Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-23
"Grahan

THERE'S lot of wear and tear
on a horn blowers upper lip.
Italian opera singers sometimes
Il eat too much spaghetti and have
to be fixed up in hurry; piano
players get nervous paralysis of one
or more fingers. just before they play;
violin players get cramps.
These are just few OF the reasons
why we have TO maintain little hos
pital Of our own, OH the main studio
floors of our New York headquarters.
About 400 musicians perform nightly at
the studio, for stations WEAF and
WIZ. An average of about 20. or 5
per cent, pass through the studio FIRST
aid" station each night. A staff of
nurses is in attendance. arrangements
are made for doctors to be instantly on
call II a serious case should come in,
and the station is stocked with every
known restorative. Salve ointment. To-
ton or gargle which may be useful in
treating the .occupational ills of the
artists.
There was a trap drummer who had
been to the country the day before and
broke out with poison ivy. He was
treated after the orchestra had played,
and said he had put on the best per-
Torrance Of his life. The cornetist
afnicted with a cold sore, makes an
almost nightly appearance. There was
soprano inclined toward fainting
spells. just before going on. The nurses
could do nothing for her and there was
a suspicion that she was making play
for q drink. When she learned there
was no hope, she bucked up and there
were no more fainting spells.
There was q bouncing, cayorting
little conductor. who, just about two
minutes before he was TO lead his or
chestra In a Wagnerian selection. re-
curing lot of action, rushed into the
f1rst aid room in a panic. He had a
boil on the back Of his neck. and when
he Strengthened up and raised his baton,
to get the boys ready. the boil came
smack against his stiff dress collar and
fetched a yell which would have been
edifying to the Nation. had the mike"
been open at that moment. There was
not time to lance or bandage his little
pet.
Uses Saucer In Pinch.
"Just take your collar and coat off
and the boil won't touch anything"
said one of the nurses.
"Never!"s said the conductor. IT
could not lead the orchestra without
my collar and coat"
There was about 80 seconds left and
something had to be done. Looking
frantically about the room, the nurse
it and slammed 1t on the back Of the
maestro's neck, between the collar and
the boil, with the concave side in. II
warded off the collar and didn't touch
the boil. The conductor rushed out ard
put on painless and highly successful
performance.
A prima donna always had to have a
bouquet of amaryllis before her as she
sang. One night. just at the dead line.
ck end ~, 4At.A MI For
support and seemed about to faint.
Staggering to the first-aid room, she
gasped:
Some aspirin quick - aspirin-as-
print"
A nurse thrust box Of aspirin into
her hand and reached for glass OF
water.
Never mind the water" said the
singer. She then rushed back into tie
studio and poured the aspirin tablets
| into the amaryllis vase.
THE poor dears were perishing," she
said. Il had forgotten 10 give tn I'm
! their aspirin"
There was delay of q few seconds
In the start OF her song but with the
/ amaryllis saved she gave q splendid
! performance.
Studio Runs SO Hours.
| our studio now puts In So hours
| day on the air. II sounds mysterious
but it's perfectly simple. Each of the
! two stations now supplies programs
covering 10 hours daily, from o'clock
in the morning until IL O'Clock at night
This stretching of the hours resulted
recently in the putting on of an execu-
tive nightshift, SO the company, as q
business institution, also runs 10 hours
a day. At night there are on duty rep-
resentatives OF the president and vice
| nographers, representatives Of the art
lists bureau: in fact, the entire admin
istration and technical force is virtually
duplicated. Will the outreach of radio
across the seas and into far time zones
some day require a 24-hour admins
trative and artistic staff? 1t seems In
evitable, as this expansion Is coming
rapidly. 1t Is q bit grotesQue to think