The Washington times., 1922-03-16

&OOA hoxsASy CViAo~S Wv AOs
belong among that fortunate
= class Of people called born
musicians," but have acquired my
love for music ~ most people To
their taste for olives and RoQuefcrt
cheese. Therefore. to adequately ex.
press What Music Means to Me, )"
should preface my comments by re-
fsrring briefly to what Music Has
Meant to Me-"
Ny very earliest musical recollec-
ton was the lullaby. "Rock-a-oye
Baby" meaning to me that I had to
10 70 aleep-AGAin. This may s0em
: remarkable feat OF memory. hut,
Aonethelsss, for some reason, Per.
hapO my own behavior ON these oc-
oasions, for me this viii always be
one OF the '.memortes that bless and
burn" ~ 90 aptly sxpressel by
Nevins In The Rosary"
The next musical impression was
q terrtble kneeshaking. voice
Quavering one / got At . children's
1Ay entertainment when sang:
Little pansy, little pansy.
Smiling In the light;
Little pomsy, LITTLE ponsy,
BsautifuI and bright,
In its os0m s1osst language,
Sdytng unto NE,
Cont yoN Just Gs happy,
And as cheerful BE-"
Following this. fate decreed i
should have . few impressions in the
line of instrumental music. This
was accomplished through the
medium Of q piano; . long tortuous
period during which my chief aim
was to have my teacher. the only
one obtainable In my home village,
Dismiss me ~ . pupil, but which
lofty ambition wan never attained
due to the fact that the teacher was
an old bachelor who did his own
cooking, and my mother always
invited him to stay to dinner after
my lesson. After this. the lesscns
having ceased upon tho death OF this
poor old man, there was long
stretch Of years when music meant
nothing to ms-absolutely nothing,
except occasionally being delegated
to dust of the piano.
Having emerged from this BE-
nighted state, feel that my case
alone would be convincing PROOF OF
the theory that the time comes IN
sach of our lives when We bow IN
homage to the irresistible charm OF
that greatest Of arts-music-5ust a.
surely a. II IL true that every man
Come time during his life IL going
10 gratify his longing for q fancy
vert Of riotous coiors which he may
never, during the rest Of his LIE,
summon sufficient courage to wear
outside his own room.
The love of music may be awaken
"a by strange reasons. Personally,
/ owe my redemption 70 the banjo.
In making q change In homes I
Apund the nsw ono lacked something
that had been q part Of the old one,
quite unnoticed At the time. Il was
the music Of the banjos.
Then I answered music's first real
appeal to me BY purchasing . banjo.
making arrangements for studying II.
and practictng % 1ealously that my
small brother watching me one day
ran and anxiousiy inquired Of some
one II they thought I could really
stop when ] wanted to. Soon after
this became . member Of the
Nordica Banjo Club. and later on,
after studying the mandolin. q men,
Der of the Nordica Mandolin and
Guitar Orchestra, and have now been
associated with these two orsaniza-
tons 80 many years that I must not
mention the exact number indiscrimi-
nately.
During these years music has como
to mean to mo two distinct things:
the pleasure Of my own efforts, and
my respect and appreciation Of the
efforts Of others; and as modest
people always take the rear, except
in getting on street cars, I'll Give
my thoughts on the latter first.
OF course, first OF all must come
the composers, chief among these
the old masters, Mozart, Beethoven,
Lisxt. and the others who have
passed on, leaving not only the rich
legacy Of their own compositions,
but IN inspiration to the composers
OF other generations who have added
their Observation-Disclosures, Schu.
bert. Mcdowell. Victor Herbert
sven our own orchestra members
being numbered among these, and I
mention with pride the names of
walter r. Holt, Charles A. Conrad
and b. w. DeLoss.
now appreciate the fact that
the composer who has devoted his
life to the higher forms Of music has
had no light work. for I now know
the difference between an opera, an
oratorio and q ballad; . sonata. q
rhapsody. . symphony and q fox
trot. Even the task Of transferring
musical thoughts to paper is q long
tedious one.
Have you ever tried to make even
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