The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-02-04
WOMEN IN THE MUSICTRADE
THEY ARE SUCCESSFUL As DE1
SIGNERS AND ENGRIpERX.

''"s ""h '" '"hh' o'"''
Many women are employed IN the producucmaf
sheet music. They do a considerable proportion
oi The engraving II the manuscripts. They fold
and prepare the separate copies for shipment aud
not a Few women are successful designers Of titled
and frontispieces, both for sheet music and to1
music aud song books. Philadelphia has th4
largest number Of women aud girls employed 81
the music engraving and printing houses. Bo1R
ton has a great many, and Cincinnati also anordo
opportunity in this line The greater part ID %
sheet music imported from London and sold By
The American dealers is the outcome Of womauk1
labor Germany has her skilled women mudl
ensraveTs, u number Of whom have come TO thlq
country with their husbands. Several Of tbs bspt
Ne" York engravers employ women exclusively
in their workroOmS
Much Of the sheet music now issued in cheat
form Is printed from type and plates, but hand
engraved music is likely TO br in ID demand az Ions
as there are music manuscripts TO publish. The
first cost Of the type method IL greater than n thu
expense Of the hand engraving, but music can b
duplicated from type more conveniently by tho
printers. However. the man or woman able %
engrave well has abundant work.
One New York woman has an engrayet's plant
of her own, out In \ suburban town, within easy
" phlbh~ Tpf years she mas SupDOtLt
ed herself and family in this business. She has
all the orders She can attend to. both from the
publishers and from private parties. Anothet
woman, quite as skilled, is the wife Of a wells
known music enrra,cr IN who's, Office n numbey
Of girls are employed When the husband goeo
away on a business trip ~ takes a vacation, this
woman conducts the wurkslop aud 50 success-
fully that there is no bIunder in ri lher the artistic
OF The business phase Of the WORK.
Ii takes three uf four years II pc rSIstrut practic~
10 become n flashed music cngra>er. No girl
taken on as n beginner is paid anything for the
first Two months, because her praCuce work 10
costly Aiter thus probationary time, II she gives
evidence Ui TALENT for the work, She gets SO a week.
Later she N emitted 10 dc the filing in Of trans
cribed plates, put Ia making the rests, or the slurs,
the cleils ut pethi marks, anything that has been
purposely left iut her to de- in oder To give her
confidence. Gradually She - trusted more and
more, until She gets fun commaud II her tools.
aud then All entire manuscript Is given TO her,
However wIllihg or industrious, 10 gin is taken
on as apprentice who does not know AT least The
TudlmentS 81 MUSE
The engraving II the musical characters direct
from the manuscript Il almost n mechanical procs
ess once II Is acquired, but a good deal Of tas,s
ana tact are requisite 10 do FIRST class work. Much
81 the amateur manuscript sent To- the cngrayer
Is extremely faulty, ana the more knowledge of
musical IechncalIues possessed by the engraver
me better she X able To- Distinguish the defects
aud correct them Music sent IN through a rslia-
bic publishing house has been previously RonA
over by a professional arr3nger and is plain sale
ing, but that coming in through music teachers
or individuals Is apt 10 be planned on original
methods that are a puzzle, The signs regarding
expression must be guessed AT and also the COM
poser's method Of indicating bars that are TO II
repeated or inserted. The nialoulv II composers
do not work any harder over their copy than is aba
sulutely necessary.
Now, I'm sure there ought to be n rest here 70
correspond with the one above" the expert en1
graVer thinks, 10 going over a manuscript. and
she will proceed TO put IN the rest, often she
makes the turn" bar at the foot Of the sheet q
music fall more fortunately than the music writef
arranged, and she Otherwise improves and shapes
the copy. II u girl IL ever so accomplished an
engrayer and is not sufficiently schooled in musid
10 recognize such discrepancies in the copy he3
value ~ lessened. Song engraving is more diff
cult TO do well than instrumental music, owing -
the number Of words to be- fitted 20 the measure.
\ glll who can be- trusted in all these particulars
earns. $40 a week. She goes To work at $50
O'Clock in the morning, gets an hour for luncheon
time, aud stops work at $50 II she il diligen1
she will engraye nine or ten plates n day. Her
sister worker WHO'S neat and accurate, but wtfhoue
much knowledge uf MUSIC, gets only S8 a week,
Her work has 10 bn laid cut foo her and a careful
eye kept lest she engriveS some bemish or inacs
cuIacy thatorginnlly eSca ped the d directors notice.
