Evening star., 1923-10-05
FREQUENTLY the girl who de-
- cides to study music feels that
r.i.. ffnrd ti,,,a 70 r0

H<> cides to study music feels that
she cannot afford time to go
on with her general education.
but II she devotes herself entirely to
her music she makes mistake that
sooner or later will affect both her
life and her art. BY cultivating only
the emotional side she prevents the
proper development of her own ma
ture. She will be only one-sided
girl. If circumstances should arise
in later life to shut her off from the
practice of her art she will have no
resources of mind upon which to fall
back for enjoyment.
Music is a sort of magic key that
opens the door of social life. but. in
order to gain the best things from
social life. Eirl must be able TO
contribute to 1t something more than
her music. People will listen to her
1nusic, but they will talk about the
III ngs with which. they are most
familiar. so that girl needs TO know
something about litera ture, history,
politics and other subjects that rep
resent the larger interests of life. II
a girl intends to be a teacher II is
even more necessary for her to have
q good reserve of general knowledge.
Those who know nothing about music
will form their estimate of her as a
teacher largely from what she knows
OF other things.
How to Practice.
.. In addition to the special rules that
govern practice upon each instrument
. in particular there are certain funda-
mental principles that apply to all
instruments alike. To mention the
tice. it may, be said first that you
ought never to allow yourself to be-
come mere machine. To become
human metronogne. or mechanical
device clicking out notes, is to build
a wall across the path of progress. TO
set a limit of proficiency beyond
(which you cannot pass,
Do not practice with one eye on the
clock. When the desire to be off
and away is keen, it may seem to
you that the clock hands will move
more swiftly if. the scales are whirled
off In -sllpshod. haste. or; the bow is
drawn hurriedly across the strings.
Unfortunately. you thus not only hurt
your playing, but you get free no
sooner On the other hand. you should
not postpore your allotted period of
practice until all your pastimes for
the day are over. Business before
the study of music as much as to
other pursuits.
BY all means try to do your daily
rracticing, or at least the greater part
Of II, while you are fresh in mind ana
body. Another important point,is not
TO allow interest in your music so to
master you that you devote your
time only to what is most attractive.
u is hard to condemn this fault en-
tirely, for it often springs from
g-enuine love of music. which makes
you delight in the more melodious
exercises and pieces, to the neglect
Of the humber scales, finger exer-
cises, bowling, or breathing exercises,
but the fundamental fact of life. that
what is most pleasurable is not
necessarily most beneficial. applies to
music practice.
The would-be pianist must master
through a piece filled with ripping
runs. Then there is the Impulse that
sets you to doing the kind of work
at which you are most apt. You may
he good at sight reading, quick at
memoriZfng, clever at improvising
and these are all great gifts for any
musician to possess. but 1t Is not
wise to devote the greater part of
your practice to what comes most
easily to you. Hammer rather at
is advisable A half hour of prac-
tice one day and an hour and half
the next day will not give the same
results as an hour every day. AS far
IS possible, follow q fixed schedule.
Try to put yourself in the spirit
of the music. Be sympathetic to it's
shifting moods If you have q tend
ency to be carried away by what
you are playing, you are fortunate.
Those who declare that no real music
can be used in practicing are wrong.
There are many mposisions that
are beautiful as we'll as helpful
Perhaps you have played one piece
about twenty times as finger exer-
else, but If on the twenty-first play
ing 1t suddenly dawns upon you that
there Is something in that piece more
than mere notes. then you may begin
to feel that you are progressing.
Performing on PIayer-Pfano.
Mechanical in principle though 1t
Is, the player-piano need not be
mechanical in effect. That is one of
the misconceptions that spring from
the noise produced by those who play
as If they were riding a bicycle
The music of the player-piano need
be neither rigid. cut-anddried. nor