The mirror., 1916-11-23

|
sic changes with the times almost as
do the modes and manners of a people.
With possibly this important differ
ence in favor of the one as against the
other; namely. that in musical art
these changes usually are for the bet
ter and continually make for broad
er advancement. Something which
cannot always be said of modes and
manners AS a result of times shift
ing changes in music, that which once
satisfied is now insufficient. 1t no
longer is the fashion for the man who
practices music in any form as pro-
fession to consider himself in the light
of musician only, discarding all else
as of less or of no importance. The
! follower of music today must be broad
ly progressive and in mere or less
close touch with all, if he would be an
influence and march in the front ranks
of his own profession, to be abreast.
The musician must keep abreast, not
today only, but tomorrow. Not only
in matters musical, but with public af-
| fairs, it he would keep in touch with
musical progress which in reality gov
erns both him and his profession. The
musician must keep pace with the
times, that is, If as musician he ex-
poets to rank with the foremost ex-
ponents of his art.
An up-to-date band leader is obliged
to meet the outside world upon an en-
tirely different basis than must those
in the other branches of the musical
profession. Time was. and that not
so many decades ago, when the aver
age band leader was no more tha3
what the name implied, simply the
man who led. Neither was he sup
posed to be broadly and keenly alive
to issues of interest other than those
connected with the directing of his
band. All forms of art are closely
connected, each with the other, and
this interconnection likewise holds
true of the professional. With
the earlier band leaders the necessary
qualifications for that office was being
a fair soloist, little knowledge with
his instruments, fair degree of pop
ularity with the public, and enough
business capacity to secure the best
bookings for his band. Such was,
without many exceptions, the average
equipment of the band leader of former
days; nor was more demanded from
him. He was free to pursue the even
tenor of his musical way. fully con-
tented if his band accomplished fair
showing when on parade.
However, there were many good
leaders among the old band leaders,
such as Cappa, Patz, Gilmore. Reeves.
Arbuckle. Godfrey, Shelter, and host
of others too numerous to mention,
who have ably directed for time, and
passed on, leaving behind but an in.
distinct memory, and not always that.
| These men were musical band giants
in the olden days. although sad to re-
late, they were in the minority. They
understood their art and knew its eff
fects when properly presented, but it
must not be forgotten that from that
art less was exacted than is today.
The world moves, and with the on
sweep of a broader and higher educa-
tion for the masses in all things, mu-
sic must sweep on with it, else be
hopelessly handicapped. Today the
old order is changed, the present band
leader must be something more than
merely leader. Yesterday he was a
musician only, today he must be the
musician and more too. Tomorrow it
may be demanded of him that he shall
be the musical specialist. This is be-
ing exemplifed in the work of such
men as Sousa, Pryor, 1nnes. Brooke,
| Conway, Santelman. and others. The
| true band leader has learned that mu-
SIC in itself is something more than
staff, clef, pitch, time, and tune. He
has learned that music today is closely