The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1911-08-18

there Is tremendous wealth OF Indian music to
DO studied and chronlclcd In permanent FORM
each individual tribe having had from time I'm
memorial It's distinctive songs and chants.
man who II attempting to compile complete pic
torial record Of the Indians has already spent
twenty years In the work and II Is likely that
as much time will be required II there Is to bo
mIrrored for the benefit Of future generations tho
distinctive music OF all the various tribes
Private individuals. musicians or scientists have
from time to time In the pnst made effort In
small way to porpotuate American Indian music
aud while they deserve credit for what they
have accomplished II Is an undertaking which
through its sheer magnitude, II for no other roa.
son. needs the resources OF the national govern.
ment That II Is prominently government func.
ton Is likewise attostcd by the fact that II has
promise Of success only when prosecuted through
The organized channels Of intercourse with the
lndians.-channcls which enable federal offcials
to get into the confidence Of the more intellectual
men OF all the various tribes In n degree that
would scarcely be possible except In the case OF
an individual who lived for many years among
the Indians whose secrets he sought
The governmental study and Terpetuation OF
indian music is being conducted under the aus.
pices OF the Smithsonian Institution and National
Museum at Washington The bureau OF Ethnol.
ogy IS the particular branch Of this great seat
Of research which has the Indian music investl.
CATION In charge, Probably the most interesting
Phase OF thc whole Undertaking IL thAt when
has to do with the activities Of Miss Frances
Dcnsmore. Miss Densmore who is an accom-
plished student Of music, has spent much time
among the Chlppewas and other tribes whose
music IS at once notable and representative and
nas recorded as many as two hundred songs be-
longing TO single tribe.
oddly enough the phonograph has been the
,hef means OF capturing the songs of tho for
est There IL no system of written music among
most Of the tribes aud the photograph was hit
upon as the only possible means OF providing
the means Of studying the music carefully and
lelsurely. As may be surmised II was anything
nut an easy task to induce some OF the more SUI
perstious OF the red men to sing into the strange
machine or TO induce them to even permit the
recording apparatus to be set up within earshot
Of their camp fires when there was IN progress
those ceremonial rites and dances which call up
the musical lore Of he savages.
Finally, after much perseverance,. however At
lrdian agencies and elsewhere, the music hunters
have succeeded In making a crcdtPbe beginning
In securing the priceless phonograph records of
Indian music In the case OF one or two tribes
the song collection Of canned music IL prac.
tically complete. After records Of Indian songs
)r music are secured they are transcribed in pi
ano score and studied scientifically. Meanwhile
the collection OF records will be kept on file for
he benefit Of the musical students Of future
generations who viii find II u priceless boon to
lear the indian music as originally rent cred
The researches which have been mad show that
indian music is as complex Is the tribal life
u the original Americans An accompaniment OF
song il provided for every public ceremony as
well as for every important act in the OF an
Individual. The music Of each ceremony has It's
peculiar rhythm. as have also the classes OF songs
which pertain to individual acts such as fasting
and prayer. hunting courtship, the playing OF
games and the facing or defying OF death. An
Indian or 'erson thoroughly yersAd In Indian