Evening star., 1936-11-29
Macy Music School Is Dream
Of Its Founder Come True
Lieut.. Charles H. Benter
Proud of NeiUest
Organization.
BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.


States Navy School Of Mu-
SIC and with 20 Of your fellow grads"
had been assigned as unit to con-
stitute q Navy band aboard the
cruiser Indianapolis, which has Presi-
dent Roosevelt aboard en- route to
South America upon his goodwill
mission?
Well, Just that has happened to
Che class which graduated here in our
Washington Navy Yard on November
3, after a course which included a
cruise with the midshipmen from
Annapolis last Summer. Theirs was
the acid test, too, Of acceptably car
rying on the usual broadcasting pro-
gram Of the famous Navy Band while
its conductor, Lieut.. Charles H. Ben
ter. recently had it on its annual tour
throughout the United States.
Right upon the heels, too, of the
graduation of this first class, came
that of the second one on November
%. Nor was 1t lacking in distinction
OF assignment either, for its members
now constitute the band allocated to
the commander in chief of our United
States fleet, who Is the senior nava
officer aboard the flagship Pennsyl-
va1ia off the West Coast.
Picked Youth of America.
I did not have the pleasure of hear
Ing the band unit which went from
Its graduation exercises to board the
indianapolis, but I did chance upon
pre- graduation rehearsal of the Sec
ond unit this past Friday week. In
their blue seamen's uniforms, what
n fine, clean, outstanding group they
were, looking every inch of them
from their heads to their heels, the
picked youth Of America that they
are. AS for their music, if I am any
judge, the fame of Navy Bands Is
going to be known in the maritime
ports OF the world. With squa
rythm and zest, they uplifted youl
soul with a hymn or bit of orches-
tral music, set your pulses swinging
and your feet in tune to swinging
march or made you long for partner
in lively two-step or dreamy march
The third class to be enrolled in this
unique school, the only one of its
particular kind in America, will ar.
rive at the Washington Navy Yard or
December l and begins its two-yeal
course of instruction on December 2
Group Carefully Picked.
1t consists of picked group, IS ir
number. literally almost ine-tootf
combed from some 5000 applicant.
selected from Maine to California. III
no school in America, not even II
Annapolis or West Point, has a stu.
dent body been more carefully Sc.
lected.
10 be eligible for designation Il
this his United States Navy Schoo
OF Music, Uncle Sam first prescribe,
that you shall be able to read music
and play some instrument with pro.
ficiency. He also prefers that vol
shall be able to furnish your owr
musical instrument on the Theory
that if you do, it will mean that youl
interest in music has been great
enough to have stimulated you toward
personal ownership. This. however, /.
not mandatory, for if he puts hi.
o. K. upon you, he will, where neces.
sary, provide you with the instrument
Of your choice. If you have played
IN school orchestra or band that:
to your advantage, too.
Under no circumstances is he in
terested in you, though, unless you
are an unmarried man not less than
16 years and not more than IS years
old. But, being a bachelor lad within
the right age and scope and muSically
proficient as well, won't satisfy ex-
acting Uncle Sam unless you are also
a graduate in good standing of high
school. Several of the graduates oi
the United States Navy School OF
Music who are constituting the band
units aboard the Indianapolis and the
Pennsylvania are college graduates
as well and quite a number shave
freshman and sophomore college
courses to their credit. Nor is this
even all that is required of would-be
students. After they have qualified
in general classification test they
are checked to determine if they are
63 inches in height and of proper
tionate weight to their ages and
heights, in addition to being physically
fit as evidenced by rigid physical
examination. Then, provided they
have no police records "a lenient at
titude is taken toward minor infrac-
tions not involving moral turpitude)-
or juvenile court, reform school or
prison records against them, Uncle
Sans stamp of approval is set upon
them as eligibles and they may enlist
In his Navy for six years
Salary Is Paid.
Once you are accepted in the Navy
though as an eligible for its Music
School, a salary is paid you upon the
rating Of an apprentice seamen,
which is $21 per month, plus clothes
quarters, mess, medical and dental
service. So difficult as Uncle Sam
makes it for you to pass through the
eye of his very fine needle, once you
have achieved this feat, he not only
pays you salary, but begins looking
after you generally as if you were his
very own cherished ward as, indeed
you are. But he is a canny fellow still
for he keeps you on four months
probation service, including q three
weeks detention period at the Nor.
folk, Virginia, Naval Training Sta.
ton, where he sees to it that you are
adapted to what the service expects
OF you, before he transfers you to his
School Of Music in the Washington
Navy Yard.
But, he does have a heart, if vol
fail to prove yourself as musically in.
clined as he feels you should be tt
enter his Navy Music School. for ii
this case, if you so desire, he will per.
NIT you to remain in general detail
and be sent to sea
Very truly may it be said Of thos,
who are finally admitted to the Unitee
States Navy School Of Music, man!
are called, but few are chosen" Thes,
Uncle Sam promptly advances to tn,
rating of seamen second class and pro.
notes to salary Of $36 month.
Upon the final arrival Of this grouE
%k> VIZ Novxy vorI