Philadelphia Conservatory of Music - Variations Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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arzizffzizn - 1 J 1 Bold y,i-ls, , ,i Q ,Al P '-5 . fs V :wi-::.:r:.z:::.i..r:a:.!!:::'.!..... -' 4.2 an :sw , Q r e ' -zzz? - -fa.. , ' ' 1 'l ' ' ..,,- . - GY? 3 ?- 1 . ' i : 'F' A- Ig- . ' P gr-gsq. molto CFCSC. These are siirring limes. If mankind is io win +he race over savagery, greed, and mere personal ambi1'ion, +he need +o aim high and work hard will be a necessily. In facr, one musi' work for whaiever one desires +ha1' is of any real value: and ihe higher his aspiralions, 'rhe more con- linuous mus'r be his effort Among music school s'ruden+s ihere are many aims offen unknown or unrecognized by i'he sludenis ihemselves. Some s1'uden'rs have no direcl' aims while sludying. Al' leasl' lhey have noi' been crysrallized as ye1'. Some aim +o gel' fhe highesr possible marks in each class while orhers are perfecrly sa1'isl'ied if +hey merely pass, forgerring 1'ha+ 'lhe more fhey know abou'r each subiecl' 1'he be'r'rer background 1'hey have wherher rhey aspire io be a performer, composer, conduclor, or ieacher. Then i'here are always 'rhose siudenfs in any school whose aim in life is 'ro have a good 1'ime. Of course 1'hey praciice or sludy enough fo gel by , bui' They would never lei' 'lheir sfudies inieriere wilh rheir enioymenis or casual way of living. Lei' me meniion some of lhese aims: 'ro become a greai' performing arrish +o become a grea'r composer, conducior, arranger, or ieacher, wheiher in priva1'e school or public school. Some aims are very broad or general, such as preparing oneself in many channels so 'rhai' when 'lhe momeni' comes for specializalion, or lhe opporluniry for doing exacfly ihai' for which one is mos'r suiied, 'rhai' person is complerely ready. I know of no higher aim 'rhan +ha+ of one young sfucleni' who wishes io beHer herself lo ihe uimosr so rhar she can rerurn +o her secfion

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Karlsruhe, Mannheim and Hamburg, fhaf lenf so much richness fo fhe musical life of cenfral Europe. Even liffle Holland did nol' concenfrafe all musical acfivifies in one cify buf had imporfanf cenfers in Amsfer- dam, Rofferdam, The Hague, Ufrechf and even a place like Groningen which afforded a worfhy field of acfivify for many Dufch musicians who mighf have sfarved had fhey been forced fo rely upon one cify for professional susfenance. Music happens fo be fhe only arf which can be faken anywhere in i-fs original and highesf form. We cannof have all fhe exisfing greaf painfings, sculpfure and masferpieces of archifecfure in our relafively new counfry, buf we can have all fhe greafesf music fhrough fhe medium of adequafe performance. Any musician who can give such a per- formance is valuable and imporfanf wherever he is heard. Wifhouf vanify or unpleasanf egofism he can so consider himself if he has devofed enough fime and work fo be able fo perform fhe indispensable funcfion of recreafion of fhe greaf musical liferafure. To be able fo do fhis, fo be ablegfo imparf a similar possibilify fo ofhers, fo be able fo achieve financial securify in any parf of fhe counfry, and fo have fhe happy life fhaf comes from fhe eliminafion of fruifless exfernal ambifion and ifs affendanf evils of bifferness and frusfrafion, is cerfainly an enviable lof compared wifh fhaf of people who puf all fheir eggs in one baskef only fo have if crash and desfroy-somefimes af one fell swoop- 'rheir hopes and ambifions. The Pursuif of Happiness which is such an essenfial privilege under a democrafic form of governmenf can be successfully carried on in 'rhe musical profession by musicians who are idealisfic enough, infelli- genf enough, and basically arfisfic enough fo wifhsfand fhe evils of a highly over-commercialized concerf acfivify in fhe broad field. lf is my hope fhaf every graduafe of fhe Philadelphia Conservafory who embarks upon a professional career will undersfand fhe frufhs of career expecfancy and leave fhe school noi' only a highly developed and well equipped musician, buf a happy human being. OLGA SAMAROFF STOKOWSKI

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elf? 'LTTE-1 X irish ? 'bail ol lhe counlry lo help lhe underprivileged learn in lhe correcl way aboul lhe arl ol music. There are a lew young sludenls ol my acquainlance who live a lull abundanl lile. Though lhey are very busy wilh lheir accepled dulies ol lile from early morning lo lale al nighl, lhey always seem lo have lhe abilily lo squeeze a lillle lime doing lhings lor olhers, learning aboul lhe olher arls, and making lhemselves generally uselul lo sociely. In lacl, lhe busiesl, almosl over-burdened and mosl accomplished person l know is Madame Samaroll, who always has lime lo do lhal somelhing exlra, ollen wilhoul any direcl benelil lo hersell. l lhink lhe secrel ol raising and ennobling one's aim in lile is lo be able lo enrich his or her vocalion wilh a helplul or conlrasling lorm ol relaxalion. ls il mere amusemenl, or is il ol lasling benelil such as lhal ol reading greal poelry, lileralure, visiling arl museums, walking in lhe open air, or pursuing a hobby? ln manilold purpose lies lhe core lo lhe whole realm ol aims. Madame Samaroll has always slriven lo do whalever she did one hundred per cenl, and she invariably gels one hundred per cenl oul ol every waking day. Thal is why she is lhe greal leader among leaders, be il pianisl, aulhor, leclurer, or leacher. This leadership is whal we need loday and lomorrow. Our lulure leaders musl have lhe highesl ideals and lhe lolliesl aims in whalever lhey pursue, conlinually slriving lor lhe besl in lile as well as lhe linesl in music. V - g ALLISON R. DRAKE