Omaha daily bee., 1915-01-24
NJ HENRIETTA M. REFS.


ID you ever read the Auto
~ biography OF Benjamin Frank
linz" Do you remember how
he made out a list OF the
k11iE2Rl virtuess and thought BY prac-
ticing them until hefcKcelled
III each he would eventually arrive al
perfection7 How instead of trying to gain
the whole at once he made a little book
for daily examination and centered his
attention upon one especial one each
week. successfully going through the
list complete in thirteen weeks. (Theue be-
ing thirteen virtues upon his list. and
four courses OF II in Year, He did
not try It only for one course. nor for
Just one year. but with moro or less
frequent Interruptions no continued the
scheme all through his life. lie always
carried the little book with him. and
writing from in his seventy-ninth year,
he saids But on the whole, though I
never arrived at that perfection. i had
been so ambitious OF obtaining. yet I
was, by the endeavor a bottor and a
happier man than I otherwise would
have been, n had Dot attempted IT,"
Then he goes on In detail and tells where
the practice OF each virtue helped him
In his long and remarkable life. How
many OF us II we would make out a
list OF the virtues OF the MT OF music In
the order In which they sNem the most
Important 70 each and wound practice a
similar scheme OF self-improvemont with
or without a teacher. would not by the
endeavor be better and happier musicians
-virtuosos in little different sense than
Il usually meant.
Did you Rad tho story OF Madama
6chumann-lfeink In the Saturday Evening
Post. the other day7 She told Of the
many obstacles. which beset her In her
chosen career and how she successfully
overcame them. and said; II have ar
rived where I am today in spite of-or
] might say, because of-the most dis
eouraging conditions az the start" Which
leads one 20 mediate upon the question
OF whether we do~not make It too easy
for the younger generations to become
educated. We all know the truth OF the
saying. that what isn't worth working
for. isn't worth having. that what Is
lightly gained Is soon forgotten? II more
OF the talented ones bad 10 work for
their lessons In some way they might
AR|AOlALAD AAlNAAA tiAb nAONGt a. VniN thCNC
were more incentive for work. II IL that
which h lacking rather than opportunity.
George Henry Howard. 4 prominent
educator in music OF Washington, d. c.,
10 writing series Of articles upon "Miss-
ing Links I'm American Music Training
tho first OF which appeared in Musical
America last week. II takes up the de-
ficiencies upon the part OF the American
student. and the first deficiency he gives
Is lack OF thoroughness in theoretical
training, l. e., harmony and counterpoint.
The reasons he gives for this poor
theoretical training on the part OF the
student are: % The prevalent American
conceit Of smartness. producing a lazi-
ness Of intellect fatal 20 study; ca tho
common spirit OF unrest. q thing begun
seldom finished; CD the writing done in
the theoretical work studied. seldom con-
sidered from a mvsicai viewpoint; 60 the
study Of theoretical music begun too late:
90 poor quality Of textbooks often used;
90 lack OF ear training discipline, ana
TOO much hurry. Il Ia well worth a read
ing and furnishes much food for the
thought There 10 90 much truth In the
saying. you cen lead a horse to water,
but you can not make him drink" which
has been artly paraphrased by somebody
10 you may send a boy 70 college. but
you can not make him think" Mean
While the average American music stu
dent would define his attitude IN some
thing OF this manner: 1t 4 not 40 bad
20 have 70 learn 20 play or sing; maybe
sometime ] may want 10 teach or hold
down church position. or 80 on the
road with Il. Theory shows one how 70
coppose the science Of shords ana such
stuff. but II a person can play. / can't
see but that n ali that Is necessary.
Everybody knows Il Is lots smarter %
be eood gueEeer than 90 really know
thing and there - always . chance
that you may hit 4 when you guess any.
way. 10 why oVerdo People are ~ hard
upon students nopadaya. they want them
% work al the Tins ! don't DO any
more than ! have 10. I must look after
my health. They talk about the pleasurs
n knowledge Tor is own SAKE. and ths
pa3f n good hard WORK. but Tor me ther.