THE ETUDE SEPTEMBER 19,>0 Pac,e 585 Why Underpay the Music Teacher? By the Well-known Chicago Teacher and Editor CHARLES E. WATT "The laborer is zvorthy of his hire"—-1 TIMOTHY 3:18. THIS injunction is being insisted upon by every c1ass of workers save only the musicians and music teachers. All sorts of artisans and laborers are receiving im-mensely increased wages over pre-war scales, but it is very doubtful if, aside from some of the very great artists and teachers, anyone in the music world is re-ceiving an increase of more than ten per cent, over what was paid five or six years ago. Yet, according to government statistics, the cost of living has increased not less than 102 per cent. The peculiar injustice of this lies in the fact that musicians were the ones who suffered most severely from acute . war conditions during the late conflict, and they also constituted the class most appealed to for gratuitous service. Not only did musicians lay down their special voca-tion in order to take up arms, in just as great numbers as did any other class of the populace, and not only did they respond just as liberally as did every other class to all calls for financial contributions, and further, not alone were they just as badly pinched by living conditions as anyone else, but also their means of liveli-hood were decreased from the very beginning of the war. For—just as usual in times of political stress or eco-nomic necessity—the public decided very promptly, onc^ we were really in the world conflict, that, since some-thing must be "given up" or "curtailed," it should, of conj-sf, be music! And so almost everyone except the children gave up lessons—every society and committee Qi ^tailed the giving of concerts, and even the churches, i j making their new and more economical schedules, cut out a lot of their music and reduced the pay for what they maintained. In spite of all this, hundreds and hundreds of musicians gave themselves either wholly or in very large part of their time to community work, to camp activities in music, to trips abroad to give entertainments. They were told again and again that thus would they help keep up the morale of the country and of the soldiers and thus would they serve in one of the most effective ways. All this they did uncomplainingly and even eagerly. Now—what is their reword? Music Still Affected by War Of all occupations practiced in America music has been the slowest to recover from war effects. Although musicians must meet all of the 102 per cent, increase in living just like other people it is quite true that the average of what they earn does not exceed a 10 per cent, increase on pre-war prices. How do they do it? Goodness only knows? If a voice could be found which could reach the public-at-large, it should be raised in reproach, protest and demand for betterment of these conditions. Churches should be told that it is a Christian duty to rehabilitate the musicians by an increased price. Clubs and societies all over the land should know that the resumption of all sorts of music functions and the payment of all sorts of musicians a living wage is a matter of civic help and uplift; and educational boards everywhere, should be brought to a realization that pay-ment for music work must be on a basis commensurate with its importance and equal to that in every other line of educational work. But musicians themselves are very largely to blame for the bad conditions by which they are now sur-rounded and, while a clarion voice to the whole public is needed, it is no more of a necessity than that some one should tell musicians themselves of their own lack and the reasons why the public is so indifferent to their commercial needs. For a long time this writer has preached the gospel of adequate pay for all music service and has advocated the adoption by all musicians of the slogan "Nothing for nothing." He predicted, during the war period, that, admirable as was the giving of music services to the soldiers, it yet was a very bad economic move and would have its reflex action in the very conditions which now obtain. Nothing in this world is more sure than that the public values everything by its listed price, and musicians, like all other people, are considered worth just as much as their self-assumed valuations. It has always been the practice in this country for musicians to give away a part of their services without money and without price. Churches, lodges, clubs, societies and all sorts of groups CHARLES E . WAT T of individuals, ask the musician to give of his profes-sional work for nothing, with a nonchalance which would be amusing were it not so disastrous from the stand-point of the musician's pocketbook. Whenever a musician gives of his professional work for nothing he at once establishes its worth in the public mind at just that "nothing " no more, no less. If—to use a simile—everyone could go into Macy's in New York, or Marshall Field's in Chicago on certain days of the week and get goods for nothing, is it reasonable to suppose that they would go in on other days and pay money for the same articles? If then, a musician gives away his professional services at any one time, under any excuse whatsoever, he must not be surprised if, at other times, the public declines to pay money for them. Amateur and Professional Of course the line between the amateur and the pro-fessional is exceedingly difficult to define and there is no standard by which the young musician can decide just when he really is professional and really worthy of money payment for his services. But the same rules which govern in all trades, busi-nesses and occupations should obtain in music also and the learner, the student, should appear nowhere at all in public except in his own home and in his teacher's studio. The public (intended purchasers in other words) should hear him there and, if he is considered good enough for a public appearance, no matter how small, he should ask real money for it and never, not even the first time, should he appear for nothing on the supposition that he needs the "routine" or the "experience"—but, on the contrary, he should stick to the studio and to home gatherings until these are fully attained. The specious argument is used by club managers and by all sorts of societies that by appearing in one place for nothing the young musician will gain an "acquaint-ance" and "prestige" which will secure for him other and more lucrative engagements. No fallacy could be more positive, for, as stated before, the public judges every musician by his own estimate of himself, and if he be willing to appear in one place for nothing, this will lead to no more than offers to appear in other places at the same price. "The nerve of Mr. Y! " said a society woman in my presence. "He sang at our club one afternoon for nothing and seemed glad to do it, but now he is giving a down-town concert and he sends tickets to me expect-ing that I will buy. Why should I? I have heard him once and if I have money to spare for concert tickets I will spend it on someone I have not heard." Why Feed the Lawyer and Starve the Musician ? The lawyer will charge the musician ten dollars for a very few words of needed advice and yet, has he a death in his family and happens to be acquainted with a singer, he hesitates not an instant in asking this friend to sing for him and never dreams of payment and often, when told the payment must be made, he is offended. A benefit concert is planned—maybe for a splendid cause. Society women who love the notoriety will give their time to plan it, but the hall rent must be paid, the printing, the flowers, the refreshments, all cost money. Even the janitor gets his fee. But musicians are asked to give their services on the program "for the good of the cause." The projectors of these events forget completely that in this way the musicians are not only giving their entire stock, their very living, but also, through the cheapening process of "free" appearances are ruining their future. And what are the remedies? It must be confessed that they are as yet vaguely in mind, that any feasible plan of improvement is still in embryo. Beyond any question, musicians must get together on the matter, and they must think out working plans if music as a means of livelihood in its ordinary sense is to be maintained at all. A certain Southern town reported to me not long ago that every professional there had signed an agreement not to appear in public except for a definite, graded price. In that town it was proposed that there would be no music in churches, lodges, clubs or even at weddings and funerals unless it was paid for. The only exception was at the Musicians' Club, which, of course, is main-tained for mutual benefit, and so is properly the place for mutual exchange of talents. Other towns could do the same. State associations ought to pass resolutions and work diligently to the end that there shall be no such thing as free giving of music services. All teachers should drill it into their pupils that they must learn economic principles as well as artistic values. Dilettante musicians and amateurs should positively stay out of public life unless they Wish to uphold prices for professionals. Critics should refuse to review events where the performers are not paid. Finally—if needs must be—musicians everywhere must organize to the end that definite prices shall be charged for every sort of public music service. If all this be done and if young musicians everywhere will, each for himself, think out proper pay schedules for his work and will hold to these consistently and will,
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