The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1907-06-06
1fousic: from a F(on=ff)usician's
Viewpoint.

Pdper Read Before the ChautauQua Circle.
L HAS been good many years since
l hung up the fiddle and the hoe
i the shovel and the bow, and that's
why I labeled this paper "Music
from a Non-musicians's Viewpoint
Nevertheless, at ole time in my mete.
oric career had the sublime honor OF
attracting considerable attention by
manipulations on a four-stringed in.
strument known to non-musicians az
the violin; and to violinists as the sol.
ace in time of grief, joy for idle mo.
ments, and an instrument of marvellous
power. Had ! not attracted so much
attention, right at the beginning, l
might have been-but what's the use
of dreamingp Suffice it to say that
one day found my Stradavus splin-
tered and my musical career was
smashed; for, said the head of the
household, If you want to make a noise
then 60 out to the fsrzend of the corn
field and yell. Since then 1 have
learned little about music and have
embodied trifle of said knowledge
herein.
1t is an indisputable fact that "mu-
sic hath charms to soothe the savage
breast" and to soothe the civilized be-
ings. The reason is apparent. From
the cradle to the grave we have music
dinned into. our protuberant append
age. The sweetest Of all music is, per-
haps, the low, soft, lullaby that watts
the infant to dreamland; next is the
sweet trilling of the fairest of the fair,
and then comes the sweet notes of the
heavenly choir. But all thru our al
lotted time on this mundane sphere
we cannot escape music. In the din
and turmoil of the cities there are mu.
sical sounds to trained aud unframed
ears. 1t may he in the rafting of
trunks; the stepping of heels upon
macadamized streets, on cobbIestones,
or plank sidewalks; in the call of the
huckster; in the whir, whir, of car
wheels; in the tolling of bells, etc. OF
course, 1t may be drawing the point
to consider such noise as music, but it
Is music to non.musicians- least, as
much so as these par excellent compo-
sitions branded with the names of
Tannhauser, Puccini, Debussy, Wag-
ner, Strauss, MacDowell, Mozart, or
Beethoven. Isn't this soY Sure. Again,
were you to go way back and sit down
in some dugout N the far West you
could not escape m music. It would
De there; maybe 9 call of prairie
chickens, or the il iitable sweet har-
monious thrilling of coyotes would be
borne on the salubrious air to fntox-
icate your aesthetic soul-or make you
wish you were nearer to civilization.
AS 1 said those sounds may not come
under the head of music, strictly speak
ing, but I derive as much, possibly
more enjoyment from them than do
from one of those heart-rendering
compositions played by Italian organ
grinders s-which resembles selections
rendered by long-haired Paderweski.
l have no desire to cast any depreci-
ating reflections on classical music,
for it is undoubtedly the sublime per-
lection Of all music. But to the non-
musician it is not music. 1t is some
thing beyond our conception. 1 will
venture to say that, even to those
versed in musical lore, the classical
selections are toned to key which
unites music wi, the drama. Many
persons attend ,eras and musical
concerts becaus' it is fashionable
They hear some aster Of music heau