The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-07
Mrs. '. H. Ald'1ch, Jr., And Her MUnc
The Literature of MuscMechanica Devices of Great Help Studying With Julie Rive -King-B -Birminghams
 Pride In Mrs. Aldrichs Art
By DOLLY DALRYMPLE.

l Just DeIOfe AfS. AlulicH itli TUT uti five months sojourn in Chicago, during which time she will pursue her piano studies with Mme. Julie Rive-King, I dropped in late one afternoon at her artistic home-a pretty scenic effect for one so gifted-and found her in the midst of her preparations for departure.
 Birmingham feels a distinct pride in Mrs. Aldrich's talent, and it is not full some to say that she is not only one of the best pianistes in the south, but her intellectual attainments and many graces | of mind and heart place her on a plane that few attain, and the encomiums of praise that have been hers from the emil nent musicians who have visited here lately have only corroborated the opinion which her fellow townsmen have sus- | tained.
 When I said. Wont you take time to talk to me just a little while, even if you are busy-remember, it will be a long time before I have a chance to talk to you again"
 She laughingly said: "Yes, I will, with 1 pleasure, because there are some things that I want to say. I have for long time wanted to talk about the appreciation of musie-not from the musicians stand point, but from that of the audience; and it is a subject of vaster importance than many think
 What do you mean?" I acsked.
 Simply this. The literature relating to music is neglected shamefuliy. Take pa rents who start the child in the study of | music. They pick out 8 teacher whom they think is capable. The pupil is sent with instructions to give her the best at tention. She Is made to practice certain number of hours a day and to go regu- larly to her lessons. There is never suggestion of musical literature. There is no atmosphere, no environment condu- cive of the love of music in the home; the technique Is fostered while the litera- ture is neglectedv
 "Of course I see your point exactly, and I agree with you thoroughly in the sug- gestion," remarked.
 Take a person who sees a great paint ing, for instance" continued Mrs, AL drieh 'Ten to one times they have read all about the artist and the subject and the inspiration that melted this parteu- lar work of art Knowing that they would never be painters themselves, they have studied the literature of art and per l fected themselves in its environs Not so with music. Half of the time the pupil does not know who is the composer | whether Bach, Beethoven or Tschaiskow- sky-and if so they know nothing what ever about his personality. If the pupil can play the notesIf the technique is correct, the parent probably being un- Ia physical side of the question: And that accounts for the lack of ap- preciation that many people have of clas- sical music, even though they have stud jed 1t all their lives" remarked. ! Undoubtedly" said Mrs. Aldrich, "and | do you know that one of the most im- portant helps in this direction nowadays | Is the mechanical devices that are af- forded." l "You mean the talking machines-the 1 pianola-and other up to date arrange ments."
 | Precisely" was the reply. NOW, let me tell you something that the talking machine has done in two instances l 1 know of, in connection with the recent musical festival. One was a child who | had familiarized herself with the com posers, and their compositions by hear ing the selections day after day until the child was perfectly infatuated with the music and nothing would do but she must be taken to the festival. Another was a man who all of his life disliked classical music and when he first bought | a machine had stacks of records of ragtime, and all the popular airs of the day. Some one persuaded him to pur- chase some of the records of the great singers and pianists and he did so and after a very short time discarded all of the popular music and was one of the regular attendants at the festival. Of course we cannot all devote our lives to the unremitting study of music, but a few moments of well directed study each day of music as an art or language, from the position of connoisseur rather than that of composer or performer will bring about wonderful results. For in- stance. the study of the great masters through repeated hearings, makes our ap- preciation tremendously alert. Only through intimate acquaintance can we know in full measure the delicate poetrfy of Chopin, the romance of Beethoven, the exquisite fantasie of Elgar; and only through the literature of music can we understand the grandeur of Wagner or Dvorak; so with the great orchestras, lecture recitals, musical literature and me- chanical devices we can become initiates and later arise to the full appreciation of musical beauty.
 Tt is really wonderful when you come to consider things in that light, and l
 
 ence Rogers, Margaret Howell, Lucy Dcwney, Mary Kirkpatrick, Lillian Moore, Kathleen Stringfellow, Evelin Adams. Mary George Crukshank. Dor othy Johnson, Alabama King, and Mra. Jack Crison, Mrs. Oates, Mrs. Ed War ren. Mrs John Fletcher, Mrs. Soon Jacobs, Mrs. Burr Ferguson, Mrs. Kidd Mrs. Eugene Enslin, Mrs. owen Giles py Mrs. W. D. Nesbit, Mrs. Carl Seals, and others.
 ANNOUNCEMENTS.
 Dr. Hawthorne will deliver a lecture al
 the Southside Baptist church Monday
 night to which the public is cordially invited No admission fee will be asked |