The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-10-21
FEW PRIZE MERE FOR SINGERS.
New York Not the rine Field for Vocal Ta'en
II Ia. Been said to BE.

The prizes for singers In this CITY In the shane
| OF high .salarteI choir engagements are few.
and tho exaegeratei stories which are pub
llshei throughout tie country about the large
Incomes Of the successful ones bring each year
10 New York a large number OF candidates
for singing enGlyements. They CONS with
voices which have been pral-e al By their teachers
and many Of then. when they find no oIenIns
for them In churches. drift into the ohoruses
OF the opera. Al a snai gathering OF choir
singer, ,u-t weei one NJ the successful ores
voloA.oi for tie following story about a choir
singer who for several years has commanded
q large sliary In one Of the weathlest churches
1t illustrates the difficulties that one candi-
date for honors had TO overcome before lie
rea ,1ed his goal, lie may be called Jones.
More than ten years Ago a woman who
had taken singing lessons from an ex-
ce.lent teacher Of vocal music In this city went
to a Western mining town and for her own
amusement taught singing to a few young
men and girls who had natural Sits In t.ls
direction. Among them was Jones. hardy
more than a boy. and At that time working a.
A miner. The possibilities OF JOness voice
Interested hI4 teacher. lie was accustomed
on.y to a miners lfe, and h- natural relno-
lnent would never have been 5qspecteI az
that time. Jones improved rarldly and bis
TEACHER persuaded him 70 come 70 New York
aAd study under her old teacher,
beat voice that / ever :; heard with a little
training you viii be abe 10 earn by singing IN q
choir on sundays about ten times your present
wage Ill W., s.ta ronu
and become a choir singer
TIE woman gave MIN a strong reGonmen-
dttou TO her old teacher and when the latter
had tested Jones'+ voice he said You have
az excellent voice and with proper training
VERY Won, said JoneS' You touch me until
! can get an engagement and ! viii pay you.
That would mean too long a wait. sald
Why do you say that asked the miner.
Il will tell you FRANKLY, said the ~tetcher,
i eeIGye nat y9GI yGiSe might Rs dsy
developed 10 do the work which ,yor hope
TO do. however, you would have to be almost
TO a fashionable church tomorrow and see
the men who attend il study their clothes,
miners and Gp2e rance inca tnl9k ="
Ir.H entHh,e "a they are and i~ucHLIiy, perhaps
very much moro responsive, before you can
sun .ucce-s You need cro0inlng, manners
and Hcntal development and ! believe that II
81. Irs"you NJ .elst ten year % acquire them.
Frr,r1atnlv for the voung miner tho woman
who covered him had recvu,nended him
Go 49,. uny mu.ic-loving flmil In this city.
Warp the heard the teachers verdict about
sors and pu' him In the way 70 set the other
training which be needed. He wa- taught
the manners Of COLT" society, and these lessons
lie was taught how 10 dress, and in tact his
trelping was sompwhat similar To that pd-
vsrtisrd b. soma Of tho Young women's finish
ing schools. He read and stuffed. This
vocsl teacher showed him how 70 develop h!1
voice and 70 use II TO IN" host advantage.
wns a general polishing PROCESS. No ono would
now s,isrect That Jones had been an uneduc2ted
rough miner. lie command. a largo salary
Whenever he Sirgs. Tho singer who told tho
story sait that against such obstacles not ono
man IN a thousand would have nor-i~te!
This VIZ m extreme c3sc he sid, AND this
aver7ro vounG nan who had vocal ambitions
to achieve in thi, cit. however, know the oh
staClcs he must gurmount, he wouldn't come
hcre 80 drift iVtos comic onera chorus. There
T. oNl' "a fighting ch1nre for the MUSICAL man
win thu musical voice and 70 seize It he must
hive u~uflring energy.