The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-26
MUSICAL GENIUS SAVED
BY DIR. Felix AdIer's Talent-Preserv-
ing Station in New York.


Brooklyn Eagle.
Talent-saving station No. l, it has been
called, that dingy little three-story house at
81 Rivington street. The phrase, suggestive
as 1t Is of Uncle Sans life-saving service,
with its stations dotting the coast at four
mile intervals, is Felix Adler's. And the
work. though an enterprise of private phil
anthropy rather than of governmental hu-
manitarianism, promises almost as much in
its way as the building of the first life
saving station.
Talent-saving Station No. is Miss Emile
Wagner's music school for the children OF
the very poor; Miss Wagner's because the
idea was hers, the first movement toward
the realization of what was regarded as
pleasing but impossible dream was hers,
though now she is but the leader of de-
voted band whose reward is the blessed
certainty of something really accomplished.
1t was in 1894 that Miss Wagner came out
of the West eager to devote herself to
benevolent work in the slums. One day she
attended a service at the Baptist Mission
and heard the children sing. True to her
NAME Miss Wagner's great passion is
music. Her cultivated ear caught at once
young voices of the Polish Russian and
she began to dream her dream and set
about its realization.
She began with a little mission music
class. 1t proved so successful that since
then she has worked to develop the latent
musical talent of the neighborhood. She has
found it simply clamoring for development.
She has now a school Of about 10 eager pu-
pils-she can accommodate no more-and a
long waiting list. Her work attracted the
attention and enlisted the support of the
neighborhood settlements; first, naturally,
of the college settlement, since 1t was a
woman's enterprise; then of the university
settlement. For a long while its affairs
have been administered by joint COM
mittee from both. But its work has been
largely and increasingly independent of
either. unless just lately, while maintain
ing the friendliest relations, IT has entirely
severed its connection with them.
There Is not an inch Of available space in
the whole building wasted during the after
noon and evening, which are the busy times
there. One may find a class in voice culture
lesson progressing in curtained off corner
of the cellar; practicing going on in the
halls, piano or 'clavier" In the tiniest or
low-ceilinged closets under the roof, while
on dim stair landings and In dark passage
ways instructions on strings" is being
given by pupil teachers, regardless of the
war OF sounds going on on all sides Of
them.
II think" said Miss Wagner. with laugh
ing satisfaction, that any stranger within
our gates. when things are In full blast
could not fail to be impressed by the
amount OF noise We make.
OF course, most of the work is done in the
afternoon and evening, when school Is out.
1t is not an absolutely free school. The
children are charged 10 cents for twelve
minute lesson. And the amount of good
solid work that is crowded into that twelve
minute lesson is thing to marvel at. IL
they want to do this practicing there on
20 @ r I'm
for half tours practice. And Miss Wag-
ner tells with pride of six-year-old who
practiced unwittingiy three hours at a
stretch, quite unconscious that she was
overtaxing her time. when the teacher. who
should have warned her that her half hour
was up, forgot to do so.
''She would have practiced another three
If l had not stopped her." said Miss Wag-
And ones mind reverts to the child of
ones acquaintance dawdling over the piano
every five minutes: Mamma, can't stop;
do l have to keep on? I'm awful tired!'
The youngest pupil at present is just four
learns learns 0S YoS s asoy we I have to take them
young to do any good. They must learn
enough before they are fourteen or fifteen,
when the law allows them to leave schoo!
and go TO work. to be able to make a
little money with their music, so that their
parents will see that they are going to be
able to earn a better living and more pleas
antiy IN thdt way tiidh III a SUIT, VI idc-
tory, or sweat shop" And they have done
this. They have among their older pupils
boys and girls just getting into their teens.
pupil teachers. who aid in the school work
and who make quite little income as mu-
sic teachers.
The children have to set times for their
lessons. With twelve-minute lessons it
would be useless. for no two clocks in the
neighborhood keep the same time A GER
tain number are told to come las soon as
schools out" The first who come are
taken In hand and given their lessons: as
the others come in they are sent up as
soon as their piano and their teacher are
disengaged. They are instructed TO come
in groups at haif-hour intervals. There are
generally eighteen or twenty waiting in
the reception" room. where, to be sure, a
piano lesson is usually in progress in one
corner and a violin lesson in the other.
Ii is a case of first come first served and
the little ones wait their turns as patiently
as possible.