The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-11-02

public would respond to the vagaries
in the fever of the newest thing from
rinpan alley, law giving would be e.
more congenial occupation.
1t only goes to prove that while sue
cessful art may be ever so substantia
S finance. it Is still entirely unscien
tific
Tinpan alley with a new inspiratio
is golden flood as to artistic fecundi
ty for a while. A ballad which tax
the public fancy is only the first way
of deluge. And after that the drout
until the arrival of new hit whic
even Tinpan alley cannot evolve by me
ehanical means.
Tinpan alleys successes are hugel
advertised in theatrical papers. intel
polated in musical comedies, sung
vaudeville, featured at cabarets. pr,
served in monographs and ground
in street organs until a satiated worl
hears them only with torture.
Tinpan Alley Near Any Theatre
And where Is Tinpan alley? AS
locality II Is diffused. It is inside IL
-loors of any publisher of popular MI
sic in any street where h. may chant
% established his house. be it in
skyscraper. loft or basement.
Tinpan alley is near the heart ar
the theatres migrate northward Tinps
Hey follows at fixed distance. Nevt
ioes 1t obstrude upon former theatr
:al Tegions. but hovers or struggl
somewhere in the immediate neighbo
hood-just around the corner from Il
Rialto.
Thus, If Broadway has reached Lon
acre square the explorer may find Tt.
an alley sprinkled among the ST,
tracts soma half dozan blOclS
south.
| This sprinkling diffidence is all tt
more amazing in view of the clamorol
| lggressiveness peculiar to the localit
t affects.
Tinpan alley is the best named thor
oughfare In the metropolis. Stranger.
should have no trouble In finding 1t
Boiler factories are noisy. But Tinpai
elley reduces them to whisper. WheI
Tinpan alley Is in full blast. startlet
crowds leave Broadway to flock arounf
the pendemonium. Sometimes dozens o
pedestrians on the sidewalks pause ant
stand gazing upward at an open win
low from which floats a strident vol
ume OF vocal and instrumental music
Maybe the singer is in full view of tn
crowds below. While the work aday PEG
ulace listens and marvels the polio
are kept busy maintaining an open way
for traffic.
In this respect the noises of Tinpai
alley are. distinctive. No crowds eve,
gather in front Of nail factories an
oiler foundries to hear the hum O
business.
But if the noises are sufficient t.
halt the people In the streets they ar,
even more remarkable inside. Half !
dozen pianos within a few feet of eac
other are all playing at once. NearlA
as many singers will be heard simulta-
neously. each singing different song
These are theatrical performers, vocal
lists and musicians. trying out new pull.
locations with a view to choosing nev
ma terial. Composers, too,s run owe
their own compositions on the pianos
while representatives of the hous.
listen and decide whether to accept
For the unframed ear It IL all g
fearful. bewildering racket. In the gen
eral tumult II is only the trained ca
that can separate any one air from tn,
rest, Just as it takes the experience
operator in a busy telegraph room T.
hear only his own instrument and NJ
other
No esthly noise which human inge
nuity may devise Is sufficient to oblit
crate a mans own song once 1t burst
into sound All Tinpan alley ma,
shrek. roar. hammer and howl. yci
each individual is contented and PLACID
blissfully sure that his own effort soart
serenely over the others, as it does IL
his own mind.
Each sound is fondly counted upon t.
earn fame and fortune for it's parent t.
the total exclusion of all the rest
Meanwhile the expert on whose judg
ment everything depends sits indiffer.
emily by and discusses baseball, poll
tics or horse racing with chance callers
Under such conditions the nation
popular melodies are born, and Tinpar
alley thrives.