The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-09-13
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Juvenile Band Contest VIII Be
Repeated Next Year.
success of Free Fair Event Due
to Daniel Muller.
Abilene TAKES FIRST PRIZE
Ten Bands Came to Topeka~fOr
Musical Programs.
Members of CimarrOn Band
Travelled Total of $40 Miles.


out of possible hundred.
The Emporia Boys band, led by
o. C. Rindom, took the second prize
of 800 with a score of SO points. The
E1dorado boys band, scoring 50 points,
took the third prize of SIS, while the
Harrington band took fifth money, $50,
with 81 points. The judges gave
honorable mention to the remaining
five bands - Oskaloosa, Sabetha,
Cimarron. Kansas City, Kan, and
Olathe.
The contest was held in front of
the grandstand before a crowd of
5000 persons who had assembled for
the races. The bands occupied the
grandstand until they were called
upon, between heats, to cross the
q track and take their places on the
platform. Each band played first the
CONNECTICUT March" and second
piece of its own choosing.
To Be Permanent Department
Probably ne other similar feature
of the Kansas Free Fair ever received
such universal attention and COM
mendation as the juvenile band con-
test. The event this year was some
what of an experiment, but its sue
cess leaves no room for doubt that it
will become a standard and ever grow
ing department in the future. The
motto of every aggregation as it left
the grandstand Tuesday afternoon
was: Watch US next year.
The success of the enterprise was
largely due to Daniel Muller. head of
the Muller School of Music and music
critic for The State Journal. He was
called upon last May to take charge
OF the undertaking and Immediately
began a search of the state for juve
nile bands. He communicated with
all the high school and common school
principals in the state; all the men,
bers of the State Music Teachers as
afaff - lob he 1c,f-lry
vice president, and in many cases with
the county clerks and registers of
deeds of various counties.
He succeeded in locating thirty-two
juvenile bands, and ten of them came
70 Topeka for the contest. He also
asked the bands to bring their man
ayers. treasurers and secretaries and
in some instances quite a delegation
accompanied the organization. These
delegates were unanimous in their as
sertions that this was one of the best
things the Free Fair had ever at
tempted and that it VIII do more than
anything else to get the big exposition
in closer touch with the community.
Some Of the bands who competed III
the contest had only been organized a
few months, while the oldest band
from iAbilene-had been. in existence
three Years.
That the towns and communities
were solidly behind their respective
ORGANIZATIONS was SHOWN DX the faCt
that in a majority of cases the home
folks financed the trip. In many
towns the Chambers of Commerce
took it upon themselves to supply the
money. Mcpherson sent its cham
Der of commerce secretary along" as
manager of the band and got some
good advertising for the city by Civ
ing concerts not only in Topeka but
tn Abilene, Junction City, Manhattan
SaliHa, Emporia, Usage City and Cot
tonwood Falls. They were conveyed
tn nineteen automobiles on. their trip
and the White Eagle Oil company do
mated all the gasoline at its filling sta
Tons along the route.
Entertained at Y. NJ. G. A.
In Topeka the Central Y. NJ. C. A
threw its doors wide open to all ju-
venile band members and gave them
the free run of the institution.
The Cimarron band of seventeen
inembers-two-thir of them under
IL years of age-traveied a distance
of $40 miles to take part in the event
The trip was financed by the home
folks as was also the case with the Sa-
betha Boy Scout band.
The judges of the contest were: AL
Sweet director of AL Sweets Singing
Hussars, New York; J. c. McCandles,
director of the Kansas university
band, Lawrence; and C. c. Ro-
gan, cornetist of MarshalPs band.
AOpShd. IAiS Judges certainty did
q hard days work for it was such
q close call between so many of the
bands that it took a very scientific dis
secting of merit to determine the win
ners. The judges gave honorable
mention to all the entrants and were
unanimous in their estimation that
this was the finest thing ever at
tempted in the state for the advance
Inent of musical interest
Interest Boys in Music. M
''If you can get boys interested in
music" declared Mr.. McCandles. "ft
occupies their spare time, brings with
1t a natural absorbing of discipline
for. S4- - "oiA
t'Without any question the Free
Fair management has taken a hold
of the most vital spot for the creation
Of statewide interest in music study
was the declaration of AL Sweet.
1.-THE directors of these bands" said
Professor Muller, do a work unique
in itself by virtue of tbs4r devotion to
children. One director asserted that
music has the most powerful grip to
keep boys out of pool halls, gambling
dens and other such places of any
agency employed today. 1 think we
have located the channel thru which
we can do endless good, especially for
the rural and small town commune
ties which we must admit are too
AGll OQI dAlOEGLHSI
"Unquestionably more is being done
for the promotion of good livestock
than for good human stock. Too
much is left undone to create better
ideals in our young people. We do
not reach deeply enough into the boy
and girl heart to plant culture seeds,
for in my estimation any home and
community where the cultured side
OF education is neglected, falls short
Of providing its young people with
that which gives them the most pleas
ure in future life. Without lots more
music the United States would event.
uRlly become a crude asylum. think
the Free Fair management Is to be
commended most highly for tackling
this fundamental principle of develop
ment. It is not a money-making af-
fair for them, but distinctly educa-
tion1l feature"