The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-13

and had world of young energy throb- ping in me, l said to myself, I'll do some Investigating on my own hook; I'll seasch world records and see if there is some memorable fiat out against the sex. That contemptuous for a woman bit you see. I put down my beautiful work though the grand contagion of opera working gripped me as hard as ever, and l was still dizzy with the rush of images and the lure of sounds, the spur of thoughts, and fiery dramatic conceptions burning for expression) and began to study woman versus art. I kept books over it..
 I studied with ferocious energy and inn patience. I followed the work of every
 woman composer the world has had l labelled, sorted. filed and analysed and I found many dainty, deserving things from the pens of a Beach, a Chaminade, a Gaynor, but tell you, the fluid incru- descense of hope and dream left my veins, and a strange anguish took the
 place, as I came to realize certain facts. They shook the psychic roots of being.
 'What?" I quered.
 "I do not know that I can quite put in words what I mean" she answered sadly, 'but I'll try First. l found that no
 woman had ever no matter what her learning or opportunity had been) created a great art form. Now you see, when training and skill belong to a musical
 
 sion, he sweeps into the glowing crucible of his own heart, all of knowledge, feeling, | thought and experience life has brought l him, and-he pours the molten tide into
 known art forms. When the mass is
 cool, To! new and greater form has
 overhowed the patternl Well, no woman | has done this. Her works, strange tc
 say have been largely teaching stuff like
 the Gaynors write; songs, short song
 forms like Carrie Jacobs Bond writes. And | I saw that art is so a type of life-that
 woman is receptive not creative. In the plastic artc copying is all right. The l faithful copyist is the thing. But music | is like life a thing of invisible motor
 power, and 'tis man that is made in God s image in the sound world. Women are
 wonderful teachers, and indispensable ex- ecutants, but men are the mighty makers of form. This knowledge so humbled me | that I never plucked up courage to be a suffragette! Here's one rib that will not | attempt to masquerade as commander-in- chief. Now, can you see (weve talked as
 women do with boundless s.range-Eden to Birmingham many digressions and paren- | thesis, to arrive at one small statement of a smaller fact, namely, that compost | ton is with me a beloved eation, not | a serious business, and my little songs
 and piano pieces are minor pleasures | born often of a teaching need choir me- cessity, the idle mating of a beautiful
 thought to a tune that sings itself tc me from that vast unknown reservoir within, whence thoughts and conscience
 and other surprising voices sometimes speak,
 "But there's money in good songs and
 teaching pieces,'' I suggested.
 | 'Is there?' Mrs. Rivers smiled knowing | ly. "Try it. Unless you have strone
 pull with a publisher it costs an American
 woman $50 at least to get a song printed Now, if I would sign a foreign mans
 name to some attempt and mail it iron | abroad, it would be a swift 'go But have no ambition in the matter so I write l for myself when the spirit moves me, ant
 the programme at the club today wa. . by the presidents request to make va 1 riety. Manuscript recitals are noveltie. on this side the big sea water