Document text
August 4, 193V.
Mr.. Irene Lake,
Iianist,
1847 Pearl -et.,
Jacicsonville, Florida.
Rose Lhephord, writer.
MRS. IN LAKi,
yrs. Lake had boon recording en the piano some old
Plattation songs rowing songs, negro spirituals, lullaby.,
work songs. The ease with which she °aught the melody
from the rendition by an eighty-five year -old lady, singing
from a ohildhOod memory of the glamorous Florida in the days
just preceding the Y4kr bltwaon the States the latter 1814's,
to be exact; the quick ear which caught the Atria as the
craoked voice strived to reach the high notos and flattened
on the lower ones; the nimble fingers ruoing up and down in
deft rune to enliven the original negro interpolations; the
right hand markin4 the notes an the rUled moore paper, as
the left softly struck the keys to aoufirm the tune
all brought an exolamation of "Marvelous!" from those in the
room, who bad Leen attracted by the unusual prooeeding.
Mrs. Lake is a woman of mall stature, probably five
feet tall, fifty-two years of age. Her blond hair, now mostly
gray, w 4..24 parted in the miAdlo 44.ud waved softly over tho ears
to a small knot low on the week in the bauk. Her blue oyes,
set wide apaist, below a wide level forehead, lighted with
interest arid enthusiasm aF14 9he wcreswiftly, oompleting the
four scings is the rough in the short space of two house.
;ho wall dressed eomArtably the da4„. was quite hot
in an inexpeesive voile dress, with blue, her favorite color
predominating. pale blue oil lain parasol leaned against
26044
Uri. Irene Lake, Pianist 2.
the piano. Rain or whine wha earries 4 parasol oven her
most intimate friends in Jaeksonville have never seen her
wearing a hat.
"How to you do it?" she was asked.
"Well, I suppose it is a talent I inherited from my
merther, who was a very fine musieian. he was born in
nthens, leorgia, in 14440.
"Her father wt lib* Heinrich von der Lieth, lerman,
whose father was tailor to the :Aperer of Germany, not
Xaiser Wilhelm, but his father. One of his duties was to
embroider the royal orest and coat -of -arms on the iimperor's
olothing, 48 well as all household linen. He wma a net VI
o. Hanover, Germany.
"My grandmother, his wife, claw* from Bolivia Diepmult,
Germany.. where she was born in 1804.
"Grandfather fled ';:ermany booeuse he did not approve
the first
of the oompulsory military training instituted. by/Kaiser
He landed in Charleston, 3outh Carolina, after a
thirty days' trip in orossiw; the ocean. There he met my
grandmother, they were married, and oame dirge% to the
nthene, loorgia eaution.
"Hy mother 10i44 born there in IOLA she was just a
smell girl durirw the iii‘r between he :Autos
"My father was James .lired rant, whose =easter'
Game to ialerioan on the fmmous yeyflower.
"One of his most famous relatives was Josiah Bartlett,
a signer of the DeoluALtion of Independence. I have a very
old book with a reproduction of the lAsolaration of Independenee
and Josiah Barlbett's name is very prominently written thereon.
lire. Irene Lake anist 3.
"Leonard Grunt, my father's paternal unolo, !;*),VO
Grant's Park to -tlanta, new beautiful landmark of the
leorgia uity.
"I went to the publio yahoo's in _,thens, and then
attended the IMMO priv.ito euhool for girls in .Ahenc that
my mother had attended in hr young girlhood.
"The sollool was in oharge f Ni es Caine oenowski,
Ruesian lady of eduoation, (suitor* and refinement.
"By the way, tfiss .:osnowski's ni4oa m4,rried Tharlee
Horty, famous :or hls experiments in the in. and turpentine
industry, and his divoovory oi the grouses of oonverting
surub slaeh pine into paper used oommeroially in r-Iyer
bag manufauture and also manor containers, and other byproduote
of the pulp paper industry.
'I took the regular grades through Mks* 8osnowski's,
also studied musiu t ore. There was an eirleoially fine mumio
department in oonneotion with the eohool.
"When I'graduated, she thouRht I possessed unusual talent
as a pianist and seoured ior me a year's scholarship in the
Alioago Llislual College.
"1 had wonderful trainin there, and after ITraduated
ent baok to .thens, then a your or Co letter, I went to
Boston und enrolled in the aelton kianeforte -chool, from
whioh I also graduated.
"My studios in tho two northern cities brought me into
oontaot h.th meaty famous Eu41(310416. I knew Josef Hoffmann
personally, and was influenced a ,rat deal by his kindiy
Mrs. Irene Lake, Pianist 4.
interest &aid aodvioe.
