The Colorado statesman., 1919-08-23
NEGRO MUSICIANS FORM
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Chicago Entertains Artists Royalty.

TN THE development and furtherance
i of his art, the Negro musician has
ever been alert, active and persistent.
But the master stroke in this direction
was made when nearly 200 of the most
talented musicians of the race, repre-
senting every section of the country,
met in Chicago, July 10Th to August
2nd, and formed what is to be hence
forth known as "The NATIONAL AS
ISOLATION OF NEGRO MUSI-
CLANS"
To Clarence Cameron White, one of
Americas most renowned violin vir-
tuosos, must be given the credit for
having set in motion the agitation
which eliminated in this great organ
izatiOn of artists.
Despite the fact that Chicago, the
convention city, was being shattered
and torn by a raging mob of rioters,
Tuesday morning, July 10Th found in
the auditorium of the Chicago Y. NJ.
C. A. building, u gathering of Negro
disciples of the art Euterpean, which
would have done credit to the men and
women of any country or cline.
One of the very interesting fea-
lures of the opening session was the
get acquainted meeting" in which
one was given an opportunity to make
a brief but rather accurate study of
the personnel of the men and women
who made up the association. Each of
the persons present was required to
stand, announce his or her name, place
tivities pursued. Among the persons of
note who participated in the opening
sessions were Miss Alice G. Simmons,
instructor of music, Tuskegee; Mr..
Kemper Harold, violinist, teacher of
music, Atlanta University; Miss Ade-
laide Thornton, supervisor of music in
public schools of indianapolis, Ind. !;
Mr., Sidney Woodward, tenor, teacher
Miss c. Mae Brooks, supervisor of
music in public schools, Wilmington,
Del. /; Nine. Anita Patti Brown, Colora-
tura, Chicago; Miss Cleota Collins, or
ganist, teacher of music, New York
| City; Mr. Fred Work, pianist and
teacher, Nashville, Tenn. Nine. Bell
Tyler, soprano sOloist, Seattle, Wash
ington; Mrs. Emma Collins-Payne, con-
tralto, Kansas City, Mo-. Prof H. b.
Z. Johnson, director of music, National
Baptist Publishing Board, Nashville,
Tenn; Nine. Florence Cole-Talbert,
Coloratura, teacher of piano and voice,
Detroit, Mich; Miss Pauline j. Lee,
contralto, director of pageant, Chica-
go; Deacon" Johnson, president OF
the "Clef Club" New York City; +.
Solano Perdoma, violin teacher, Tam
pa, Fla, and many others, just us tai
ented and just as renowned.
The object of this association, as
shown in its constitution, is Q) ITO
promote closer fellowship and to
strive for the economic betterment of
the Negro musician :" and to stimulate
racial expression.
With this end in view, a Scholar
ship Fund" WIS started, that the as
sociation might be able to give sub
stantial aid TO deserving young men
and women of the race, when and
wherever ii can do So
1t was unanimously decided that the
first beneficiary fund is to be Miss
Anderson, Philadelphia's marvellous
contralto, who, through the efforts of
Deacon Johnson, of New York City,
was given an opportunity To appear
before the association
While every session of the associa-
tiOn was highly interesting, the
"crOwning event" however, was the
"All Stars Concert" which was given
in the auditorium of the "Y' Friday
morning, August LIST, for the benefit
of the members of the association and
their friends. Never before, i'm all the
history of our race, has so many real
artists appeared on one program in
a concert of any sort.
Mr.. T. Theodore Taylor of Chicago,
who had charge of the program, stated
that the affair would be somewhat i'm
promptu, and that each person called
upon would announce his or her own
selections. A very noticeable thing
about the program was the complete
tabooing of the regulation stage cos
tume," each participant being clad in
regular business or street attire.
At the close of the concert, Mrs.
Lena Douglass-Holt of Chicago, gave
$50 to start the scholarship fund. This
was followed by Miss Naomi Parks,
daughter of Bishop Parks, who gave