IN INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC Music’s Power.

“THE Negro race has produced two violinists who have attracted national attention as artists, Clarence Cameron White and Joseph H. Douglass. They occupy first rank among American musicians and the race is justly proud of them.” The above quotation that originally appeared in the American artists Review, is an extract from Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, p. 329.

Mr. White, whose home is in Boston, has spent many years of hard studying in both America and Europe, and aside from being a violinist of the first rank, he is also a noted composer. One of his greatest compositions “The Cradle Song” is written for either the violin or piano and has brought praises from all critics who have heard it. “A New System of One Octave Scale Studies for the Violin”, of which Mr. White is the author, is a book that is being used extensively in music schools.

Joseph Henry Douglass, grandson of the great Frederick Douglass, is a native of Washington, D.C. The foundation of his superb playing of today was laid in the New England Conservatory of Music, the New York Conservatory of Music and some of the best music schools in London. During the score or more years he has made annual recitals throughout the country, he, the same as Mr. White, has played before presidents of the United States. Mr. Douglass fills the responsible position of Instructor in Instrumental Music at Howard University, Washington, D.C.

A few of some other violinists of the first order are; Wm. Butler, Walter Craig, Brooklyn, N.Y., Harrison Farrell, Harrison Emanuel, Chicago, Ill., Kemper Herreld, Atlanta, Ga., Edwin F. Hill, Philadelphia., Pa., Louisa V. Jones, New York, Leonard Jeter, New York Hall, Johnson, H. Kerr, Baltimore, Md., David L. Martin, New York, Eugene Mars Martin, New York, A. W. Ross, New York, Prof. Tenyck, Brooklyn, N.Y., Harrison Watts, Baltimore, Md.

Maud Cuney Hare of Boston, Mass., has for years been recognized as one of the leading pianists in America. She is nationally and internationally known and her playing has met the stamped approval of the most critical of critics. She is a member of the Music and Lecture Guild of New England (a white organization) and is also music critic for the Crisis Magazine.

As an accomplished musician, Hazel Harrison is one of the best among the best Colored or white pianists in America. Although a musical prodigy from early childhood, her youthful life has been one constant grind of theory, study and practical application under such world-known pianists and teachers as Busoni, Egan, Petri and Victor Heinne. And still she improves.

Helen Hagan is another pianist who is recognized as being among the foremost musicians in the United States, as the result of her strenuous studies under such noted French masters as Saint-Saens, Vincent D’Indy, Claude Debussy and her playing under the severe criticisms of Gabriel Faure, Paul Dukas, Chaussons and Severac. As one of the associate editors on the staff of Music and Poetry, she is doing great inspirational work in its piano department.

Carl Diton’s transcription of “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” for the organ has been published by G. Schirmer Co., one of the largest white music publishers in America. This composition has a melody of remarkable sweetness and is one of the few pieces that brings into full play all parts of the organ. Mr. Diton has studied in Europe as well as in America and today is recognized as one of the leading pianists, organists and composers in this country.

Melville Charlton of Brooklyn, N. Y., is estimated by knowing critics as being one of the most talented and efficient pipe organist among Colored people in America. He is an unquestioned authority on this instrument that has taken up many of his years in theory study and practical application. The following named are a few mentioned from among the hundreds of other exceptionally trained organists in different parts of the country: Rudolph Grant, New York, William King, Phila., Pa., George Ruffin and Fred White, Boston, Mass., Mrs. Corinne Wilson, Chicago, Ill.

“It Takes Love to Cure the Heart’s Disease”, “Loveless Love” and “Caroline Shout” were among the first player-piano rolls that were recorded by Jas. P. Johnson, a Colored pianist, who has signed a contract to make recordings for the Q. R. S. Music Company, which is the largest player-piano roll manufacturers in the world.

One of the greatest musical wonders, Colored or white, America has ever produced was Thomas G. Bethune, who was born a blind slave at Columbus, Ga., He became known throughout the world as “Blind Tom”. He played difficult pieces on the piano when only four years old and began giving concerts when eight years old. Although he had never received any instructions he could correctly imitate the most difficult piece after hearing it played but once. He was taken to Europe where he won fame and honors playing before the crowned heads in all of the important countries. His audiences would sit spellbound and entranced as he imitated on the piano nearly every imaginable sound. Especially were they moved and seemed to feel they were going through the actual experience when he played “The Shipwreck.” At such times his magic fingers drew from the ivory keys the far and low rumblings of fast coming storms; the clanking of rattling chains among hastening crews; the weird moans of increasing winds; the blood-curdling shrieks of swooping sea-gulls; the distant booms of beach-breaking waves; the flapping slaps of wind-whipped sails; the creaking timbers of tossed-about ships; the soft murmurs of praying voices; the sudden crashes of lightning bolts; loud rolling peals of overhead thunder and the splashing sounds of down-pouring rains.

