The Washington times., 1922-10-19
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l=@BY.DAMROSCH
Musician Bewails Low Musical
Standard Among " Ger
tain Class of People.
BY FRANK DAMROSCH
Director, Institute Of Musical Art.
New York.


New York.
Written for Cosmopolitan News
Sefvice)
NEW YORK, OR. 10. Jazz
which is music, by the way, not
'withstanding what some critics Icay
say, although music of "a debascd
kinds going. Its day Is nearly
done, not only in the United States
but in England. Germany, and
wherever else 1t has had vogue
for some years.
Having its inception SO many
thousands Of years ago that The
Ndate of it's origin cannot be given,
beginning, as it did, among an
scient peoples either in the. perform
.ance Of religious rites or as an ac-
compartment to songs, jazz has
come, through adaptation, to be
used in the highways and byways
of modern life as an excuse for
spersons who ought to know bet
ter, to move around a room, to its
accompaniment, locked in each
others arms, with their faces and
upper parts of their bodies held
iclose together. That sort of thing
sis debasing. 1t gives to many an
opportunity for sensuous excite
ment of which they take joyful ad-
svantage.
And SO say, Jazz OF this sort.
us rot and rotten. We can well af-
ford to see it disappear, and to
speed it's going.
Lauds Negro SpirituaIs
: But just as all mankind should
not be condedmned for the sins of
a. few, so Jazz has it's degrees Of
good and bad. Many of the famed
negro melodies. many of which are
saltogether admirable, and which
shave been so popular for many
'years, are jazz, but with the sting
aabsent. No one can find fault with
hthesc. The syncopation which ac-
companies many of them Is both
harmless and attractive, but the
modern idea" has laid it's hold up
on such music and so lowered. de-
graded and vitiated 1t for the en-
tertainment Of many of the thought
LESS and more of the low morals
something lowy. What may
take It's place have no means
of knowing, but it certainly cannot
well be anything of a less elevat-
ing character.
That brings me to consideration
of the charge attributed to Pro-
fessor Peter Dykema, of the Uni
versity Of Wisconsin. and formerly
of Washington, said to have been
made at the National Recreation
Congress held at Atlantic City. that
America is still in a state Of saw.
Rgery. so far as instrumental music
is concerned" and that I'VE are
still 100 years behind even in meth
DDS of instrumental music educa-
ton" I know Professor Dykema
we'll. and refuse to believe he ever
said anything Of the sort.
U. 8. Not Behind Times.
Nevertheless, there are people in
this country who, entertain notions
of such character. or course, they
are quite wrong. There Is no "sav.
agery" in the sphere Of instrumental
music in the United States, nor are
we 100 years behind the times in
methods Of musical education. That
. such conditions do not exist Is
proved by the musical scholars of
world fame which we have in this
country and by the advance that
musical study and accomplishment
has made here.
1t is quite true. however. that
there exists a low musical stand
ard among certain classes of the
people, accentuated. perhaps, by the
7 clLcCt6 VI tnt WOTlu WAT.
The obscene songs sung on many |
stages, and which people Of low
taste pay high prices to hear, The |
puerile, senseless and. unmelodious |
so-called songs that are turned out, |
machine-like. by the thousands, and !
which evidently meet with the ap- |
! proval Of many people, Is proof that |
! . certain percentage of "savagery" |
| although rot" is more suitable |
! word, IS present. But that cannot |
NE classed as Instrumental music, in |
It's best sense. -
Therein He's the difference. This |
outlaw stuff deserves no better fate |
than to be deposited, forcibly, in the
garbage eau,
The production Of music Of this
character. unfortunately, may be ex-
pected 70 continue 3ust as long as
q low, perverted public taste calls. \
Better musical education OF the |
public is the only remedy for II.
FIRST SfUDENT-ARTlST