The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-03-01

4
" well equipped conservatory, en-
dowed by individuals and conducted
as public trust cannot undertake
to do, The New England city offer'
to students who prefer to carry OF
their musical studies in an American
community musical atmospher,
which is as real as that OF any Euro
pean capital They are constant,
assisted in appreciation OF good music
by the presence of symphony or
chestra, generally acknowledged to
be the best in American and to hav,
no superior in Europe, They have
access to the performances OF many
other musical organizations giving
concerts through the season. All the
great foreign musicians sooner OF
later visit America, and Boston is
always one OF the first cities in their
itinerary. The talented have inter
course with and instruction from emf
nent American composers, of whom
more are residents OF Boston and the
neighborhood than OF perhaps any
other American city-such writers OF
music as George w. Chadwick, direc-
tor of the New England Conservatory
of Music, Frederick S. Converse. Mrs.
H. H. A. Beach, Arthur Foote,
Madame Helen Hopekirk and many
more. These are composers whose
reputation is now so far assured that
only the ignorant suppose all good
musicians in America to be foreign
ers
The incentive of competition with
strong fellow students is just as likely
to be present in an American city as
abroad. Despite the situation of
Boston in the extreme northeastern
corner of the country, its leading
music school, the oldest Of its kind in
the United States, the New England
Conservatory Of Music. draws more
than almost any other institution for
higher education in New England
upon national and international
clientele. II has graduate as well as
undergraduate courses and annually
receives hundreds who have already
made their start in their local conser-
vatories or under private teachers.
Good technical preparation is about
all that any music school can under
take. 1t has been asserted in connec-
ton with this campaign for a national
institute Of music and art at Washing
ton that "in this country of ours
many genius is born and dies with
out ever being heard OF, and all this
because the atmosphere here is not
conducive to the development Of his
talents" Experience Of the past cen
tury has taught that among thou
sand students you will never find
more than very few who can be
called geniuses The percentage OF
the exceptionally gifted is certainly as
high in America schools as abroad.
A few music students, for example,
are manifestly destined to have re-
professional careers. Most
are young persons OF modest talent
who will find some way of making a
living if they are thoroughly trained.
Some will sing in churches; some will
teach; some will tune pianos. In
their various callings they will assent,
no doubt, to the general ideas of the |
promoters of the scheme Of national
OF music and art, even
though they have not the remarkable
low of language enabling them to
lssers that Music is the sublime
speech of the soul, the higher educa-
ion, the better life. Its effects are
efining. Music sets sweetly the joys
md happiness of life; it takes from
sorrows half their burdens and robs
nguish OF its keenist sting. 1t halls
he seasons and promotes love of
and home. 1t is the univer-
al language Of the world and speaks
o that every ear can understand. 1t
5 the one thing that carries the man
earer to God" In classic Bostoncse
anguage, that's going some.
An exactly similar line of argument
an be made regarding present day
acilites for teaching the fine arts.
here is no apparent good reason
thy the national government should1
upply ambitious art students with
lumb lines and charcoal sticks and
ay for their instruction. If anybody
) very anxious to learn to draw in
there is nice little art
chool connected with the Corcoran
1allery. Excellent schools for the
tudy of drawing, painting, modelling
nd design are conducted in New
york, Boston, Philadelphia and Chic
go, St. Louis and many other Amer