WS* THE PUBLISHER OF THE ETUDE CAN SUPPLY ANYTHING IN MUSIC.-Si r 1"EETODEL> VOL. XVII. <9HE GTUDE . R Monthly Publication fof the Teaehetfs and Students of JVIusie. SUBSCRIPTION RATES, $1.50 per year (payable in advance). Two Subscriptions or two years in advance, . . . Si.35 each^ Three Subscriptions or three years in advance, . 1.30 each. Single Copy, 15 cents. Foreign Postage, 48 cents. DISCONTINUANCE.—If you wish the Journal stopped, an explicit notice must be sent us by letter, otherwise it will be continued. All arrearages must be paid. RENEWAL.—No receipt is sent for renewals. On the wrapper of the next issue sent you will be printed the date to which your subscription is paid up, which serves as a receipt for your subscription. THEODORE PRESSER, 1708 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. Entered at Philadelphia P. 0. as Second-clase Matter. COPYRIGHTED 1899, THEODORE PRE&SER. A MUSICIAN of German birth often occasioned amuse-ment to his American friends by saying that he had learned many things by "experiment." While the word was not the one he meant to use, there is a truth of some force in the expression. We may gain very valuable "experience" from careful "experiment." The wide awake, progressively disposed teacher is alive to the fact that investigation into the various details of his work is absolutely necessary. It is all very well to have good ideas to evolve original conception in regard to working principles, but the mere idea, the naked conception, is but the starting-point; the highest value lies in a practical application of the principles involved, and this the teacher can only learn by careful, patient, and, perhaps, prolonged experimen-tation. Experience, to be of the greatest value, must depend upon a sound basis. Quality, not quantity, is as much a matter of concern in "getting experience" as in anything else. THE survival of the fittest among seminaries is the result of the home competition with the graded and high schools, and a leading feature of the seminaries is their musical departments. In many cases musicians of national reputation are at the head of such departments, and have under them teachers of first-class training, who are capable of doing superior work. Yet it is the habit of writers, and of teachers who should know better, to slur at the boarding-school girl's musical abilities. The students of these seminaries have regular hours of prac-tice under the supervision of a competent authority, and they practice faithfully. These seminaries engage lead-ing artists to give recitals which serve as models for the student's work, and the musical geniuses of the school set the standard, although perhaps unconsciously, for the others, thus making the so called "musical atmosphere." With the ever-present resources for concerted work, there is usually much playing of music for two piano pieces, selected from the great masterpieces of musical literature. The regular musicales and frequent musical lectures broaden the ideas of the students and make them acquainted with a great mass of the best music, classic and modern. The regular hours of work enable the director to organize large classes in harmony, coun-terpoint, form, and history, and the prevalent ambition to " graduate " gives the necessary stimulus for holding PHILADELPHIA, PA., JUNE, 1899. students up to a high grade of work, not only in their sp3cialty,—piano, voice, violin, organ, etc.,—but also in the theoretic subjects above named. WITH this month the great majority of teachers will find their season's work coming to an end. A week of warm weather, and pupils will show a most marked dis-inclination for systematic study ; thoughts of the com-ing summer vacation will reign uppermost in their minds. This is then the time for the teacher to look over his work ; not what is left to occupy a small portion of his time during the rest of the month, but back over the work accomplished since last September. And it is well not to be content with counting up what has been done. Let the teacher go still further, and make a comparison of what he has accomplished with what he had planned to do. That tells the truer, the fuller story : purpose and fulfilment. Having cast up accounts, and having decided the real net value of the work done, it is in order for the teacher to see what he may learn from his failures by way of advantage to the new season of work to begin next September. Never mind about your successes. Study your failures to learn wherein the faul t lies in you, and what you may do to remedy your shortcomings of the season now so nearly at an end. It is a sine qua non of progress that a man must occasionally stop for a little while and think. Let the mind have its hard stress, and let all one's powers be directed toward that one idea : " What can I do to improve on my last season's work ? " This improvement is to be an advance in quan-tity, if physical energy will admit; in quality, or true progress is not present; and in financial returns. " WHAT shall I do with my summer season of idle-ness ? " is the query that confronts many a teacher. We are not in the mind to advise you. We do not know your circumstances. But this we do say : "Whatever you make up your mind to do, be sure that it is something that will make for good ; for a broader and richer suc-cess next fall." So many things are to be considered ! If you go to the seashore, to the mountains, and plunge yourself deep into the whirl of the social season, you can very easily get rid of your surplus and not have gained any real professional strength. It is not worth while to think " shop " all the time, just as it is not good form to talk " shop " ; yet the man who has his way to make, who must fight hard for his foothold, and then struggle equally hard to maintain it, can not afford to take chances of losing his grip by allow-ing his mind to be totally diverted from his business for any length of time. Mr. Emil Liebling, in his "Sal -magundi" for this month, says well when he advises that a teacher try to keep in touch with his class in some way during the vacation season ; and we would say not only with his class, but with his own work, never losing sight of one idea : that of fixing more deeply in himself the professional instinct; that of making everything con-tribute to his success ; of valuing everything by what it can do to make him a better and broader musician and a more thorough teacher. AT this time of the year we read in every musical paper notices of State Music Teachers' Associations and of our National Association. These organizations have NO. 6 undoubted value ; but we want to get right up next to every teacher in the United States or elsewhere who may read this note and ask, 4' What are you doing to benefit the profession in your own community ? Are you selfishly going it alone ? Are you willing to unite with some others of your local brethren to see what you can do? " Every wide-awake, progressive city has a Board of Trade, and a dry-goods merchant does not stay out because a competitor is identified with the movement. So let our teachers look upon the matter of earning a livelihood as a business, and meet the question of competition as a good business man meets the inroads of a rival in the same line. Commence with the simplest form of community of interest. If you give your attention to the piano or organ, or to some other instrument, unite forces with some member of the profession who makes a specialty of the teaching of singing, and have joint recitals. One needs the other, and each will help the other. At least once during the season try to arrange for a professional con-cert, for the sole purpose of interesting as many people in the musical work of the community as possible. Each teacher has a circle that can be drawn upon, and by union among the teachers it is possible to proceed one step further, and perhaps arrange for a festival once a year. Whatever stimulates the public interest will redound to the benefit of each individual teacher. THE commencement season U now {' on " in the vari-ous music schools, conservatories, and colleges. This is the time when teachers can show the character of the work they have been doing. The mere playing of a piece that has been in hand for months does not guaran-tee sound musicianship and ability to make way in the musical world unaided. The firm, solid foundation must have been laid and the superstructure reared upon it. There is much temptation, both to pupils and teachers, to make the occasion of graduation an oppor-tunity for mere display. DURING the past few months we have received letters from a number of our readers asking whether we would consider contributions sent in to us unsolicited. In several cases the writers seemed to think that we would pay attention only to the writings of those who are known to us by previous contributions. Now, all things must have a beginning, and so must our acquaintance with our contributors. We make the statement that an article in accordance with the general policy of THE ETUDE, that says something worth read-ing, and says it in good language, is certain of accept-ance, no matter by whom written. We know that there are many more musicians quali-fied to write for the musical press, and we want to get these people to work. If a man has some good thoughts, let him put them on paper, in a clear, simple manner, and he is richer in mental experience for his labor, and he has placed himself in position to teach hundreds where he formerly instructed one. THE ETUDE wants the help and interest of the teachers of the United States who have separated the dross from the pure gold in the refining crucible of ex-perience, and wants these teachers to give their ideas to fellow-teachers. It is not always the city teacher who has the best ideas. But one of the successful competitors in the recent ETUDE prize essay contest is located in a large
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