MUSICAL COURIER
14
MUSIC STUDENTS’ LEAGUE HEARS PRESIDENTIAL REPORT
J. Fletcher Shera, President, Reads His Reports to the Students at the Annual Meeting—His Optimistic Views for the
Future
May 10, 1923
served by a committee of which Margaret Owen was the efficient chairman. All thanks were given to Mr. and Mrs. John Fulton for their hospitality. A heavy rain storm on the way home did not dampen the ardor of the enthusiastic young excursionists. The expenses of the trip were paid for per capita.
A very beautifully engraved set of resolutions, appropriately framed, was presented to the president, who gratefully acknowledges with sincere appreciation the very high compliment.
A great grief came to our little organization. The tragic death of Genevieve V. • Creamer, one of our most interested and accomplished members, brought deep sorrow to our hearts. Miss Creamer was killed by a motor truck driven by a man without a license, on Saturday morning, March 17. On Miss Mendelssohn, with whom Miss Creamer lived, devolved the painful duty of attending to all the details of the funeral, as Miss Creamer’s home was in Alaska. The loving care shown by Miss Mendelssohn was most beautiful and sympathetic. Our hearts go out in fullest sympathy to the little home circle in the far off city. Because of the great distance, no relative attended the interment, which was made at Pawling, New York, in the plot of Mrs. John Coleman, a good friend whose sympathy encircled the poor body of the beautiful girl. We shall cherish the memory of Miss Creamer and think of her as in the beautiful place where music is all-pervading and lovely.
As secretary, Florence Mendelssohn has been an ideal officer— competent, trustworthy, painstaking and loyal in every detail. Her never-ending work could only be accomplished by one whose heart and soul were in her task. No words of appreciation are adequate to compensate her for her toil and the happy spirit with which she accomplishes so much. Our grateful thanks will ever be hers.
As recording secretary, Marian Johnson has been second only to Miss Mendelssohn. Never did two girls work so harmoniously for a common welfare. Miss Johnson’s work is most careful, most exact, most thorough and correct. The recording work is a joy to behold and merits the highest appreciation of the League.
As chairman of the Tuesday night programs, Lorraine Sisson has had a mighty task and yet so well was it accomplished that she has grown in the esteem and well-wishes of all the members. Her quiet, calm yet forceful character has smoothed over many a rough spot. She has been a real strength in the development of our work.
The recent death of Miss Sisson’s talented father has drawn all hearts to her and we would again have her know of our desire to uphold her hands and our real concern in her happiness and welfare.
Thelma Spear was ■elected second vice-president, representing the student body, but resigned the office because of repeated absence from the city and the pressure of other affairs. No successor was appointed to the posiiion.
Mrs. Helen Fountain has brought to the office of treasurer rare judgment, great talent and poise. It has been most inspiring for our young people to have the privilege of Mrs. Fountain’s superior leadership and experience. To have Mrs. Fountain’s kindly interest is indeed an envied boon.
We are greatly indebted to Millard H. Ellison, counsellor-at-law, who, through the kind interposition of Leonard Liebling, has prepaxed without charge our papers of incorporation, our by-laws and our official seal.
No report of the work of the Music Students’ League would be complete without a high place for Estelle Liebling. To omit her name would be like finishing the building without the capstone. Miss Liebling has been the most outstanding ornament in our superstructure. To her we owe the success of the gala concert. To her we owe the success of the Sunday programs. To her we owe our inspiration. At her lovely home was held the very first meeting to talk over ways and means. Her talent, her unusual ability, her wide acquaintance with great artists, have always been at our command. She has been our guiding star, our mother superior in art and beauty. We lay quit-tribute at her feet. May she long be spared to inspire music students with her lofty ideals and her high art.
