University School Of Music

As is quite generally knownthroughout the community the school of music, regarding which such sanguine expectations are entertained, will open its doors tor the reception of pupils on October lst. The benefits which this community confidently expects to receive from the building up of such a school are so obvious and have been so generally agreed upon that we do not propose in this article to enumérate t ïem again. We pief er in'stead to show in how far the expectations have been realized. First of all, atteution must be directed to the faculty, which will guide the school to success as an educational institution. The endeavor to secur% a faculty of experienced teachers, who should at the same time be artists in their respective üelds has been rewarded with marked success. Mr. J. Erich Schmaal has beensecured as the leading pianoforte teacher. He is a young man of pronounced ability. His decided inclination to the classics and devotion to the purest school of pianoforte playing entitles him to the confidence of all who believe that the design of a musical education is to makepossible the enjoyment of the greatest works of musical genius, and who desire to become acquainted with the best in musical literature. He studied in and was graduated irom the Hamburg conservatory. After teaching several years in that famous school he carne to America and settled in Milwaukee. In the short space of a year and a half he has made for liimself a brilliant reputation in that city, and his departure is universally regretted by the musiciuns and musical public. The criticisrus of his public yppearances are singularly uii.ed in pronouncing him a very fine artist, an opinión which has been coincided in by Chicago critics. He is an enthusiast in his profession, full of interest in the success of the school and will prove hiinself a potent factor in Ann Arbor's ! musical developmeut. j Mr. Silas R. Mills comes with the lighest reconimendation f rom the jlder Lamperts, Shakespeare, (Lonlon) and Stockhausen (Frankfort am Main). He has a very fine church wsition in Chicago and has recently refused very fiattering offers froui 3mith college, Northampton. lie was recently oft'ered a very brilliant concert jngagement for the season, but felt more inclined to devote himself to teaching. He is higbly eiulorsed by Mr. Chas. A. Knorr, W. S.B. Mathews, Mr. Philo A. Otis, Tres, oí' Apollo club, Chicago, and others of equal note. Mr. Mills has given a large number of song recitals i u the east, which have received warm commendation. MrMills comes from a family of teachers, who have been closely identifled with, educational movememts in New England. He is a native of Williamstown, Mass., and still a young man. Mr. Frederick Mills, the violin teacher, is esteemed a remarkably brilliant performer upon the instrument and has had excellent success as a teacher. He studied for several years under Mr. William Luderer, of Detroit. Later he studied tive years with Jacobsohn, of Chicago, a teacher whose reputation is international, and who has brought ont some of the fniest violinista in Ibis country. For tive successive years Mr. Mills won tree Bcholarahips and each year captured the gold meilal ofifered for the best violin pupil in tlu' Chicago College of Music, with which Mr. Tacobsohn is connected. For the last two years he played secoml violin in the Jacobsohn quartette, (then the leading chamber music orgauization in the city). Mr. Wilhelm Y unck endqrsed him to Prof. Stanley in the following words: "He is an artist and you can quote me as imlorsing hioi thoroughly." Mr. Yunck's opinión is generally coincided in by the musicians of Detroit. Mr. Fred A. Abel, of Detroit, will teach the violoncello. Ilis excellent work bas made for him a solid reputation in Detroit and througliout the state. He is a good -'all round" musician and bis department is in safe hands. The orcbestral wind iustruments will be taught by gentlemen whose names and works are alike well-known to Ann Arbor people generally, Mr. McOmber and Mr. Collilis. The school will be located in Newberry Hall. lt will be under the personal supervisión of Prof. Stanley, who will do the advanced thfeoretical work and teach the organ for the present. The prices of instruction are extremely moderate considering the fact that the quality issuch as would command ddnble in a large city. The success of the school depends not only upon the attendance from abroad, but also upon its liberal patronage by our citizens. It is an enterprise which has been made possible by the unceasing labor for the last three or four years. It is an absolute necessity if the wonderful progress Ann Arbor has made in the line of public musical achievement shall be maintaiued and extended. Ann Arbor has a great musical future. How great that future shall be depends not on one man, neither upon any set of men, but upon the unanimity with which the community supports each and every enterprise intended to advance our musical standing. The example of Oberlin is to be commended to our citizens. ïhe support given to that conservatory at the start has continued until it has nearly 700 pupils, and in no conservatory in this country are higher standards maintaiued than in that institution. The advantages arising f rom the conditions which there exist, are so well marked that, while in Ann Arbor, in certain lines we certainly excel,notably in the more elabórate nature of our great concerts, the musical atmosphere of Oberlin is one of the greatest factors in that institution's development. All that Oberlin is and more can be made possible in Ann Arbor. The Argus wishes to enforce upon the attention of its readers this fact. Good wishes may help the school, but good pupils wil] alone make the school a ñnancial success. Artistic successes can not be continued without Qnancial security. ín order to correct some niisunderstanding of the nature of the work contemplated, in lower grades particuhuly, we can state that whenever the corps of teachers at present secured does not prove adequate, such additions will be made as are necessarv, and no teacher of inferior rank can ever expect to secure a position on the faculty of the University School of Music. Last week, on the farm of Henry Paul, in Northfleld, Christian Stein threshed out in one day (88 bushels of oats aud 702 bushels of heat, probably beating the record inthiscounty. Tliis is vouched for by Fred Browii, proprietor ol' the popular refreshrnent rooms on North Main street, who assisted at the tlneshing. Mr. Paui's total erop was 2,090 bushels.