The Saint Paul globe., 1905-03-12
lnishins school in New England.

Teaching. of course Is tradtionally the
main reliance Of the musician man or
woman, who has not succeeded in arrlv-
ing at great popular favor as performer
or who does not care even to aim for
this kind OF success. Examination of the
list Of graduates of the New England Con-
servatory, the Oldest of American music
schools, reveals that at feast so per cent
OF the women graduates either are now
teaching. or did teach before their mar
riage. Many students enter such a school
with no other object In view. Often
times they come from cities or towns In
which the opportunity to make a fair live
lihood as music teacher Is already pres-
ent, given only sufficient technical pro-
| fciency. A girl entering the conservatory
with view Of preparing herself for a
| place cannot be said to have failed to
become Nordica! she never planned to
| be anything of the sort. But a great
| many others start out with no lower
| resolution than that of enthralling Bos.
! ton, New York and London; and In a
great many instances they fetch UP as
very useful and efficient musical instruct
ors at Selma, Saginaw or Skaneateles.
All sorts of factors may initiate against
| a students accomplishing what she had
cut out for herself. certain girl for ex-
( ample, who came to Boston from q VIII
| lage in New York State about six years
| ago had feeling for the violin which
| made her masters predict great things for
her. She was a tireless student-rather
too tireless. for the only criticism of her
| work was that she frequently exceeded
| her strength. In her daily exercises
| she was admirable. But physical frailty.
| conjoined with extreme sensityeness of
spirit, made public appearances a tor
| ture. During the latter part OF her
| course opportunity after opportunity was
made for her to exhibit before Boston
IT, - &AI@ -l1l~
| knew she had developed; and on every
occasion she did wretchedly. The news
paper critics wondered-and, to the young
| persons CONSERVATION. said so in print
| why so feeble a performer had been
| starred. ri
Still the girl clung to the idea of be-
| coming a professional. She needed mon-
| ey but she declined two offers to teach
| which presented themselves directly after
| graduation. One of her instructors, feel
| Ing certain that the young woman would
never succeed unless something of the
/ sensitivenesS and shyness could be rubbed
| of by contact with the everyday world,
| got her q chance to play in a womar's
| orchestra at high-grade metropolitan
| vaudeville house. The conditions thera
! were singularly favorable; strong musi-
| clans have grown out of just such an en-
vironment, for the nightly grind that
deadens the sensibilities of some steadIes
the faculties of others. The girl was ex-
posed to no unpleasantness of association.
Her felow-performers were generally re-
fined, well educated and well trained. The
| work was not excessively severe. The
! music played was good OF Its kind, and
rather simple. Yet the young virtuoso,
though given a fair trial by the patient
| manager, still could not conquer her nerv-
BUSINESS and spent all her days in ang-
| uished expectation of the evening per-
. 1% -,
gave 1t up, and was glad to take placs
as special teacher of the violin in a
| wealthy Western family. That was near
ly two years ago. She has since then
worked up clientele In the city to
| which she went, is successful with her
pupils and is earning a very handsome
living. Incidentally she has not made
public appearance since she left the or-
chestra and does not expect to.
Another type of a girl who Is apt to
| fail to realize her ambition to become q
| distinguished musical performer is the
| one who is afraid of hard work. Music,
as all the world knows, is one Of the
| most exacting of the arts. Seemingly
| every student who enters such a music
| school should understand the necessity
lfor serious. continuous effort: and most
do At the same time every Instructor
l can tell tales out of school Of young
| women who did brilliantly throughout
| their course but who just missed being
| good enough from an impressario's stand
point because they had never learned to
| do their best all the time. Without in
any way depreciating the value of tho
| work of musical education in a girls
| seminary In Arkansas or Idaho 1t Is
fact that, slight tendency to let practice
and regimen slide in favor of social diver
| sion is less serious In teacher there
than it Is in a young person upon whose
| sincerity Of effort the box-office receipts
of metropolitan manager depend.
| Neither the brilliant but reliable nor the
steady but sluggish girl can ordinarily
be expected to become notable In the
| world OF music, though she may play her
part as highly competent person.
] The young women who for various rea-
| sons go into music teaching are very va
riousfy placed. The public schools, which
employ considerable number Of special
lists at salaries ranging from four thou
| sand dollars down to a few hundred doll
lars, give opportunities to many. There
are somewhat more than q hundred col
leges in the United States which maintain
music departments OF greater or less pre-
, tension, and these provide for a consid-
| erable number OF the best trained young
| musicians. Boarding schools and private
: day schools there are in abundance, and
It's a small and poor place where at least
one capable musician isn't found making
!, a fair living by taking private pupils.
Piano-tuning helps out good many
4