The San Francisco call., 1906-04-08
under the MOI

under the monkeys cage, surrepuuous
on-looker
He As himself the cynosure. giving sec
ond place 20 the once lordly elephant
and when the band begins 20 play he
IL. 20 borrow his own words right IN IT
not an envious. admiring straggler in
the hands wake. but the very band IT.
self.
II YOU doubt IL just keep your eyes
and your ears-open on the occasion OF
some big celebration and be prepared 10
he surprised by the number OF little boy
bands that take part IN IT, and also by
the excellence OF the part they take.
Some good angel OF small boys in the
course Of sociological inquiry discovered
that music is an important factor In the
education and regeneration of the world
and particularly OF the rampant. irrepres-
Aible boy-world. The same good angel
showed further wisdom in hitting upon
the right Kind OF music fer boys. after
having. perhaps. discovered the futility OF
tying the ordinary boy 20 piano stool TO
practice scales. OF locking him In a room
go many hours a week with violin or
mandolin
And the result is the organization and
training OF little boy bands in the most
progressive clubs schools and institu-
tions whore boys are herded for their
own and the general good.
The wisdom Of the undertaking is mani
lest in The really delightful performances
OF the little boys brass bands, and is
further evident in the long line OF recruits,
from six 10 twelve years old. who prae-
tice ia secret and live on the hope OF
some day getting into the band OF their
esp cial club or school or home.
la the average boy mind-by what pro-
cess Of reasoning only boy may know
some sort Of ignominy attaches 10 plano
playing violin bowling and the twanging
Of the light guitar However much he
NAV like the musie-and like it he does in
his inmost soul-he'n say OF the musician,
u he's a boy musician. "Aw, he's
sissy" And. Of course that settles H.
There is no deeper depth OF degradation
IN the boy world.
But give that same boy a brass horn
70 blow. a drum 10 heat or a bugle 10
tooJlo. and it's all right. That is. indeed,
real Boys wSrk'
Hence the popularity with boys OF the
little boys brass bands. and therefore the
excellence OF the bands
There are boys bands in plenty. and
thar of he l. agus Of the Cross Cadets is
~ course the flower OF them ALI the
mode. and he envy. bat that is not in
cluded in the catalogue ,of little boys
banas Nor Is tie senior band Of the
columbia PARK Boys club, which has a
reputation al up and down the coast.
These are boys bands. 10 be sure.
but. they are big boys bands and the
wonderfully good work they do Is TO be
expected ~ them.
The real little boys bands are those
~ the r. IA. .. A.. which stands for
Paclne Hebrew Orphan Asylum. OF the
Masonic Home. OF 81. Vineent'S Orphan
Asylum and the Junior Band OF the Co
lumbia Park Boys Club
These are the really. truly little boys
bands. for the players in them range
ftom ? 70 IA years in age. and the aver
age is from 40 10 ~ years.
The Oldest little boys band is. in
point of priority OF Organization, that
a, the Paeiae Hebrew Asylum. and il
IS the youngest as wen when il comes
a. the ages Of the players. for there are
little chaps in II no longer than the
trombone that is their pride.
The 4. H. O. A. band was organized
fourteen or fifteen years aEo by Henry
Ma0ser. who was then and is now the
superintendent Of the asylum. and il
MAS his recognition OF the edueatiOna
and formative and ameliorative- value
OF music that prompted him 10 add ths
tFaining OF a band 10 his many Other
duties
glc was its frst musical director. It's
nrst header, IS Well as its founder. anC
he says that hnding enough boys under
his eharge 20 form a hand was not such
q difieult task as il might appear, foi
the jews being an emotional people arr
also a musical people. and the llttls
musicians were all about him ready fol
the eall that would awaken the latent
talent
Al It's beginning the P. H. o A. band