Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-24

Not since Cromwell drove the harpers
out Of Ireland has there arisen such an
cutlery from the musicians Of any land
as has been raised by the union mu-
sicians of the United States who have
found themselves pushed out of jobs by
the substitution of mechanical music.
Cromwells motive was somewhat diff
ferent, to be sure. Under the laws
applying equally In England-the harp
ers were classed as "rogues and vaga-
bonds" and as such compelled to go to
work at some other calling or depart
from the land. AS q matter of fact
what largely impelled the Puritans in
this action was the fact that the Irish
harpers kept alive the spirit of the an
cient Kings of Ireland and that ballads
of Armagh and County Mayo could stir
up more political strife than a dozen
English regiments could quell.
In the United States the reason for
the musicians difficulty Is economic
rather than political.
The American people are FESTIVE and
light-hearted fundamentally. They like
to be on the go. Astrologers and sooth-
savers will tell you that the Nation is
ruled by the sign Gemini-a mercurial
sign which dictates restlessness and a
desire for new ideas in its people. Be
that as 1t may, 1t is assuredly true that
ilO PCOPIC LII GIlc WOIlO are 81 dN1u Vi
entertainment. Before the advent of
the movie the theater fiourished in
many forms. Every city and town had
its "Opry House." The term barn
stormer" arose from the fact that in
districts where there was no theater
building the early pioneers attended the
atrtcal performances in barns.
Nowhere has the melodrama flourish
ed more luxuriantly than in the United
States. The old-time patent medicine
man early learned that the best way to
attract attention was to put on a show.
however small and amateurish. The
street parade is not an American in
vention but reached its apotheoSiS here
The show has been the thing to the
American people since they have been a
people.
Period of Readjustment.
Music was a necessary accompani-
nlent. Even an actor playing Hamlet
on a showboat had to double in brass,
II the company was poor in order that
there might be music. This inevitably
produced a large market for musicians.
From tent show to grand opera came a
demand. Quite naturally when trade
unionism swept over the country, the
musicians lost no opportunity for in
creasing their earnings by organizing.
% COOdy, WHEN mecnanlcaI music and
the movies have altered the entertain
ment situation, the American Fedora
ton of Musicians has come forward in
| an effort to better the lot of the union
musician thrown out of work by the
tens of thousands by the movies. the
talkies, and the general substitution of
mechanical reproduction for personal
performance.
This body, which is affiliated with the
American Federation of Labor, has
started an advertising campaign in an
effort to stimulate a popular demand
for the real thing in music. MA
chlnery," says an announcement from
the headquarters of the Federation OF
Musicians, 'in the form of mechanical
music is Glowing real music out of
motion pictures, thus denying to the
masses the cultural influence of a
The fear is expressed by the fedora
ton that the lack of demand for
| musicians will result In complete alb
sence of incentive to learn to play and
that talent will go undeveloped and
the Muse of Music fall fainting by the
wayside. unable longer to find work at
union rates.
Music is hard to kill, singing and the
plucSing OF harp strings being more
natural to man than the Changing OF