The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-05
ON The UP GRADE
Taste in Music Is Steadily I'M
proving.
So Says One Who Has Kept in
Touch.
SENTIMENTAL SONGS.
Those Of Tear Stained Variety
No Longer in Vogue.
D1,ouor-rorTa Hoe Hold Munh IN
Photograph Has Had Much to
Do With Change.

Music loving people, from those who
appreciate the most difficult classic
selections down to the old codger who
finds it impossible to make his feet be-
have while the band in the circus pa
rade passes, have undergone change
for the better in the last ten years,
according to local musicians and mu-
sic dealers. The morbid, cheaply sem
timental songs have been consigned to
the scrap heap. Ragtime, too, is gone
or going rapidly, and in its place there
is more refreshing kind of music.
And while ragtime had its multitude
OF sins, it was better than much of
the music appealing to the same peo-
pie which preceded it.
Not only to the so-called popular"
music does this apply, but the NOR
bidness is being eliminated from sa-
cred music. Even the Sunday school
children are singing a better grade of
music than thew did when dad was
a youngster. OF course. he will not
believe it, but musicians state this is
true. nevertheless.
There are various reasons for this
change. One is that people have
learned that they do not have to cry
to enjoy themselves. Several years
ago this was not the case.
"I can remember. no longer than
ten years ago." said a musician to-
day when people in churches would
make special requests for music that
would cause most of the women in the
audience to bring out their handker-
chiefs and weep and wall as result
of their feelings being wrought up by
the song. 1t was not uncommon. Peo-
Pile thought they had to cry to enjoy
themselves. If the music did not make
them cry or feel sad 1t did not appeal
to them
The elimination of morbidness is
most markly noted in the popular mu-
sic, however, and there was room in
this for the greatest improvement.
Most Of the popular songs of today
are at least refreshing. Ten or fifteen
years ago such was not the case. In
those days something like 'She Has
Fallen by the Wayside,'' "Only a Bird
in q Gilded Cage eff I Only Could
Blot Out the Past ''In the Mansion
Of Aching Hearts or something equal
ly as morbid was demanded
81 believe that such songs as In the
Baggage Coach Ahead or, getting into
sacred music, THE Bird With the
Broken Wing have gone for good and
Roehr today. 'I believe the songs
now sung in the musical comedies
while they may smack of vulgarity oc-
casiona1ly. are less harmful in their
influence.
81 remember what a run there was
on 'In the Baggage Coach Ahead
That was one OF Ghe worst of these
cheap sentimental songs. People saw
the pictures with that song thrown on
the screen and women would get their
little handkerchiefs out and weep and
children were sad at heart. There was
the picture of that corpse in the bag
gage coach ahead. There was no rea-
son for it, save that people thought
they must be sad or they were not
enjoying the song. And while vulgar
ity in song is not to be commended,
believe those songs heard at musical
comedies are less harmful than the
morbidly sentimental songs we used tc
hear so much.'
In connection with the uplift in mu-
sic, it is surprising what the phono-
graph has accomplished in rural dis
tricts. Farmers all over Kansas have
their music by the best choirs in the
land on Sundays on their high grade
monographs. In many cases the or.
binary record win not answer, bu
high priced records of sacred music
are purchased. Music by the creates
artists in the world is appreciated b,