The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-11
GOOD ADVICE FUR MUSIC STUDENTS Don't Try to Study While You
 StarVe PROVIDE FOR COMFORT Some Men of Genius Have Suffered. How Path of Needy Student
 May Be Made
 Smoother

Boston, Aug. 10-Advice to music stu dents not to starve themselves or at tempt to economize by letting their hair grow long might seem superluous; but it's a varied lot of young people who in every city, village and hamlet of the land will soon be packing trunks and in strument cases preparatory to renewing their schooling in American or European centres of population. Many of them need counsel of just this kind. Music is food for the gods, but it ought to be supplemented by beefsteak and potatoes when mere mortal starts out on a musical career.
 That, at any rate is the kind of advice given to prospective musicians by the dean Of American composers, George N. Chadwick. He thinks a student, before entering upon a long, severe course of study ought to look ahead a bit and see just where he is coming out as far as board bills and room rent are concerned. There was published In sensation-loving New York a short time ago a garbled report of one oI MT. Chadwick IS addresses regarding the policy toward needy stu dents of the New England Conservatory of Music, of which he is director. The composer was represented as saying that the oldest and largest of American insti- tutions has no use for young people who come to it without the means of paying for their tuition and other necessities
 Now of course the eminent author Of Judith" "Tabasco," and a host of inn portant symphonic poems, really said nothing of the kind-certain words taken out of their context gave misleading impression What was maintained was that the study of music Is so exhausting and absorbing an occupation that only exceptional students can do justice to their studies and at the same time be engaged to any considerable extent in earning a living outside the school. The history of music shows that while some distinguished musicians succeed In youth in doing two things at once' in making their daily bread and at the same time learning the elements of their profession, even these have generally done so at great risk to health and future useful ness.
 In most cases 1t would be better, as has been illustrated in Mir Chadwick's own career to stop for a few years In order to gain the money to continue studying. The present director of Amerl- cas largest musical school had early eX- perience in an amateur character In a nearby city of New England in writing songs and dances TOT ms nlBn sclool mates followed by a course at the New England Conservatory where Dudley Beck and Eugene Thayer were were then important personages. In those days 1t was still considered necessary to eom- plete one's musical education abroad but MT. Chadwick, without undergoing the risk that some young Americans have taken of entering upon a European course insufficiently provided with funds,
 gFaa |, he served for a time as clerk and later taught in a college at Olivet, Michigan, where by giving lessons on the organ and piano and by living most frugally, he managed to save enough to allow him to continue his studies at Leipzig in modest degree of comfort. He thus lost two or three years from his period of preparation, but he took no chances with his health.