Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1908-06-17
THE EXTRA
STOUT MAN
He Tells why Brass Bands Have
a Peculiar interest for Him.

Jue SIudIl lOWu lho1 AAFOu - sANAA -
the west.
1--WE had hand leader out once a
week from our nearest big city, fifty
odd miles away to try us out and get
us started, and he put me on the bass
drum.
"And on that made good could
pound as we'll as anybody and could
pound in time, and light and heavy, ae-
cording to the music. 1t was great
delight to me to practice with the
band, to be of it and do my share, for
I'd always wanted to belong to a
band.
"And, my, how We worked! And we
made Roadway. too. Got so you could
tell what we were playing, and then
the professor said he was going to
get us out and give Us little march
ing practice.
What we were going to do was to
march down the road piece and be
reviewed by the professor, who was
going to criticise us here for forma-
ton and marching as well as for
iuuSIC, anu Will lhdJ 6lO0b iOoPOAoA
bility on us and all anxious we did
certainly make pretty weird work Of
it when we started off, but we pulled
ourselves together and when we came
! to where the professor was sitting
! on top of fence we were proud OF
ourselves anyway, and 80 we marched
past, with the professor scanning each
| man closely and as near as we could
tell in the moonlight he was much
| pleased. and when | came along, slam
ming away the best | knew how he
pretty nearly fell off the fence, and
! so thought l had made the biggest
/ hit with. him of all
"And then we countermarched and
marched past him again and so back
to our practice room, the professor
coming with us this time and when
we'd got back there he told JUS that
we'd done ourselves and him proud;
that we were making great progress
4 and that he thought now we could
i safely enter the county band tourna-
ment that was to be held in the fall
"And were we pleased? Well! And,
the professor called me off to one side
and l thought he was going to give
me some especial praise that he didn't
want the rest to hear, but"
"Yeu will note If you look at me
that am a man of somewhat portly
construction, and l was even more SO
then. Yes, l know that Is contrary
to the usual way; we are likely to be
portliest in our maturer years, but
was so then when was young; In
fact in those days my own corporosity
appropriated bass drum dimensions,
and this is what happened;
you see, in air our practice in
doors l had pounded on the big drum
while 1t was lying on the floor IN
position where could readily ap-
proach it, but the minute we got out
doors where had to carry the drum
found myself in contact with q very
different proposition.
IF carried the drum square In
front in the ordinary way 1t was 80
far in front that l was as liable to
pound on the rim as was to hit the
drum head, and that wouldn't doI 80
| did the only thing ! could do; /
raised the drum up and over back
toward me to where could pound 1t.
That wasn't the most convenient thing
in the world for me, for carrying 1t
raised up so the drum was higher
than my face in front and shut on
my view there.
Il was carrying the big drum like
that and slamming away on 1t when
we marched past the professor whe-l
he almost fell off the fence, whicii
I thought was because he was so
pleased with my playing
when he drew me on to one SID
to speak to me after we'd got bacli
he told me that was a good drum
mer. he didn't know but what | was
the best drummer he had ever met
but he said bass drum carried that
way would Just queer the whole bust
ness.
Eyes. he said he'd known some fat
bass drummers, but never one 80 TAI
as was. why HO SoAu' 49, AAA-p
make the finest music ever heard
but the sight OF me carrying my bass
drum in that way--well, he said he
hated to give me up, but they'd have
to get thinner bass drummer.
"And they did, and Of course they
let me out, and Of course l was great
" disappointed over that; but while
/ was no longer an active member
was still considered as belonging e
the band in way. was q sort OF ex
ofFlcio member, a kind Of bass drum
mer emeritus. You understand wis
/ mean? And as long as lived In tht
town used to go to the bands prac
tice meetings and that was pleasan
to me.
"And that's why say | never Oh
actly played in brass band, becaus'
never actually played in one on
formal public occasion, but did be
long to one once for . time, and eve
since that, as II perfectly natural
brass bands have always had q pc
culiar interest for me"
3 IN
Compliment Not Forthcoming.
81 IL. ! Al