The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-11-29
BRASS BANDS.
The Life Of Metropolitan Profess
sional Musicians.
Their Organizations, Haunts
and Scale of Wages.

anu SCdl6 VI wdESSs
A complete band requires at least Is
men. Commencing with tho base in
struments, there are. the tuba, the bari.
tone, the tenor, three cornets, two altos,
two trombones, two clarion cts, the
bass drum, tho small drum and the
cymbals.
There arc 45O0 professional musicians
in New York City who mako liveli-
hood by playing in bands and orches-
tras, and occasionally alone WHOM re-
quired for small entertainments. These
men have eight organizations and are
all known as union mon.
About half OF tho musicians are Ger
mans. Americans aud Italians are the
next prominent nationaitios, and near
ly all countries are represented.
The union rate of pay for regular
musicians is S. per day. For marching
in parades So is charged, on account of
tho extra labor. Ga special occasions,
when there i, an unusual demand, extra
pay is obtained. Occasionally there Is
such q corner in music that almost any
price can bc had by a shrewd player.
Numbers Of orchestras are paid scale
OF prices that varies according to the
instrument playel and the ability Of
the performer. Very few musi clans
are employed in theatres for loss than
SIS week. Tho general prices paid
are from SIS to s25, and exceptional
players get as high as $40 week. Men
who play in drum and fife corps get all
prices-from 81 to So per day.
Tho busy season in the mu ical world
is from November until May 1, with
dull spell in Lent. The the atres,
balls, parties, receptions, concerts and
holiday work keep the musicians busy,
SO that a. good performer, espe pecially a
pianist, need not lose a night for sever
al months. Nearly all good musicians
are able to play two or three different
inst: um. .nts, and when band il short
handed they are capable of filing near
" any place that is vacant. In the
summer many OF the players go to
watering places and obtain as good pay
as when emplo Dyed in town; but the
large mum Der have dull time of it.
Occasionally excursions and employ.
ment at the parks and concert gardens
arc about all that tho musicians find to
do.
Aside from the union musicians the ere
are several hundred who get their liv'
ing by travelling the streets in sido-
walk bands and picking up any few odd
jobs OF producing alleged music to un
cultivated gatherings. This class ol
players is composed almost entirely ol
recently landed Germans and youthful.
Italians. many musicians of all grades
of ability make their headquarters in
New York City, and accept engage
ments that take them to oil parts of the
country.
The headquarters of the musicians
are located in Fourth street, east of the
Bowery. Several OF tho larger so.
cietics occupy substantial buildings,
while the others rent lodge rooms ii
which they meet evenings. The whole
block is almost entirely monopolized b!
the musicians and dealers in music and
band supplies. Employers in search Of
men to play in bands and orchestras an q
for special entertainments go to Fourth
street to secure musicians. The mum
Der of men who gather in the stoeet il
front of tho headquarters on pleasan
days is SO great that tho street il
blocked. A stranger would think tina
there was fire or some unusual excite
ment that attracted the crowd, but it i
an everyday occurrence. The men ar
making engagements and arranging fo
work with leaders and agents who neet
them. On stormy days the beer garden
do thriving business. as the Germa
. musicians, and other nation alities a
we'll are great beer drinkers. Ye
they are a steady set of men and ar
seldom intoxicated.
In the last few years women hav
taken to playing in bands, and ther
are several excellent female orchestra
/ now performing in different parts of tn
. country. They are paid less than til
: male performers, although they pla
with almost equal ability. Amateu
bands have become quite popular, an
one or two of the best ones in the cit
play as we'll as the average professions
band. The regularly organized band
} of New York City are the regiments
bands. They have leaders who ar
good business men, and who manag
the band as theatrical manager doe
his troup. --[Mail and Express