The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-05-18
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau

FREDERIC ,. HASKIN. Dlreceer,
washington, D. Q.

/ washington L. ~ MAY 4Os--AAAOAeAA0
is the first state to make special
effort to encourage its own musical
composers, according to Grace Porter
field Polk. well known song writer OF
Indiana.
Three years ago Mrs. Polk de-
termined to do for other Indiana folk
just what she wished some one had
done for her when she was a. strug-
Cling composer. She had had TO work
alone, trusting in her own Judgment
to divine what was good and bad IN
| her early attempts. She had had TO
learn, by slow experiment, ways TO
writer could have explained to her in
a few minutes talk. She decided that
in future the young composers OF her
state at least should profit by the ex-
perience of others
| Accordingly. she began to offer a
group of annual prizes for the best
original songs submitted by persons
native or resident of the Hoosier state.
! Prizes for the best art songs and bal
lads were offered, and also a prize for
the best manuscript by junior com
poser.
Mrs. Folks belief that Indiana
needed this sort of encouragement was
/ justified. From farms. homesteads
and city offices manuscripts came into
/ Greenwood, the suburb of Indianapolis
where Mrs. Polk lives More than
year of the contest. Last year $50
manuscripts came in. This year the
number will probblay be larger, tho
the art song prizes have been discon-
tinueG. 1t was found that an art song
/ to the amateur composer meant
very complicated and ambitious work.
\ Many of the contestants were not
ready for intricate compositions, so it
was decided to concentrate on ballad
forms
The prizes are awarded every year
at the American Song Composers fes-
tival held at Greenwood in June The
festival is another idea for encour-
aging home talent, both state and ma
tional- Each year many musical com
posers come to Greenwood for a three
days celebration and festival. Both
| experienced composers and amateurs.
some from distant states, come to this
convention in the cause of American
music. The beginners get helpful sug-
gestions and counsel, the older musi-
clans consult together. and all get in
spiration for their work in the con-
certs and meetings.
Mrs Polk is especially interested in
the rising generation of musicians.
For several years was junior chair
man of the National Federation of
Music clubs, and she is still the cham
pion of the struggling composer, and
of the potential composers in the
schOolroom who have not yet realized,
perhaps that they have unWritten
songs running in their heads.
Every state should encourage its
home musicians, and particularly the
young composers. The surest way to
promote American music is to interest
the young people and give them the
assistance they should have.
Concrete Suggestions.
There are various ways of doing
this The National Federation of Mu
sic clubs is working to interest boys
and girls of the grammar and high
school age by forming them into
Junior music clubs. These clubs give
recitals, and sometimes the programs
are made up entirely of original COM
positions They go to hear concerts.
Some of the clubs have made a study
of the parts played by the different
instruments in the orchestra, so that
they might better understand orches-
ira music. And some of them have
orchestras of their own.
Sometimes small prizes are given
for the best original composition by
club member. These original pieces
little waltzes, marches, and songs
are often crude. Few are worthy of
publication, but early attempts may
lead to finer work, especially If SYM
pathetic encouragement is given.
In the Indiana composers contest
an effort is made to get an idea as
to what led the different Junior con- !
testants to write the pieces submitted. |
Most of them realize the importance
of starting with a theme, just as ex-
perienced artists do. There is sur |
prisingly little meaningless music |
One little girl, telling about her
manuscript, said that her father was
away in the north. In letter he said !
that he missed hearing the familiar |
the bobolink notes carefully initiated |
in the melody and sent it to him. I
This song she had entered in the COM |
petition. She was in Miami. Fla, |
where there is one of the best and |
largest junior clubs in the United i
States
Musical Memory Tests.
Another device for making America |
more musical is the music memory |
test. These tests have been used in /
some public schools and in music clubs |
for several years. In some cities they |
have been conducted as city-wide con-
tests for prizes
list of fifty we'll known violin,
piano and vocal pieces is selected by
a local music committee, or obtained |
from the Federation of Music Clubs. |
which is sponsoring the tests. These
lists contain such numbers as ITO a
Wild Rose" (MacDowen); Spring I
Song (Mendelssohn); ''Narcissus''
(Nevin); Indian Lament (Kreisler-
Dvorak); 'Toreador Chorus" from
Carmen CBizet); Rhapsody Number
(Grieg), and Fifth symphony
(Beethoven).
The list is made public and num-
bers are played as often as possible
TOT the contestants curing the weeks
before the contest For the test. a
number of the pieces are played on
graphophone and the contestants
identify them as TO the title and the
composer. In the Indianapolis schools
so many of the children learned to
know all the pieces listed that the
contest was not much of a competi-
ton Even after eliminating all pa
pers with very slight mistakes it was
necessary to give fifteen prizes.
The value of the music memory
tests is obvious. Acquaintance with
a cheap melody is interesting for only
a @evr weeks at most. No one goes
around humming the ragtime of a few
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