome
deficiencies. We have in America lnces-
SAINT musical reading, recitals. converse
tions, lectures, clubs, societies and schools,
uniting in musical research and advance
ment. The musical activity In America Is
one of the most remarkable art features
that has ever blessed country: Not
foreign artist crosses the ocean who is not
aStoniShed at the condition OF musical ART
in the country and at the strong musical
instinct among our people. This activity is
unknown in Europe, where tradition, con-
ventionality and self-sufficiency abound.
With that, our race is a race of teach
ers. Our schools have been the lighthouses
of our civilization and our mothers have
been teachers from pure love of 1t. There
is no member of any nation who IS so
capable of making known to another what
he himself knows as the American. Our
teachers need the broad and extended en-
lightenment of national musical interest
national schools, national operas. broadcast
music. They lack musical food-which is
fast coming to thenl-but what they do
know they can impart with more skill than
any other people. They have the special
teaching gift as race, an advantage rarely
found abroad
Another advantage ever held up in favor
of coming abroad is the prestige to be
thus gained for home use.
The American track of the last five years
even, is covered with burnt sticks of artist
fireworks, native and foreign that nave
been thrown up by Europe before creduous
American eyes, and that have come down
with a sparkless thud before their straight
forward discrimination. has she ne MADE I'd e.
will she make success in American? is
being asked all over Europe to-day-to-day
already! I'VE go to Paris to study French
among the people and acting among the
There is not an acting school in the
that in the Conservative, and that one
foreigners are not able to enter. French!
Over fifty years Of PILGRIMAGE to P Pat to
pupil in all that time has been sent out of
the city who could either speak or sing
one French phrase acceptably, not one,
owing to the lack of educational capahil-
ity in a race who cannot teach even so
simple a thing as to speak the language
they speak.
THAT by some occult sight-of-hand per-
Torrance pupils by merely residing IN
France. should be transformed into musi
clans, has been propagated to the present; ;
and, although the most difficult of false
ideas to renounce it. too, is dissolving as
wool packs in a summer sky.
There is in Paris the remnant OF pure
art spirit the best the strongest, the most
Grecian of all the remnants that have sur
Vived the commercial invasion of modern
civilization. 1t exists among the French
real French--and is hidden as are almost
all the really valuable French qualities,
under brushwood of mOdesty ignorance
of the world and of modern movement, ex-
clusiveness and inherent ''inwardneSs, a
quality of the true artist everywhere. This
pure germ. buried as it is. the last people
on earth to discover would be the hasty
self-seekng, superficial American students
Even with clever and disinterested guild
ance. it would require years of ripening to
prepare them for the revelation, and then
they would not value it.
Added to this, these pupils when they come
to Paris bury themselves in studios gener-
ally. of foreigners. There they. come face
to face with the blank wall of individual
do l tell you to do."-"Do as | say.
I-I-I-I am Moses and the Prophets. Be-
hold in me the one spokesman of art"
With that command the pupils come.
They huddle together in American PEN
sions face to face with each other turning
over and over their American ideas and
becoming every day more set and convinced
gle with, do not observe, do not appreciate
the French spirit. and the French have
none of our modern means of making
themselves observed and appreciated. The
influence of Partisan art on the spirit ready
to receive it is one of the most eleVating,
invigorating, solidifying art influences on
earth. American pupils do not get it. If
they did they would learn to know and to
value the ideas of growth and perfection,
students first and as professionals after
ward