Omaha daily bee., 1920-01-25
By HENRIETTA M. REEs.

N 1ENi I'D OI dIlICiCS IUI uSttCI
- America appears in the De-
cember Red Cross magazine.
and among them is one entitled
Jascha Heifetz and Your Boy" by
Emily Frances Robbins, which is
well worth the reading OF every
parent who has musical children.
First, she explodes the fallacy OF
"Bohemianism"-that genius is
made of sickly and morbid mater
al, and is composed of sin and
suffering, and points to many other
general fallacies which have been
revealed as delusions. such as the old
one that wound would not heal
II il did not tester. Naturally the
writer chose Jasoha Heifetz for her
topic, as he is one Of the worlds
foremost violinists, and a conspicu-
GUS example of success without
rorbidity. In an interview with
Mr.. Heifetz he told her the story OF
his musical achievement. "Such a
simple, human, but suggestive little
tale it was! Here il is, as told by
himself:
my father was the first violin in
a big symphony orchestra in the
City of Wilma. Russia When l was
3 years old, he used to take me on
his knee and one of his favorite
tricks was to sing to me and make
a mistake In the tune. ! would
then tug at his coat and cry out and
protest to have it sung rightly. This
would greatly amuse my father. So,
one day he brought home to me
tiny violin, only so long (measur-
ing eight or ten inehes), and he
showed me how to place my fingers,
and to play on il. BY the time !
was S | could already play quite a
little, and played in public. When !
was 8 years old I was graduated
from music school where they took
few children, Of whom was the
Youngest. By that time I had mas
tered such pieces as the Beethoven
or Wieniawski concertos. l gave
many concerts. One of the ways
by which l progressed was to at
tend the concert of some great
artist. then come home and set for
myself the impossible task of some
thing he had done, and work at it
until it became possible.
Later / was able to study with
Ausr, but my own father has been
my principal critic. He not only
knows music, but knows the instru-
ment. After one of my perform
ances, it is he who gives me the
most helpful report; it is he who
says, the part was not warm
enough. that was too fast, or some
thing else had not enough feeling
"His story gives fresh dignity
to musical aspiration; it is shaft of
wholesome sunlight. The principle
of Heifetz's success is applicable to
any profession. 1t is particularly
suggestive to mothers and fathers
raising young children. The simple
and beautiful method by which this
great artist was created might have
made. for instance, a great scientist,
or a great engineer. What are you
doing for your 3-year-old son!"
And by the way, when one stops
to think of it, a great many OF the
most famous musicians the world
has ever known, have, had the help
of a musical father or mother, or
both in their early life. Mozart's
father aided and encouraged the boy
in every way Bach came of a
musical family. At the time when
his fame was at its height, there
were no less than 80 Bachs holding
positions as organists in Thuringia.
Haydnss father was musical, and
accompanied himself upon the harp
when he sang. When Haydn was
6, he knew all the songs he had
heard his father sing. Beethoven
came Of I musical family, and his
father even though severe, did much
to help his son with his music.
Weber's father began to train him
at his earliest opportunity, desiring
him to be a prodigy like the little
Mozart Rcs.ini, Schubert, Mendels-
sohn, List, Saint-Saens, Gounod,
and countless other musicians whose
names have been handed down to
fame, have received their first in
struction and encouragement in
their own family.
But what are most of the parents
o. today doing for their children?
know what some of them are do
ing. l used to teach. They buy the
children clothes. hire nurse girl
aud give her complete charge of the
children, and as soon as possible
pass the buck of their learning over
to the unlcrpaid, and often inexperi-
enced, school teacher, while the
mothers themselves are out on
drives, club meetings and at card
parties; and the fathers rush from
the Office to golf or fishing. or some
thing of the sort, or else they all go
to the movies, which are certainly
not any too good for the children.
Granted the pictures are good. it is
pretty hard for little folks to sit still
for two hours. When the child is
about 7 or y they do not investigate
the work OF any special music teach
err; they hear the name Of one, or
find one who does not charge but a
small fec, and give the child's mu-
seal instruction over to her. Does
mother ever go to the lesson, or sit
with the little girl or boy while prac-
ticing? Oh. no. Mother isn't inter
ested. and neither is father, unless
one can play some little thing, to
which they will listen patron;zingly,
q 4 "a