The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1926-04-15

Wife Does The Work

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: ~. ssssa
Il see that Ar. Blrdsongs new
piece is bel4.. l~aturea IN tue niNs-c
store" observed Mrs. Birdsongs cal
Ter. Il envy you the privnege Vi en-
toying his compositions so long DeLVle
they reach the clamoring puDnc.'
'Oh, my dear" exclaimed the wife
of Mr.. Birdsong, please DON'T speak
OF those direful days preceding tbs
appearance OF new one - or ~
Durst!"
Surely. there's nothing unpleasant
about it," the caller apologized. !
often picture you sitting beneath the
piano lamp playing the new airs ten
DERBY. while Mr.. Birdsong leans back
in the shadowy big chair listening to
your interpretation OF the harmonies
that originated in his own soul
THAT sounds awfully nice and poet
10 and it would look good in a picture
frame" said Mrs. Birusong, 80 hate
TO disillusion you. But you might as
well know that those harmonies you
speak Of are born into the world thru
painful aesthetic travail"
I'm surprised! His compositions
sound so exquisitely ehortless. sup
nosed he dashed them OF on Pub
man or anywhere-just Like thati"
my goodnessI" gasDed Mrs. Bird
song. .You force me to tell the hor'
rid details. First. Mr.. Birdsong comes
home from a trip, drops his grip, kis-
SEES me briskly, snatches off his coat
and PUSHES to the piano. Listen, he
says. how do like this? just made
it UP last night
Il rave over 1t at first because !
like the melody and at the end OF the
seventh day ! rave because ne wont
stop playing it.
"He pounds it out the instant he
| Jumps from the bed in the morning
| and the last thing at night-about J
a. m.-he is playing 1t with the SOIL
pedal He disregards meals. bis soup
cools before he gets it and he never
waits for dessert.
Sometimes he forgets and takes
his napkin along to the piano ~neA
he thinks of a new strain to inset
And he drags me along, too. whetEsi
Pve finished eating or not, you 80
he plays by ear strictly, whi4e s.u
died music. So he depends upon IA.
to write the notes on the manuscHip'
paper for him.
"TH think it's all done ard ready
to send to the publisher, when be
yells frantically: Two minors sAou-~
T, follow each other. Change it A9.e.
Now I'll play it. How do you Ike
that?'
'aThen he asks me to play it so that
he can get the effect do. Then he
blurts out: You can play the right
hand that way. exactly as | want it,
but not the left, Cant you take a
bass? want that F sharp played with
A. Is that the way you have written
it? Get away minute! I'll get the
doggone thing! See, now, isn't that
pretty harmony?
about that time he strikes fresh
chord Unexpectedly. What's thisT ne
cries. Here, what's this? Play it in
the treble while hold this chord, and
play the treble with your left hand, SO
J you can write down the chord with
your right hand
when / have done that obedientiy
| he announces: Now, we've got TO
change that top note. Should it be
/ G or Az After we change it he huns
Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta--ta,' and decides 1t
will be too high for the ordinary voice
and tells me to trspspose it SO the
top note will be e.
II procure a clean sheet Of manu-
script paper, and do it all oyer
again. Then he has a brand new in
! SEPARATION. He thrusts his pencil be-
hind his ear and plays the new idea
| frantically. That's the stuff he
beams. DO you get that2 Doggone IT.!
There it isl
Il wait and listen. Then he says:
How Is the bass to this thing? Maybe
that bottom note ought to be changed
tell him 1t is correct according to
| the rules of harmony,
I don't care about the rules, he
flares. My ear tells me how It ought
to go. Dad gum it! take liberties
with the piano that nobody else
does
About that time slip over to the
table and take up the book ! had be-
gun reading one quiet night while Mr.
Birdsong was away. Before I've found
the place where left off he calls me
back to the piano and asks sweetly;
what are these notes here. my dear7
suppose ] ought to learn how to read
music
Cant he read music?" The caller
was amazed
HE doesn't know one note from the
other. When the green and white
proof sheet comes back from the pub
Usher have to so over it with him at
least a hundred times to make sure
it's just the way he wants it."
1 well, think your name should ap-