Music Trade Review

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THE
62
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
MUSIC A STRONG FACTOR IN ARMY AND NAVY LIFE.
HARMONICA IN VAUDEVILLE.
Over Two Thousand Musicians Employed in Nearly Sixty Bands in Both Branches of the Serv-
ice—Poor Compensation of Bandsmen Made Up for by Special Privileges.
Excellent Music Rendered by Clever Performer
Attracts Attention.
It is not generally known that Uncle Sam, while
not accused of being a musical character, gives
employment to more than 2,000 musicians in the
Army and Navy. In the former are almost three-
score bands—thirty for the infantry, fifteen for
the cavalry, ten for the artillery, one for the engi-
neers, one for West Point and one for the Porto
Rico regiments. These musicians all furnish
marching music for the permanent establishment.
Presumably the twelve battalions of Philippine
scouts enjoy the spirit-stirring advantages of bands,
although the duties of those organizations are such
as to suggest silence, secrecy and stealth. Alto-
gether the United States must have more than
2,000 musicians on its army roll. The regimental
bands are not large, but those attached to engi-
neers and the Military Academy ara of exceptional
strength. The navy, too, has its bands, that of the
Marine Corps being famous.
In performance the army bands vary one from
another. While no one perhaps is positively bad,
it is no uncommon experience to find the band of
one regiment musically very much superior to that
of another. Such differences are to be expected
when a branch of a service has no one recognized
chief or head. Everything depends upon the indi-
viduality of the bandmaster, or, as he is generally
known in our service, the chief musician. If he is
a professionally cultivated man whose enthusiasm
survives the humdrum routine of years of duty,
the band shows the stimulating effect of his char-
acter and acquirements. If he is content to get
along with just escaping censure of his superior
officers the band is simply well enough. Our Gov-
ernment does not pay fancy wages to its musicians,
though those who serve twenty years or so may
look forward to a rate of compensation at least
equal to the earnings of a superior and very in-
dustrious mechanic.
To offset the wage disadvantage, the Govern-
ment consents that military bands should play for
civil employers on terms mutually satisfactory
whenever leave of absence can be granted without
WEYMANN & SON
Incorporated
Manufacturers oj
detriment to the musicians' military duties. In con-
sequence the earnings of army musicians are very
frequently considerably in excess of what is set
down in the pay table. The opportunities for em-
ployment in the South and West are more numer-
ous than in any other section of the United States,
for there the army musicians do not come in com-
petition with the labor question. In the South and
in some of the less populous of the Western States
the army furnishes the only bands to be depended
on for ordinarily good musical performances.
From trme to time the bandsmen have agitated
for the creation of the office of bandmaster-general,
but, they have been successfully opposed by the
War Department, which thinks there is a sufficient
variety of "generals" now in the higher organiza-
tion. Possibly a step which the Government has
jus,t taken will lead ultimately to the elevation of
the musical .character of our army bands and to a
rise in the status of their leaders. Five military
bandsmen selected after a competition will go to
the Institution of Musical Art in New York for a
year's higher-instruction. They will be admitted on
scholarships offered the army by Frank Damrosch,
and presumably the expectation is that when they
rejoin their organizations they will do much to
elevate conditions.
We are somewhat handicapped as compared with
the great military Powers, for they draft musicians
precisely as they draft other men for service. The
bands of Germany and of France include many
musicians of approved standing and special talent.
Austria and Great Britain both have military band
schools maintained by the Government, and other
countries in pne.way or another think the army
musician is a military individual worth cultivation.
On the Continent of Europe the military bands fur-
nish a great deal of the best music which the
proletariat hear, playing in parks and other pub-
lic resorts on a schedule laid down by the Govern-
ment. The famous bands of the British Guards
are wonderfully good musical organizations, but
their proficiency reflects the wealth of the officers
of those elite corps, since the pay and special in-
ducements given by the Government are supple-
mented by the contributions from the regimental
band fund.
The Famous
Weymann Mandolutes and
"Keystone State" Instruments
1010 CbeitniT St., Philadelphia, Pa.
THE PATON-PERRY CO.
Leominster, Mass.
Manufacturers of
"Made In America Quality"
MUSICAL MERCHANDISE
Ebony Pegs—Shell Pick etc. Send for samples & prices
EXCELSIOR DRUMS ™ STANDARD
Some dealers may s a y that t h e y cost more
than others.
E x c e l s i o r drama cost more b e c a u s e t h e y
are w o r t h more, Cost more to m a k e .
We could m a k e them cost l e s s by u s i n g
c h e a p e r material, u s e l e s s c a r e In making;
them, and dispense w i t h t h e n e w patented Im-
provements.
If w e did, h o w e v e r , E x c e l s i o r Drums would
not be tlie Standard a s t h e y are to-day. Write
for c a t a l o g u e .
EXCELSIOR DRUM
The adaptability of the harmonica for use as
a: musical instrument, was excellently presented
last week to the New York theater going public by
means of a splendid performance by Britt Wood,
at one of' the leading vaudeville houses in
New York. This talented player rendered a num-
'ber of difficult selections on an ordinary twenty-
five cent harmonica, and his act evoked hearty
applause. The audience was apparently deeply
impressed by the musical effects obtained on the
instrument, and New York dealers will doubtless
receive many inquiries and sales as a result of
these vaudeville performances.
HERMANN WEISS IN EUROPE.
Hermann Weiss, 3!>3 Broadway, New York,
American representative of Ch. Weiss, the well-
known manufacturers of harmonicas and the
Fluta, is at present in Europe visiting the factories
at Trossingen, Austria. Mr. Weiss expects to t>e
away 'but a short while, and will probably be back
in New York the latter part of next week. Job-
bers and dealers are using to good advantage the
Weiss display card, which is sent out in various
colors. The card is lettered very attractively and
compels the attention of all who see it.
A Satisfied Customer
ia our best adrertisement and musi-
cians using YORK Instrument! are
—satisfied. YORK Instruments haye
been teBted In the grind of experience,
with the lire of a public musical oplm-
lon, and hare not been found wanting.
This test has corered a period of SO
years and each year has made YORK
a greater success.
Does this mean
anything to you? If you are on the
anxious seat we want you to
"LET US PROVE IT"
by sending our catalogue and dealers' proposition. Do
it today or some live on* may do you oat of your
chance.
J. W% York & Sons, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Black Diamond
Strings
THE WORLD'S BEST
WORKS
A. G. SOISTMAN, Vlce-Pres. and Gen. Manager
Tenth and Market Streets,
CAMDEN, N. J.
National Musical String Co.
B
UEGELEISEN
& JACOBSON
113-115 University Place
NEW YORK
Y//////7ZZ&
Largest Jobbers in America of
ODERN
.USICAL
ERCHANDISE
M
WRITE FOR NEW CATALOG
A PROBLEM
SOLVED!
Wamnttd that nsMtr Baw Straw Rings nor Caps oan fan oft on Bow Serowt at anovo Illustrated.
£o adYanoo hi price If Violin Bows aro pnrohasod having tbo Patented Sorow Attaohod to the Frog.
W M . R. GRATZ I M P O R T C O . ,
New Brunswick, N. J .
35-37 Wist SlstStrttt, low York City
MUSICAL
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