Toscanini and the Shepherd Violinist

This is a short anecdote shared by Elder David B. Haight at General Conference in 2001 regarding the musical director Toscanini. It shows the humility of the man, and reminds us to be mindful of how our actions can bless others' lives. It also reminds us to look to appropriate directors so that we can make sure our own lives are in tune.

"A few years ago, when Arturo Toscanini was musical director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in New York City, he had a Saturday afternoon radio broadcast. And one day he received in his mail a crumpled little note on some brownish paper which read:" 'Dear Mr. Toscanini, I am a lonely sheepherder in the mountains of Wyoming. I have two prized possessions: an old violin and a battery radio. And the batteries are getting weak and beginning to run down on my radio, and my violin is so out of tune I can't play it anymore. Would you please sound an A next Saturday on your program?'"The next week on the program, Arturo Toscanini announced: 'To a newfound friend in the mountains of Wyoming, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra is now, all together and in unison, going to sound a perfect A.' And they sounded the perfect A. Then that lonely little man was able to tune the A string and then the E string and the D and the G from that perfect A." Isn't it interesting to reflect in our own lives and in the lives of the many people who may hear me at this time—those whose violin or lives may be a little out of tune—that we are able to come to a general conference of the Church and hear the marvelous messages that are spoken?"

David B. Haight, "Faith of Our Prophets", Ensign, Nov. 2001, 22