Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-07-14
EASY SONG WRITING.
ANY ONE CAN BE A COMPOSER WITH
OUT KNOWING A NOTE.

You Suggest tho idea, and the Song Is
Written While Ton wait-Salsried 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? 1t 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 q representative Of The Exam
liner went tovisit q local musician Of re-
pute. Before the musician stood SUI
perb young woman She was whlstling.
Her ripe, red lips had ON them most
tempting pucker. She whistled few
notes and stopped. Then the musician,
who wac armed with sheet of music
score paper and q lead pencil, made hier-
oglyphics ON the lines and spaces on the
sheet. This was repeated several times.
There" said the girl, THAT is all"
A sardonic smile glittcred for an in
| slant cn the musicians face and was
gone. He stepped to q piano and played
the melody as it had been whistled to
him, at the same time iriprovising all
accompaniment.
"Well:" said the girl interrogativcly
| She had not the faintest idea Of har-
mony or counterpoint. She could not
sirg.
II must change it some" said the
musician
"Oh, yes, I expected that" said she.
Il furnish the musical idea and you do
the back work.
Once more there was Tlimmer OF
fun in the musicians eyes. lie request
ed the girl tc call again in u few days.
Il will have one OF our poets write
words for it. ;" said he, land when you
come again you can see how You like it.
You will see how they 90 together.
"Of course nay name viii so on the
sheet when it is published:"
Certainly. Do you want to be known
as the author Of the words:''
The girl hlushed rather painfully
The heightened color made her lool;
rather more superb. She was q 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 Tite
Barnacle woald have called "a wei!
groomed young woman. Her cars and
hands were small and aristccrat1c Her
manner, now that she had stopped puck
ering her lips to whistle, was /. little
haugh:y Evidently she had not previ-
ously Thought about the words of the
song The Mephistophclean suggestion
Of the musician was tempting. His bal,
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 lit is just
Us well to be hung for q Sheep as for q
lamb, ard she adopted that view with
little hesitation. When the music sheet
comes out, with sentimental title,
this rosy brunette will be heralded q
both musician and poetess
This is not an uncommon occurrence
in San Francisco. so it was s:sid by thost
who ought to know. A local music pub
Usher put out n list of about 500 SaI
Francisco compositions last year, and
according to the head of the firm, very
,, few appeared as they were originally
conceived. What appeared to be ode
about the episode first mentioned wa.
the perfection Of the facilities furnished
for taking down a musical composition
The musician wrote on his music scor,
! paper with the speed and certainty Of
stenographer. In fact, he was for the
time musical amanuensis. When the
girl had left him, he became the poo
7 composer in fact
! George W. Hetzel comes in contac,
with many people who have musica
ideas without musical knowledge. II,
1 literally takes notes as they reveal thei,
ideas. Being a composer, he is vcrsed il
the knowledge necessary to make thes,
4 ideas practicable. He is compelled II
u cast the tune for the range of voice fo
which it is best adapted. People whistle
sing. play the banjo and thulnp tn,
piano at him. Then he turns the ide:
into musical composition. Hugo v
: Schlam Of the musical publishing firm
! of Broder Sc Schlan furnished SOM
amusing facts. Mr. Schlam says tina
: only popular songs, which are in tn
range of ordinary singers, and dane
tunes are composed ON the plan here in
Dictated. 1t is not difficult for any persol
with musical idea to get song, word
y and music, credited to him. When tn
!, composition is ready for publication i
has little resemblance to the idea of tn
reputed author. Very likely the origi
nator has little story that he desire
l. to have worked up into a song, bu
- the words are beyond him or her, and
y paid poet has to do this work. Well t
= do people. in the financial sense. an
), often poorer people are willing to as
- sumo authorship with very little CLAIM
= to it. Variety singers sometimes ador
!. this method of gaining fame.
An odd case was mentioned by Nj
:, Schlan- An elderly bachelor resides i
San Francisco. who. early in life, los
his childish sweetheart She fell over
:. cliff into the ocean. Her body was nevo
:. recovered. He was so shocked by til
= occurrence which he witnessed. havin
- just been playing with the little CIR
that he has never married. His melaI
choly has increased with the flight {
wears Recently he caused q sorg-basc