Evening star., 1942-05-17
Music
Music Groups to Be
Organized Under
Service Plans
Bv Alice Eversman.

peacetlme pursuit was music will
not be deprived entirely of their
chosen vocation. The Army and
Navy heads recognize the impor-
tance Of music for all the enlisted
men and its power to keep up their
spirits and morale. They recognize
also that many fine musicians now
wear the unifying dress of the Ma
tion's defenders and that what they
can contribute to the uplift OF their
fellow fighters is Of great value.
Under the leadership Of Maj.
Howard c. Bronson, music officer,
Welfare and Recreation Division,
every branch Of music will be Or
ganized to take part in the recrea-
ton programs. Organists will be
called upon to assist in the religious
services, pianists will have oppor-
tunity to play for their fellow SOL
diers, as will other instrumentalists
Of soloist caliber. Singers will Of
f1ciate as song leaders and in
choral groups and already a sue
cessful effort has been made at Fort
Bragg, N. c., and Camp Wolters,
Tex, to train enlisted song lead
ers under the supervision Of such
eminent men as Marshall Bartholo-
NEW, director Of the Yale Glee
Club; Merrill Knapp. director Of the
Princeton group, and George Camp
bell Of Cincinnati.
1t has already been known that
group singing is of great value and
to encourage the soldier to sing
Army Song Books" small enough
to be carried in a shirt pocket have
been issued to each soldier. The
songs have been selected from a poll
conducted among the soldiers and
represent their favorite tunes. Since
a piano is not always available,
especially in the transfer Of the
men, chord entablatures for guitar
and ukulele have been added to the
piano part.
Since it is expected that many
units, some of them, perhaps, quite
small, will be stationed in lonely
sections, a Music Kit" has been
provided to help the boys vile away
the time. Guitars. harmonicas,
ocarines, ukuleles and a collection
OF music for these instruments make
up the kits. Larger instruments are
included whenever feasible.
The Recreation Unit" Of COM
pany size, is one Of the innovations
recently established. Four music
technicians. selected enlisted men
with a sound musical background
and the ability to play the piano,
are included in the personnel of
this group whose duties will be to
take care of the entertainment of
the soldiers in districts remote from
sources of civilian entertainment.
For the recreational activities Of
the various regiments there are
the regimental recreation officers,
chosen by their regimental COM
manders to take special training
course in co-ordinating the amuse-
ment activities in their regiments.
The first class of these officers was
recently graduated from Camp
Meade where they made their studies
under the direction of DR.. Earl
Moore, dean of music of the Uni
versity Of Michigan.
The band has always been of su-
preme importance in military oper-
ations and the number of bands
now doing service for the soldiers
runs into the hundreds. The proc
ess Of providing competent directors
and replacement conductors has
been greatly facilitated by the in
creased efficiency Of the Army Band
Leader School, recently removed
from the War College to Fort Myer.
The dean of the faculty is Capt.
Darcy, leader of the Army Band,
and in the spacious quarters of the
new establishment. the classes will
be expanded from 25 to 60 students.
The entrance qualifications have
been modified so that any one rs
years Of age, after months serv-
ice may enroll. Instruments will
be available for the formation of
the bands.
In an address before the Music
Educators National Conference at
| Milwaukee on April 2, Major Bron-
son said: I'VE are learning as our
Allies, the British, have learned that
music is one of the vital elements
of a fighting army. Music sustains
the soldier when the going is rough;
music comforts him through the
dark night; music carries him over
the top and on to victory. The
singing armies of the world are the
fighting armies. Many of these
young men are going out to meet
our enemies with steel for steel
gun for gun-blow for blow-until
the lines of the foe shall crumble
and this terrible threat to Democ-
racy shall fade as the mist of the
morning before the mighty power OF
tho fobtipC forces of America T"