Another piano prodigy of the race is J. W. Boone of Columbia, Mo., who became blind in his infancy. He is known as “Blind Boone” and although he has been touring the country for forty years, he is still giving piano recitals that hold his audiences in wonder and awe. He has such a wonderful memory for musical details and such a delicate ear for detecting musical sounds that he frequently listens to the playing of a recognized pianist who has the sight of both eyes, and when that person has finished, “Blind Boone” will go to the piano and amuse the audience by showing the mistakes made by the other player and then presenting the piece correctly. By many critics he is considered today as the equal if not the superior of the famous “Blind Tom”. (Ref. Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, pgs. 327-28-29).

Named below are a few of the many Colored pianists in America today, many of them having studied under some of the best masters in Europe as well as in America, and all of them being finished musicians, and several of them of national renown.

Nettie C. Asberry, Tocoma, Wash., S. N. Arter, Neola Bailey, Hampton, Va., Bertha Beaumann, Boston, Mass., “Eubie” Blake, Lawrence Brown, Boston, Mass., J. H. Buchanan, Durham, N. C., Mrs. L. E. Cain, Princeton, N. J., Mae Clements, Mrs. R. N. Dett, Hampton, Va., Cleo M. Dickerson, Chicago, Ill., N. Doxey, Eva Dykes, Washington, D.C., J. H. Hebron, Phila., Pa., Mary Gibson, Washington, D.C., Clyde Glass, Wilhelmina Harrison, and Mildren B. Jones of Chicago, Ill., E. Aldama Jackson, N. Y., William King, Phila., Pa., Mrs. E. Lambert, Princeton, N. J., Wm. S. Lawrence, Boston, Mass., Andradas Lindsay, A. Matthews, Cincinnati, Ohio, Susie McDonald, Newark, N. J., Martha Mitchell, Nellie M. Mundy, N. Y., Josephine Muse, Washington, D.C., Portia W. Pittman, Maud Powell, A. W. Quarles, Cincinnati, Ohio., Helen H. Price, Brooklyn, N. Y., C. Luckeyth Roberts, N. Y., Arthur W. Ross, Ruth Rowan, Durham, N. C., Amy Steffens, Milwaukee, Wis., Samuel Stewart, Columbus, Ohio, T. T. Taylor, Chicago, Ill., Roy Tibbs, Washington, D.C., Hazel D. Thomas, E. Torney, Baltimore, Md.

The Pace Phonograph Corporation, New York City, is the first of its kind in the world to be composed only of Colored people. It is presided over by Harry H. Pace, a Colored man who founded it, and it is turning out records reproducing only Negro music sung or played only by Colored musicians. All of its officials and employees are Colored, and its chief purpose is to preserve in vocal form such as are left of the slave-songs of America. Its records are known as the “Black Swan Records,” that are already in much demand and finding large sales.

Today the original and unique, singing of Perry Bradford’s “blues” by Mamie Smith, is attracting admiration and endless praise on both sides of the ocean. Her successful singing for the reproduction of her voice on the records of the Okeh Phonograph Co., has made her the first Colored female singer to so suddenly achieve world fame along that line. It is said that the royalties from her records amount to such a sum that it would gladden and look big in the eyes of even prima donna singers in the operatic world. The records containing her voice are in such demand by the public that the manufacturers turning out the disc have to put on night shifts in conjunction with day shifts in order to fill the orders piled up on their desks. In the fall of 1920 Miss Smith’s stage singing had become so popular that she had to table engagements from Paris and London in order to fill a thirty week touring engagement in the United States.

Band Musicians throughout the world heard of and learned to admire the late James Reese Europe, who was one of the greatest “jazz” musicians the world has ever heard. Of the four best bands overseas during the World War and representing the four greatest nations, James Europe’s American Colored bandmen were in demand more than any of the others, especially in England and France.