"'trange to say, in Alioago, i Was thrown more with
the thoutrioal element, rathor than musioians. Howover,
ll tho largo theaters had famous orohestrars, and their
olaosioal renditions ond masioal adaptations to the tempo
of the play, tore liko hish olass oono.srts themsolves.
"I met Joseph Jefferson, fa,mouii interpretor
Then thore was Aohard ?malefic&ld, .tose Ooghlau
and flf)r brother, ,liories, Louis .:--orrison, renowned A:or his
portrayal of I ephistopheles in 1Paust.
"In Boston met "axine aliott, a most beautiful
woman, ...nd Z1 aotrese of no rtiom.D. tolent. There I heart
YaW in conoort. 'Jhe posseesed. a marvelous
voioe of great flexibility and wide range from below
middle 'C' to almost on ootove above high 'C'.
"It WaS a reat 4s.dvanti4ge oulturol, I suppose, to most
thoo. fatuous !-,00-01e, but %%Ion you „a.° a girl ,,.ou do not think
of thee thiroza so muoh.
"In Boston we woo reguirod to attond notod recitals
to note eapeoially the manner and tooluiiquo of exports.
Then we would -,..11/4 oonoorts at tho sohools, for whioh
invitutiono were sent to o. solautud f,sw, ki.xid thus WO 1110A,
,juired polish, poise, .oid ,ho +lase u.Countoot of pro:rot:atonal
musicians.
remorob, r one thins yin distinctly in those reoitals.
Tko trtiaja,te wore not &allowed in the owort hall before
Mrs. Irene Lake :amnia% 01
our proper appearanoe on he program, Wo wore required
to romain in an upper, somewhat remote room, so that we
would n .t be 'jittery' or unnerved by the possible errors
or misinterpretations of tk., scores by ono preuoling
Thu o whon it oame time for oaoh one to porform, tho pupil
was oolm, eolloctod, ond 48 fresh 4P if just opening the
program. I practiced six house a day at Faelton School.
"I came to Jaoksonvillo in eoptimber, 1906. It seems
a long time ago, and it SOOMA muuh longor when I look bauk
upon my musical career, whiuh etartod when i was so small
I had to be lifted upon the piano stool.
"ny mother was vor5, musical, anJ also possessed a
beautiful contralto voice. ry father also poosessed sow
ability as u musician, my two sisters were oduoutod in music,
so vo lived in rothor a musioal atmosphare always. U y sisters,
howovor, did not kw', up their music, but took business oourees
and lator married, an livin6 in otlatta an" tho other, on the
old homo place near -thong.
"Shortly oiler coming to JaocionviLlo, I mot my husband.,
who is a brother of Forrost one of the moot famous uit-
tens of tho city of 2,anford, Florida, i whioh ho W44 1q4or for
fourteen conseoutive terms. Ea is load now, oftar a rather
stormy career io his latter days. husband one I are di-
vorood, and I divide my time teotoon my two children, 4 son
in Jaakeolivilla azid4 daughtor, who ha o dancing school in
Most Palen Boadh, Florida.
Mrs. Irene Lake, l'ianist 6.
"1 have taught music at difforent times, playod in
oonuerts, both amateur and professional, and carnnd quite
a reputation no an auoom,Innist.
"I nev)r played in orchestras, however, u. til after I
°am(' to Jacksonville.
"Whon radio assumed its oarly proportions as a dystem
of distributing mualo to tho pablio, I was thrilled by its
possibilities, and eagerly aosioted in.broadouste When the
first little stltion vne established in nn old shed down
blhind tha Florida Timas-Union luilding on t,ent Alums trust.
"When WJAX, tho munioipal broaduasting stution,was
opened in Jacksonvillo vith progi-am which lasted until
throe eulook tho nst m rning a.rter Thanksgiving Dui in
1926, I wi..s acoompunist on soveral of th.1 numbers, and contin-
ued .or my aars, plkiving tha actor° for Henry Cornely
and his a.,3oosilates, Pros. LePaige, and many others.
"I was glad to soo the :ed.eral uaio Projeet established
in 1936. I have ben ausooiatod rith tho pftgram in £1orida
from tho ingi ring, alta;06 working in some oapauity, and
us id.00mnanist in uonu:rts for both publiu and orivats
entertainmerts, the 2odoral Theatro, and otkors. It hum
boon the ealavation for old musioians, and an oasis in the
lnnd of Yrromise er tho .4:cuner element who needed its oo-
ordin,Lted training, and I am in hopes that some way mu4- os
opened for its oontinuation.
"I think Previdont Aoosevelt's administration vill go
down in history as thn greatoot endeavor in humanitnrianism
evier promulgated, and i ac-. heartily in As.vor of it. If he
is able, or oan be prevailed upon to -acoopt a third term,
1 am a11 for it!"