Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-21
"Grahann

IN my radio experience have known
of only one woman orchestra lead
er-Anna Byrne, who directed the
4 orchestration for the first CONNER
cially sponsored radio program in
1923. Miss Byrne both plays the piano
and directs and is highly successful in
her field. But with the rise of jazz
and with the splendid advance in Or
cheStral music in America during the
last few years women have been almost
entirely on the side lines. They are
scloists, both in vocal and instrumental
music.
Miss Byrne, a vital and compelling
personality: is part Irish and part
French-which might suggest a COM
bination of the gifts Of leadership and
esthetic capacity, which are exactly the
aptitudes which she reveals. ! have
often wondered why women. young
women particularly, did not click into
the big orchestral doings as did Paul
Whiteman, Rudee Valee, Hal Kent,
Sleeper" Hall, Eddie Elkins and the
host of others who have come out OF
the colleges and the peacock lanes
where jazz saw its first eruption. One
Of my friends who, even in hot weather,
is apt to get into philosophical drift
suggests that since men, organizing
clans, tribes and governments. had to
take the brunt Of the big organizing
jobs. they developed capacities both for
group activities and leadership which
naturally gave them an advantage over
women in both leadership and orches-
trail performance.
Personally / am inclined to think
women might be either good directors
or Snappy jazz players II they got in
terested in 1t. Here's May Breen, the
"Ukulele Queen" who has not only
musical competence but success attri-
butes which ought to make her a first
class director, If she ever cared to swing
a baton. MY philosophical friends add
that these differences between men and
women are not very deeply rooted, and
he sees no reason why q sound woman
musician couldn't even conduct O SYM
phony orchestra II she wanted to. It
is just q matter Of overcoming age-old
conditioning.
I suppose q radio announcer sees
about as many exciting events of ali
kinds as anybody in the world. A
sports writer takes in sports and a po-
litical writer politics, but the radio
kibitzer is not limited to any one field
have had my share Of orchestra seats
at the big national shows-world series,
foot ball championships, national con-
ventions, derbies, rowing races. tunnel
openings, boxing championships and
all the rest Of it, and, stacking them all
up together, I have confession to
make. Don't shoot, but am here to
say that after taking In such big doings
as the above marble tournament gave
NE just about the biggest thrill of my
career.
To say the least, was Indifferent
when was asked to broadcast the re-
cent national marbles tourney at Ocean
City. I'm reasonably red-blooded, and
I didn't see how we were going to work
up much excitement over a gang of
kids shooting marbles. When 1 got
into it-when I saw the amazing skill
the hair-line competitions, the show
down on the old sporting instinct
which carries a lad through an uphill
fight knew was as wrong as Doc
Cook.
The hard-surfaced rings. raised
signify above the ground level, are as
scientifically prepared as a billiard ia
BILE, and the skill which these young
sters display Is quite comparable to
that Of expert billiard players. EVERY
thing is as carefully and completely
organized as in big track meet. The
boys, all under IA, from about SO cities.
are conditioned like Clyde Van Dusen.
Harlin Mccoy, first national cham
getting into form. The shooting
thumb must always be massaged with
olive oil after shooting. One should
wallop punching bag and engage in
other rough activities to get his knuc-
kles hard. There Is an elaborate sci
ence of Tagging" in which you learn
how to push the marble out so it Will
not roll after 1t lights. There is an
amazingly complex and minute tecn-
nique which these youngsters have
mastered. Possibly 1t was this supreme
mastery Of what is in reality a DIM
cult and delicate business which i'm
pressed me.
I live in penthouse and the roof
would be q grand place for marble
shooting. ! have half an idea to NV
a can of olive oil, get my thumb in
shape and put in my vacation sceirg
what can do. Perhaps will report
later on.