The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1915-01-14

education. There are quite large
number Of people it is true who
don't know one note from another,
and still they can follow musical
program with great sympathy and
feeling; and think the reason of
this IS because they have attended
good musical performances some
time or other and sharpened their
musical sense.
A child should be taught to play
the piano but before doing this the
parents should take him or her to
some good musical performance and
give the child chance to train it's
ear, it's very good idea l am sure
because ear training is very i'm
portant to any one connected with
music either professional or amateur.
Many parents / am sure often won
der what instrument shall be chosen
for the child, now this is a very hard
thing to decide but as 1 said before
before give them the piano first and
then let them decide the other in
strument later. By learning the
piano they learn the both Clefs,
Bass and Tenor besides chords.
composition, harmony and many
other important things necessary to
musicians.
If the child takes fancy to a
violin, give ii lessons, if it goes with
any pleasure whatever be the piano;
we'll that settles it. The very shape
of the hands some artists declare
often determine the particular in
strument and if Father could only
have lived to the present day, l am
sure he'd make a drummer of me.
Drumming leads us to Bands and
Orchestras. some ask what's the diff
ference between a good and bad
band? That's easy to answer you
will say, one is rotten and the other
is not, or one plays better then the
other and probably hundred more
such answers. That is true but let
me give you a better one still of
which | am sure most of you would
never think of.
You must first examine your in
strumentation, in order to balance
your tonal color. Now let me make
this good and plain for you. The
band is made up of several sections,
1st wood wind section, God cornet,
3rd. horus and altos; 4th, tenors and
baritones, trombones; 9Th, BASES,
instruments of percussion such as
drums cymbals and so on.
No particular section should be
made to dominate, but should help
to make the melody rich in tonal
color, and give strength to the har-
mony. Whenever you have band
playing bad or an orchestra, for
that matter, don't blame director, or
players, yet even the piece they are
playing, remember the instrumental
ton I just spoke of and you will
find that nine times out of ten, if
the band or orchestra you hear Of
ten seems to you to be out of tune
and disorder, even though they are
professionals and artists, we'll make
up your mind they are unbalanced
in instruments.
Remember l only apply this to
men who practice daily and use this
as their livelihood, of course band
or orchestra never can play good
without daily practice, as you may
have noticed, but this particular
cause can be applied generally to
bands of high standing.
The selection should always be
within the reach of all the players,
and it depends on the leader to pick
out suitable ones. Then comes the
time or tempo, otherwise steadi-
ness Of movement, expression or
the artistic side, or observing all the
marks ETC., besides faithful inter-
probation of the composers piece or
authors ideas.
One great musician says the most
important of all is discipline. as
Order is Heavens first Law"
Last and most important l think is
conducting. The conductor is the
intermediate agent between audi
ence and performers and is respons-
ible for the proper time, besides
bringing out the different ideas and
marks in the piece or score.
We in here Of the orchestra and
band fame, if we don't practice one
day, we don't notice it; two days,
the Mirror gives us a hint; three.
and Mr.. Whelan tells us about it.
Putting all jokes on the side,
when it comes right down to it in
makinU an Al musician Of vOur