The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1904-12-09
ACTORS "ecoM" SONGS.
Publishers Fay fer Rendition CT 60.
ads &c roeulsri2e Them.

lsos &C rcSuisri1e Them.
When . young woman is paid from
t1S 10 seo0 week fer singing three
songs twice q day. and ,hen,is given
sYsry now and then silk dress or
iAmond ring fer singing one sonc
vice a day, IL begins 10 look as II
here is abundant compensation in be
ne upon the vaudeville stage.
When a man gets the same money
'or the same three songs twice day
and gets a suit of clothes or q ring
every little while, is IL any wonder
hat SO many men want 10 become
vaudeville actors?
Yet there isn't q music publisher in
chicago or In the United States, for
.ha, matter, who doesn't know that
many high-salaried vaudeville actors
and actresses have 10 be paid extra
every time they sing new song. That
,s one of the secrets OF the music pub
ishing business.
Chicago has become a centre for
ihis industry. Every music publishing
aouse in the country that sells popu.
ar songs has many strange stories
.ocked up in it's desk or in the minds
Of the men connected with the busi.
icss,
The old line houses that publish
standard songs, ballads that have
oeen sang for years. hymns, exercise
cooks, and singing lesson charts have
nothiag To do with this other branch
II exploitation. But everybody who
knows anything about the biz money
here is in successful popular songs
SHOWS many interesting facts about
.he way those songs become popular.
IL must first be understood that ut,
more songs house sells To- the joit
oers and 20 the stores the more monC/
the house makes. The question that
u vital is 10 create demand for the
cong. II is IA 'ough the stage that this
demand is created.
person goes 20 see musical com
edy, light opera, or vaudeville
show. lie or She hears song that
strikes the faacy. often that song is
then bought. To get that person 10 20
to store ard ask for that song IS
the problem
The singers-that is, the profession.
I'll singers--know that IL Is through
them that this demand Is created
They know that as soon as they sing
catchy song people. in the audience
will want 10 buy IL. Although these
singers get good salaries for singing
they feel that In picking up an untried
song they are taking risk. They ex'
pect the publisher Of the soEsg 10 stand
the risk. That IS where the silk dresses
and the suits Of clothes and the sup.
pers and the jewelry come In.
The scouts Of the music publishing
house are instructed To make certain
new song popular. They hunt up AZ
many good singers as they can. They
play the song over for them, lot them
them free as many copies as they
want. In many cases they also give
them more substantial induceWent.
The singer takes the song. Tings Il
In public. keeps singing II in public
ana in O week or two the scnp ~ pop
ular and the sales begin 90 show the
good effect Of the scouts work.
Some singers write their own songs
Others have their songs written for
them. Most OF them depend upon The
output OF the music publishers. often
they demand The right 20 be the only
singer 10 sing the song Ia a certain
week. They want 90 become identi
fod with the song. The publishers
are always willing, for II means mon
ey for them.
The bonus that they pay the singer
comes back 10 them many fold. The
! sales 20 upward at a bound and money
/ flows IN After the man who wrote
the words and the man who wrote the
| music and the man who made The
plates for the song get their money
there is always great deal left tor
the publisher--tbat IS, 81 the song be
comes popular.
! So II IS no wonder that induce mentf
of a valuable pature are freely Offered
90 make the song popular. Chicago
| Tribune.