The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-10-26
INDIAN MUSIC RECORDED ON
RHoNoGRAPH IN MOONLIGHT.

Recording on q modern phono-
graph on a moonlight desert the
primitive songs OF an Indian cere-
mony was one OF the experiences
that Miss Frances Densmore re-
called and related at the meeting Of
the ARCHAEOLOGICAL Soc ETY. yester-
day afternoon at the National Mu-
scum.
After telling Of her early study
Of Indian music, Miss Densmore de-
scribed her recent work among the
Pawnee in Oklahoma and the Pa
gago in Southern Arizona. The FIRST
tribes studied were the Chippewa
Sioux, Msndan, Hidatsa, and Ute.
widely separated tribes show
d nerences in the form Of their
songs, suggesting that their en-
vironment affects the musical e1-
preston" said Miss Densmore The
Papago are a quiet, gentle people
who have always lived on the low
desert. Some Of their Oldest songs
contain q peculiar swinging rhythm
which occurs in certain songs that
were recorded for me years ago by
some Arabs from the Desert Of Sa-
hars who were in Washington W IN
a Garden Of Allah troupe They
came to my office al the Smithsonian
Institution and. after listening TO
the records OF Indian music. they
recorded the songs that they sang
as they rode across the desert on
their csmels, riding all night with
loads of coffee. The songs con-
tanned long. sustained tones and a
swaying mot on. This same quality
appears in some OF the Oldest Pap
ago songs. one such song contains
the words, white downy feathers
on the edge OF the world" referring
to the white clouds seen on the
horizon, across the desert"
''On Christmas night I attended
native dance Of the PspRgo near the
Mexican border. travelling more than
eighty miles from town or telephone
( in order TO be present The Indians
were dancing by the light Of the
full moon. They sang 20 the &C
compartment OF rattIes and, what g
more primitive. they marked the
time by stamping their feet. A por-
ton Of the song was N three parts.
I the men and women singing an
Foctaee apart and one or two women
holding, for q short time. q high
7 drone tone above the melody. de-
/ scending until they Joined the voices
/ OF the other women. This repre-
sents a form OF Ind an singing
( which has not previously been OBJ
served.
while studying the music Of the
Pawnee I attended the Morning star
ceremony and was permitted to Sc,
the contents OF the Morning stat
bundle which is opened ceremonially
once a year
The Utes offered a novelty In tbs
J form OF stories told IN q sort o
endless melody. The singer seemeD
. TO improvise. using a few phrase
n a variety OF ways. with connect
ing tones The rhythm was charac
teristic Of the subject, the story o
the bear being sung in q heavy
rather clumsy rhythm. while IN
song Of the story OF the prairie dog
was lively and IN rapid tempo
AN important and interesting de-
velopment consists In the ton
photographs OF portions OF the u
songs which were made by Dr nav
ton c. Miller. head Of the depart
ment Of phys cs IN the Case SchoO
Of Applied Science at Cleveland
:, Ohio. For this purpose Dr. Mile
used a phonodeik. uu instrument q
his own invention. The photograph
show the wide wharton Of sound Il
Indian singing and also demonstrate
in graphic manner the lack n
co incidence between the voice an
drum"