The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-05-18
W A V5EL.ETS
By ED LEAMY

An editor once commission me to do an article on the subject of Art Exhibits. My wife," he ex- plained "is constantly dragging me off to some exhibition of paintings. She loves paintings, knows all about them, and has Q grand time. I, well, know nothing about paintings or soscaiIed Art, and so I am bored stiff. Now"
 Swell" said I, interrupting. I'll do an article with humorous slant, and"
 He stopped me with Q wave of his hand. Not so fast my ilnpetu- ous friend. I don't want 8 humor- ous article. You see it's like this. My wife likes me to go to these damned shows with her. And be- cause she is so reasonable about other things, golf for instance, and nights at the club, I like to please her. Now I have figured the matter this way. Granted l must go with her, why can't fix 1t for myself so that I can get some enjoyment out of the pictures also. In other words, when I go into an art exhibit, what should know about paintings and etchings, composition and so forth, What should look for in a picture so can discern how good 1t is, or how utterly bad and so get some entertainment out of the after noon? Do you think you could do me story which I could read, and other unfortunateS like me could read, and when I had finished it., I could actually look forward, at least mildly, to going to an art gall lery, instead of approaching one with something akin to horror and dread"
 Sure" said with all the com- polling assurance of an impecunious writer smelling fat check, that should be simple"
 .'But how will you do 1t? How will you go about it?" my editor asked.
 Easy" I replied blandly. 'I1l get in touch with a great many artists, put my question to them, and let them tell me. Then I'll take all their ingredients and make them into c beautiful mince pie. And when you've eaten my pie, I mean, read my article, you too will enjoy Art. with a capital A."
 We'll, I wrote to my artists, and I talked to my artists, and I typed my article, and collected my check, and as far as I know the editor is enjoying "Art." Then I forgot all about it until the other day when Sydney Eiges of NEG sent me a book by Leopold Stokowsn who conducts the NEG orchestra, and is probably even better known to you than to me, for I am very ordi- nary kind of mug
 The book that Sydney sent me is called Music For All Of Us" and 1t was published last year by Simon and Echuster. price $2.50 And right here I want to tell you 1t is a Su- perb book. Now I( as those of you who may read this column right along, may have guessed) am very fond of music. But despite that fondness am possibly as ignorant of music as any man deaf, dumb and blind. My liking for 1t Is just instinctive as is my liking for paint ings. And so at times I find myself apolOgizing to musically-educated people for not seeing eye to eye or rather, for not hearing ear to ear with them, when some selection is played. But since reading Stokow- skis Music For All Of Us," I'll be damned if I'll apologize any more.
 Music is a universal language" he writes in his opening chapter, it speaks to everyone-is the birth right of us all. Formerly music was chiefly confined to privileged class es in cultural centers, but today, through radio and records, music has come directly into our homes no matter how far we may live from cultural centers. This is as it should re, because music speaks to every man, woman, and child-high or low, rich or poor. happy or de- spairing-who is sensitive to its deep and powerful message"
 Sometimes the listener does not readily understand the language of music. Stokowski explains. because the listener has been led to believe that there are special techniques to listening, and that simple surren- Ger to the beauties of music is not enough. This diffident attitude has erected barrier to music, he says. To demolish these barriers was one of his purposes in writing his book. In this I believe he has succeeded.