The questions had been borne in upon me:  By what art or influence has this teacher attracted so large a following?  What is it which brings to her side not only the society girl but the serious art-student and young teacher?  What is the magnet which draws so many pupils to her that five assistants are needed to prepare those who are not yet ready to profit by her instruction?  When I came in touch with this modest, unassuming woman, who greeted me with simple cordiality, and spoke with quiet dignity of her work, I felt that the only magnet was the ability to impart definite ideas in the simplest possible way.

“Dr. William Mason, with whom I studied,” began Mrs. Morgan, “used to say that a musical touch was born, not made; but I have found it possible to so instruct a pupil that she can make as beautiful a tone as can be made; even a child can do this.  The whole secret lies in arm and wrist relaxation, with arched hand, and firm nail joint.

INSPIRATION FROM AN AMERICAN TEACHER

“I feel that Dr. Mason himself was the one who made me see the reason of things.  I had always played more or less brilliantly, for technic came rather easy to me.  I had studied in Leipsic, where I may say I learned little or nothing about the principles of piano playing, but only ‘crammed’ a great number of difficult compositions.  I had been with Moszkowski also; but it was really Dr. Mason, an American teacher, who first set me thinking.  I began to think so earnestly about the reason for doing things that I often argued the points out with him, until he would laugh and say, ’You go one way and I go another, but we both reach the same point in the end.’  And from that time I have gone on and on until I have evolved my own system of doing things.  A teacher cannot stand still.  I would be a fool not to profit by the experience gained through each pupil, for each one is a separate study.  This has been a growth of perhaps twenty-five years—­as the result of my effort to present the subject of piano technic in the most concise form.  I have been constantly learning what is not essential, and what can be omitted.

SIMPLICITY

“Simplicity Is the keynote of my work.  I try to teach only the essentials.  There are so many etudes and studies that are good, Czerny, for instance, is splendid.  I believe in it all, but there is not time for much of it.  So with Bach.  I approve of studying everything we have of his for piano, from the ‘Little Pieces’ up to the big Preludes and Fugues.  Whenever I can I use Bach.  But here again we have not time to use as much of Bach as we should like.  Still I do the best I can.  Even with those who have not a great deal of time to practise, I get in a Bach Invention whenever possible.