The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-01

'bject being the concert stage. clared. And Bessemer people have always been wonderful to me. As far back as I can Remember they have encouraged and spurred me to greater efforts"
 Splendid testimony about home folksi
 His mother. Mrs. Charles Nixon. he declared, had been of greatest aid and inspiration to him beyond every one. in these 19 years of his busy life which have held very little play time or recreation for him. She is an exquisite and skillful musician, and plays all his accompaniments. She will appear with him as pianist in his forthcoming recital.
 It was interesting to hear an Ala bama boy. relate his experiences away at a great art school. He went to tho American Institute Of Applied Music.
 "The impression, when you arrive in New York and get out to the in- stitute Is that everything on earth Is just hard work and struggle. There are literally thousands of students besides yourself-and you are lost in the maze of things. You feel you don't know a thing. You are dazed by the number of boys and girls, all of whom are trying to do the self odLhe tHInB you are. 1ou nave to take tighter hold of determination, l and resolve that you will work hard CT than 1t actually Is possible to | work.
 Prejudice Against Americans
 You are discouraged by the | thought, as you stay on in New York, that there seems to be a prejudice against our own American musical students. The foreigners get the preferences. This same thing is charged of the great opera companies, as well.
 'Then"-Mr. Nixon paused-"an- other thing & young student has to fight Is the horrible loneliness of 1t all. There you are hid away, many hundreds of miles from home, in a city whose inhabitants know noth- ing of you.
 And you get homesick for the south. I found the people generally so different and indifferent They hurry, they rush. They have no time Tor you or your soul. Down here, if we like any one we say so flat; but up there, no one enthuses over you. Down here we say: Honey, be sure to come see us-Im crazy to see you want to talk to you--want to ask you million things Up there, you go to your room, or you go to the VAACA yOu pIdCllCe-IOT which you pay three prices-go to bed and go to work. That's all, ex cept theatres and recitals.
 Misses South.
 T get sick for southern hospi- thought. 1ts like really living again to get back.
 Then. you arc not pushed there in your studies. There seems to be plenty of time. That you do not like. I want to be pushed; and next year, | am 80 glad to say, Nicoline Zed- Ter Ter promised to push mo. She Is Spierfng's assistant. who gave me the actual lessons. The coming sea son shall take from both her and nim; Spiering is a small man. very brilliant, and with a big reputation as director and teacher of the yYo- as here" ''S "eA
 In order to become a yiolinist tba cunningham artist said, one must sacrifice his entire youth. There is no other way; and right at the be- ginning a young student might aa WeII make up his mind that the road ts rough and hard all the way. It does not get easier any time--hnt more difficult. It's a struggle from she tlme one begins until the time nc thinks hs has arrived.
 A Daily Program.
 ,,a aere Is young musical students lire at the music institute:
 Up of mornings at s o,ciocL
 Practice hard from 8 til 12 noor
 Lunch from 12 to o'clock. \, Ihen to an afternoon concert. if there Is one, which there usually is o'clock-bedtime 'o
 HappieSt thing of nu +bo ,+-., last season was tho fact that Mr Nlxon's teacher encouraged him to keep on--told him to stick at the nro' fession He had every chance to
 Isn't that splendid for Alabamaq
 The violinist heard many worth while concerts by great artists among them Mischa Elman, Heifetz Erna Rubenstein. IT years old, who Is a wonder, he said; Erilzi Morton l9; SpauldIng. Paderewski, Rach- maninoff. Hoffman, Hutchinson, Jo- seph Lhevinne and others.
 Great orchestras he enjoyed were the New York Philharmonic. inc City symphony and the New York symphony. At the concerts there were student rates of 25 cents for the gallery. Mir. Nixon also heard some magnificent soloists and saw most of the new plays in Gotham. Recital Big Undertaking.
 The first time he appeared in re- cital, which was at the school Jan uary l9 he was scared to deathp but managed to get by with Handel's Sonata without a false note.
 70, those miserable false notes how they cruelty you" the musician set forth. By just one of them you can be made wholly exultant, exhuberant or gloomy. You sort of live and die by them, as it were.
 "Whatever I have to blame myself for, there Is one thing I am daily thankful for, l never wish to shirll my work-and never fail to be happy over it."
 And that Is Illustrated in his rec ord of perfect practice and an end