The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-12-08
MUSIC ON TAP.
MUSIC ON TAP.
Bands Supplied at a Moments
Notice.
The Wares Which Professional
Musicians Get.
Philade:phia Times.

Philadelphia Times.
Among the reputable musicians the
headquarters of the musical society
form q sort of all exchange for the
employment of talent. There the
managers OF balls and theatres and
those who desire to employ sweet
music In diverting and enlivening
their guests can engage performers Of
all grades, from the maestro who can
first fiddle or first coronet to the
youth who intelligently jingles the
cymbals or the genius vino belabors
the big drum. Wages are fixed by a
schedule, in which first violins are
allowed SIS a day on ordinary occa-
sions and 81 for concerts. A good
first coronet player gets SIS a day and
Is always in demand. II he attains
to reputation as soloist he can COM
mand as high as $40 or Sis day on
great occasions; generally, however,
he cann"t expect to make more than
$50 week.
The men who engineer the from
bone and the tuba, Notwithstanding
the lung power which those instru
ments demand, are not quite SO well
paid, and no matter how skillful they
may be there is general prejudice
that bars them out as sOlOists. Hence,
if they are steadily engaged, as is
generally the case in the summer sea-
son, their wages seldom exceed $50 a
week. For manipulating the big
drum, which involves considerable
muscular exertion and is sometimes
combined with the operation of the
cymbals, the pay is from So to 81 q
day, according to merit and extent of
exneriepce, A drummer is always a
determined and energetic man, the
trouble being with many leaders to
control his exuberance and to prevent
him from literally overwhelming the
other Instruments. The same care
must be taken to mitigate the energy
of the tuba and trombone operators,
who are given at moments OF excite
ment to blasts OF harmony that are
calculated to throw the treble instru-
ments altogether out of the harmony.
These performers get about So day.
as do the lower grades of violinists
who play second fiddle: !,
There are about a dozen musical
leaders in the city who stand ready
at a moments notice to supply music
for any occasion, from ball or con-
cert to a funeral. They keep their
force OF performers well in hand and
are always ready to organize band
or an orchestra of any desired size.
They make their own terms with per-
formers, (subject, of course, to the so
ciety's schedule. which is always
strictly adhered toy and generally
manage to have a good balance over
for themselves. Most of the protes-
sional musicians in this city are Ger
mans. but there are some Frenchmen
and a few Italians and now and then
but rarely, an American or an Eng
lish professional. Some of them are
musicians of the first claes and always
command engagements at good saia'
ries, but the great majority are de.
pendent upon the leaders and DO not
get very steady work. The orchestra
performers in theatres have steady
and generally we'll paid positions;
but those professionals who depend
upon transient engagements some
times fall short, SO tar as their IN
comes are concerned, in the early
mart of the winter season, when the
ball season has not fairly opened.