TH E ETUD E 8 3 If, however, the former teacher has been an ignorant pretender and musical fraud, I do not hesitate to call a spade a spade, and tell the pupil so. Ignorant, incom-petent teachers, like other frauds, ought to be mercilessly exposed. 3. If I find that my ideas as to the stage of advance-ment of the pupil coincide with those of the former teacher, I keep right on with the 6tudes and pieces the pupil has been studying. If the music he has in hand seems too hard for him, I give something easier, or if too easy, something harder. In many cases, again, I make an entire change of music, although the music the pupil seems to be studying seems exactly adapted to his needs. This in the case of pupils who are easily discouraged and who tire very easily of one course of study. An entire change of music, like a new medicine, often works like magic on the ambition of a pupil. 4. After a thorough examination of the pupil, I am usually able to tell at what point he is ready to begin in the method which I teach, and begin there, often, how-ever, taking a rapid review of the method from the start, where necessary. Where the work of the former teacher has been done in a slovenly manner, or at vari-ance with the principles of the method I teach, I begin at the very beginning of the new method, finding that course the quickest in the end. 5. The standard of teaching in this country is rising all the time, and pupils, as a rule, are much better pre-pared now than they were a few years ago. Musical frauds and pretenders are being gradually frozen out of the profession, and even in the smaller towns we in many instances find teachers who lay the foundation for their pupils' musical education on broad and musicianly lines. F^oj w IWIt^S. GL ^flC E P . flriDEIipifiGBf*. 1. A STUDENT who comes to me for Instruction re-ceives the same examination practically whether he comes from another teacher or is a beginner. I question closely, and ask for the performance of some composition, no matter how simple. Such an examination furnishes a few data, and a few serious lessons will locate the pupils needs and possibilities. 2. Unnecessary criticism of a former teacher I con-sider discourteous and to be avoided. 3. If the 6tudes given by the former teacher will serve my purpose as well as another set, I gladly use them, but think every student works more ambitiously if the lesson contains some new work. I try to begin my instruction with the grade already attained. 4. A famous composer has said, "Th e Americans are method mad. They go from one master to another, thinking to take a few lessons from each and 1 learn his method.' " The best method, to my mind, is to accom-plish the best results in the best possible way and cover the whole course of study. I should not consider a pupil broken into my method until I had taught him all I could. 5. The last question I can not answer satisfactorily. Personally, I have observed better preparation and un-derstanding even among young students, but I do not feel sure that it is not because the students as a class have been of a higher grade of mentality than those I formerly dealt with. FI^OJVI CRIiVlJ l B . CfllDV . 1. A SIMPLE composition, never before studied, is given to take home and study. What the student makes out of it serves as a basis for probing the music conscious-ness and understanding. 2. I deal with music conceptions, not teachers. Con-sequently, I prefer not to know with whom one has studied. 3. The student's actual capacity to understand, think (not think about), and demonstrate music conception determines the material for study. 4. " Your method " is too vague a term to be taken as a basis for answering your question. 5. Yes. — " Some have abilities and know how to use them, while others are incapable of using their abilities except for their own destruction.'' A MATTER OF TEMPERAMENT. B Y HENR Y HOLLEN. THERE are many phases of the musical art which are ignored by those who pretend to be interested in all that concerns teachers and teaching. Whether it is because they are seemingly trivial and unworthy of attention, or because they are overshadowed by more ponderous problems, we can not say ; certain it is that, however much people prate of methods of musical instruction, many aspects of their profession have been overlooked. Certain subjects are digested over and over again, and statements are iterated and reiterated so as to monopo-lize the energy of thought which should have been given to discuss and to solve other problems, which are strewn in an isolated state along the wayside of professional progress. One of these is that which concerns the rela-tion of the study of temperament to the art of teaching. The work and methods of many teachers are merely mechanical. Their intellectual spheres are limited. The opinion of the average teacher in regard to his pro-fession and the duties which it implies is so shallow that it is not surprising that there is so much lack of success in the midst of us. What can be a more natural sequence than that the musical field is filled to over-crowding with incapable people who call themselves musicians ? Some one has said that a musician is a whole, made up of many factors. "T o be a music teacher worthy of the calling one must be a musician of good parts, which must be made manifest beyond a doubt in all that he does. He must be a scholar ; quick to perceive strong and weak points in the intellectuality of the one whom he instructs ; scientific in his way of doing ; kind, patient, interested ; a pupil with his pupil; a keen and accurate judge of human nature ; quick to conceive a situation, and a perfect master of his means of action. These are the preparatory requisites of a music in-structor." We meet teachers every day