At the St. Louis World Exposition of 1904 and at the Panama Exposition held at San Francisco, Cal., in 1915, Major W. H. Loving, as conductor of the famous Philippine Band, was among those who were awarded the highest band honors for being among the greatest bandmasters of the world. Other Colored musicians who have achieved success and recognition as band leaders are quite numerous in America, and a few of them are mentioned herewith; Lieut. Tim Bryan, F. L. Drye, W. H. Howard, W. L. Jackson, C. Wesley Johnson, N. Clarke Smith, A. J. Thomas, W. H. Vodery, and P. G. Lowery who has developed such a great band that yearly throughout the seasons it is to be found with the Ringling Bro. Show as one of its most important bands. W. H. Graham, as well as a great band leader is a talented composer of band music. His home is in Denver, Colorado.

According to the determinations of one of America’s nationally recognized authorities and critics on Negro music composition, the following ten named Colored composers are among the foremost in the United States:

Harry T. Burleigh, whose “Deep River”, “Jean” and “The Soldier” are three of his voice compositions that are among his numerous spirituals and art-songs published by Ricordi & Co., New York City. For his work as a singer and composer, Mr. Burleigh was awarded the 1917 Spingarn Medal.

Melville Charlton, whose piano production: Poeme Crotique is published by Schirmer & Co., New York City.

Will Marion Cook, whose “The Bandanna Land”, “The Casino Girl”, and “The Rain Song” are among his popular choruses in Negro style that are published by Schirmer & Co., New York City. As director of The New York Syncopated Orchestra and the celebrated Clef Club Orchestra, Mr. Cook has won himself a place among the first-place orchestra leaders in America and Europe.

R. Nathaniel Dett, whose chorals: “Chariot Jubilee”, “Listen To The Lambs” and “I’m So Glad Trouble Don’t Last Alway” are among his voice spirituals published by John Church Co., New York City; his piano composition “Magnolia” which is one among others published by Summy & Co., Chicago. A white publication, Musical America of December 17, 1919, said, “If R. Nathaniel Dett had written no other work, his “Chariot Jubilee” would suffice to make his name.” Mr. Dett is also a noted pianist.

Carl Diton, whose pipe Organ production; “Swing Low Sweet, Chariot” is published by Schirmer & Co., New York City, and whose voice composition; “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” is published by Presser & Co., Philadelphia, Pa.

Helen Hagan, who has composed for the piano; Concerto with orchestral accompaniment (manuscript).

J. Harvey Hebron, who has produced for the voice splendid semi-classic ballads (American Magazine Co., 1514 South St., Phila., Pa.,) and for the violin and piano: Sonata in E (manuscript).

J. Rosamond Johnson, whose classic ballads and light operas have been written for the white company, Klaw & Erlanger and such noted white actresses as Lillian Russell. In the production of many of his pieces, J. Rosamond was ably assisted by his brother James Weldon Johnson who also was the translator for the English libretto of “Goyescas” the Spanish grand opera produced by the Metropolitan Opera Company in 1915. James W. also has several French music translations to his credit. The works of J. Rosamond Johnson are published by Ditson & Co., Boston, Mass.

Gerald Tyler, who has composed for the voice, Art-songs that are published by Schirmer & Co., New York City.

Clarence Cameron White, whose violin Spirituals are published by Carl Fisher & Co., New York.

The “blue song” compositions of W. C. Handy are known and sung all over the world. He is president of the Handy Music Co., of New York City, which is the leading firm of its kind among Colored people in the world. Perry Bradford is composer of the “Crazy Blues” that have made himself, Mamie Smith and the Okeh phonograph records nationally and internationally famous.

N. Clark Smith is second to none among American Colored musicians as a composer of instrumental, especially, band music. For several years he was band leader of the Tuskegee Institute expert band and also served for a long period as bandmaster of the famous Old Illinois 8th Regiment. Today he is Director of Music at the Lincoln High School, Kansas City, Mo.

The following list contains the names of some of the leading musicians who are foremost composers of different lines of music: Mrs. B. Consuelo Cook, J. E. Dowell, E. Edmonds, W. H. Farrell, Harry Freeman, Jessie L. Gaynor, A. P. Grant, H. P. Gilbert, L. Godfrey, Nora Douglass Holt, Edwin F. Hill, E. A. Jackson, Scott Jolpin, E. T. Jenkins, Joe. Jordan, Turner Layton, Therwold Otterstrom, Dave Payton, J. S. Pollen, Alex Rogers, H. E. Stewart, Dekiven Thompson, Clarence Williams, Spencer Williams, Geo. Hoff.