outstretched fingers. "I never realized, however, that I played in this
way, until Mr. Ernest Hutcheson, the pianist, of Baltimore, recently
called my attention to it. The fact is, I have always taken positions of
body, arms, hands and fingers, which seemed to me the most natural and
easy. This I did when I began, at the age of five, and I have always
kept to them, in spite of what various teachers have endeavored to do
for me. Fortunately my early teachers were sensible and careful; they
kept me at the classics, and did not give too difficult pieces. The
principles followed by most great pianists I believe are correct; but I
have always kept to my own natural way. In hand position, therefore, I
am individual; perhaps no one else plays with such a finger position, so
in this I am unique.

"For some reason unknown to me, it has come to be imagined that I have
studied with Leschetizky; this is entirely refuted when I say I have
never been in Vienna. It seems we are getting away from the idea of
helping ourselves out with the name of some great teacher. The question
should be: What has the player in himself, what can he accomplish? not,
Whose pupil is he? We know of some of Leschetizky's famous pupils, but
we never hear of the thousands he must have had, who have come to
nothing. A teacher can only do a certain amount for you; he can give you
new ideas, which each pupil works out for himself in his own way. The
piano student learns from so many different sources. He attends a piano
recital and acquires many ideas of touch, tone, phrasing and
interpretation; he hears a great singer or violinist and absorbs a
wholly new set of thoughts, or he listens to a grand orchestra, and
gains more than from all the others. Then there is life to study from:
experience--living--loving: all go into the work of the musician. A
musical career is indeed the most exacting one that can be chosen.