Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 67, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 May 1901 — An Explanation From the Band Committee. [ARTICLE]

An Explanation From the Band Committee.

Editor Republican: “A Subscriber” has unconsciously struck the key-note in Tuesday’s paper and, while apparently condemning the motives of “the persons who were active in soliciting funds for the Band,” unwittingly endorsed their labors in the strongest terms. The trouble is that the anonymous writer fails to grasp the situation either in part or as a whole. His views are correct if his expressions are not, and they coincide exactly with those “persons who were kctive etc.”

A Subscriber forgets that we are confronted by a condition, not a theory. The people have given their money and they demand results —tangible results, immediate results and, perhaps, some will clamor for even impossible results, such for instance as the complete transformation of the members of our Band into finished musicians in the space of two or three weeks. The regular concerts must begin in two weeks; our boys have not touched their instruments since last Ootober; several member have gone away, leaving the Band very poorly~balanced and lastly, but by no means least, it is extremely difficult to enforce the private practice necessary for good music. Harmony is impossible without proper instrumentation and persistent daily practice of sofcne sort, as every musician knows; nor can a musician be built in a day or a woek or a year, for that matter. Therefore, to fill the present vacancies and even to approximate a proper instrumentation, the Band needs, right now, another firstclass player in each of the following sections: cornet, trombone, solo alto, picoolo and B-fiat clarinet. Good men for such parts are easily obtainable but they cannot come here without the assurance of a living and our boys reoeive no salaries of any kind—their work

and services are donated to the citizens. Our new Director, Mr. A. J. Schath, has already won the complete confidence of bis men; his untiring and unselfish efforts to bring np their work in time for the first oonoert are backed by a determination on their part to do the very best they can under the circumstances. If we are fortunate in retaining a man of Mr. Schath’s ability, enemy and progressive ideas for more than two or three years, there is no doubt but that the change in our city’s musical status will be most marked. He was brought here not only to take charge of the Band but also to assist in the musical education of our children. He, too, must make an adequate living for himself which he cannot do oat of the salary he receives as leader of the Band. As soon as Mr. Schath is well settled, he will open a studio for private instruction and every boy and girl in Rensselaer or vicinity who earnestly desires to become a musician will have a chance to profit by his knowledge and experience. But first of all, he is compelled to prepare for the public concerts which the people demand and for which they pay him a very moderate salary. The proceeds from private lessons, nnder the present six months guaranty, are to be turned in to the Fund by Him for the use of the Band. Hence, as A Subscriber may easily see for himself, a few firstolass, ready-made musicians, in addition to those he now commands, would go a long way towards enabling Mr. Schath to make a pronounced success of the coming concerts pending the time when “our own boys” will have been sufficiently trained to take their places in the Citizens’ Band. ( T. J. McCoy, Committee \B. F. Fendig, ‘ ( F, A. Ross.