The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1941-11-08
Successful Musician or a Flop;
Personality Makes Difference
Jenny Lind Had Whot II Tokes
And Her Memory Lives


especially true Of the performer.
Contemplate the field Of piano
playing. The great personalities.
List and Ruhinstein are still huge
figures. although their fingers
have been slleneed for half
century. But. you will say, they
were composers. and are remem-
bered by the printed works-their
creations.
That is true to an extent. but
what about Jenny Lind who died
about the same timer Since her
day more than thousand
throughout the world have risen
10 prima donna heights; yet. while
there are a few people living who
ever heard the voice Of Jenny Lind.
her personality, her sweetness. her
good taste and her whole character
were so pronounced that she has
become one Of the great figures in
the mind Of the present generation.
Imagine what a force she must
have exerted during her lifetime
to have made her memory vernal
over half q century after her
death, The same, Of course.
might be said in a somewhat less
degree of a number Of other
artists.
Arthur Nikisch, the great con-
ductor. 10 not remembered for his
compositions but his extraordinary
conducting which combined with
his splendid personality makes him
an unforgettabls figure.
Strange how personality perms-
ates the voice. II you were in a
dark room, and in that room a
group Of your friends started to
talk. you would have no difficulty
in distinguishing them by their
voices.
Singers who aspire to great
heights should realize that
their voices are 10 \ large ex-
tent mirrors of themselves.
You struggle with intermin-
able exercises and arias with
q view to developing interpre-
tative and technical ability.
But when you have acquired
your skill, what have you to
express but yourself:
1t is our experience Of nearly
40 years of teaching that singers
who have developed not merely
their voices but also their lives in
the higher sense are those who
make the most lasting impress
sions upon the public. What We
have said Of the singers might, of
course, be said Of piano playing,
violin playing, etc.
II personality Is so important
in a musicians career one might
ask, how can person acquire a
personality or how can it be de-
veloped? Here 10 q suggested
formula by an author unknown: =,
Take the individualism tina
God gave you to carry through
life and work upon the crude
natural clay as would a sculptor.
Aspire to do great things-never
allowing paltry thoughts or WORTH
less trash to consume your time.
'Mind you. we like having q
good time as well as anyone;
but We know that II We spend
more than q reasonable frac-
ton Of our waking hours In
ill-directed or wasted effort,
some day We shall have to
pay and pay highly for 1t.
Crowd ali the useful beauty
INTO your life that you can
possibly stow away. Read,
read, read - but read under
standingly, without unhealthy
skepticism. Keep your heart
rich In human sympathy,
never failing 10 try 10 help
rs many people rs you con-
sistently can.
Destroy canksrous intolerance.
Hold your ideals in the clouds, no
matter how people may scott at
you. Picture to yourself. daily.
the type of personality you aspire
to possess. In other words, you
must have 4 blueprint Of your
desired personality and look at II
many times daily. Hate a. little
and love as much as possible.
Above all things, have faith In the
best - faith unconquerable.
do these things and your
musical personality, with
proper attention to your art,
will develop to a far greater
state Of effectiveness than
could be possible through
mere study with the greatest
masters on EARTH