The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-03-15
MISS ROWLEY TALKS
OF HER WORK
sranch School to be Established on
South iehIands-Artistic Interior
Of the cademy-Something
of the Student Life.
BY ANNIE KENDRIcK WALKER.

1t looks out upon busy, restless street
and across so many commonplace house
tops. and little turrets here and there
against the sky. Below, mingled with the
changing bells on the cars are the cries
of the vendors, and the rumble of carts.
There is a machine shop on the first
floor But the immediate approach is
artistic
Down a long corridor fanked with
studios, through the open doors of which
one glimpse art students at their easele,
the life class with their charcoals,
pupils decorating exquisite porcelains, and
each studio a story in itself, a bit of art
bohemia, a world distinctive and apart
from that outside which never looks
across the housetops.
Top floor, back the elevator boy
used to explain. But now nearly every
one knows without asking. 1t is a very
imposing name-The Academy of Music
and 1t has come to be such an import
ant factor in Birminghams musical
world that musical folk and music stud
ents no longer wait for the top floor,
back"
The Academy of Music is In the Watts
building, and occupies a large, charming
ROOM overlooking Twentieth street. The
walls are hung with blue and an i'm
mense window occupies almost the en-
tire space on the western side There
are soft draperies through which the
light fiickers 1t is an extremely attrac-
tive studio In one end is the cabinet
grand. The walls are hung with pictures
of old masters, of latter day artists.
There are several busts of the com
he 1aH with
musical histories and biographies, and
there are attractive sketches of foreign
life, German, French, Dutch and Italian
pictures picked up in Europe.
There Is a low window seat filled high
with cushions and the wide recesses are
filled with palms. 1t is q room in which
one can dream of the great masters, wan
der around for hours and be entertained,
But it Is a room that is an inspiration itself
since it represents the dreams of young
girl who realized that she must work
out her own destiny.
While the director of the Academy of
Music, Miss Daisy Rowley sees now the
fruition of her plans in her success, those
who know anything of her musical
career know that few young women ever
surmounted greater difficulties. Miss
Rowley's musical education which was
begun in America and finished in Eu-
rope, was accomplished only through her
determination to succeed at all costs. She
borrowed the money on her own respon-
sibility< having such unbounded con-
Sifdence in her future success that she
felt assured she would be able to fulfil
the financial obligations upon her return
from Europe.
Since opening the Academy of Music,
Miss Rowley has met with such signal
success that there Is now a demand for
branch of the school to be established
IN South Highlands, and she has decided
to open in October q school in the vicin-
lty of Five Points
Miss Rowley will personally direct and
teach in both schools. In addition to her
work In the academy Miss Rowley has
Just completed a book on Piano and
Theory Course for Teachers" and while
She has not published any of her music,
many of her songs are being sung in
their original manuscripts.
Only recently MIR. Charles c. Washburn
wrote Miss Rowley of the popularity of
one of her songs which he selected from
one of a dozen or more manuscripts in
her studio before he went to Chicago
1t is wonderful how much Miss Row
ley accomplishes. Not many young women
have such busy days and 1t Is not every
woman who employs the system that
makes Miss Rowley a record-breaker in
the matter of giving music lessons.
1T may seem incredible but l give
an average of eight-two lessons each
week" said Miss Rowley, recently. "Now,
am speaking of my individual piano
pupils, not counting the assistants pupils,
nor the theory and history classes.
Glow do l manage it? Well, certainly it
Is long story, but if you care to hear
It it is like this:
every morning at half past seven I
am giving my first lesson. Who takes
lesson so early? On Mondays and
Thursdays a pupil in the city, and at s
o'clock one from North Birmingham. On
Tuesdays and Fridays, a pupil from Ems
ley and on Wednesdays and Saturdays,
a stenographer Now, perhaps you did
not know that such interest was mani
tested in music that one would come