The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-04-19
THE EXTRA STOUT MAN.
He Tells Why Brass Bands Have for Him .
Peculiar Interest.


NO said the extra stout man. Il never
exactly played in a brass band but l came
pretty near it once when | Joined q band
that was forming in the small town that
l lived in then in the West.
@We had a band leader out once . 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 well as anybody and l could pound
in time. and light or heavy according to
the music. 1t was q great delight 10 me
to practise with the band, TO be Of II and
do my share, for Id always wanted to
belong to a band.
And. my, how we worked! And we made
Roadway too. Got 80 you could tell what
we were playing, and then the professor
said he was going to get US out and give
US a little marching practice.
What we were gonig TO do was TO march
down the road a piece and be reviewed by
the professor. Who vas going 10 criticize
Va here for formation and marching Al well
as for music, and with that great responsi-
bility on US and ell anxious we did certainly
make pretty weird work Of it when We
started OF, but we pulled ourselves together
and when we came to where the professor
was sitting on top Of a fence We we're proud
Of ourselves anyway, and 30 We marched
past, with the professor scanning each man
closely and az near as we could tell in the
moonlight he was much pleased, and when
| came along, slAmming away the best
| knew how he pretty nearly fell % tho
fence. and 80 l thought l had made the big
gest hit with him Of all.
sAnd then we countermarched and
marched back past bin again and 90 back
to our practice room, the professor coming
with VA this time, n when we'd got back
there he told US that we'd done ourselves
and him proud; that we were making great
progress n that he thought now We could
safely enter the county band tournament
that was TO be held In the fall.
And were We pleased? Well And the
professor called me on to one sid and
/ thought he was going to give me some
especial praise that ne didn't want the rest
to hear, but
Here the stout gentleman paused for q
moment and sighed gently, and then cast
ing a glance over himself he continued:
lou Will HOI9 VI lOu OOh ~ wv INV u
am a man OF somewhat portly construction,
and l was sven more no then. Yes, l know
that Ia contrary TO the usual way; We are
likely TO be poTtliest In our maturer yearB,
but was 80 then when ] was young; IN fact,
in those days my own c~orporosity approx
mated bass drum dimensions, and this is
what happened:
sYou see, in all our practice indoors l
had pounded on the big drum while It was
living on the floor ia a position where could
readily approach IL, but the minute We got
outdoors where / had 70 carry the drum l
found myself in contact with a very different
proposition.
If | carried the drum square In front in
the ordinary way II was 80 far In front that
was as liable 10 pound on the rim as l
was 10 hit the drum head, and that wouldn't
do. so | did the only thing / could do; l
raised the drum up and owe back toward
me TO where | could pound II. That wasn't
the most convenient thing In the world for
me for carrying il raised up so the drum
was higher than my face in front and shut
OF my view there.
Il was carrying the big drum like that
and slamming away on II when we marched
past the professor when he almost fell on
the fence, which | thought was because he
was 30 pleased with my playing. But II
seems not.
when he drew me on 10 one side 10 speak
10 me after we'd got back he told he that
/ was a rood drummer, he didn't know but
what | was the best bass drummer he had
ever met, but he said a bass drum carried
that way would just queer the whole busi-
ness.
sYes, he said he'd known some fat bass
drummers. but never one N fat as l was.
Why. he said. We might make the hnest
music ever heard, but the sight Of me carry:
ing nv bass drum in that way-well, he said
he hated 10 give me up, but they'd have
10 get a thinner bass drummer.
And they did, and Of course they Yet me
out, and Of course ! was greatly diSap-
pointed over that: but while / wa no longer
an active member | was still considered As
belonging 10 the band In a way. ! was q
sort Of eX ofioio member, q kind Of bass
drummer emeritus. You understand what l
mean? And as long as | lived in the town
/ used TO go TO the bands practice meet
ings and that wac pleasant 10 me.
'And that's why ! say | never exactly
played In a brass band, because l never
actually played In one on q formal public
occasion, but | did belong 10 o once for
a time, and ever since that, - h perfectly
natural, brass bands have always had .
peculia al interest for me-