Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-28
About Music, Musicians and Musical Events

which would be commensurate with its
growth in other directions?
. .
This musical editor OF The Bee will be
glad to receive brief and sincere answers
to any or all Of these questions which
may be sent to The Bee office with bona
fide signatures, by any representatives OF
the aforesaid classes. CThey must not
however be connected with any musical
organization, in an official capacity
-
TIL first answer to these questions was
from a Physician.
He said: THE answer to your first ques-
ton il that the people here are too much
interested in commercial pursuits. There
Is too much Of the wild west spirit. They
are not interested in culture of any kind.
They do not care for clean streets. They
do not care for beautifying the city. They
are boosting only in one direction: and
that is. TO make Omaha a Joobing center.
The men who have money. and the men
who are in power, are not fond of artis-
tic things, to the extent that they want to
see them developed in the city. There are
not enough old families here who would
take a natural pride in the place"
rms answer came as a surprise. 1t is
full of point and is doubtless entirely true
Mr.. Woodruff, who came from New York.
told the business men of Omaha some DAYS
ago that artistic development and the beau.
ufying Of a city must go hand-in-hand
with It's commercial development. rhe
present writer was much impressed with
what he read In The Bee about Mr.. Wood
tufts Ideas OF ugly signboards. filthy smoke
and other things which are bound 10 i'm
press visitors.
In regard to the second auestion-"whai
do you consider the most important WORK
being done by the musicians of Omaha as
a professional class. and by the musica
organizations OF Omaha ?"-the doctor said
81 do not know OF any work being don,
by the musicians as a class: some of then
are doing good work on their own account
but they DO not seem to be doing any unite,
work as a whole. Your musical organiza
! lions are not all known to me, so canno
express opinion. Those organizations who's
programs ! see in musical columns Of tn
papers are trying. but they should lool
higher and work ~ a wider way"
This answer is one that hits every on
Of the musical workers in Omaha.
What are we doing as a class? Tha
question has made one person do some serl
Gus thinking. We cannot escape the &C
cusation. The physicians have their medi
cal society. What have the masieians?
Many times has the subject Of a must
clans club been talked about. but the mat
ter has usually been suggested or promote
by some recent arrival in musical circle
who wished to get the musicians together
In order TO promote his or her own per
sonal ends.
But a real movement organized by four o
five OF the best known musicians for IN
consideration OF the general developmer
along musical lines has never been ser
ously made.
Did anyone ever propose a course OF Leo
I, lures to students. for example. such as IN
doctors have at both college and hospital
In answer 10 the third question, the doctc
said: ''The musicians can all unite on on
? hing. and that Is the bringing 10 Oman
of attractions that would aid in the ger
= eraI development In music. such as lars
! orehestras. with ~weIi-know directors. GOO
> operate attractions. and 50 forth. and the