The Topeka state journal., 1911-09-30
How Tawnsen, Hawaiian Or
chestra Leader, Answered.
Heard Musicians at San Fran
cisco Theater.
HE COULD NOT SLEEP
So Planned to Organize His
Own Islanders.
Now Directs Stringed Quintette
at Majestic.
HE COULD NOT SLEEP

For he heard the call of the music
al muse
One night, some ten years ago, four
native Hawaiians, from Honolulu,
students at San Francisco, entered a
big theater in that city. They did not
realize the significance of that occasion
to at least one of them. They simply
wished to kill a little home-sick time.
However it happened that the orches-
ira was unusually good or that one of
the four was in the best of moods TO
appreciate the music. He had a little
musical training and the love for
music is inherent in the Hawaifans.
For when the orchestra had played
a few bars, this son of Honolulu was
all attention He sat up, body leaning
forward, while his ears drank in the
melody Perhaps the music carried
him back to the days of his boyhood
among the mountains and the island of
song and flowers. Doubtless If avak-
ened old ambitions and half forgotten
dreams. At any rate after the quartet
had gone to their rOOms-an in the
same hat-they discussed the music
and all being somewhat musical laid
plans to form themselves into
stringed orchestra. And one of them.
after he had gone to bed, lay awake
and planned and hoped with waking
dreams, far into the night. When the
foggy dawn of the Pacific coast stole
into the room he had his future map
ped out For he had heard the call
OF music and his soul answered
This man was Lu Tawnsen, leader
of the Hawaiian Quintette. originally
known as the Honolulu Students, now
playing at the Majestic theater. The
other three formed his first out of
seven or eight Hawaiian orchestras he
had organized and travelled with in the
United States.
One of Tawnsen's first engagements
was at the Pan American Exposition
= 2rr IL
Mckinley deliver his last address be
fore he was assassinated- Then came
several months in Florida where his
musicians played at Palm Beach, be-
fore Admiral Dewey, also for Carne-
gle at Cumberland Island, and for
other wealthy and noted people.
Following the Florida experience he
went to New 7 ork city Later he went
to Boston. Here he studied music in
general and renewed his studies on the
violin and other stringed instruments.
While in Boston he came into touch
with lyceum work and after several
months became associated with this
work. Since then he has been with
lecture bureaus, including the Rid
path and other welI-knOwn Organiza-
tions Of the kind. Altogether he has
been in lyceum and chautauqua work
for nearly eight years. meanwhile or
ganizing orchestras and conducting
them. He also was in vaudeville on
And this is not all. Tawnsen is not
content with playing others music.
but does considerable composing him
self His melodies are rather plain
tive. In them there seems to run a
peculiar rhythm, suggesting the boom
ing of the surf on the shores of his
island home.
Every native Hawaiian is musical
said Mr.. Tawnsen this afternoon. (Mr.
Tewnsen speaks excellent English.) } |
in Honolulu, or in the islands, no
matter what mans business is, he in
variably plays an instrument of some
kind or usually several. The majority |
CT my race are singers.
LAS to myself. I had considerable
musical training before coming to
Frisco. and one time when heard an
orchestra play at the theater there I
was so interested in planning to be-
come an orchestra leader that I could !
MT sleep. I like America fine and
think Topeka is one of the best cities
in which I have ever been, although, !
yes we get homesick some times"