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

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Wudic .sjhoufcl M jun., You have heard frequenf references concerning fhe serious musi- cian. Those of us who make our living af music nafurally musf have a really serious affifude foward our work, or we would be complefely losf in a field which is as highly compefifive as ours. We are prone, however, fo be so obsessed wifh mainfaining high sfandards of arfisfic performance fhaf we forgef fhaf music is for pleasure and relaxafion. I have never been impressed wifh fhaf old adage arf for arf's sake. You can puf your finesf masferpieces of music, painfing and liferafure on some uninhabifed island, and whaf good are fhey? Arl- is for MAN'S sake, and his enioymenf of if is more imporfanf fhan mere arfisfic perfecfion by ifself. As arfisfs and musicians, we should gef more real fun ouf of if ourselves, so fhaf fhose around us can cafch a liffle of fhe inspirafion and ioy which we experience. Thaf doesn'f mean fhof we should be frivolous abouf if-alfhough frivolous music has ifs place, even for fhe so-called serious musician. Life is a frying and neurofic experience foday, and we need music as a relaxafion more fhan ever. We need more communify singing, more amafeur bands and orchesfras-all performing iusf for fhe plea- sure of if. We need more house-music-music of our own, far more fhan we need professional symphony orchesfras and fhe canned sfuff. We need fo puf our young school-frained singers back info church choirs, where fhey have been replaced by lsecond rafe?l professional quar- fefs. KW e mighf have bofhl. As I sforfed fo say, more people should make more music-and MUSIC SHCULD BE FUN! BRUCE C. BEACH ODE TO A STUDENT fEar Trainingj Hopes' to one day be a scholar All he does all day is holler. Do-Re-Mi-Fa in his ears. So attentive he appears But his thoughts are far away Un what he'll have for lunch today. Pat Prendergast

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There have been no profound works of arf leff fo us by iongleurs. If is doubfful if we will gef one from Spike Jones. If is also doubfful if Mr. Jones cares, and fhis adds fo his charm. He is nof af home in fhe rarefied heighfs of arfisfic expression. Buf he has had fhe pleasure of giving a fair percenfage of 'rhe populafion a roaring good fime. Thaf is a considerable accomplishmenf for anyone. EVELYN M. CHRISTMAN Every ofher Monday nighf one sees an inferesfed group gafhering in fhe concerf room af ZI6. Madame Samaroff's Monday evening Musicales are a mosf valuable experience for performer and lisfener as well. Af fhis fime her sfudenfs are offered an informal opporfunify fo play as offen as fhey are prepared. Somefimes one of Madame's Juilliard sfudenfs has done an especially fine piece of work and is invifed fo play in fhe musicale. The more fhese ardenf, ambifious piano sfudenfs of Madame Samaroff have accomplished, fhe happier she seems fo be. Whaf maffer if fhe program is an hour and a half or fwo hours, or a Iiffle plus or MINUS? Thaf newly learned, seldom heard composifion or concerfo, or confemporary work can always find ifs niche in fhe evening's music program. lmporfanf works of Bach, Sonafas and Concerfi of Mozarf and Beefhoven: Haydn: fhe romanfics, including Schumann and Chopin, Mendelssohn and Franck were heard. Some of fhe confemporary works included Hindemifh Sonafa No. I, Prokofieff Sonafa No. 2, 3, and 7, Barber Excursions and Barfok Folk Songs. Concerfi by Prokofieff, Shos- fakovich, Khafchafourian, and Kabelefsky were brillianfly played and excifing fo hear. The ambifious sfudenf who is a performer should also be an infer- esfed lisfener. Much can be gained in hearing fhe varied reperfoire presenfed fhese evenings as well as by frying 'ro evaluafe fhe musical growfh each sfudenf makes as fhe season progresses. Affer each program Madame says in her cheerful, purposeful voice, Now I wanf fo give some crificism. Who is firsf? Come wifh me. In a back room each sfudenf receives fhe precious ideas in fhe form of consfrucfive crificism from fhe Masfer Pedagogue. Her sincerify, acfive inferesf, and real wisdom are of inesfimable value. A spirif of advenfure is felf in fhe expecfafion of hearing fhe seldom heard, a firsf performance, fhe newly prinfed, as well as fhe old fav- orifes. The variefy and wealfh of piano Iiferafure heard, reward and enrich fhe lucky Iisfener. THE ROVING REPORTER

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Q ELIZABETH GRAPE STOUT ELIZABETH KERR MacFARLANE GLADYS SPRAGUE STORY