Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-07-08
EASY SONG WRITING.
ANY ONE CAN BE A COMPOSER WITH
OUT KNOWING A NOTE.

Written While You Wait-Salaried Poets
Are In Attendance to Furnish the Words.
Your Name Goes on the Sheet.
Do you want to be known as COM
poser Of music? It is the easiest thing
in the world
You may not know one note from an
other, but that doesn't matter. A few
days ago representative Of The Exam
iner went to visit local musician of re-
pute Before the musician stood SUI
peru young woman. She was whistling.
her ripe, red lips had on them most
tempting quicker. She whistled few
notes and stopped. Then the musician.
who was armed with sheet of music
score paper and a lead pencil, made hier-
oglyphics on the lines and spaces on the
sheet. This was repeated several times
There, . said the girl, 'sthat is all. %
A sardonic smile glittered for an in
slant on the musicians face and was
gone. He stepped to a piano and played
the melody as it had been whistled to
him, at the same time improvising an
accompaniment.
"Well?'' said the girl interrogatively.
She had not the faintest idea Of har-
mony or counterpoint. She could not
sing.
II must change it some,'' said the
musician.
"Oh, yes, expected that" said she.
Il furnish the musical idea and you do
the back work. -
Once more there was glimmer Of
fun in the musicians eyes. He request
ed the girl to call again in few days.
II will have one Of our poets write
words for it, . said he, and when you
come again you can see how you like it.
You will see how they go together: y
OF course my name will go on the
sheet when it is published?''
Certainly. Do you want to be known
as the author of the words?''
The girl blushed rather painfully.
The heightened color made her look
rather more superb She was tall,
willowy brunette, with glowing black
eyes and rich olive complexion, on
which her blush played prettily. Her
attire was fashionable and the fit was
perfect. Altogether she was what lite
Barnacle would have called "a well
groomed young woman. Her ears and
hands were small and aristocratic. Her
manner, now that she had stopped puck
ering her lips to whistle was a little
naughty. Evidently she had not previ-
ously thought about the words of the
song. The Mephistophelean suggestion
of the musician was tempting. His bait
was literary as well as musical distinc-
ton. She took it all, musical and liter
airy, bait, hook and line, with little
gasp. 1t has been said that 'sit is just
as well to be hung for a sheep as for
lamb, and she adopted that view with
little hesitation When the music sheet
comes out, with sentimental title,
this rosy brunette will be heralded as
both musician and poetess
This is not an uncommon occurrence
in San Francisco, SO it was said by those
who ought to know. A local music pub
Usher put ont a list of about 500 San
Francisco compositions last year, and,
according to the head Of the firm, very
few appeared as they were originally
conceived. What appeared to be odd
about the episode first mentioned was
the perfection Of the facilities furnished
for taking down musical composition. |
The musician wrote Oh his music score
paper with the speed and certainty Of |
stenographer. In fact, be was for the |
time musical amanuensis. When the |
girl had left him, he became the poor |
composer in fact
George W. HetZel comes in contact |
with many people who have musical
ideas without musical knowledge. He
literally takes notes as they reveal their
ideas. Being a composer, he is versed in
the knowledge necessary to make these
ideas practicable. He is compelled to |
cast the tune for the range Of voice for
which it is best adapted. People whistle, |
sing, play the banjo and thump the
piano at him. Then he turns the idea
into a musical composition. Hugo V.
Schlam Of the musical publishing firm
of Broder & Schlam furnished some
amusing facts. Mr. Schlam says that
only popular songs, which are in the
range Of ordinary singers, and dance
tunes are composed on the plan here in
Dictated It is not difficult for any person
with musical idea to get song, words
and music, credited to him. When the
composition is ready for publication it
has little resemblance to the idea of the
reputed author. Very likely the origi-
nator has little story that he desires
to have worked up into a song, but
the words are beyond him or her, and a
paid poet has to do this work. Well to
do people, in the financial sense, and
often poorer people are willing to as
sumo authorship with very little claim
to it. Variety singers sometimes adopt
this method Of gaining fame.
An odd case was mentioned by Mr..
Schlam. An elderly bachelor resides in
San Francisco, who, early in life, lost
his childish sweetheart. She fell over
cliff into the ocean. Her body was never
recovered. He was SO shocked by the
occurrence which he witnessed, having
just been playing with the little GIRL
that he has never married. His melan-
choly has increased with the fight OF