The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-06-12
AUTHOR OF ALABAMA"

i, Albert Spalding, in the Musical Courier. N reply to many requests which come X { to him nearly every day from al
 = parts of the country as to what in- spired him to write such a quaint, de- | llightful plantation melody as Alabama and give it such a simple American
 name, Albert Spalding has contributed 1 this article:
 Tn Copenhagen, about two years ago, had been lunching with musical friend, Dane His name was Haakon about music, and in particular the value of folk songs. After lunch he played to me some very eloquent Scandinavian melodies, which are so singularly expres- sive of the beautiful country which gave them birth. Schmedes then asked me what I had been writing lately, to which replied: Very little; but while we are at it, let me play to you a theme which has been running in my head for some time This was the melody which aft erward came to take shape as the song and dance published under the name of
 Alabama Schmedes was so enthusias- 
 without delay, that set to work im- mediately, and under the stimulation of a conviction that this melody, while not a folk song, but evolved from an original theme was yet something quite expres- sive of our own country, only a few days were required to complete the piece. This is in reply to your question as to what prompted me to write Alabama
 And now to express my views which you ask of me concerning the influence which the songs of our southern soil, monly known as 'ragtime,' exercises more and more on the art of music. find it necessary to define, first of all. the attitude of the composer toward any sensation, which taking root in his mind and heart, develops into an artistic creation. This sensation comes. as a rule, subconsciously, and lives as a com parative stranger in one of the memory 8 many cells, enjoying perhaps for a con- siderable length of time a complete re- pose, borne of neglect or indifference to it's subsequent possibilities.
 "!Then all at once, when you would nave thought IL QulIe IOrSOCLen IL springs to life as if refreshed by long winter sleep, it's awakening caused by the merest incident, the sight of a picture, the sound of thrush in early spring, a word, a laugh, and it comes to knock at your door, and says: Listen to my voice, am your friend and have been near your heart this many day. and you hear g. melody or part of one It or ten bars in length. This then is your theme. And you drop everything else to get it on paper before it has had a chance to change its mind and slip away. I think that no one who has loved and studied music has been without such stimulation from time to time, but the reception of such visitor differs ac- cording to the culture of ones expressive talent This theme is like a flowered plant which has been set before your door in the bulb, and which needs water and tender care. The rarer the flower the greater must be the attention be- slowed on it, and it can either blossom to thing of beauty and joy, or wither from neglect or maltreatment
 Folk songs are the backbone of a country's music, because they are the simplest and sincerest form of expression of the people in melody and rhythm Now simplicity is, in music Gs it is in all else). of a twofold nature. It serves as