The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1941-01-24

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1t isn't possible at this writing to
forecast the outcome of the battle be-
tween ASCAP and the broadcasting
companies over whose music shall be
played on the air.
The battle is one over dollars and
cents, of course, and has nothing to do
with music as such, or with the quality
of broadcasting.
ASCAP says "you pay me" and the
networks say "nix"-and that's your
issue for you.
But it seems to at least one person
who listens to radio until the noise
becomes too awful that the public has
been the gamer thus far in this
struggle between powerful interests.
We are getting better music most of
the time. So, let the battle rage
1t may be that given time BMI will
turn out music just as bad, just as
wearing on the nerves, as anything
ever ground out by the ASCAP me-
chanics, but it will take time Mean
while the public's ear gets rest.
If BMI takes fair amount of time
to get around to turning out the ear
busters so prevalent in the music of
pre-1941 it may be that the general
sense of hearing and discrimination
between sounds may return to the
public
1t may even be that some badly
damaged ear drums may be restored
to their original soundness.
The joy could be much greater
if there were some assurance that
BMI would never learn the secret
of producing the horrors of the
old days.
But the moguls told the people so
long and so often that certain awful
sounds constituted popular" music
that BMI probably believes the stuff
is popular and will initiate it as soon
as possible. Meanwhile, we can be
thankful for the respite.
To be sure, the reason we are get
ting better music today, under the
; aegis of BMI (Which means Broadcast
Music, Inc.) is that with no great
store of new music on hand, it must
draw upon the music of the past.
The music of the past was, by and
large, better music. More rhythm,
more harmony, more tune; less caca-
phony, less dissonance, less downright
crashing together of all the notes in
the scale, helter' skelter. Less sheer
loud noise
1t seems that lot of modern COM
posers and musicians think that there
is no music unless there is a gosh
awful volume of sound, thrown at the
listening ear with something of the
effect of locomotive going through q
glass factory to collide on the other
side with trainload of scrap-iron.
So, out of the big fight, we get bet
ter music for a time. Praise Allah!
{ Of course the fight may end at any
moment and the ASCAP stuff may
:. come back to the airways. Too much
wealth is tied up in ASCAP to lead it's
moguls to stay off the air permanently
if they can find way back.
Of course, too much money is in
: to yield to ASCAP as long as they
can hold out and get away with it.
We probably do not know the whole
story about this row and perhaps the
whole truth will never come to light
1t is highly probable that there are
interesting angles that haven't got
: into the daylight.
: But, for the listener, that is all un.
r important when set up beside the fact
! that welter of so-called music which
T. should be called punishment, is being
kept off the radio, to the tremendous
: relief of any number of persons.
; Until it returns, or until BMI begins
: to grind out the awful stuff, let us
e give thanks while we revel in listening
to pieces that don't curl the ears ane
d send listeners to dial out or bury them.
S selves in the basement M. w.
9