Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-11-17
EASY SONG WRITING.
ANY ONE CAN BE A COMPOSER WITH
OUT KNOWING A NOTE.
vou Suggest the Idea, and the Song Ii
Written Will. You Wait-sslsried Poets
Your Name Goes ON the sheet.

Do you want 10 be known "a 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
inor went - visit local musician of re
pute. Before the musician stood a SUI
perb young woman. She was whistling
Her ripe, red lips had on them a most
tempting pucker She whistled few
notes and stopped. Then the musician,
who WIS arIncd with sheet Of music
score paper and lead pencil. made hier-
oglyphics on the lines and spaces on the
sheet. This was repeated several times
"Therc, - 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 IL had been whistled 10
him, at the same time improvising an
accompaniment
Well said the girl interogatiyely.
She had Lot the faintcst idea Of har-
mony or counterpoint She could not
sing
II must change it some, said the
musician.
"Oh, yes. expected that. :" said she
II 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
Il 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 60 together.
"Of course my name will go ON the
sheet when il Is publishedF'
Certainly. Do you want TO BE- known
as the author of the wordsF'
The girl blnshed rather painfully.
The heightened color made her look
rather more superb She was tall,
willowy brunette. with glowing black
eyes and Il rich olive complexion, on
which her blush played prettily. Her
attire was fashionable and the III was
perfect Altogether she was what Tite
Barnacle would have called "a well
groomed young woman. Her ears and
hands were small and aristocratic. Hcr|
manner. now that she had stopped puck
ering her lips 90 whistle, was little
naughty. Evidently she had not previ-
ously thought about the words OF the
song. The Mephistophclean suggestion
Of the musician was tempting his balt
was literary n well a. musical dis,lnc-
ton. She took it all, musical aud liter
airy, bait, hook and line, with little
gasp. II has been said that 1T Is just
as well TO b. hung for a sheep as for u
lamb, and she adopted that view with
little hesitation. When the music beet
comes out, with sentimental title,
this rosy brunette Will be herald d a.
both musician and poctess.
This j. not an uncommon occur enco
in San Francisco, so II was said by hose
who ought 10 know \ local music pub
Usher put out list Of about 300 San
Francisco compositions last year, and
according to the head of the firm, vory
few appeared rs they were originally
conceived What appeared TO be odd
about the episode first mentioned was
the perfection Of the facilities furnished
for taking down IA musical composition.
Tho musician wrote on his music score
paper with the speed and certainty of "A
stenographcr. In fact, he was for the
time "a musical amanuensls. When the
girl had left him. he became the poor
composer in fact.
George ". Hetzcl comes in contact
with many people who have musical
| ideas withCut ma. icdl knowledge. he
literally takes notes as they reveal their
| ideas. Being "A composer, he i versed IN
| the knowledge necessary 10 make these
| ideas practicable H. Is compelled 10
cast the tune for the range Of voice for
which il 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 '.
| Schlam of the musical publishing firm
| Of Broder d Schlam furnished some
amusing facts Mr. Schlam says that
only popular songs, which are III the
range Of ordinary singers, and dance
tunes are composed on the plan here in
dicated. 1t is not difficult for any person
with q musical idea to get song, words
| and music, credited To him. When the
composition is ready for publication 1t
has little resemblance 10 the idea Of the
,l-..Iw l,.aL Lrsffg ~.
nator has little story that he desires
20 have worked up" into song, but
the words are beyond him or her, and
paid poet has TO do this work Well to
| do people, III 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 MIR.
Schlam. An elderly bachelor resides III
San Francisco, who, early in life, lost
his childish sweetheart. She fell over
| Riff 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 flight OF
years. Recently he caused a song-based
on this early experience, the music and
words of which were composed for him
to be published. His name is on the
cover Of the music sheet as composer.
One explanation Of such phenomena
is that music is published very cheaply.
The cost of 100 copies is only about s2O
If the cover of the music is plain. There
were 60, 900 musical compositions turned
out from American presses last year.
Hardly more than dozen songs Were a
popular success. This need not deter the
musically ambitious, who can, If they
find the proper place, become composers
while you wait San Francisco E1-
aminer.
What He Wanted.