Evening star., 1940-05-30
Sfokowski Amazed
Al Talent in Youth
Orchestra Additions
Many Wholly Untutored
Boek-Country Boys He
Finds Are Wonderful
by CARTER BROOKE JONE

ny Chn1Ln bhOOhE JONES.
They've been mobilizing quietly
a1l over America, these young people
mot to fly warplanes, man tanks
or serve anti-aircraft batteries, but
to shape an art, to appeal to what
sense of beauty and tenderness the
world may have left.
Tidings of this gathering army,
bearing only the accoutrements of
music-strings and brasses. wood
wind and percussion Instruments
were brought to Washington by
Leopold Stokowski, who is recruiting
for Orpheus while others enroll for
Mars.
Mr.. Stokowski is completing his
All-American Youth Orchestra,
which will tour Latin America dur
ing the late summer and early fall,
and he heard more than score of
finalists in the additions at the
Washington College of Music, 174l
K street NV, yesterday Today he
was in Boston for more additions.
He figures he personally will have
heard more than 1000 flnallsts when
he completes his Nationwide tour IN
June. And these were picked from
thousands of other young musicians,
who were weeded out before the
famous conductor arrived. But the
winners will not be announced until
all the additions are completed. -
He explained to the press yester-
day what an amazing revelation
this tour has been to him.
Talent Without Teaching.
He told of some boys and girls
who lived in the back country so
remarkably talented they are sure
to win places in the l00-plece Or
chestra. Some never had music
lesson or played even in nelghpor-
hood orchestra or a village band.
They had no advantages except an
unconquerable will.
Bill Blank, for instance, taught
himself. One time he heard a
cellist. The rich tones enchanted
him, and he decided he'd learn to
play that thing if it took him the
rest of his natural life. He did.
The chores put by, he would draw
up the oil lamp, put a record on
the battered phonograph and play
1t over and over. Gradually he
learned to reproduce the tones.
Then, on trip to the distant town,
he got music and book of in
struction, and he learned to read
notes. He played for Mr.. StokoWskl,
and the maestro marveled.
Some of our finest talent came
from the deep country, far from a
town." he said.
There was a 17-year-old boy from
a remote region of rural Mississippi
who played the double bass with
what Mr.. Stokowski described as
wonderful talent"
A colored boy of IA, discovered
just outside Cleveland, revealed
mastery of the trumpet.
Melting Pot of Melody.
Mr.. StokoWski's orchestra will be
AS American as baked beans or
beaten biscuits, as American as
o'Reilly or DubinsN or Lilliopoulos.
1t will be a melting pot of melody
in which no race or color or creed
Is barred. ..--...-. .
There is no test except musician
ship" he explained.
He has found high proficiency
spread almost equally among all
the instruments of the orchestra
He has heard as many young inter-
pretive geniuses among girls as
among boys, and he expects the or
chastra to be about half and half.
Some people," he mused. love
music in a platonic way. Not these
young people-they love it right
out, passionately, with all their
hearts. This orchestra will be
red-blooded and vital thing-there
has never been an orchestra just
like it."
Washington will have chance to
hear it at the Water Gate July 4.
The Youth Orchestra will sail from
New York July % for a tour Of
Central and South America that
will last 81 days.
1t will be a permanent orchestra,
Mr.. Stokowski emphasized. He plans
two tours of the United States,
spring and fall.
To Be Missionaries.
This symphony will be sort Of
post graduate course for the young
musicians, he added, and after sew
eral wears. members will be sent
back to their communities to form
their own youth orchestras. and
other, younger musicians will re-
place them in the national organi-
Eation.
There's no arbitrary age limit
either way, but, in general, the or
chestral ages will be between Is
and Is.
And Mr.. Stokowski won't play
down to the tender ages and mex
perience of his f1edgling artists. He
plans. on the Latin American tour,
to put on the greatest music written
in all the symphonic eras, from
Palestrina, who fourished in the
18th century, to Stravinski and
Sibelius, who still flourish, and the
works of significant contemporary
Americans.
DR., Hans Kinder, conductor Of
the National Symphony Orchestra,
narrowed go contestants in the
washington area to the, Is Mr..
StokowsH heard.