From the busy hours of the day and night? with scarcely a moment of leisure, came Dr. Eugene A. Noble, as vice-president, in the fullness of bis great heart, his deep learning and his altruistic motives. We feel keenly the honor he has thus bestowed on our humble endeavor and we promise in return to give our best, that the best may be fostered and brought forth in the music student, for whose benefit and improvement our hopes and joys are one.
The League faces a bright future. The membership is larger than at any time since the inception of the organization, forty members joining in the last three months. Work is the key note; talent, the watchword; success, and happiness for the student, the desired goal.
(Signed) J. Fletcher Shera,
President.
the treasury of the League was enriched $300, thanks to our good friends. As special guests of the League, a large party from the ‘‘Lighthouse” enjoyed the program, though they saw not the brilliant setting.
A student concert, without admission charge, was given on Saturday evening, November 25, 1922, at Rumford Hall. The student artists contributing the program were: Thelma Spear, soprano; Musia Modjeleska, piano; John A. Patton, baritone; Rosetta Sefigson, violin; Valeriano Gil, tenor, with Ruth Rones and Lucresia Sucario, accompanists. A large audience enjoyed the music.
Another student program is in preparation for Saturday evening, April 14, 1923, at the Chamber Music Hall of Carnegie. Those who are to appear were selected by the vote of the members of the League, the list including: the Mozart Trio (violin, cello, piano); Master Sammy Kissel, violin; Guiseppe Leoni, baritone; Pearl Rich, piano; Joan Ruth, soprano, and Viola Scherer, mezzo contralto.
These young artists are considered well-equipped to give a very interesting program.
One of the delights of the year was the presentation to the League of a violin made by J. D. Horvath, the well-known violin expert and manufacturer. The violin was won in competition by Master Sammy Kissel, one of our Junior members, thirteen years old, who is studying with an advanced pupil of Professor Leopold Auer. Master Sammy will play the coveted instrument at the coming student concert. Our sincere thanks are given to Mr. Horvath for his generous and beautiful gift.
During the year an invitation was received from Josephine Dowler, vocal teacher, and an associate member, to join ■her class in the study and action of opera, at a very nominal charge, under the leadership of Charles Trier, a competent and long-experienced coach. Only a few of our members responded. The class־ was given up for lack of material and the invitation withdrawn.
An invitation to form a dramatic circle, without charge, came from another member, John Picorri, a talented reader. Several of the students attended these sessions for a while at the clubrooms. Later on, this circle was also discontinued and the invitation withdrawn.
The two classes were never officially a part of our activities, but the endeavors of Miss Dowler and Mr. Picorri were greatly appreciated.
A class in the psychology of music, under the direction of J. J. Apatow, a graduate of Columbia University, and one of our most efficient and talented members, has been held at various intervals, largely as a test. If occasion shall warrant, further activity in this direction may be developed. Our thanks are due Mr. Apatow for his unswerving interest and help.
A bulletin was published for a short period by some of the more ambitious students; but, as the young publication was issued without official sanction, it was discontinued at the request of the board of directors.
The more pressing necessities of the students have been looked after by the Employment Bureau, through which some of our young people have had opportunity for partial or whole time work, to suit their requirements.
An Information Bureau has also been of much help, particularly to student strangers in New York. Introductions have been obtained, proper rooming and eating places suggested, practice periods allotted, lessons secured without charge from advanced students where the condition demanded consideration, and in particular instances, instruction at special rates has been obtained from and hearings given by artists of outstanding reputation and merit. In this connection we mention with gratitude the class in harmony, directed by Marion Bauer.
On all Hallow’s Eve the League session was held in the great hall of the Automobile Club of America, through the kindness of Col. Arthur Woods, the president of the Automobile Club. A most attractive program was given, including an original sketch written and prepared by Mr. Picorri and presented by members of the League. Appropriate favors were distributed to the ladies and altogether the evening was one to be remembered.
