Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-24
PERSHING STARTS
SCHOOL OF MUSIC
French Instructors to Help
Damrosch Improve
US. Bands p
TO EXAMINE LEADERS
Importance Of Songs and
Dances in Warfare Reason
for New Plan
Special Cable to Evening Public Ledger

Special Cable to EUening Public Ledger
COPYRIGHT. 1913. by ths Nco York Times Co.
Paris, Aug. "a.
One by-product of this war which will
he of benefit to all parts Of America will
he better music. 1t will grow out ct
the fact that 10000 band musicians will
go home to the United States after
hostilities with more knowledge Of and
enthusiasm for music than they ever
had before This will be because of
their thoroughgoing artistic training In
France. plans for which have just been
perfected by Walter Damrosch at the
request of General Pershing. .
Doctor Damrosch was about to return
to America early in July, when General
Pershing appealed to him to do some-
thing to improve the army music. Doc
tor Damrosch accepted this opportunity
to serve the American troops and today
he outlined big comparative plan ap-
proved by General Pershing. in which
leading French band leaders and play
| ers will serve as instructors to the
Americans. Cooperation in the matter
has been authorized both by the French
| Ministry Of War; because Of the vital
| influence Of music on good military
morale, and by the French ministry OF
| fine arts because Of the opportunity Of
| fered for high-grade propaganda by in
=
| American public after the war.
Dsmrosch Examines Band Masters
| As Congress had authorized the CIV
| ing Of commissions to army bandmas-
ters, General Pershing desired that tho
200 American bandmasters in France be
examined before they received commits.
sions. Doctor Damrosch agreed to de-
vote five weeks to this work. A military
band was accordingly sent to Paris,
where every bandmaster was summoned
to give practical demonstration of his
knowledge of the technique of conduct-
ing and his ability to intrumentate music
for military purposes. Doctor Dannrosch
was assisted in the examination nv a
board, including Lieutenant WE'LL. of the
French army. a musician serving as
Iiaison officer.
The majority Of the bandmasters were
young men Of real musical talent, but
many Of them. having been thrown into
the service without previous discipline
in conducting, were lacking in the tech
nique Of the baton, and not only needed
hut craved further instruction.
Doctor Damrosch found that nearly
all the bands were away below the num-
ber authorized by Congress-forty-eight
players-and that many important in
struments which have helped to make
the French military bands the most ia
nous in the world were totally lacking.
In accordance with the Damrosch
plan. a school for bandmasters and play
ers will be established on October ] In q
quiet town in France, where corps Of
celebrated French instructors, all Of
them first-prize winners Of the Paris
Conservatoire and all soldiers of the
French army, will. by courtesy Of the
French Minister OF War. he detailed to
act as instructors for our musicians. in
the same way that the French have de-
tailed artillery and aviation experts.
school for United States Bnndrnsst.rs
This will mean that our hand masters.
at the rate of forty every two months.
and musically talented American sol.
| diers, at the rate OF 100 every three
months, will obtain technical musica,
instruction of the highest chs racter.
For the length of their scholastic tern,
} they will live together in huge mill in
beautiful valley. Army engineers ara
now changing the mill at slight expense
into a school Ideally adapted for tho
purpose.
Part of the furnishings of the schools
rooms will be full-length mirrors, In
which the band masters may watch
themselves conducting and learn the
things not to do. In telling of his new
scheme today, Doctor Damrosch said:
"Thes importance Of good band music
in army life cannot be overestimated. On
the march it enables a regiment to for.
get fatigue, hunger and the extremes
Of heat and cold. In camp 1t refinel
every emotion of the soldier. It SYM
bolizes his patriotism. his thoughts OF
home and family. 1t enlivens him with
popular songs and dances. In the new
army music school our bandsmen will
devote part of their time to listening Il
the finest chamber music, not that they
will play 1t, but to refine their methods
and to make their work with more
popular music artistic and spleldid."