The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-07-18

painstaking, but without the musical
knowledge that would admit of her taking
| responsibility, gets IS a week. Her work
| is done under close supervision.
one New York woman has supported her.
| self and family for years as a music en-
graver. She works at her own home in
suburban town, and the publishers and
composers who have employed her pro-
nounce her work second TO none in the
| trade Several apprentices work under her
direction. Another woman, the wife of
/ busy engraver. who employs a staff of
girls, takes entire charge of the workshop
| when her husband is absent. She is her
self a practical engraver. and conducts the
business successfully that there is
| blunder in any department, either artistic
| or mechanical.
A certain engraver's shop on the East
| Side has kept the same staff OF employees
! for more than a generation. There Is
token of the modern scramble to get
| is done in quiet. thorough manner: hand
| presses are used, and the most exacting
| composers like TO take their manuscripts
| there to be engraved The headings and
/ title pages are designed by the engraver
| also, and the entire plant seems individual
| and more like od-world occupation than
| most in this busy city.
VARIOUS OCCUPATIONS.
On the farther side of town is a manu-
factory that sets afoat quantities of the
songs and variety show music now popular.
| Three practiced women engravers have
| STEADY Work lneIe on the nlsner grace
music, and twenty or more young girls fold
and sort the pieces and pack them for ship
| ment to the retail counters all over the
| country. All the frontispieces these girls
handle are gay with color. The music score
| itself seems quite subordinate to the words
! and the character sketches that set of the
| title.
There are several women in New York
who musical editors and assist in
ranging all the music used by book or mag
azine publishing houses. IL an accepted
| article deals with music, and is TO be IL
| Illustrated with bars or couplets showing
what the writer has in mind, IL is turned
| over TO the music editor that il may be
| arranged without flaw. Ii may be about
the songs of birds or the songs of scandi-
| musical notes used as instances must be
| apt and accurate, and tactful woman IA
| miliar with music technicaities finds the
| arranging of such work congenial- Promi-
| nent publishing houses whose leading fea-
| ture is books. frequently print side line
| of music volumes, Libraries Of select COM
| posers songs collected for the family circle,
| characteristic music of certain epochs, etc.
An editor is needed for this department,
and woman's services give satisfaction.
| The editor confers with the music engraver
| as to the nature of the compositions; she
simplifies or adapts such selections from
| cantata or opera as the house may wish TO
| publish, and judges the new compositions
| or new compilations of familiar music Of
| fered for publication.
| ners are printed and sent out all over the
| country, and woman who has been
| music teacher herself. and knows the needs
| and the tastes of music scholars in the
| mass and singly. is notably qualified 10
| get up such a collection. The big piano
| houses and dealers in musical instruments
| often employ women to manage what might
| be called the music literature that goes
toward illustrating the uses of their wares
| This post is one afording congenial work
! to woman who understands music. but
| who may not be performer herself. And
| the position also affords good pay. a per-
| he hor ig a IL
| fed. and pleasant surroundings. Women
| proficient in music can also fnd positions
| In music houses that make business OF
sending variety companies on the road. or
ments. Young girls with far-reaching but
| crude voices have TO be trained in the rudi-
| in from the street with tune in their
| heads TO sell need a tactful musician to
| take that tune down for them on the piano
| The musician must judge whether or not
| the skeleton tune is OF sufficiently catchy
quality TO warrant the house bothering
| with IL. IL frequently happens that some
| such improvisation only needs a few bars
added and a few changes introduced to
become a popular s f Prac d,s
| as construed by the woman interpreter. and
| does II over into something seemly and
| pleasing.
ENGRAVER AND ARTIST.
Some professional women engravers have
composed occasional waltzes and songs
| that brought in profit to the publishers.
! One young engraver and musician is sue
cessful in supplying designs for music book
| covers and frontspieces Her father be-
ing the arranger for busy music house.
she started out by suggesting title pages
| 10 ft the songs and instrumental pieces
| that he prepared Her ideas were liked.
and now when the publisher has a new
| composition at the engraver's he sends this
| young woman the title Of the piece or of
/ the song and she draws for Illustration
something which suits its character. An
other woman arranges the manuscript for
| Sunday school and evangelistic song books
and hymnals. A number OF popular Sunday
| school songs were composed by women.
They have the proper temperament for
reaching popular taste in this regard But
/ few such music writer's are enabled 10 sup
port themselves on the results of their
compositions. They generally work I'm the
music houses either as clerks or piano
players for the diversion Of customers.
| Publishers who supply what is termed the
country trade like 10 have women mu-
sicians In their rooms 10 try over music
! for customers. and the singer or player
/ II she be a composer herself has thus
chance for bringing forward her own
! pieces. Music Of this sort must have either
/ plenty Of sentiment or OF sprightliness TO
become popular. The music must have
/ taking picture title on the outside. and II IL
/ is meant 10 be used by music teachers IN
/ small villages IL must have striking tone
/ quality so as 10 give parents lively con-
! seriousness OF the pupils progress.
The monograph has opened a fresh field
/ for the woman singer Of mediocre attain
/ ments. thriving bureau conducted by
! two women makes the supplying OF phono-
graph singers a speciality. a woman able
10 sing pleasing melodies OF her own into
| the instrument gets - cents song The
phonographs when duly stocked are dis
patched 10 music dealers stationerS and
/ druggists shops all over the country.
|