Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-18
"What Is a Home With MusiC?"


And especially the cry ran round these States:
"What Is Home Without Music?'
So well did these stout lads do their work
that today there is, practically speaking,
piano in every parlor and probably radio
and photograph as well Also there's IKE In
SuSies room, and in Juniors room, and
Father practices grooming tenor in the bath
room against the day when he may have a
chance to broadcast and become overnight
Americas sweetheart (No. 16). So now the
question has become: What is a home with
music?"
Let us face it like men and women.
At this point it might be well to insert a
short but zppy history of music in the Amer
lean home to impart to this article cultural
aspect.
In the earliest American country homes
the only ones which never had plumbing
probem-the musical equipment was simple,
consisting of tom tom, perchance rude flute,
and indefinite number OF papooSeS. There
are who hold the view that primitive
Indian music is a very charming form OF
music, but far 1 am concerned they can
go on holding this view till their fingers fall
asleep All the Indian music 1 have heard,
and in gathering material for this exegesis
gave ear to every type of tom-tom and flute
from the Seminoles of the South to the Flat
heads of the Northwest, sounds If it had
been written by the same man, and he fell
low of few, any, ideas To me Indian music
Is all
Pomspom-tootle Pom-pom- tootle. Pom
POM tootle.
XXE move briskly to the of the spin
w net, flute harpsichord and either That
the early history Of these instruments Is faSci-
mating I do not doubt, but am not ia
miliar with 1t, suppose we skip century or
20 and come to the parlor organ.
This dulcet instrument, which, unhappily,
was prone to asthma and other bronchial ALL
ments, was particularly effective an accom-
paniment to the sweetly sad songs our grand
parents seemed so morbidly to enjoy, such as,
willie, We Have Missed You" have ofttimes
wondered who Willie was why he left home,
why he came back, and why they made such
fuss about him, but even my best friends
cannot tell me.
The parlor organ furnished a nice sticky
background of sound for songs dealing with
young men lost at sea, and tender maidens
pining away on their true loves bier. Some
varieties of 1t were called meodeons or har-
moniums.
Whatever they were called, we owe them,
I think, debt, for If it were not for them
many of would not be here today, enjoy
ing this piece. This novel theory III now
elucidate.
Our male forebears were hardy souls and
many of them undoubtedly started life as
firm and hinty bachelors. Then on some
blossom Spring evening, as they
Etrolled downtown to join the boys in a game
p Of skittles, they passed ivy-clad cottage
and through an open window they a
girl seated at the organ, quavering IN her
pretty (n uncertainty soprano, I'm the Gloam-
ing" or Loves Old Sweet Song" That girl
was your grandmother, although she did not
know 1t at the time.
II the man hesitated and listened TO the
song and the sentimental sounds which seeped
from the organ, he was done for His granite
heart was soon melted to molasses one word
led TO another, soon they were singing duets
and here you are. So you have old parlor
organ In your attic, go and gaze at 1t CRATE
fully once year. Or Oftener, if you want TO.
Back in those dear, dead days beyond recall,
music Of a more virile type was furnished by
the local Fife, Drum and Bugle Corps. Strictly
speaking, suppose this does not come under
the head of music in the home, and there
VIII be some who will take the position that
1t does not come under the head Of music
Is all. am an ardent music lover myself,
and am fond Of every sort, except possibly
cognet solos with triple tonguing, and like
o good Fife and Drum Corps, or would If
there were such thing, but grant that its
place is not In the home, but rather in the
center of field preferably one Of, let rs
say 1000 acres.
7 WAS raised on the edge of a small country
town and the earliest music I heard was
the lowing Of the patient kline, the merry
chorus Of the tree toads, and the American
Eagle Fife, Drum and 13ugle Corps.
can see them now with their black furry
BUSHES feet tan, their cerise tights, their
brief but dashing jackets of purple velvet
trimmed with silver frogs and spaniel fur,
Is they marched proudly down the street, COM
hitting cheerful assault and battery On
yankee Doodle" Ny young ears forgave every
last blue and sour note, If indeed they noticed
them at ALL so bedazzled were my eyes by
the splendOr Of those uniforms. Who can
say how many men who are today mere
Senators, bank presidents and glue kings first
felt the prick Of ambition when they beheld