The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-11-07
THE TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORMATION BUREAU
BY FREDERIC j. HAsKIN. Director,
Washington, D. C.
COMMUNITY MUSIC.

lighting, drinking water, policemen
and all the other things that belong
to the tvera., city, there was an ap-
preparation of $4,000 for the munich
pal symphony orchestra.
This is almost the first time that
an American municipality has neen
taxed for music, but it is not at all
surprising when you consider the phe-
nomeaal rapidity with which the com
munity music idea has grown. SINH
lar appropriations for orchestras,
bands and choruseS are now reported
before town assemblies and state leg
islatures in all parts of the country,
and it has even recently been urged
that the government create new Of
flee, known as the bureau of fine arts,
for the purpose of encouraging and
supervising this new American move
ment.
Free Band Bills.
Representatives of the government,
it is suggested, should be sent to the
state capitals to pers lade the leg1sla-
lures to pass free orchestral bills; to
encourage communities of 1000 or
more inhabitants at least to mobilize
town band. and to get the school
houses of the nation turned into con-
cert halls. Why isn't music as impor-
tant as agriculture? the advocates of
this measure desire to know.
OF course, ther. are many reasons
cept Baltim' e. Baltimore is ex-
tremely musical under any circum-
stances. 1t has a large musical con-
servatory-one of the best in Amer
lea; and is full of musicians to whom
good music is just as necessary as
paving or policemen or any of those
practical things for which people usu-
ally pay taxes.
Thus the municipal symphony or
cheStra means a great deal to Balti-
moreans. They hear splendid con-
certS free of charge or they play in it
themselves under the direction of
famous harmony teacher, Mr.. Gustav
Strubie, who once led the Philadel-
phia orchestra.
United States Behind others in Music.
But in the lives of the great ma
jority of Americans means nothing.
means nothing. Most of the
music they hear is bad We
are far behind other nations in
this respect While the middle class
of Europe, and even the lowest classes
in Germany are familiar with the great
composers, the Middle American class,
on the whole, cannot tell Chopin from
Beethoven. There is the incident of
the business man, for instance, who,
upon hearing some one admire Wag-
ner, exclaimed, THE brewer? I didn't
know he could play"
How often do we hear that absurd
remark, It don't know anything about
music, but [ know what 1 like when
hear it" 1t is, of course impossible
to conceive why any one should wish
to boast of anything so obvious. One
might as well say, II don't know any,
thing about spinach. but 1 know what
1 like when 1 taste ito Naturally,
most people do And it has been dem
onstrated that, despite their prejudice
against anything which is high
hT-flT 1egsffa
Municipal band concerts the phnono-
graph and, to a less extent, the movies
have proved this.
Watch the crowd around any free
band concert and what do you find?
People from every walk of life will
be there, listening attentivelv to the
music. Some, who have no programs,
do not even know what it is that they
hear. At a Marine band concert in
washington not long ago, for exam
pie, an old man was vociferoQs in his
applause of one selection. THAT
sure is some piece!" he informed the
man next to him. The piece re-
ferred to was a selection from La
Tosca."
Natural Love of Good Music.
1t was this natural love of good
music which convinced a few musi-
clans three years ago that music was
the thing that every community
department of fine arts in the Kansas
State university, was one of the first
to start tt idea moving. He started
a statewide campaign for community
young mel on the desirability of
learning to play some musical instru-
ment; to parents on the wisdom of
letting their children study different
instruments rather than the piano,
and to everybody on the necessity of
xe+fy oil Ts-Sr
vulgar and indecent" But the dean
did not confine his activities to talk
ing.
After 1ecturfng the business mems
and womens clubs, he sent out circu-
lar letters to every community, in
forming its members that the Univer-
sity of Kansas would send to any
school or club which had Victrola
four sets of fifteen disc records each
to be used for instruction purposes.
Each set of records, the letter contin-
ued, would be accompanied by a type
written talk, explaining the music
about to be heard and giving some in
tereSting facts concerning its origin
The records were to follow each other,
according to their numbers, so as to
show the development of music from
its beginning to modern times.
The conditions attached to the use
of the records were as follows: First,
the entertainment must be given at
night. in order that parents as we'll
as children might attend. Second, it
was to be free. Third, only a Victrola
must be used, and only haIf-tone or
fiber needles. Fourth, care must be
exercised in repacking the records;
the transportation charges must be
paid, and they must be forwarded
collect to the address furnished by
the University.
Kanss Set the Movement.
The dean was at once besieged by
requests for records. Especially were
they in demand by music teachers
who found them exceedingly valuable
in teaching musical history to their
pupils and incidentally their parents
Gradually an interest in music grew
up and in the various. communities
that received the records. that result
ed in musical organizations of one