Finding Their Voices - Amherst College

would not be able to pay, Zuchtmann had apparently donated his services for free to some
select groups for several years. 60 Adding to his dissatisfaction, the time he actually spent
at Amherst was always rushed, as he only had 6 hours in which to cram a lesson for the
Glee Club, lessons for the elementary class, and lessons for a large number of private
pupils. Amherst musical groups soon clued in to Zuchtmann’s growing reluctance, and
redoubled their efforts to try to attain financial support for his services from the college.
Two separate articles appeared in The Amherst Student of June 27, 1882 concerning the
matter. The first appealed directly to alumni and college “authorities”:
For the past years musical interests in the college have been successfully
supported by the students alone; the time has now come, however, when we can
no longer hope to retain our present reputation without coöperation from the
alumni and authorities of the college. Surely there can be no better time than the
present to found a professorship of music and so retain permanently the valuable
instruction of Professor Zuchtmann, of which we have never obtained the full
benefit, and with the loss of which we are now threatened. 61
The second, more detailed article, covers Zuchtmann’s situation, and tries to
explain why the college should be interested in helping the Musical Association retain
him. The author’s reasoning is much the same as that of the article from the previous
year, the difference being mainly in the level of detail. The author gives specific data on
how many students had decided to attend Amherst as a direct result of recent touring of
the Glee Club, and argues that the college thus has a financial obligation to the group. He
concludes:
In view of the facts is it not reasonable that the college should appropriate a
yearly sum for the musical interests as well as for any other department? If this
could be done our professor could afford to give us ample time for the club and
second class and also lectures, which would aid us not only in singing, but in
voice culture and speaking. We know of no one so well suited to our wants in this
line as our present instructor, and we hope the trustees will help us keep him
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60 The Amherst Student (27 June 1882): 221.
61 Ibid., 220.
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