who prate about methods, scales, and the ordinary technic of the piano, but who seem utterly incapable of dealing with little troubles found within the walls of their own studios. When a teacher proficient in all that pertains to the theory and technic of that department of musical art which he professes to teach is confronted with unsatis-factory progress on the part of his pupils, what are we to conclude ? The fault must lie with pupils or teacher. Are the pupils stupid or is the teacher to blame ? It may generally be found that he is lacking in one or more of the fundamental requisites of a teacher. One or more of those attributes which belong to a teacher are missing, and though he may know all there exists in the wide sweep of musical theory, he has not devel-oped all those qualities which his calling demands of him. So long as his shortcomings are overlooked, how-ever trivial they may seem to be, so long will they con-tinue to hinder him in his work. Failure to succeed can always be traced to well-defined evils ; and unless these are sought out and uprooted, the ranks of medi-ocrity must remain filled. One of the evils to which many teachers can trace the cause of their non-success in the profession is the failure to study the individual needs of pupils. " Through ignorance of psychologic laws the teacher fails to make use of the most potent means at the educator's command ; he wearies the minds of those under his charge, because he does not know how to economize power of action ; he drives, when he should lead ; he conducts by a round-about way, when he should take the direct path." How many teachers know their own pupils? How many understand the individual needs of those whom they have sought to instruct ? How many study the tem-peraments and inner natures of those for whose educa-tion they are responsible? Not many. All children are not endowed with the same brain power, and in-so-much as all can not learn what is presented to them with the same rapidity, it would be unwise to dole out to each lessons of the same length and degree of diffi-culty. A pupil nervous in temperament, and so consti-tuted as to grasp ideas easily and quickly, must not be treated in the same manner as one who is less fortunate than his brother-student, who, in that while he labors hard and strives to learn, can not conquer difficulties so quickly as the former is able to do. The pupil gifted with an unusual share of energy, who makes rapid progress, has his individual needs, as has also the one who has not the ambition and push of the former. Therefore it would be ridiculous in the extreme to urge the latter to keep pace with the former and to scold him for not doing so. I have in mind a young boy who absolutely refused to continue under the instruction of a certain teacher who, the pupil claimed, ridiculed him for not learning with the same ease as a playmate who lived near him. Upon inquiry I learned that the boy who made the more rapid progress was a child of unusual intelligence, three years older than his brother-student, and several years ahead of him in the public schools. I ascertained further that the teacher of whom the child complained was a man who found it very hard to make both ends meet, although he is a graduate of one of the best German conservatories. After all, my information was just as I expected to find it. A child is a complex being, and must be intelligently dealt with. There are pupils who, in order to make progress, must be coaxed and gently treated. There are others who require to be urged in strong terms. We meet with all types of human nature—ambitious pupils, lazy pupils, bright pupils, dull pupils ; in short, all types of musical aspirants are found in the teacher's classes. The knowledge which enables its fortunate possessor to cope with the difficulties which these various types pre-sent is knowledge of the most useful character. FROM A TEACHER'S NOTE-BOOK. B Y C. W . FULLWOOD. IMPRESS the pupil with the vital importance of care-ful attention to the minutest details in study and in practice. And as a means to this end require a thorough analysis of etudes, technical studies, and recreation pieces. Besides inculcating the habit of careful study, the attention to minor matters amply repays the pupil, as shown in the development of technic, musical taste, and conception. Aim to make your pupils musicians instead of mere piano gymnasts. To be a good technical performer yon must have complete control of all the muscles of the arms, hands, and fingers. To be a musician you must have a complete musical education, a developed musical taste, feeling, conception, and expressive executive ability. To be an artist you must have all the above with the added power to make others feel the subtle and sacred influ-ence of music. The method should be adapted to the pupil, not the pupil to the method. In other words, the same system can not be successfully used with all pupils. The teacher must discriminate, and suit his method to the needs and capabilities of the pupil. An effective performance of all embellishments requires musical taste and conception joined with a perfected technic. All instruction books, studies, and technic books should have flexible covers. They can be more conve-niently carried and they lie better on the piano desk. Be as strict with yourself as you are with your pupils. Musical rule of three—patience, perseverance, and practice. THE ATTACKS OF INFERIORITY—When people treat you ill, and show their spite, and slander you, enter into their little souls, go to the bottom of them, search their understandings, and you will soon see that nothing they may think or say of you need give you one troublesome thought.—Marcus Antoninus.
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