The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-11-05

NEW YORK CITY, Nov. 5,-Amer-
lean ragtime is now factory made.
Popular songs no longer are the pro-
ducts of lone, gifted individuals, but
the work of organized experts. Their
various parts are created and assem-
bled with the same speed and mechan-
ical perfection as motor cars. Who
wrote the song hits of yesteryear? In
all probability not those to whom they
were credited, but nobody remembers
the names of the authors anyway-it is
hard enough to remember the names
of the songs.
In these restless times the life of a
popular song hit is scarcely longer
than the life of toothbrush. 1t wears
out quickly under intense pressure, and
the public is ready for new one. En-
thusiasts like to buy half a dozen
songs at one time and play them in.
cessantly for perhaps month, supple
menting their own efforts on the
family piano with photograph records
of the same tunes. At such merciless
repetition even the most sympathetic
ear is certain to rebel, so that it is not
long before the jazz-wranglers weary
of these melodies and replace them
with five or six new numbers.
In the face of such an enormous and
ever-changing demand, the independ
ent song artist could not hope to sur
vive. In his place have grown up
large jazz factories, capable of produc-
ing and marketing many songs a year
Irving Berlin, for example, who used
to write his own songs in the privacy
of his own home, now has large and
sumptuous jazz factory, containing %
sound-proof studios and employing a
staff of 175 persons
In Mr.. Berlin's plant, Il Is true, the
! usual factory atmosphere is obscured
by decoration. The studios are finish.
ed in mauve and French gray. with
carpets an inch and a quarter thick,
ivory wicker chairs upholstered with
Powered cretonne, wall friezes depict.
ing the MUSES. in gay and festive mood
and soft. inverted lights. With these
concessions to art, the routine of song.
production proceeds as briskly as any
other business.
This includes two important tasks,
according to Mr.. Saul H. Bernstein,
general manager of the Berlin plant
( One is TO take the germ of an idea"
he says. "synchronize it TO the tempo
of the hour, and make it into a tech.
nically perfect song hit These ideas
come from two sources-the stafi
writer's and the inspired outsider"
Building Song.
Suppose you belong to the latter
class. You write set of verses which
you think would make snappy song
You take it to Mr.. Bernstein.
How about the melody" he immed.
lately asks you. Got any ideas for
that?"
You believe you have. Accompany
ing him TO his private, sound-proof
once, which contains a grand piano
you whistle few bars into his critical
ear Listening attentively, he gradual
ly picks out the melody on the piano
until the substance of a connected sone
appears. Then he pushes a button and
a staff writer comes in. Mr. Bernstein
goes over the melody and words with
! him couple of times, after which Won
and the staff writer adjourns to an
other sound-proof room. where you de
vote the rest of the day to perfecting
the manuscript.
| Then this first rough draft" ex
plains Mr.. Bernstein, goes to another
stan writer, who makes a technically
perfect piano arrangement; to another
who makes a vocal arrangement; to
another who makes an orchestra ar
rangement; to another who arranges
| it for dancing and still another who
arranges it for a band. 1t is the work
\ of still another staff writf r RI ;p,pro