The Oskaloosa herald., 1917-04-26
ND BAND CONCENTRATIONS OF IOWA
SUCH is THE DANGER OF THE
PRESENT SITUATION.

Oskaloosa is confronted with the
possibility of having no band organ
ization this season. Fact Doesn't
seem possible but such is the naked
truth The situation is serious. On
ly seven experienced men are avail
able at present and only seven 9TH
erS, green players" who are Will
ing to contribute of their time in
learning an instrument 1T rs only
remnant of a band we now have,
and the Saturday evening concert
season is all but upon us. At the
moment the band is without director
or business management, no practice
has been participated in for weeks
and the old organization is practically
thing of the past.
What is to be done about the stu
alton? The matter was discussed in
it's various phases and aspects at a
meeting of the board of directors of
the Oskaloosa Commercial Club Fri
day evening and the situation is to
be reported to the Commercial Club
next Wednesday for some kind of ac-
ton on the part of the club.
Mr.. C. l.. Farmhouse told the board
some astonishing things of the diff
culties and discouragements under
which the band and it's directors
have labored in the past. His recital
so gripped and inspired his hearers
that they unanimously demanded that
| he repeat his talk to the MONDAY
luncheon, or Wednesday which he
agreed to do. Every music lover and
every enc interested in band is
urged to be present Wednesday
whether members of the club or not,
being sure to arrange with the dinner
committee for seats in advance.
Mr.. Farmhouse stated that in Kan
sas they had passed law permitting
the levy Of special tax for the sup
| port OF q band and director for the
purpose of encouraging music in the
state and many musicians are being
attracted to the state on that ac-
count. In other communities BUSH
ness men make it requirement that
their employees so far as possible
shall be musicians and that they shall
pay in the band. They are given
the time from the work to play in ev-
cry engagement that the band has.
but many musicians are not allowed
to play in the band, or they are dock
ed for time spent playing with the
band and permission to do so is Civ
en- grudgingly. This simply be-
cause of an entire misconception of
the necessity upon the part of the
employers of such privileges if Oska-
loosa is to have band.
He spoke also of the discourage
ment of training a band and ther
having some important part MISSING
upon an occasion of program and
said that to an artist it was like
playing a piano with several keys
missing or a pipe organ only to find
at the moment of performance that
several of the pipes were out of com
mission. Also of getting an organ
, ization trained after years of effort
The said it took from to 10 years
to make a band) only to have them
scatter to the winds of the earth for
better employment or better oppor-
tunities than were offered at home
Pointing to the whereabouts of 10 or
Is of his famous orchestra, some in
the army, some in the navy, some at
college in half a dozen different
states, and some in other musical or
CARNATIONS on the road. The board
heard to their intense establishment
that every director Oskaloosa's band
has had in thirty years has paid in
cash for the privilege of directing the
band because every one had advanced
cash out of his own pockets for vari-
GUS purposes not provided for, and
DR.. Tony testified to that same fact
and for many years all that has saved
a band to Oskaloosa was the love OF
the game upon the part of self
sacrificing men.
A committee consisting of VIM.
Beckman, Chas. Farmhouse, DIR. Tony
and Art Taylor, was appointed to
present some plan for the organiza.
ton, support and encouragement of a
band.
The board feels that this is one of
the biggest and most important prob
lens confronting it at this time.
/