The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1900-02-17

was a genius, but as solemn as a deaths
head. He didn't take worth a cent: 20
led him aside and labored with him.
You must smile a the women
Zach Lieber Colt! But l do not see
them
You must pretend you see them
But I am in my music. l know Of
noding else.
"'Well,' l said, that may go in art. but
it doesn't go with the American public
You'll have to crack your face a trife
and look pleased, or else look pensive and
as if you had a hidden sorrow, or you may
play like an archangel and yet never draw
crowd
Zach Himmel; sooch pizness'
II wish you had seen him try to follow
my advice. The first time 1 fled to the
foyer and howled with mirth; but he is
coming out all right.
The first thing to do when we under
take to launch a musician is to have the
critics hear him. That sounds easy, but it
isn't as easy as it sounds. Say the un-
known genius is a woman. If she is bent
upon star-debut, a touch and go hazard,
and we believe she has a fair chance to
win, we plan recital for her. Ordinarily,
she must pay the expenses. Our part con-
sists in bringing influence to bear in ad-
Vertlsing her, bringing out the rich peo-
pie to hear her, and attending to all the
details. Occasionally the musician has no
funds, but our confidence in her chances
is so great that we are willing to put
up the necessary money, with the under
standing that we shall have a certain per-
centage of her prof1ts-if there are any.
That, however, is the exceptional case.
AS a rule, the safest and wisest way to
put an amateur before the public is to
find an opportunity for her to appear
with some flrst-class organization; say one
of the well known orchestras or concert
companies. There, she doesn't defy criti-
cism SO rashly, and the critics are Gis-
posed to treat her more kindly The fact
of her association gives her the privilege
of being taken seriously, and, if later, we
want to send her through the country
alone, the fact that she has played with
famous musical organizations is her best
card
1.-THE demand for concert musicians
throughout the United States is growing
greater every year. Musical societies are
multiplying at a terrific rate, and every
town OF any size has musical courses and
lectures every season. Yet it is as hard
to place an amateur as it ever was The
trouble is that in the small towns they
90 not want to pay big prices and yet
they want some one that is we'll known.
That sort of thing is the despair of the
manager. I may have dozen musicians
OF real merit who would be just the thing
for. the concert, and who would be willing
to accept small money, but, no; the COM
m1ttee must have some one with famous
name. Famous artists in their prime will
not even look at the sum of money Of
fered, so I have to produce some shop
worn, broken-down artist, who isn't half
as we'll worth hearing as many Of my
amateurs. That's the way WORKOUT ar
lists make a living, and I suppose it is all
right; but it's an awful mistake in the
musical education Of the people, I have
to talk myself black in the face to get an
amateur a hearing throughout the coHri+
try, and it Is utterly useless to attempt
it unless she has had metropolitan expe-
rience and can show New York or Bos-
ton press notices.
That's why all musical aspirants drift
to New York. If they haven't the New
York stamp they will not pass current
in the country, no matter how good they
may be. We always say that the Pacific
coast is the Alpha ana Omega of the
musician. So many promising young
Lochinvars come out of the West, study
here, make their bows to the public,
their success or failure here, stay here
as long as they can make a living, and
then, when New York will not have them
any longer, tuck the least Objectionable
Of their New York press notices in their
pockets, and go back to enjoy a second
childhood on the Pacific slope. Just as
the West demands new York approval,
so New York insists upon European ap-
prevail. It is infinitely more easy TO win
serious attention for a musician who has
made a foreign debut, or who, even if she
has not appeared before European pub
lie. has studied abroad. 1t isn't just a
fad. One can get a very good musical
education in America to-day, but the
musical atmosphere in Europe counts for
so much. One breathes and eats and
drinks music over there. 1t gets into the
blood. Students with little money can
bear so much more good music in Europe.
and the spirit Of hard study and high
ideals is in the very air. One IS bound
to attain higher standards and become
more finely rounded in point Of musical
education through foreign study Given
equal amounts. Of talent the musician
who has studied abroad will reach
higher planes of art than the student
whose musical education is wholly Amer
lean. I'm willing to stake my money
upon the American talent, and, up to Il
certain point, upon American training,
out give me an amateur who has had at
least a few years of European expert
ence.
.'Three-fourths Of the aspirants of New
York musical laurels come here first as
students, and then try to obtain church
positions which will support them until
they may have an opportunity to squeeze
into concert work. There are regular
agencies III LHe CITY whose WHOle WORN
consists in the attempt to place singers
in New York choirs. We do not handle
any Of that business. save in rare cases.
The churches, like the small towns. wan:
singers with some halo of fame, and many
of them can afford to engage celebrities:
but the average church appoints a. musi-
cal committee that, in case Of a vacancy
in the choir, hears all well-recommended
applicants and decides chiefly upon
basis Of merit. On that account an anna
teur of ability but no reputation stands
better chance in choir work than In
concert work; but the number Of singers
applying for church work is as appalling
as that pile of letters on my desk.
There's one consoling thing about my
profession. I may be a headsman, kill
ing fond illusions, but the percentage Of
actual need among my applicants is COM
paratively small. I believe that fully
n1ne-tenths Of the young musicians who
come to me have comfortable homes and
other means Of support. They are not
likely to have given up years to musical
study II that were not true. The case
isn't the same in Europe. There children
are born into music life. There, except In
rare cases, music life is a matter Of
choice. I know I ruth1essly destroy fond
hopes and ambitions, but seldom have
to turn my bacl, upon real need and
restitution, save in the case Of artists
who have had their day and were not wise
enough to save money while it was COM
ing in fast."-New York Sun.
:
"a Perfect Fit"
= Young fellow on the South side has negro
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