THOUGHTS ABOUT MUSIC

Evening Star, Issue 22230, 7 January 1936, Page 12

THOUGHTS ABOUT MUSIC

[By L.D.A.]

Music gives tone to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, a charm to sadness, gaiety and life to everything.—Plato.

A writer in a Wellington paper appears to have been sorely exercised in his mind regarding the tendency towards professionalism in music. The article, signed “ runs, inter alia, as follows:

“ During the present year the trend toward professionalism in vocal and musical competitions, has been emphasised. Some of those concerned in this form of competitive culture are beginning to wonder where it is going to end. In Wellington the prize for the operatic aria was not a cash one, but it was equivalent to it, as it meant that the money supplied by the ‘ Dominion ’ and the society went toward covering the expenses of the winner to Ballarat and Melbourne. It enabled the winner to compete for a big cash prize in Melbourne.”

Before quoting further from the article I would like to comment on the foregoing paragraph, the precise meaning of which may be quite clear to “ H.P.,” but is certainly mysterious to those of lesser understanding. He says that the prize for the operatic aria was not a cash one, and in the same _ breath tells us that money was supplied by the ‘ Dominion,’ also by the “ society,” whatever that may be —presumably he means the Competitions Society—which money helped the winner to go to Australia. 1 must admit that I do not quite grasp the subtle distinction, and it is a_ pity that “ H.P.” is not more explicit. In the next paragraph he says:— “ It is obvious that those standards which apply in sport to the amateur do not extend to singing competitions either in Australia or New Zealand. While one can hardly call competitors in these festivals professionals, they are not amateurs in the sense to which the term is applied in sport. lam suggesting that there is no such thing as amateurism in music. Whenever the New Zealand Broadcasting Board engages a singer to carol over the air, it expects to pay the price, according to quality.” . • « • • Well, I am going to sugges t to “ H.P.” that, if we look at the matter through his somewhat _ jaundiced glasses, there is no such_ thing as amateurism in sport; and ■if this column were devoted to the interests of sport instead to those of music I could enlarge considerably on this point. Everybody knows that the travelling expenses of all sporting bodies and individuals when touring are not paid by the players themsqlves. Moreover, in the cast of overseas teams, a definite proportion of the “ gate ” finds its way into the pockets of the members. Consequently it is incumbent on “ H.P.” once again to explain what he means when he asserts that competing musicians are not amateurs “ in the sense to which the term is applied in sport.” But perhaps, after all, “ H.P.” is only applying the term in sport, otherwise he would, of course, have used the preposition “ to.” “ Concert promoters,” continues “ H.P.,” “ are equally well aware that singers and musicians capitalise their talent on every available opportunity, always excepting those frequent contributions to charity entertainment programmes.” • • « • In the latter sentence “ H.P.” provides another little conundrum in differentiating between “ singers and musicians.” Is this unintentional, or >is it a sly dig at the genus, crooner in all its laryngeal ramifications ? Anyhow, why should singers, whether musicians or not, also instrumentalists, bo expected to entertain the public for nothing when this public has paid for such entertainment? Seemingly “H.P.” would prefer that the payment or fees should go, into the pocket of the middleman; he would rather see the New Zealand Broadcasting Board and the concert promoter swell their banking accounts than allow that the poor labourers are worthy of their hire. In other words, “ H.P.”—I hesitate to say it—appears to advocate “ sweating,” which is a dreadful beginning for the new year. I cannot for the life of me see why a musician ceases to be an amateur merely because ho_ or she occasionally competes for a prize, whether in cash or kind. I have always understood that a professional is one who makes his living wholly by selling his talent.' * * * * There is not any doubt, as I have frequently pointed out, that the offer of substantial prizes at the competitions festivals has always been an inducement; that is to say, the calibre of competitors fluctuates in accordance with the amount of the reward. The big bait, attracts the largo lish._ This is perfectly natural, and is nothing to be alarmed about. Wo find the same phenomenon in a great many walks of life. But “ H.P.” apparently imagines that the association of music _ with money spells disaster to the ethics of youth, for in a final paragraph headed ‘ Is It Ethically Sound?’ ho says;— “ While it is very nice for a boy or girl to win money in this way, one may be permitted to doubt whether the practice of encouraging the commercial spirit in young people through the avenue of the fine arts is ethically sound. Personally I am_ inclined to think the trend has its disadvantages, in that it encourages youth to look at music in its various forms through spectacles which take the hue of £ s. d.” • * * * So imbued is “ H.P.,” it will be noted, with the extreme urgency of the danger portended herein that in his excitement he becomes guilty of tautology, since each half of the preceding paragraph expresses the same idea; but what all the fuss is about “H.P.” alone knows. Any random contributor to a newspaper expects to be paid for his work, yet such _payment by no means constitutes him a professional journalist—and even if it did, where is the harm? “Art for art’s sake ” has a fine altruistic sound, but has little relation to a world of hard fact. If “H.P. ’ wants to be a reformer in the direction he indicates I am afraid he will have to begin in the nursery, where oven the tiny tots expect a reward for good behaviour. Is not Santa Claus himself the apotheosis of recompense for a year’s good conduct—whether prospective or retrospective? But 1 fancy there will be few advocates of the principle that this Christmas bonus is ethically unsound. The whole question raised by “ H.P.” may provide students of morality and economics with fodd for thought whilst on holiday.