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very things which make the teacher's work a mission. One of the
teacher's greatest responsibilities lies in determining at first upon a
rational educational course by divining the pupil's individuality.
Remember that pupils are not all like sheep to be shorn in the same
identical fashion with the same identical shears.

EDWARD MACDOWELL'S INDIVIDUALITY

One of the most remarkable cases of a pronounced musical individuality
was that of the late Edward MacDowell, who came to me for instruction
for a considerable time. He was then quite youthful, and his motives
from the very first were of the highest and noblest. His ideals were so
lofty that he required little stimulation or urging of any kind. Here it
was necessary to study the pupil's nature very carefully, and provide
work that would develop his keenly artistic individuality. I remember
that he was extremely fond of Grieg, and the marked and original
character of the Norwegian tone-poet made a deep impression upon him. He
was poetical, and loved to study and read poetry. To have repressed
MacDowell in a harsh or didactic manner would have been to have
demolished those very characteristics which, in later years, developed
in such astonishing fashion that his compositions have a distinctiveness
and a style all their own.

It gives me great pleasure to place his compositions upon my programs
abroad, and I find that they are keenly appreciated by music lovers in
the old world. If MacDowell had not had a strong individuality, and if
he had not permitted this individuality to be developed along normal
lines, his compositions would not be the treasures to our art that they
are.

DEVELOPING INDIVIDUALITY THROUGH POETRY

If the teacher discovers a pupil with apparent musical talent, but whose
nature has not been developed to appreciate the beautiful and romantic
in this wonderful world of ours, he will find it quite impossible to
alter the pupil's individuality in this respect by work at the keyboard
alone. The mundane, prosaic individual who believes that the sole aim of
musical study is the acquisition of technic, or the magic of digital
speed, must be brought to realize that this is a fault of individuality
which will mar his entire career unless it is intelligently corrected.
Years and years spent in practice will not make either a musician or a
virtuoso out of one who can conceive of nothing more than how many times
he can play a series of notes within the bea