The San Francisco call., 1906-11-22
Difficulties Confront Girls Who
Go to Milan to Study Music

the work will be just as good Car
fare is 10 centesimi, the equal OF :
cents. which is not so cheap as it looks.
because no transfer= are given. and Ii
cost more to ride across town in Milan
than it does to go five or six miles into
the suburbs of the big American towns
of the same class. Public CABS are
comfortable, numerous. convenient and
cheap. There Is a tariff In every car
riage, and most of them also have tax
ometers. The fare Is lira. equal to
20 cents
Theater going is expensive. Boxes at
La Scala sell at from 500 to $40 for an
average night. and good seats on the
floor cost $6. IS and 81 each. In the
smaller opera-houses and theaters the
prices are about as in America The
only way the American visitor nnds
theater going cheap In Italy is by go
ing into a part of the house where she
would not want to be seen by her
friends if she did the same thing in
a playhouse at home However. a great
many Americans do IL. and under those
conditions the prices are what they
would be anywhere. cheap-from IRA
and a half TO lire. or from 80 20 40
cents.
Singing lessons will cost $50 lire d
month. or $50. IL one Is taken every
day. and half that II three times
week. One of the best teachers in
Milan can be had at that price. The
choice OF a teacher will depend in
part on the resources OF the student, as
the teachers differ In prices and terms.
In any event. the Consul after max
ing careful inquiries among expert
enced students here. is OF the opinion
that no girl ought to come to Milan
with less than SIS per month coming
to her regularly. A hundred dollars
would be a great deal better. think
that with less than 500 the girl would
not infrequently be embarrassed. Milan
Is an exceedingly expensive city Near
ly everything costs as much as IT does
at home, and so many things cost more
that the average Is not favorable 20 tne
common belief entertained in America
that one can live for almost nothing
In Italy III one attempts to live IN
anything like the style accustomed 70
at home the cost will be greater Dur
ing the long cold Milan winter, Wnen
the student must dress just as warmly
as she would for New England Weath-
er she will not only be in serious dls-
comfort but in danger II she does not
provide for a warmed room and fuel
is more than twice as expensive as IN
America Clothes cost about the same.
The greatest care should be exer-
cised IN the choice of a teacher. There
are only a few good ones out OF all
the large number. Most OF them are
merely lying in wait for the American
girl with money TO spend, and theV
will offer her a long series or excel
lent reasons for spending il Just 50
long as il holds out. Caution should
be taken as 10 the teachers method
The students voice may be ruined. and
a greet many voices are ruined every
year by teachers who think more or
some trick of method than of the girl
taken in hand. But even when the
student is satisfied that she has CONS
upon one OF the experienced, cOnser-
ative. high minded and thoroughly de-
lightful men. who II IS pleasure 70
say are TO be found among the Milan
fteachers. she must know something OF
his method and OF his work with other
pupils
She VIII encounter all sorts Of un-
scrupulous efforts TO get into the hands
OF this teacher or that. and. the best
advice l can give her is to come TO this
part of her problem with exceedingly
strong suspicious. which she viii relax
only for the very best of reasons II
1t were proper and permissible. Icould
give ambitious students some very so
bering tales OF American girls who
have come to Europe and fallen into
the hands OF music teachers who have
kept them going until their funds
were exhausted and then dropped them
voice nor money left. There are good
men here. but the newcomer must not
take anything at first sight. She
should seek the advice OF impartiaf-
and experienced persons before taking
any step. and in this way the consulate,
is always at her service. From the
time she makes herself known as a
seeker after honors until the hour be-
fore she goes on the stage for her
debut in some up-country opera-house
before a merciless crowd of provincial
critics. she will find herself the sub
jeet of constant demands for money
Getting a theater means that half
dozen men must be hired to let the
debut proceed. else they viii ruin ev-
erything in one way or another Cos
tuning is expensive. and dressmakers
are quarrelsome and avariciOus. In
short from the moment the American
girl sets foot in Italy. she must remem
ber that some one is trying TO get
away from her the small means with
which she is presumably furnished.
and that some exceedingly brilliant
fairy tales will be spun for her enter
tainment while the demonetizing pro-
cess is going on. Everything depends
on how she chooses the man to whom
she intends intrusting her voice She
must remember that he viii either
make il or break il.
Little OF this report applies to the
American girl who comes here in the
company OF her father or mother or
both The situation in that case IS 50
different as to require no report what I
ever. In every case where this can be
done II ought to be arranged. not only
for the added comfort and security in
which the girl will be able to work. but
because in the long run her voice will F
profit by the more natural and whole
some conditions ir which she will be
living and by the advice which she will
be able to receive at short range The
whole attitude of the foreign music field
changes toward the American girl whS
comes here with her father to stand
with her. She sees the delightful side
OF the life without any battles. Moth
ing which I have said or caused to be
Inferred above Is intended for her
The Milan Conservatory of Music Is
by all means the best place for the
American student. but few of them
bave been there on account of the COM
paratively high cost Of tuition and ex-
penses. 1t is a government-patroni
Institution with an almost unrivaled