The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-05-14
GRINDING OUT SONGS
Anyone Can Be Composer Without
Knowing Note.
WRITTEN FOR ALL COMERS
SalarIed Poets Are In Attendance
and Write the Words After the
Musician Has Composed 4.
Piece to Your Satisfaction.

In the world.
You may not know one note from an
other, but that doesn't matter. A few
days ago a representative of the Ex-
aminer went to visit a local musician /
of repute. Before the musician stood |
a superb young woman. She was
whistling. Her ripe, red lips had on |
them a most tempting quicker. She |
whistled few notes and stopped. Then |
the musician, who was armed with |
sheet of music score paper and lead |
pencil, made hieroglyphics on the lines
and spaces on the sheet This was re-
peated several times.
There" said the girl, that is ALL"
A sardonic smile glittered for an in
slant on the musicians face and was
gone. He stepped to piano and
played the melody as 1T had been
whistled to him, at the same time i'm
provising an accompaniment.
WELL" said the girl, interroga-
lively.
She had not the faintest idea of har-
mony or counterpart. She could not
sing. She was entirely ignorant of
what 1t is possible to do with the aver
age voice. Those convenient stairs
from one key to another known as
modulations she had ignored. She fell
dizzily from garnet to basement and
leaped at one bound back again, with
out apology or consciousness, in the
musical structure that she had erect
ed.
IT must change it some" said the
musician.
"Oh, yes, expected that" said she.
81 furnish the musical idea and you do
the back work"
Once more there was a glimmer of
fun in the musicians eyes. He re-
quested the girl to call again in few
days. II 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 go to-
gether."
"Of course my name will go on the
sheet when Ii 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
''Tite Barnacle' would have called "a
well-groomed young woman" Her
ears and hands were small and aristo-
cratic. Her manner. now that she had
stopped puckering her lips to whistle,
was a little naughty. Evidently she
had not previously thought about the
words of the song. The Mephistophe-
lean suggestion of the musician was
as musical distinction. She took it all,
musical and literary, bait hook and
line, with a little gasp. 1t has been
said that sit is just as well to be hung
for a sheep as for a lamb" and she
adopted that view with little hesita-
ton. When the music sheet comes out,
with a sentimental title, this rosy bru-
nette 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 mu-
sic publisher put out list of about SOC
San Francisco compositions last year,
and according to the head of the firm
very few appeared as they were origi-
nally conceived. What appeared to be
odd about the episode first mentioned
was the perfection of the facilities fur
nished for taking down a musical COM
position The musician wrote on his
music score paper with the speed and
certainty of a stenographer. In fact
he was for the time musical aman'
uensis When the girl had left him he
became the poor composer in fact.
George w. Hetzel comes in contact
with many people who have musica
ideas without musical knowledge. He
literally takes notes as they revea
their ideas. Being a composer, he /;
versed in the knowledge necessary Il
make these ideas practicable. He l!
compelled to cast the tune for th'
range of voice for which ii is bes
adapted. People whistle, sing. play thu
banjo and thump the piano at him
Then he turns the idea into musica
composition.
Hugo V. Schlam of the musical pub
fishing firm of Broder & Schlam fur
nished some amusing facts. MI
Schlam says that only popular songs
which are in the range of ordinar.
singers, and dance tunes are compose'
It'd ted fG Tan
difficult for any person with a musica
idea to get a song, words and music
credited to him. When the compost
ton is ready for publication il has littl
resemblance to the idea of the repute
author. Very likely the originator ha
a little story that he desires to hav
worked up" into a song, but the word
are beyond him or her, and paid poe
has to do the work Well-to-do people
in the financial sense. and often poore
people are willing to assume author
shin with very little claim TO it. Va
riety singers sometimes adopt TIL
method of gaining fame. San Francisc
is peculiar in having a larger numbe
of persons, young and old. who wish
be known as composers of popula
songs than any other community {
similar size. The names of all such al
kept in confidence.
There is California editor VIII
figures on a music sheet as author {
the music and words of a sentiment
song. the words of which embody
real experience in his life. The shes
bears a picture Of the composer. tt
reputed author does not know mol
of music.
An odd case was mentioned by NJ
Schlam. An elderly bachelor resides
San Francisco. who, early in life, To-
his childish sweetheart. She fell ov'
a cliff into the ocean. Her body va
never recovered. He was so shocke
by the occurrence which he witnesse
having lust been playing with the lit
girl. that he has never married. ii
rnelanchnlV has increased with q