Evening star., 1938-08-14
Music Lovers
Club Idea
Growing
Requirements for
Membership Are
Very Simple.
Nv GRETCHEN BAIRD.

" vOULD you ike 10 JOIN the
a Make My Own Music"
NN club? There are no dues
w to pay. no officers to eject.
and no meetings to attend. In fact.
many Of the people who belong to the
club probably don't even know that
they are members!
But all over the world there are
people who make music for fun. Some
Of them are good enough to earn their
,iv,nas as professional musicians. A
few become famous. Most Of them.
however, have a hard time reading
and playing very simple pieces.
The only requirement for member
ship in this club" Is the fact that you
get pleasure from making your own
music. The number of people who play
instruments themselves. instead Of
merely listening to the radio. is grow.
ing by leaps and bounds. The piano
business is booming, after years Of dull
ness, and people are buying and play
ing everything from organs to ac-
cordions, from oboes to ocarinas. The
Make My Own Music" club Is gaining
members fast.
Once you join the group, you'll be
a life member. No matter what you
do or where you 90. you'll find other
playing for fun" fans. and this is a
friendship bond which grows stronger
the more you use it. So II you ever
took music lessons. or thought you'd
like to, you'd better join up!
Any one who u studying. or who has
studied. any instrument-be 1t piano,
violin. saxophone. or anything else
is eligible for informal membership in
this Make Ny Own Music" club. All
you must do is. first. perform the
necessary amount Of practicing to pre-
pare your music lesson tin case you
are taking lessons from teacher). and
then start playing for fun.
Turn to last months work: last
years will be even better. And play
that music from start to finish. with
out hesitating to find all the notes.
Try to make it sound pleasant to your
own ears. At this stage Of the game
your family viii just have to be
tolerant. You'll make plenty Of mis-
takes. but you dare not stop to correct
them when you are learning to ride
the musical hobby horse.
What you are trying to do. actually,
is to learn to read notes. And the very
first rule In sight reading is never to
lose your place or lose the beat. You
must keep going, no matter how many
notes fall under the table!
The more thoroughly you practice
your regular lessons. the faster you'll
get there. But if you never start play
ing on your own. as We have been
describing, you'll be forever an out
slider.
And now we come to the part that
Is even more fun. This Is duet playing,
and accompanying another instrument.
II mother or dad or any one else IN
the family plays, that's the best Of all.
You'll have your partner near at hand,
and can plan your music-making
sessions easily. Otherwise, hnd some
one In the neishborhood.
Then get some simple music for the
two instruments, or some piano music
arranged for four hands. If you both
play the piano. Your teacher can give
you some good suggestions. Many
public Libraries have q large collection
of all sorts Of arrangements. which
you may borrow, Just as you do books
to read.
Then 60 to it! And don't mind any
nasty remarks from people around you.
You're not playing for an audience.
You're playing for fun. Listening to
the best orchestra at . concert or on
the radio can never mean quite Is
much to you as playing the music
yourself. II you manage to play only
a phrase here and there as you think
it should be played, it will be q bigger
thrill than you can get from just
listening. Try 1t and see!
Sometimes hobby Of this kind will
lead you into life work. There may
be within you enough talent to make
you a professional musician. But If
there isn't, this kind of hobby will
lay the foundation Of . vital interest
that will last all your days.
You'll be q full-hedged member Of
the Make My Own Music" club. And
you'll never regret 1t.