There ~ an engrdNeTS shop ON the East Side
where the employees have heen at their benches
for years. There Is no sign Of hurry or the modern
day rush to get through in this toplo ft music
individual fashion, md fasudiouS composers
like 10 have their music printed here. The ti,ls
pages are go, up by the engraver also, and tbs
business seems 50 conservative tina, YOU might
al'noS, expect to find foreigners in charge OF il
instead Of New Workers. On the other side II town
is a big music making factory that turns out the
bulk Of the popular. catchy songs and dance music
Of the day. and prints for the various publishers
who cater a. the country t'adr At this factory
there are three women "ngravers steadily en-
ployed at The more responsible worh and a number
81 young girls engaged ~ folding the music and
preparing IT Toy SIN pnent, \ crest deal Of cheap
music is issued here. sheets with taking frontis-
IN.s.L altta ulIn stIA= lila hast al .ca ~ An
CRAVING - also done at this factory.
Some women who work steadily al engraving
have written satisfactory compositions. not only
that betokened genius, but harmonious songs
and valt2es that met with success at the retailers
counters. one young "ngraNrr, also u musician,
Is in receipt Of more orders than she can supply
Tor designs for music book covers and sheet music
title pages She began by designing fronts-
pieces tu III the songs and Instrumental pieces
that her father arranged he being the arranFer
for a good music house. Her IDEAS were apt and
now when 4 publisher Wishes Ia hrng out a song
or y book Of songs, h" sends thr nile 20 this artist
and she fits I" 1t appropriate design, romantic.
heroic, ar dreamy ana delicate, rs the need may
he Another woman has been successful IN
aryAnglng th" manuscript for hymuAlS and sun
day school song books Many SUNDAY school
songs have been Nni'ru hS women 7 hey have
the proper equipment for touching he =, pulhr
heart and their compositions are welcome IN The
ny mn book editions
Few such fugitive music writer's are able 10
make any Nurtui ulr,ftirum heir r.InrtS They
work IN The music houses either ~ some clerical
"a ndCllN, ~ ~ perl lTilrrS Tor the entertainment
Of visitors Those publishers who srll music
that the factories prnt and who provide mainly
Tor the country trade, have much need .ur women
IN this capacity and the player ur singer has thus
n chance for bringing forward her own CumpuSi-
tons The music composed with his especial
market IN view, must b" taking and popular
mus, have a conspicuous picture M" and have
either n good deal ~ go to II, ur q good shsr.
ol sentiment II II ~ q piece arranged for the
music IeHcherS IN small Village, II mus, ha,.
distinct tune quality 80 Ms iu impress M" Parents
with the iHrl that The pupil j. Progressing
Women are also an plONrd IN 'husn music houses
that make aSI"ClallN uf puuug amusement
companies out un lhe road, ur suIIIN INK talent
fer local entertainments 'IilS with crude voices
ordinary principles II singing '"d customers
who come IN with y tune in heir heads 'uNrll must
some one ~ take that juur Down lut them
IN the piano The tune NAV not b' worth while
hnd The musician must nudge often negroes,
men and women re- "a such music houses PINNED
with some Improvisation hat only needs nam
lnering out on n piano 80 become u rupui"T seller.
he woman interpreter likely ur~,.rrs~s u few
harI ol melody mat % p]ra'i~"i composer can
work NJ INTO q song ~ rag time UIrilcN
\ nnmier 81 women are musical riIiorS. Or
editors fur musrr puhl .Nhrr~ They
'unler WIN IA" eugThNrrN u.s. 700 M" character "
the com position, Simplify ur iG1u' ~ 81. lis from
and Judge ID" new compositions Uttered iur sale.
These women have ~ nearly every tHsa been
in high grade schools ~ hHN" u'i"rwiss
been constantly ~ roniaCi With ml~lr before they
the more rr-puu~InIr I"~'lHu woman
has Tor wears arranged gl IT." MUSIC Used nv 4
known magazine. IN HIu>'f''''n ~ other
" Isa. and has been constantly "ugUEru IN COM
Eling music Libraries fr prominent publishing
1Ouses whose NIrtIAIN j. backs mot music.
Ia characteristic works 81 different ru"rhs. collec-