MUSIC AS A CAREER.

Putaruru Press, Volume IV, Issue 156, 28 October 1926, Page 1

MUSIC AS A CAREER.

ALL-WOMEN ORCHESTRAS. -Several London restaurants have recently followed the practice of “ starring women's orchestras, or announcing them as spf cial attractions. An incidental result of this has been to draw attention to the position of the women, to tlie mtoisical profession. The number of all-women oivJnestras is growing steadily, and employment is. being. found for, some of t'-le-m in the new tea-rooms opined by the great West End stores. Women musicians are also taking a mtaire prominent part in kinemas, vvherle the plolying presents probi.ms of its own, as the music has to act as an emotional under-current to the film. , . 'ln soma of. the test-known (picture houses, and at '.leading ..music halls, mixed orchestras "are preferred, anil they have been: advocated for many years by so great an authority as Sir Henry Wood. At his “-proms.” in London hie conducts mixed orchestras, and he considers that artistically the experiment. is fully. justified by tihe results. because it brings a special, indefinite element into the playing. There are signs it'.iat re'ialHy first-rate women orchestral players'.are being more and more appreciated; find it is not onlyin tliie professional world that women musicians are able to Utilise their talent. A most u:< ful 'work is being dine in small towns and villages, where amateur women player's are very much to the fore at competitive festivals. A similar state of affairs exists in America, whLre the übiquitous music clubs aits mostly, run by women. Every l year a good .number of girls graduate, at. music colleges. While some .pass .straight into the teaching side of tr*e profession, which they Lope and believe will We the ladder to high" r things, others for whom it is equally necessary to earn a livelihood find that they are quit© incapable of managing pupils. The profession, suffering at preslent from severe foreign competition is finding a difficulty in supporting the large 'numbers of men and women i.n it. Consequl. ntly, there is a feeling in many men’s orchestras against the inclusion of women players, and there are- instances of women dismissed to make wav for men. With an improvement in economic conditions, there is no doubt that the prospect's of women will soon becomte brighter. 'An interesting piece of work is being undertaken by tine Society of Woman Musicians in helping ambition© manners (to train as conductors. It is still exceedingly rarte for a woman to hold such a position, although a sign of the changing conditions is seen at the music colleges, which sincie the war have started conductors’ classes for women. Three years ago Dr Adrian Boult suggested to tiie society that it should form a small or'chesitra 'which could be used for practice and which he recommended should not be too

Kuod. This proviso was to ensure that there would he something tor conductors to correct. The orchestra has been of great assistance to members, and has been used by singers as well as players.