New-York tribune., 1908-09-05
HOW MUSIC STUDENTS
} MAY HELP PAY BILLS
Making Smooth the Path of Needy
Persons Should Make Pro
visions for Comfort.

Advice % music students not to starve them
sa5--as or attempt to economic by letting their
,,+- r-ovz long might seem to be superfiuous;
s,vt IT'S a varied lot of young persons who N
ava-v CITY. village and hamlet Of the land viii
soon ne hacking trunks and instrument cases
ureuaratory to renewing their schooling in
American OF European centres OF population.
Mauv of them need counsel Of just this kind
Music IS food for the gods but It ought to be
s,ynnlsruented by beefsteak and potatoes when
a mere mortal starts out musical career.
1t has been pointed out by distinguished teach
ers that the study Of music is 50 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 q living outside the school.
The history OF music shows that while some dis
tingrished musicians succeeded in youth in do
ing two things at once. in making their daily
bread and at the same time learning the ele-
1nents Of their profession. even these have gen
orally done so at great risk to health and fut-
Ire usefulness. In most instances il would be
better TO stop for few years in order TO gain
the money necessary to continue studying.
While few important musicians have fought
Their -rav to Success through the greatest hard
siaiIs a majority have either been provided at
The outset with means for their study, or have
adopted the sensible plan Of first earning their
rnsRey and then devotTng their whole time TO
their education Classic instances, TO be sure,
there are Of young men OF young women who
won out in the face ef distressing adversely.
EXAMPLES OF sELF-HELP.
Ole & Bull. the violinist. for example. went to
the Paris ConserTatoire with little money His
funds soon gave out. with the result that the
-Ao -aI
to commit suicide by jumping into the Seine;
according to another. he was nursed through
serious illness, due to lack Of food. by Partisan
woman whose daughter he afterward married
Again. Hector BerIioz. trained as a physician,
had his allowance cut OF by an irate father
when he decided to study music. BerioZ
throughout his period of study maintained him
self Trecari0usly as chorus singer at minor
theatre. Those who criticise his music most
harshly say that il bears in its technical de-
fciaaces traces Of the struggles which the youth
underwent
Aulgnin Dvorak was the son of Bohemian
butcher, whose scanty means did not allow Civ
ing his son even the slight pittance that a
musical student in an Austrian city required
DT0rak for several years lived on a ludicrously
small salary as d player of the viola in a town
band. and arrived at comfortable circumstances
only he approached middle age For the
most part, however. the great musicians had
good start
That IS right and proper, for, generally speak
ing. il is much harder for musical student to
earn his way entirely than for a student in
one OF our colleges TO do so. No other study
makes such demands On the emotions and ner-
Fous vitality. Only the exceptionally strong
can stand the combined strain Of severe study