Evening star., 1909-05-30
Confessions of Song Writer
Continued from page 4

Afraid to Go Home in the Dark, " Don't You
Want a Paper. Dearie?" The Sunshine of
Paradise Alley" "Violets, The Message of
the Violet" (from The Prince of Pilsen J.
"A Hot Time in the Old Town, -" m Yankee
Doodle Boy, all these were and are songs
running into sales of hundred thousand or
more.
Figuring that an author will get two cents
each for all copies of a song sold, you will see
that the man who is fortunate enough to turn
out Love Me and the World Is Mine" will
draw royalties amounting to twenty thousand
dollars. But there are few Love Me and the
World Is Mines"
Always Room for Another
THE number of song writer's in this country
is legion; but that need not deter you
Come along and join the merry crowd They
will welcome you. In New York you will find
a hearty greeting from Jerome & Schwartz,
Harry Won Tilzer, Williams Van Alstyne,
John w Bratton, Vincent Bryan, and Others
Some of them will invite you to go riding with
them in their automobiles. Others will treat
you to little journeys about town in taxicabs.
All will extend hospitality of that you may be
sure. If you are fortunate enough to reach the
metropolis on the night of first performance
of some Broadway musical comedy, they will
all meet you at the theater, and there; too, you
NAV see the Witmarks, the Sterns, the ShapI-
ros, the Harrises and all the other music pub
fishers
1t is great treat to be present on one of
these occasions for it is then that you can see
a new song brought into being, and realize
what a difficult and artistic feat it is. Let us
imagine there.
The Birth of New Song
THE house is crowded The action of the
piece has gone along to where the white
ducked naval lieutenant is conspiring with the
maid of the heiresS for her to disguise herself in
her mistress clothes. thus deceiving the villain
The maid is left alone, and bursts into song
There is a hush in the house, and then rustlIng
of programs as everybody looks to who is
the publisher and who the author of the song
They take it for granted that it Is not the work
of the author and composer of the piece
The song is sung by the maid. During the
first verse there IS silence and during the re-
frain. Then the applause begins 1t stops in
time for the maid to go on with the second
verse, and then it breaks out afresh Now it
grows in volume, and the maid has to oblige
with an encore Again and again the applause
follows her rendition of the song. The ushers
at the back of the theater are applauding vehe
mently They are being paid by the publishers,
maybe you know
Now somebody up in the gallery takes up the
refrain and whistles it. dffidently and falter-
ingly at first, that it will not look too bald
You think it must be very catchy song for
it up; the whole gallery is whsting it How
catchy it must be! Ye-es! Only about half
dozen of those whistlers have been rehearsing
the song for a week in the publishers offices.
getting ready for this occasion
By this time the rival publishers are getting
tired, They think that the publishers of this
song. and their cousins, and their employees,
ought to stop and give them a chance for their
song. So they hiss a little. This is sign that
this particular song has been plugged enough.
Well be it SO. The publishers of the song sit
back in their chairs. satisfied. The song will
get notice in to-morrows papers, as "a hit, and
if it has any merit it is now launched on a
cessful career. They watch the music boys
selling it in the lobby after the performance,
and can get line on it then. If it looks good,
they are happy. So is the author!
Perhaps you will be of those successful
song writers, some night. perhaps you won't
You never can tell. know men who have
studied the art for years and have never had a
hit On the other hand, there are plenty of
men who have struck it rich in a night. 1t is
like prospecting for gold,-the nuggets crop
out where you least expect to find them. And
unless you are convinced that you are genius
in the art of song writing, advise you to stick
to your little reaper on the Kansas farm.