The suburban citizen., 1902-04-12
RAGTIME AS OLD AS MAN
WAS VENERABLE BEFORE THE M
VENTlOA OF THE ToM.ToM


is as good as any other name" says
Thomas Preston Brooke This rag
time existed centuries before our time,
and it will go on for centuries to
come after we have been forgotten"
"Ragtime," its origin, its status, it's
merits and demerits, and its chances
for perpetuation, have been worrying
musicians with long hair and the public
having long purses ever since popular
song writer a few years ago claimed
to have invented" its rhythm.
When a discriminating public for
public effect had jumped upon ragtime
and its popularity with the hoi polloi,
some one high in the musical world
came forward in its defense. saying
that some of the worlds famous COM
posers had used it in classic music,
that technically it was syncopation,
and under that name was worthy Of
place in any composition. Yet still the
long haired musician and his follow
ers are not reconciled. In the Chicago
Federation of Musicians there is pros
pect of a split in the organization,
leaving the players OF the classic on
ene side and the ragtime champions on
the other. The long-haired men are re-
fusing to associate with the ragtime
men, and the situation is becoming
acute. In Denver last June the Amer
lean Federation of Musicians at its an
nual convention passed a resolution
condemnlng ragtime, and recommend
ing that It's members cease playing it.
In like measure the Dancing Teachers
Association of America and the Nation
al Music Teachers Association arc de-
clared against it and pledged to dis
courage the use of ragtime in every
manner possible.
But against all Of this Brooke'G Chi
cago Marine Band at the Cincinnati
Geological Gardens least season gave
'ragtime concerts" every Wednesday
evening, and in spite Of Cincinnatis
reputation as musical city, these con-
certs drew from $1,000 to $4,000 people
to them every evening. At these con-
certs the best elements of Cincinnatis
population were there, doubling the at
tendances at Wagner and Symphony
concerts. At the Buffalo Exposition
and in every other city in the United
States and Canada where Brooke's
band has played ninety per cent. of the
requests for music have been for the
ragtime selections.
Mr.. Brooke's standing as a composer
Of popular music has given him voice
to be heard on the subject, Especially
is his opinion valuable when it is con-
sidered that not one bar Of ragtime
music occurs in his compositions, and
that while he does not defend it, he
makes it plain that ragtime music is
with the people for all time. Mrs.
James L. Blair, a society leader Of ST.
Louis, declared in a public address
last spring that the Missouri metropo-
lis was a ''ragtime" city, and in the
following talk the bandmaster agrees
with her as to all cities being in the
category.
"Ragtime," said Mr.. Brooke, 'is now
the most generally mooted Of all
themes among musicians, but why such
a subject should threaten to disrupt
the Chicago Federation Of Musicians
is rather difficult to understand when
considered from an intelligent and un-
prejudiced standpoint During the last
year there have been published count
less articles on ragtime, written by
prominent musicians, teachers and
critics, many of whom had something
to say about who discovered or ln-
vented it. Ragtime was not discoy-
cred or invented by any one. Darwin
says music was known and Understood
before words were spoken and be-
lieve that ragtime existed in the lower
animals long before the advent Of man.
1t is simply rhythm or intensified
rhythm, and l have frequently OBJ
served animals keeping time to music
having a strong, marked rhythm.
Rhythm Is the skeleton on which
all music is hung, and if you will strip
the so-called-modern ragtimc of its mel
odies you wifi have the music that has
been in vogue since the beginning OF
time and that is still the only music
of many Of the heather races. 1t is the
'juber, buck and wing dance of the
old plantation hand, and no more in
spring ragtime was ever played than
that which he patted with his hands.
shuft1ed with his feet, or plunked on
his rudely constructed banjo. All the
old-time 'flddlers' were ragtime per-
formers. The backwoods player who
sat perched on a barrel in a corner at
corn-husking bee,' who held his fiddle
at elbow and his bow at half-mast,
played the 'Arkansaw Traveller and
up Duck Greek in a style that would
put to shame many Of the fellows who
claim to have originated what they are
pleased to call 'ragtime.'
"Drummers have played nothing but
ragtime since the invention OF the
irum. The bass drum is now used only
to puDctuate or emphasize the heavy
beats or pulse Of the music, but in the
original 'sheepskin band that has fur
nished martial music for our soldiers
In ktVNaas saA1 a.. a..