The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-05

We published some time ago a COM
munication from a victin of the piano
nuisance, protesting in the name of nerves
and property values against the endless
banging and stunning on the piano
which goes on from early morning until
late at night near his corner. Several
persons. he Gays, have recently moved
away from the neighborhood in order to
get rid of the noise. He had an idea Of
buying the house in which he IS living,
and viewed the situation with some com
placency for a time, knowing that that
piano would depress the price of real es-
tate within its sound. but after standing
The torture for a period he has now con-
Guided that he would not buy the house
at any price since it seems that the
racket of the piano is TO go on forever
with no hope for an improvement in the
character of the sounds it gives forth.
Tt may be feared that our correspond
ents ex-neighb0rs, who moved away in
order to escape being tortured by pianos
will not greatly improve their condition
within the city limits, and that if our
correspondent waits to buy a house until
sorely misused musical Instruments in
question, he viii live in rented houses for
quite while.
The piano fad seems to be one that has
become permanently fixed in our domestic
economy. Many persons deem the instru-
ment an indispensable article in every well
furnished house, and the great majority
Of r,arante corefder it ob=nl,,taI,, ~,
that their daughters should take lessons
on the piano. It makes no difference what
soever il the daughters are entirely with
out musical talent; they must be forced
to sit for hours a the piano and hammer
out chords and discords, to their own and
the neighbors' discomfort. Lack Of talent
for music is seldom taken into account;
the child must" learn to play" because
other parents have their children to take
music lessons, and no young womans edu-
cation is considered to be complete unless
she has taken several years lessons on
the piano.
What does 1t all amount to? That ques-
ton can be answered by each reader for
himself or herself, after a moments re-
Election upon the large number of ac-
quaintances who have taken piano les
sons, and the small number who ever
derived benefit or pleasure from it them
selves, or were able to give pleasure to
others by their playing. Il is probably
not stating the case TOO strongly to say
that not one girl in fifty is ever able to
play on the plano in such manner that
anybody cares to listen to fer. People do
listen to girls who play. of course, but it
is oftener through suferance, through
courtesy, through a desire to avoid wound
ing the feelings. than it is from a desire
to do so, or the expectation of hearing
something worth the time it takes.
And how many of the girls keep up their
so-called music" after they grow up and
becomes wives? Very few OF them The
lessons which they were forced to prac-
tice We're intolerably irksome, hence they
drop the whole thing just as soon as they
reach the age and condition at which they
can do as they please Nevertheless,
just as soon as they have children Of
their own, and the little ones are large
enough to stretch their fingers across an
octave, they hoist them upon piano stool
and start them upon the daily grind Of
lessons; trying TO force into their heads
that for which nature has made
no provision. And then there is
the cost of the piano and the lessons; is
it not a fact that many families who are
not able TO afford either go in debt for
both; deny themselves of things that are
almost necessary in order that there NAV
be a piano in the house and the girls of
the family may have lessons which will
never pay for their cost?
There is, Of course not one word to be
said against the piano, considered in il
self, and not word against cultivating
musical talent wherever it is found. Mu-
sic is one of the charms of existence; the
making, of music is gift from the gods,
and the piano forte is one of the divine
INSTRUMENTS. But, like other good things,
the piano may be perverted from its high
purpose. Instead of being charming and
soothing, 1t may be made repellant and
irritating Instead of being a source of
pleasure. the piano and the performer
upon it may become the bores of a neigh
borhood. Some judgment should be ex-
ercised in having children taught the
piano. II is worse than folly to waste
time and money trying TO make mu-
stefan where the Creator did not intend
there should be one.