Evening star., 1939-05-21

means OF encouraging students to
strive for the best. The practice of
working in terms of standards, of
having as goal the perfecting of
musicianship and technique, has be-
come nearly universal, and the re-
suits are astonishing and gratify-
ting.
Now 1t is sad thing to remark
that what the pianists have accom-
pGshed has not been matched by
the singers or violinists. There is
no record of forum for them,
where they are willing to submit to
q sort of an examination as to
their qualifications to meet GER
tain standard or any group ac-
tivities such as the Washington
Pianists Club has so successfully
operated, where promising advanced
students perform program yearly
to show the extent of their prog
ress and the value of their talent.
They continue to work within the
confines of their teachers studio,
occasionally coming forward in
recital that is supposed to be accept
ed as finished affair.
They know little of what other
singers or violinists are doing or
what the different teachers stand
for Each aspiring artist is conf
dent that what he has to offer, as
devised by his teacher, is the best,
and every one else is wrong and
there is nothing to be said about
the matter. 1t seems to be, and to
have been, the policy of singers
and violinists to blind themselves
10 outside activities in their par
ticular branches and to live in a
world of their own.
Reason for Attitude.
The students are, of course, not
responsible for this state OF affairs
which is the result of the attitude
taken by teachers the world over.
Vocal teachers and violin teachers,
to some extent, have never been able
to arrive at fixing standard OF per-
formance independent Of the tech
nical road followed to that end. They
are always deferred by an antagon-
ism toward the methods used bellev-
ing that none but the one they per-
sonally advocate is the right one.
The pianists do not seem to have
this feeling. but look toward the
greater end of a standard met or not
met.
Whenever a contest has been ar
ranged for toward the choice of one
pupil above the others, there has al
ways been encouragement and i'll
feeling attendant on it and some
times a loss of pupils to some teach
ers. Naturally teachers are wary OF
contests and justly so, in way, for a
student does not always live up to his
best in such appearances and the
criticism of teacher resulting from
his performance is not justiflable.
But competing in a contest where a
standard is set is quite different
matter and from reports, nothing but
good feeling and increased interest
is the result.
Why cannot singers and violinists
work on the same basis. There has
UcCll IIluCll ulSCuSSlOll OClWCCIi NOSdi
teachers of trying to organize a
standard but nothing definite has
been accomplished 1t must come
some day and if a teacher has the
right idea about his work he should
welcome such arrangement. Too long
have these two branches of music
study been invaded by incompetent
teachers with disastrous results to
those studying with them. A little
Tightening of standards would bring
about two things; the elimination of
the unfit and the impulse toward
deeper study and effort on the part
of those who have a pride in their
work.
Singers and violinists seem to for
get that most anyone can form an
opinion of their performance en-
tirely by what is heard The ear
can be afflicted more by the vocal
or violin tone than by any badly
trained piano tone. The most un-