The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-07-04
JUILLIARD HELPS
 MUSIC STUDENTS
By HOLLAND


 New York, July 3.-When A. D. Juil-
 lard caused to be inserted in his will a
 bequest for the bentft of music lovers and of students worthy of instruction in
 music, he so established this founda-
 ton as to be of benefit and advantage to all America. It is not to be confined to this community. The privileges and advantages which it will give are avail
 able for students who have revealed ex- ceIlent capacity for musical education and in all lines whether vocal, instru' mental or in composition.
 When the report was published day or two ago telling officially of this be- quest the statement was made that the amount of the bequest would certainly
 reach sS,oo0.o0o. The income from that sum at per cent would be about $780,
 coo, and it is upon the income that re-
 lance is to be placed to make the fund available.
 Some of those who are well informed are of the opinion that when the estate is probated the inventory made and the trust established, it will be found that the income is nearer sl0O0,oO0 than $2So,o0O.. The gift is regarded as of national inn portance. When this trust is esta blished it will no longer be necessary for Amer can girls to struggle hard in order to meet the expenses of musical training in
 Europe. Many and even distressing have been the experiences of American girls whose voices were deemed worthy of cul- tivation. Two or three examples may be here reported, which illustrate this point. Some 15 years ago an American girl who was a church choir singer at Utica was found to be possessed of an unusually fine contralto voice. She was able by saving and by some aid to visit Europe. There she began to take les sons, but within a year she found herself absolutely stranded. Thereupon, being courageous and certain that her voice | if trained would justify any reasonable expenditure, she made an appeal to Mrs William K. Vanderbilt. After brief investigation Mrs. Vanderbilt learned that this girl was worthy of assistance and advanced 5000 to her. This loan was | fully justified for the girl became upon her return to the United States one Of | the leading contraltos of the Metropolitan Opera company. She for year prac- | ticed the utmost economy and at last was able to return the money to Mrs | Vanderbilt.
 l Citizens of Albany raised funds enough | to enable a church choir singer there | to study in Europe. This aid was fully | justified for the girl became one of the most famous operatic singers best known I by her stage name, Albani.
 | Now, any American girl or young man
 whose voice is pronounced by those com potent to judge as being well worthy of | cultivation, will, after the Juillard trust ! is organized, receive ample financial sup I port so as to complete the musical train- | ing So also those who reveal excellent I promise of becoming fine, even excellent | a., al uiI 10 n way aided so that they can complete I their studies. There are a good many | American men and perhaps few women l who while having no special vocal or instrumental capacity nevertheless pos sess unusual gift for composition. even
 the higher kind of composition such as fuges cannon, counterpoid and orches- l tral composition These will in due time have abundant opportunity to continue their studies until at last they are se- | cure as high perfection as possible, of
 their gifts
 A TRUE MUSICAL NATION 1 Mir Juillard's reques tis now spoken of
 as making it certain that the United
 States will in the course of time take
 equal rank with France. Germany or Great Britain, even with Italy. as a musical expert ma ton. Those who know say that there is no doubt of the real
 fondness of the American people for ! music which is of the higher quality, such, for instance, as the symphony or
 orchestral concerts. Furthermore there
 seems to be something about the climate
 of the United States, at least in certain
 sections, which serves as greatly to re- fine and develop the vocal organs as to
 make it possible for those who possess
 this gift to gain rank among the great singers of the world. Curiously enough, Maine represented by Nordica, Anna
 Lcuise Cary, Emma Flames and others | furnished the world with some of the 1 greatest of operatic singers. Others came | from the west and northwest, and one very great singer was a native of Cali fornia. Therefore, the United States ] Is believed to be awaiting only such finan-
 cial encouragement as the munificent be- quest of MT Juillard will furnish in or-
 der to demonstrate few years hence | that we excell as music loving, music
 producing nation. Mir. Juillard we'll knew
 when he included this bequest among the clauses in his will, that nothing but sufficient sum. one yielding an adequate yearly income. was needed in order to bring to the highest development the
 musical possibilities of the United States l It may be that his bequest will be dis covered by the trustees to amount to as much as $20,0Oo.00 It was with the ut most caution that those who knew tho