Salt Lake Herald-Republican | 1918-05-26 | Page 14 | Tailor-Made Music by Kern

TAILOR-MADE TAILOR MUSIC MU SIC BY KERN FERN Others Write Better Music That the Public Doesn't Like Admits This a Year Composer But I Take Pains to Make Mine a Perfect Fit By Karl K Kitchen AM a musical clothier nothing clothier nothing more nor less I This is how Jerome Kern described himself himi him him- i self with selI-with with a modesty that is rarely encountered encountered en- en en countered among people of or the theatre And because modesty has always been one ono of Mr Kerns Kern's virtues the theatre-going theatre public knows less Jess about him than almost any other composer of popular melodies It is scar scarcely an exaggeration to state that that music by Kern is the most popular music in America to day At the present time timo there are many musical plays on the stage clothed with his tunes In fact there thero has hardly been a time during the last two seasons when there were not three of or his musical pieces in New York And at one period last season no less than four of or his plays were ere holding the boards within a few blocks of each other Oh Boy Have a Heart Springtime Springtime Springtime Spring time and Love o 0 Mike Certainly this is a record for an Amerl American an com com- poser In fact the only other composer who ever equalled it is Ivan Caryll who once had three of or his plays on London stages at the same time However the popularity of music by Kern is not confined to New New York York No No less than eighteen com companies panics playing his music toured the country this season which established another record for Cor an American composer Good Rock Bye Baby Very liVery Eddie Leave It To Jane and andOh andOh I Irr 0 rr Oh Oh Boy have been delighting l the provinces quite as much as asOh asOh Oh Ob Lady Lady 1 and Toot Toot have been delighting NewYork New NewYork NewYork York audiences So it will be understood understood understood un un- that Mr Kerns Kern's popularity popularity larity is not a mero mere local affair Y the financial returns returns returns re- re NA turns from all this music have been very great Kerns Kern's weekly royalties from his plays have often orten exceeded 1000 for Cor a considerable period and in addition addition addi addi- tion lion royalties on the sale of his published music mush phonograph records records records rec rec- rec- rec etc tc have averaged 1000 a week for the entire year ear In fact would be he a conservative estimate of this composers composer's income for the last twelve months For in addition to his royalties Mr Kern not infrequently receives a share of the profits of the plays that he ho has set to music It is not alone in tho the theatre that music by Kern Kernis is an important factor Mr Kerns Kern's compositions are essentially dance music and they form a part of more more dance than tho the music of any ten other composers For wherever there is b an orchestra and anda a slippery floor there is music by Kern WHO HO is this Jerome Kern who has literally set Bet the time entire country dancing to his melodies and what is the secret of his success The answer to the first question is not difficult But to explain the secret of Mr Kerns Kern's success is ismore ismore ismore more than he can do himself I haven't done anything remarkable he said to tho the writer the other day The public has made Jerome Kern a potential potential millionaire at al 33 has lias had four plays pays on Broadway simultaneously simul simul- and eighteen companies touring the country with his music ai cU the same I time 1 tN N A t 1 my success as you term it I have written quite a alot alot alot lot of music music its its it's my business to write it just as it U 3 your business to write newspaper articles articles and and tb tin public has liked it But that's no reason for I me on the back I JEROME JEROME KERN who wears his honors so mod modestly J is barely three thirty-three years of age He u J r J slender little chap hardly more than five feet tw t and certainly not over a hundred and ten poun pounds h it weight Like many little men he is quite dapper It appearance despite the fact that big shell glasses adorn his somewhat aquiline nose He wa waborn ra or raborn orborn born in England but has lived in America so Joni for that he seldom reminds one of that natal fact Hi If home is in Bronxville and he does most of his wo work vori there What does young Mr Ir Kern do with ith his enormous air income The income tax of course is going to tab talt taba talta a big slice of it still it-still still there is a sizeable sum remaining One of these days the public is going to get tired of my music says the composer Im a young man macs 1 and as I wont won't be able to turn to another trade Ill I'll need a few dollars to support mo roo in the style in wl I have not been accustomed to live As one grow gron I Iolder older one wants more comforts Besides I have hava j wife So it isn't going to do me any harm to have e a afew I few dollars in the bank If you ou really want to know the truth about my my music the com composer oser volunteered at last Ill tell tEU j you But really I dont don't see how it can be of th the slightest interest Im I'm a musical clothier clothier noth nothing 3 i imore more nor less I write music to fit the situation and ad the lyrics in plays Naturally I have always tried ta U j t keep abreast of the times But the tho fact that tt tit theatre-going theatre public likes my m mis mu muss t I is no credit to me There art aI many other composers who W sin much better music that the pU i f doesn't like I I will admit that my le r a difference in treatment treatment- I difference it in the manner in pled it is presented the youthful ro COD COD- 1 poser went on I I have obb I good results by changing the 1 U arrangement of theatre orchestra But dont don't think my music is 13 ra r. of 4 for the success It tl which my name is attached protested Fortunately I tos 1 R R J been able to find good books books' books lJ ud uda aw awa understands tH rJ a producer who under I va value 1 ue 0 of f proper treatment i