Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-09-17
THE CHARM OF MUSIC
in THE HOMES OF u. S.

If, as is said, music hath charms
to soothe the savage breast, or beast
as the case may be, there ought notsbe
any such animal as a savage beast nor
anything but the calmest and most
peaceful breast, because even the most
unmusical Of us car, nave the very
best in melody and musical harmony
brought, not to iii y~ery.doors, but
even better yet, to the very innerrnost
circles Of our homes. This doesn't
mean that we should have a. dPader-s
ewski or a Schumann-Heink, but it
auctions of the wonderful tones
brought from the piano by the Pader-
ewski fingers, and theSbeauty and APP
lpealBof notes sung as only Schuraann-3
Heink can sing them, lie we care for
them. These ma be brought tot1us
Through the medium of the phono-
graph. We may also have pleasant
and better still, to develop our own
musical powers, we may have a piano
that will give us music with the hui
man touch in it.
Since the photograph has become
such an improved and highly perfected
piece Of mechanism, reproducing accu-
rately h tone. Of any instrument Of
the human voice, It has been said
that piano playing Is becoming lost
art. That possibly is a little bit exag-
gerated, but it is true that people who
would have labored long Inc faith
fully to become proficient players
before the day Of the photograph, be-
cause Of the fact that no other music
was accessible. now save their pennies
and buy a music box that will bring
them the very best OF the old or mod
ern masters, and the best ofethe mod
ern performers, without any more eff
fort than the saving Of the aforemen-
toned pennies. {
In a way, this is t be regretted,
perhaps, but certainly people Of our
country are developing a more Guilt
waited and refined taste for music
Through this canned music" as 1t
has been frequently II not too elegant
ly termed. When one may place q
good looking piece Of furniture, such
as most of the monographs are, in
ones home, and with the slight exer-
ton of putting on q record, ,and@oc-
casionally turning the crank" may
hear the worlds pest operas, OF the
latest Jazz band craze, according tc
taste, it really isn't to be wondered al
that 80 few people want to practice
and dig for practice, and dig they
, must if they hope to succeed to any
degree ere -bonoxran -, nro,ent i IL.
ment Of culture and at least the "a. b
c. Of the musical alphabet, which {
few years ago was an unknown guam
{ tity to a great majority Of the Ameri
can republic. Now, children OF tn,
' average well regulated home VIII,
have reached the age of ten or twe1v,
years. will recognize standard compo
!. %sitions, airs from the operas, and will
s know by name the sound Of voice an,
: singers. If with this they also get
f little taste for the raggedy s%yncopate'
f rhythm of the modern dance music
. that isn't such a wholesale tragedy q
we might be led to believe, becaus
r their ears are at least being educate
: to musical sounds, and If there Is
question as to the music" in thes
syncopated mixtures, If they're not ad
ministered in too large doses. the NOR
dignified and worthwhile things wi
hold their own and make a~'lasting i'm
preston, where the others r quick
forgotten. gs3lf
The player-piano which came to i
some years ago as one oftthe ne
canned" music contrivances, contir
ues in popularity and has a speci;
appeal to many people through tn
fact that they have a little more pei
sonal part in the playing than H4;