The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-27
POPULAR SONGS
If YOU HAVE THE LUCK TO SUCCEED
YOUR FORTUNE Is MADE.
Present Popularity of the "Rag-1ime''
"COOn" Songs and How 1t Came
AbOut-AristOcrats of Music.
Baltimore Sun.

Baltimore Sun.
Write successful popular song and your
fortune is made"
This is a statement that is heard every
day The real aristocrats of music are no
longer the Mozarts, the Gounods or the
Wagners. To be sure it is an aristocracy
of wealth, but money talks, and the hun
dreds of thousands of copies of popular
songs which are sold tell story that would
make the classical composer shudder.
1t is probably not an exaggeration to say
that the author of some of the recent ia
vorite songs has earned more in royalties
from one composition that Wagner got from
his operas during his whole life. Allowing
amply for the exaggeration of publishers,
it is well known that the sale of certain
songs has exceeded 100000 copies. If the
author receives cents as a royalty on each
song he finds that by the time his effusion
has 'effused' itself out he is the gamer of
SIS 900, not hard-earned, but none the less
welcome dollars. 1t is an alluring field, and
this is the way to make your fortune ind-
Gated by a successful local writer: First,
write the song, always taking care to con-
form to the popular demands. Then hunt
out publisher. A few years ago there
were only two, and now there are more
exclusively to this style Of song.
All this labor may, however, go for
naught if the publisher cannot command a
regiment of vaudeville singers, who will sing
the song in the different variety theaters
throughout the country. Besides this he
must be able to marshal brigade of
tired italian noblemen who are masquerad-
ing as perpatetic street pianists in the
different big cities. These gentlemen, for
so much day, can be induced to grind
out your fortune. They do not grind slow
ly, or even finely, but your fortune is ground
none the less surely.
These prelminaries having been completed,
provided always that the words are suf-
ficiently up to date and the tune catchy,
the happy author may proceed to buy his
diamonds. The men who have been most
successful with their songs are the men
who have published them at their own ex-
pense and then have attended to the man
agerial arrangements as well.
POPULARITY. OF THE DARBY SONG.
What is the latest thing in popular
songs?" was the question put to a we'll
known music-halI singer now appearing in
one of the Baltimore theaters.
AT present we are using a line of war
songs, army songs, navy songs, Dewey
songs, soldiers farewells, Break the News
to Mother variety. but this is only pass
ing phase. 1t is the coon song that is do
ing the business
How do you account for the popularity
of this type?"
Wei, you see it is this way. The Irish
song is at present what you might call
quiescent. 1t had been discovered that Nc
Nuty, Clancy and McCloskey had been
working overtime, so somehow or other they
made the colored population get to work.
ways. with US but this kind. while it is
the melancholy and romantic gallery does
not sell so Well and 1t is the sale of
song that indicates its popularity. There
are not many Of the matinee girls who care
to sing My Mother Was Lady, or Dads
the Engineer or Take Back Your Gold
You see that style of song is not altogether
very chic to be able to MARBLE to vaciilat-
ing rag-tme accompaniment The Georgia
Camp Meeting and He Cert'n'y Was Good
to Me-. And then this rag-time business
has done the rest"
but what is your definition of rag
timer . the enthusiastic artist was asked.
We'll, the extensive literature on this
subject will explain it best. Now here's a
ragtime primer At this juncture he pro-
duced big piece of sheet music. with the
picture Of a young man looking very
happy in dress suit This young fellow.
pointing to the picture and reading, claims
TO be the original instructor TO the stage of
the now popular ragtime in Ethiopian
so1g. LIE author guarantees 70 teacn any
body who can play the piano little bit
how to play in ragtime. The preface says
ragtime Cor negro dance time) originally
takes its imitation steps from Spanish mlu-
sic or rather from Mexico where ii is
known under the head and names of Ha-
banara Seguidilla- etc. being nothing but
consecutive music either I'm treble or bass
followed by regular time in one hand In
common and two-four time the quarter note
OF the bass precedes the melody In other
words IL Is what the musicians call synco-
patton, and this change Of accent In the ac-
compartment Is kept up continually IN the
same way as the beat of snare drum.
This method shows the pupil how to pIav
a ragtime accompaniment TO any piece
Here is even an arrangement of old Hum
dred.' Annie Laurie and the hymn Come
Thou Fount Of Every Blessing Wonderful.
isn't it,
How long has this kind OF accompani-
ment been n useg' was the next question