Music Boxes and Sheet Music
By Joyce Brite
I am getting ready to have a garage sale (sorry, no piano rolls for sale!) and came across some interesting publications while sorting through things and thought I would share them with the group.
The first is a 1942 catalog from the Progressive Musical Instrument Company of New York City. It offers four music boxes for sale. Two are musical powder boxes made of metal. The shape of one resembles a bell used to summon the desk clerk at a hotel. The other has a miniature picture on top. The third is metal, has a magnifying mirror in the lid and an "ivoroid handle." The fourth is a musical cigarette box in the shape of a grand piano.
If any of these sound like music boxes that you own, and you would like a copy of the catalog pages, please send me your address by e-mail.
The second item is sheet music for cornet exercises by Arthur Amsden (Copyright 1918). He offers a very long list of advice for cornet students, and all of his suggestions begin with "Don't". I have selected a few:
Don't practice seated; if you MUST, then sit up straight, expand the chest and hold your instrument properly.
Don't tire your lips by trying to see how long you can play without stopping; that's "penny wise and pound foolish."
Don't retard your progress by smoking; if you MUST smoke, do it moderately and shun liquor and cigarets {sic} as you would a rattle snake.
Don't fail to stand before a mirror frequently, that you may see yourself as others see you.
Don't fail to pour water through your cornet before beginning the day's work; never mind WHY, just DO IT {Did Nike rip him off? - Joyce} and note the benefit of this simple advice.
Don't allow yourself to acquire a tremolo in your tone; nothing can be more objectionable than a cheap, shivery, trembling tone--"a goat-stop" tone is a performer's worst asset.
Don't blame the instrument if it "sounds out of tune sometimes and at times appears to be all right;" YOU are at fault.
Don't forget the teeth; keep them clean and have them looked over at least once a year by a competent dentist.
Don't fail to learn a trade in addition to your music; you can drop it at will should you find yourself adapted to make music your entire profession, while you will find it difficult to learn a trade after you are well past the "amateur age."
After reading his list of "Don'ts", I think most aspiring cornet players were scared off. I hope this list brings a smile to your day.
Cheers,
Joyce Brite |
(Message sent Mon 23 Sep 1996, 14:04:46 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.) |
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