Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-01-13
COLLECTING INDIAN SONGS.
Phonograph to Preserve Records of
the Red Men.

- the Red Men.
Prof. Thurlow LieuranceHof Chanute,
Kan, a composer on the staff of one
of the big musical journals of this
scountry. has engaged in an interesting
life. work, which promises to be of
value to posterty-the collection of
Indian songs in photographic form.
Prof. Lieuranee is now admitted to
have the most complete collection of
Photographic records of Indian songs
in existence. Tfe has worked on vari-
OTIS Indian reservations for several
years, adding TO his collection. He
has wax records of all kinds of Indian
music, instrumental and vocal. He has
cheruses of Sious, Cheyenne and Grow
warriors in their old war songs. He
has plaintive selections for the flute
S played by Indian lovers, and he has
big collection of Indian dance rec
ords. In addition, he has records of
speeches of some of the leading old
men among the Indian tribes, such as
Two Moons. the great war chief of
Northern Cheyennes, who led that
fighting tribe against Custer on the
day of the battle of the Little Big
Horn.
Recently Prof. Lieuranee was at
Taos, n. NJ, getting the songs of the
Pueblo Indians at that place. Much
of his work has been done for Field
Columbian museum in Chicago In
dams throughout the country have
come to know the man whe makes the
song medicine 1t is only by dint of
much patience that the collector of
Indian songs has overcome the native
distrust of the monograph. The In
dian takes naturally to the invention
as it is used ordinarily, but when it
comes to reversing the process and
talking or singing into one of the ma
chimes, and then listening to a repro
duction of ones own voice, the red
mans natural superstition comes to
the fore, and he is apt to balk
ON the sunny side of Taos "dobe"
building. Prof. Lieurance was engaged
in getting a transcription of Taos
love song for flute and drum. The mu-
stefan We're two Indians from the Taos
Pueblo, and the plaintive solo of the
flute, with accompaniment by the big
drum, was played over and over before
the record was finally taken.
These boys are ali right" said the
professor. They are Tony Romero
and Lorenzo Martinez, educated In
dams. But some of the old fellows,
who aren't acquainted with the mystic
ries of the photograph, are hard to
handle.
About the hardest proposition l ever
had was in getting old Chief Two
Moons to make speech into the MAJ
chine / had a long, hard trip to the
Lame Deer agency to see the old man.
He is blind now. and although he is
straight as an arrow, it may not be
long before he goes to the happy hunt
ing ground. / wanted to get his story
of the Custer fight. ! had to wait
hours before he finally gave his con-
sent. Then it was hours more before
he was ready to talk into the machine.
You can't hurry an Indian. Finally,
after interminable talking and smok-
ing, the old man suddenly announced
that he was ready. He made his
speech. but wound UP in fit of
coughing, which makes it one of the
most realistic records one could pos
sess.
1T is no easy matter getting good
records of Indian music, either. l have
done the most with the Crows. /
think l have a complete collection of
Crow songs. Then | have the love
songs and war songs of the Sioux,
which l consider the finest examples
of Indian music eXtant In fact the
music of all other tribes has been in
fluenced by the Sioux and Chippewas.
All others may be said to be copies of
the fundamental music of these two
tribes. | find Sioux and Chippewa
themes down here in the Southwest
varied but slightly. How long these
songs have been borrowed no man can
tell. / have some fine records of eros
Ventre songs and of the Cheyenne sun
dance"
How does the indian composer
work? ?"
Backward. All Indian music be-
gins high and ends low. In other
words, the climax of the song is first,
trailing off at the bottom of the scale
when the selection is reached. The
chorus work starts out crisply and
with energy, always, and on the high
notes. The best Indian singer is the
man who can sing the highest. It's a
mistake, however, to assume that the
Indian is not musical. No man can
make a study of Indian music and not
have feeling of admiration for the
red musician. The Sioux love song is
probably the best form of Indian nu-
sic. IT is tender, plaintive, and in
many cases thoroughly musicianly. In
fact. il is about everything love song
should he They cut the heart interest
into their titles. too. The title of one
&C thr so~~s ' hove is When | Think
of You I'll Cry And yet there are