During the summer a fine outing was taken to the Fulton Farm at Elmsford. Two large motor trucks were secured and sixty-five members of the־ League enjoyed the fifty mile ride into Westchester. Games and music gave ample diversion and a delightful luncheon was
To the Members:
The first Annual Report of the Music Students’ League, Inc., for the year ended April 1, 1923, is hereby respectfully submitted.
Our first year has been one of activity and progress.
For the first time in its musical history, New York has ^iven heed to the music student, thronging its doors from every point of the compass—eager, anxious, expectant, absorbing; eyes, mind and heart open to the impressions of the great city and its great opportunity. To direct these geniuses-in-the-making is a task that might well give pause to the stoutest heart; to gather these young people together in a band of hope, with a chord of love and judgment, is the aim after which we strive.
The year has shown many angles of possibility, with one outstanding obstacle—the impetuosity of inexperienced youth to rush into publicity, when totally unprepared; to sing a song well, to play a composition passably, is not sufficient to demand the attention of a long-suffering public. Better by far await the hour of development when the awakened ability has shown more culture and more pronounced promise. The paying public will then gladly and willingly accept the growing artist at his true worth. Thus the year has emphasized the necessity of conscientious, painstaking work and application.
Much has been learned by the progress of foreign-born students, whose power of concentration and ability to surmount obstacles is amazing. American students must emulate this necessary trait, if they are to keep pace with their relatives from over-seas. We find in many cases unusual ability in the American student, which, if properly fostered, and directed, would tend to develop them as artists of much merit.
Since the incorporation of the Music Students’ League in March, 1922, meetings have been held each Tuesday evening during the year at the rooms of The Musicians’ Club, 173 Madison Avenue. At these meetings a definite idea has been carried out in the form of lectures, recitals and composers’ programs, together with round table talks and student auditions. Many of the best equipped musicians in the profession have volunteered their aid in the development of this plan, and to all of these fine artists we are greatly indebted. The Musicians’ Club has gladly placed its rooms at our disposal, free of charge, for which we offer our thanks.
The student auditions, particularly, have־ been most interesting and have shown a wealth of talent which augurs well for the future of the organization. At the last audition thirteen members took part, sixty-eight students were present and upward of eighty people thronged the rooms during the evening. A complete record has been kept of all auditions, the names of the students participating and the selections used. Public recitals for the students and their friends have been held on the first and third Sunday afternoons of each month at the Pennsylvania Hotel, through the kindness and interest of Mr. Levy, head of the banquet department. The use of the rooms was given gratuitously and we ■are greatly indebted to Mr. Levy for his thoughtful consideration. For a few Sundays similar meetings were held at the Art Center, 65 East 56th Street, expenses of which were met by a few interested friends of the movement.
More recently, and for some months, the beautiful Steinway Hall has been placed at our disposal, through the generosity and heartiness of Fred Steinway and H. Irion, whose splendid interest in the welfare of the־ Music Students’ League has been one of our most cherished belongings.
At all of these public recitals artists of outstanding merit from the opera and concert fields have added greatly to our joy and inspiration. The programs have often been of surpassing beauty and import and in every instance most graciously contributed. Occasionally some particularly well-prepared students, selected from the Tuesday hearings, appeared on the Sunday programs.
A gala concert with professional talent was given for the benefit of the League at Town Hall on Tuesday evening, May 9, 1922. The artists who thus early in the year came to our side were Estelle Liebling^ soprano; Arthur Hackett, tenor; Mme. Germaine Schnitzer, pianist; Cornelius Van Vliet, cellist, and Walter Golde, accompanist. A delightful program it truly was, and the fortunate audience received each number with increasing indication of delight. These splendid artists will always be remembered by a grateful host of admirers. As the only expense of the evening was the rent of the hall,
Boston Conservatory
of Music
Incorporated
AGIDE JACCHIA, Director
250 Huntington Avenue, Boston 17, Mass.
Téléphoné Back Bay 2042
SUMMER SESSION
June 18 to September 8, 1923
Catalogue sent on request
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