Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1889-08-31
SONG WRITER'S.
A Publisher Tells Why SO Many Of
Them Arc Not Successful.


majority OF unsuccessful song writer's ana
composers sing In the sad and weeping
willow strain. Instead OF composing u
p@an of Joy, that celebrates and arouses
hope within the human breast, they sing
of disappointed love, OF blasted hope and
a darksome future. There are more EN-.
hryo Manfreds In the country than any
body outside OF the business can imagine.
But, unlike Manfred, existence is sweet to
them aud they are irrepressible.
''rhere are two kind OF pessimistio song
writers; The Mark Topley type, that COM
pose such songs as Mother Bury Me
Deep Beneath the Daisies" aud who are
so sanguine of success that "a hundred fail :
ures do not daunt them; aud the hypo-
chondriacs who cannot be suppressed, but
devote large amount OF time TO bewail-
lug the degenerancy OF the age In not ap.
preciating true genius. They forget that
the era of trashy sentimental songs has
passed and that optisn Is tue key TO sue
cess OF some OF the most noted song writers
and composers. More depends upon tho
music OF song than Its words 10 make 10
success. Some very trashy verses set TO
music frequently catch the popular fancy
simply through the Inspiration Of the com
poser and not the poetaster.
what special style Of song writer's and
composers are popularW A q =.
Topical songs certainly are the most
popular and bring In more money than
serious works. The life OF even the most
popular topical song though isephemeral
mud after three or four months IL loses
favor, not because the public is flekle. but
for the very good reason that the opera or
Ia al nlaU xNk kA "a t,t0htlv
given has gone to some other city or been
taken off the boards for another play.
'Razzle Dazzle, 1.-THE Dotlet on the Eye,
and Read the Answer In the Stars, all
Ind n popular run as long as they were
sung nightly IN the theatres. The
boys whistled them on the streets and the
ambitions amateurs aud 'mnsicNl young
ladies NIL rushed to buy the songs thathad
caught the popular fancy. II is the same
with every topical song. very few live long
after the operas In which they were sung
have been taken off the boards. But there
are songs composed 10y Sullivan, Tosti,
and others, that have popularity that
time cannot entirely destroy. Whenever
Tosti or Sullivan compose the music OF a
song naturally 10 has u greater sale than
some Of their previous efforts. The Lost
Chord still has fair sale, and The Earl
King is to-day popular concert aud par
lor song. Some songs that have been for.
gotten for years suddenly come into favor.
'Rock-a Bye Baby for instance, has been
revived simply on account OF its being
sung every night at the 'Old Homestead
play. Stephen C. Foster composed some
songs along In the sixties that still strike
the popular chord. such Ms .Old Black
Joe, My Old Kentucky Home, and others
The music In them Is melody and the tunes
can becarried by singers who cannot read
music" aft
DO you have many songs offered 10
your tns "a I'M
YES. scores OF them arc brought in aud
reach inc by mail every day. About ono
in twenty-five is accepted. The number OF
young and ambitious song writer's and
composers in America u far greater than
any outsider would suppose. | have q
skilled professor aud teacher who has de-
voted forty years 10 passing upon the
merits OF musical compositions aud as yet
j have no cause TO complain OF his judg.
ment. lie is conscientious, unparalleled
and knows the value OF popular music.
As soon as receive song set TO music
give 1t 10 him to try and always abide by
his decision. am no tyroin music myself
and there are hundreds of manuscripts
sent In that can see at glance have no
merit, because the author does not under
stand how to write music. Without bars
aud time marked we cannot tell much
about a composition. l cannot recall a
single instance where a song has been re.
jected That was afterwards published and
proved success. Errors OF judgment
though, can be made. for even in music
there are no inf,llible standards. IL a
musical examiner does nothing else he is
apt TO fall into ruts, aud become fanatic
on the subject OF style In music. II he
teaches and goes among the people he Is
bound to know what Is acceptable TO them.
1t is his duty to 90 to comic and grand
operas, and concerts and, indeed, to keep
thoroughly abreast OF the popular TASTE"
"Do you have many ladies In your daily
list of aspiring authorsi" -.......----.
"A great many and most OF them young.
They write song aud set them to sad,
plalntiye music, that would answer just
Us well for a funeral dirge or Laplantlers
dance. These songs have sad theme OF
love running through them, and ma
jority belong to the class Of. sentimental
songs we call walters II were asked to
give advice to the young lady song writers
l would first ask them not to wall, but
write farcical or topical song, and grad
ually work up to pure, healthy sentiment,
Where young lady has talent for song
music II Is generally Of a higher order.
Tho best song writers though. are men, and
| think that Is owing to the fact that they,
as rule. are not so ultra sentimental.
Recently n pale young man, scarcely
twenty, came In, gave me a manuscript
aud confdentially informed me that he
had been called by many friends another
Beethoven. His composition did not merit
any praise whatever. and was not even
accepted. Song writers and composers
should remember that song music rs well
as instrumental music is graded from
number one to number seven. Number
one is the easiest to play and the beginner
doing five finger exercises is usually given
this grade. Songs Lave to be composed
for the beginners, the young people that
are being taught to sing and play, and
those who compose should remember this
and not be too vaulting in their ambitions.
We want song composers who are modest
enough to do something easy, with asweet.
simple strain for basis. AS a rule 1t Is
an easy, melodious song that takes better
In comic opera, than heavy, difficult
arias and barcarolles. What would ths
'Yoeman of the Guard have been without
the Little Madrigar and the ballad 'Wer,
j thy brider Dlxey's farce play, Adonis
received immense aid from his topical
song 1T is English, You Kuow,' and the
Black Hussar was made more sparkling
by the Interpolation of oh, hey, Mama
The style OF the latter song is popular still
and Were L thy Bride is not called fol
often. IL Ia English, You Know has no'
been published and Of course has no sale