ed. Many elements have to be considered. Given great talent,
success is not by any means assured. Many seemingly extraneous qualities
must be cultivated; many mistakes must be avoided.

"Let me start out with a caution. No greater mistake could possibly be
made than to assume that frequent public appearances or extended concert
touring in early youth is essential to a great career as a virtuoso. On
the contrary, I would say that such a course is positively harmful. The
'experience' of frequent playing in public is essential if one would get
rid of stage fright or undue nervousness and would gain that repose and
self-confidence without which success is impossible. But such experience
should be had only after the attainment of physical and mental maturity.
A young boy or girl, though ever so much of a prodigy, if taken on an
extensive concert tour, not only becomes unduly self-conscious,
conceited, vain and easily satisfied with his or her work, but--and this
is the all-important point--runs the risk of undermining his or her
health. The precious days of youth should be devoted primarily to the
storing up of health, without which lasting success is impossible.
Nothing is more harmful to sound physical development and mental growth
than the strain of extensive tours. It is true that one great virtuoso
now before the public played frequently before large audiences as an
infant prodigy. But, happily, wise and efficient influences served to
check this mad career. The young artist was placed in the hands of a
great teacher and given a chance to reach full physical maturity and
artistic stature before resuming public appearances. Had it been
otherwise, it is a matter of common belief that this great talent would
have fizzled out.

"By this I do not mean that the pupil should be prevented from playing
at recitals in the home city. Playing of this kind gives the pupil
confidence and smooths the way for his work as a mature artist. These
performances should be rare, except in the case of performances given in
the home of the pupil or at the teacher's home. What I object to is the
exploitation on a large scale of the infant prodigy.

THOROUGH PREPARATION NECESSARY

"One of the real secrets of success in public appearance is thorough
preparation. In fact there is no talisman, no secret that one can pass
over to another and say, 'Here is my secret, go thou and do likewise.'
What a valuable secret it would be--the mysterious secr