The Cairo bulletin., 1908-06-12
TIL E Ex r A
STOUT MAN
He Teiis Why Brass Bands Have
Peculiar Interest for Him.

49, Suih WIG tAiAa bAOhl man,
never exactly played in brass band
but came pretty near 1t once when
Joined band that was forming in
the small town that lived In then in
the west.
we had a band leader out once a
week from our nearest big city, fifty.
odd miles away, to try us ont and get
us started, and he put me on the bass
drum.
"And on that | made good | could
pound as well as anybody and | could
pound In time, and light and heavy, ac-
cordlng to the music. IL was a great
delight to me to practice with the
band, TO be OF II and do my share, for
I'd always wanted to belong to u
band
And. my, how We worked And we
made Roadway, too. Got so you could
tell what we We're 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 d piece and be
reviewed by the professor who was
going to criticise us here for forma.
ton and marching as Well as for
music, and with that great RESPONSE
bility on us and all anxious we did
certainly make pretty weird work OF
Il 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,
min away the best | knew how. he
pretty yearly fell on the fence. aud
50 thought | had made the biggest
hit with him OF all
And then we countermarched and
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 us that
we'd done ourselves and him proud;
that we We're making great progress
and that he thought now we could
safely enter the county band tourna
ment that was to be held in the fall
And were we pleased? Wellt And
the professor called me off TO one side
and thought he was going to give
me some especial praise that he didn't
want the rest to hear, but"
You viii note If you look at me
that I am man OF somewhat portk
and | was even more so
then Yes, 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
'act, In those days my own corporosity
spproximated bass drum dimensions,
and this is what happened
You see, in all our practice in
loors had pounded on the big drum
while II was lying on the floor In u
position where I could readily APP
roach IT, but the minute we got out
ioors where | had to carry the drum
found myself in contact with very
lifferent proposition.
IF | carried the drum square In
ront in the ordinary way II was SO
ar in front that | was as liable to
,ound on the rim as | was to hit the
rum head, and that wouldn't do, SO
did the only thing I could do:
aised the drum up and over back
oward me to where could pound IT,
that wasn't the most convenient thing
n the world for me. for carrying II
aised up so the drum was higher
han my face in front and shut OFF
ny view there.
II was carrying the big drum like
hat and slamming away on 1t when
We marched past the professor when
lie almost fell of the fence, which
thought was because he was so
pleased with my playing.
When he drew me OF 10 one side
o speak TO me after we'd got back
he told me that was good drum
ner he didn't know but what | was
he best drummer he had ever met !
,ut he said bass drum carried that
way would just queer the whole busl- |
Tess.
Yes. he said he'd known some fat |
lass drummers, but never one so fat |
g was Why, he said. we might |
make the finest music ever heard, |
mt the sight OF me carrying my bass
rum in that way--well, he said he |
ated TO give me up, but they'd have |
o get a thinner bass drummer.
And they did. and Of course they |
IT me out, and OF course | was great |
+ disappointed over that; but while |
was no longer an active member |
,as still considered as belonging to |
he band In way. was sort Of ex-
fficio member, q kind of bass drum |
ner emeritus You understand what |
mean? And as long as / lived in the |
own | used TO 90 to the bands prac-
Ice meetings and that WAS pleasant
D me.
And that's why | say | never ex-
city played In brass band. because |
never actually played ia one on a /
primal public occasion, but | did be-
1ng to one once for a time. and ever