Pupils may be sure that teachers do not find fault with them merely for the purpose of finding fault. If the teacher is worthy [of] that respect which leads pupils to study with him, he doesn't find fault except when it is necessary, and then he does it with dignity. If the teacher is constantly fault-finding, and does it in an irritable manner, you would better leave him at once. Now and then we learn of a teacher who gets his pupils so nervous that they burst out crying. It is not well to remain long with such a teacher. The pupil goes to him with fear which spoils the first of the lesson, and surely after the cry, the lesson is spoiled, for no good vocal tone can then be made. At a lesson all should be restful and dignified.
RECOVER FROM MISTAKES.
Next to him who makes no mistakes, is he who recovers from and disguises the errors. At best a performance full of errors of pitch, word, tone and quality is but a patched garment. Apply the mind to eradicating every error. Perhaps the most common thing for students to do is to try over again, while at practice, the music in which the error has been made, but doing it without thought. It is far better to think what the error is, what caused it, how it should be removed, and then begin the practice which will remove it. Oh, if the hours of wasteful practice could only be gathered up into useful hours, how much better off the whole would be! The least wasteful thing is to stop practice and think.
SONGS FOR BEGINNERS.
When selecting songs for study for beginners, only those which have smooth and well defined melodies should be selected. Modern composers seek by the strangest harmonies, following each other without coming to points of definite rest, to do things different from what has been in use so long that it is looked upon as common. The pupils in their early study cannot understand such music, and while bewildered by it, they misapply what they know to be correct use of the voice. The first selections should be simple, melodious, and of easy range. The songs of Mozart and Mendelssohn are much better for early use than are those which are being published now. As the pupil advances in the knowledge of songs add in any quantity the latest and most weird music, providing it has merit.
CRITICISM.
The phraseology of newspaper criticism often disturbs musicians, especially those who are very sensitive, and sometimes arouses their ire so that they make reply. In doing so they make a mistake. They place a weapon for further attack in the hands of the critic and add to the force of his remarks by showing that they have hit the mark. One does not prize a shot which goes wide of the point at which it was aimed but is quite proud if, by chance, he hits the bull's-eye. The sensitive man in his reply shows how fortunate the critic is in his shooting. It is not easy to bear the remarks of a harsh critic and it is much harder to draw from them any good lesson. (Whether one may draw a lesson from criticism is not open for remark at this writing.) Yet, when one gives serious thought to the criticism which seems so cruel he will learn that no one has been hurt by it except the critic himself. He has lowered his thought from a high plain and has made his nature, thereby, coarse and uncomfortable. That cannot come to anyone, even for a few minutes without making him less manly. Out of the fullness of his heart at that moment the critic has written and sent out into the world that which lowers. What he sows, that shall he also reap, and in due time his unkindness will come home to him. If he can bear his own act the musician can endure it for the brief time that the "smart" is there. None should ever forget that a man can injure himself but no one else on earth can injure him.
WAIT FOR RESULTS.
Some of us are slow to learn the lesson, waiting for results. We feel that at one bound we must and will achieve the great success which is our ideal. Youth is enthusiastic and believes in itself. Nothing daunts it, save the realization of limited success and that realization comes not quickly. There are circumstances which cannot be forced; there are laws which prevent our reaching too far or going too quickly. Under them we chafe but in time we come to know that those laws place boundaries of limitation about us. We then begin to inspect the laws just as one bound with cords might be supposed to study his binding after having tried in vain to tear himself free. Then is when he discovers that by knowing natural law he can shape his course so that he is not antagonized but aided by his environments and curbings. He then discovers that he can even use the laws which seemed to restrain as his power. But it takes long to learn that lesson. Stripes, which cut and burn, must have been received before one can know that he must not fret and be impatient for quick results. "Patience overcometh all things." "Seek and ye shall find." Remember that the early fruit decays quickest. The rosy apple, when all of its fellows are green, has the worm at the core. If you are worthy of results they will come to you, but not in your way or time perhaps. You can afford to wait.
ALL THINGS ARE GOOD.