Licking Valley courier., 1921-08-25
Washington, D. G.. Aug. 10, 1921

Washington, D. G., Aug, 10, 1921
Dear Friend Lon:
There was a great deal of truth be.
tween the lines Of your recent article
In "GumptiOn" entitled "Jazz Music.
But the truth did not consist of your
praise Of jazz" 1t was your estimate
Of so called "Classic" music.
Just what is Classic" music, any.
way? As you say, there may be some
who really enjoy it, But there
are thousands who pretend to
enjoy it just
to avoid being considered unsophisti.
Gated or Old-fashioned.
ried away with the soul to other world
Jazz is deplorable. 1t is out of the
pale of decent things. 1t is even worse
than the sO-ealled "classic" stuff. 1t
bears the same relation to real music
that bootleg liquor bears to old mellow
Kentucky Bourbon" Pardon my diff
fering from you, but you're wrong on
the jazz question. Jazz is crazy stuff
But to return to the "classic brand
that jlgglety-jigglety-jiggiety-jig, jig,
Jig stuff that all sounds oiike to me
and you and most Other people. Sc
far as am able to judge IN the diff.
ferent renditions are the same noise
That is the way you and 1 and most
people think about it. Only you have
the nerve to proclaim your disaproval.
1 never heard but one definition of
classic" music that 1 could under.
stand. A little boy ask his father what
classic" music was and received the
reply.
"Aw-it's-it's that noise made by
pe0ple on musical instruments that
you've got to SAY you like when you
DON'T"
So far as am able to learn, that
is the best definition of it ever given
At least, 1t possesses the merit of being
true. Jigglety-Jigglety-Jigglety-jig JIG
jig-jig! "Aw! Most chswming!" de.
clare the listeners who are afraid to
declare what they really think about
it
The pretending lovers of this obnox.
ious noise tell me that l don't under
stand it. Neither do understand the
Enstein theory. Neither do the great
millions of people understand either Of
them.
Music Is melody. 1t has sequence
and sweet occurrences for which the
soul of the hearer hungers and listens
Real music registers indellibly upon the
heart. 1t fingers there while life lasts
Again and again we find ourselves hum
ming some melody that lives as long
as life continues, and, believe is car
rled away with the soul to other
worlds.
And the defenders Of classic" music
feel just the same way about it as We
do, although they try to make them
selves believe they don't.
Perhaps there is no city On the
world that has more musical talent
than Washington. The best and latest
in grand opera CONS here almost first
Free air concerts are given every
evening by noted bands in the the var
lous parks, all rendering the --latest
classic" with ans unpronounceabl,
name, written by some foreign classic
musiclant whose name likewise dehe'
pronunciation. Thousand of people
crowd the city parks to listen to tn,
latest classic" and to clap their hands
and exclaim "Chawming"
l attended one of those concerts last
week given In Stanton Park by the U
=. Marine Band, one of the finest band'
In the world. The programme was ot
the usual kind--mostly-and the thous
ands who had gathered there to liste,
gave the customary, expected hand
clapplng at the end of each "spasm'
and delivered themselves of the Gus
tomary "Chawmingp
! Toward the last the band rendered i