Show AMERICA LEARNS LEARNS' FINE POINTS OF MILITARY MUSIC Gain From C Contact With French Damrosch Aids Aids' J Pershing It will trill be bo n news to a good man many read ors that lint there has hns been established In France ranee a lI rc regular ular French American school of oC military TY music at which about five firo hUn hundred r d bandmasters assistant bandmasters and enlisted musicians aro are studying It Its Is s principally tho tIme di direct direct dl- dl result of ot the tho visit of or Walter alter Damrosch Damrosch Dam- Dam rosch to Franco France last summer BUmmer The regular American military band up to tho present time Ume has not been what hat it ought to be Made Mado up of ot about five twenty men of or which only four or five Ivo were wood wind winch players It wa was vas not riot tho the fault of or tho the leader or players that better hetter n results Jesuits were not obtained Sonority or balance with such a combination combination combi combi- nation was was Imposible General Pershing had already observed observed observed ob ob- ob- ob served for himself the difference be b tween the American bands an and the tho splendid Fr French bands bantIs and antI when Mr Damrosch pointed out to the time commandIng command- command In Ing general en ral the ho technical reasons for this difference he at once took energetic energetic ener ener- getic selic steps looking toward an prove prove- ment merit Tho The first step taken on his Ills recommendation was practically to double the tho size of ot tho the American bands and antI th then n Mr Ir Damrosch was delegated to make arrangements for tor the necessary sary ch changes In hi f instrumentation time Iho superiority or time tho French hands bands lying In fn th their lr lar larger r proportion of oC wood wind intI I I Instruments n a tru m a a ts It ma may bo be said that certain bandmasters band band- masters In this his country hail had already beun he- he Sim un on their own n initiative to under undertake take tiko these reforms For instance at itt itta ata t a t. t review at the Pelham Ba Bay naval al training station held last summer wo we 0 listened to a massed band of oC one hundred hun dred and twenty pieces in which the time alto and tenor horns had hall been entirely replaced bv Iw a dozen or so French horns horn a and a i still larger er number of saxophones saxophones saxo saxo- phones with splendid sonorous re re- su suits It Mr Damrosch secured the tho n assistance of or Francis Ca Casadesus ade u one of or tho the best hest known n musicians of oC France ranc antI and on November No No- o- o vember 20 O 1917 tho the school w was isas s opened with lh Andre Caplet formerly French conductor of ot tho the Boston Opera company com coin pany in in the tho Henry Russell days and Jacques who who who speaks Tn English lIsh like WiO an nn as time the principal assistants of M. M 1 Casadesus the appointed appoint appoint- ed director The activities llIe of or the time school come under five heads as follows Courses of or Instruction In iii conducting according to the tho French tradition about two hundred and fifty firt- bandmasters tars and assistant bandmasters are arc enrolled enrolled en en- rolled In this course v Courses Course of oC instruction In playing n- n the time Instruments to be Introduced Into the American bands bands oboes oboes bassoon French horns and antI bu bugles les these courses also will accommodate some two hundred hun bun dred and fifty non men Cour Courses Course el In harmony fashioned on those of at the tIme Paris Conservatory Courses in Instrumentation Educational recreation in the form forum of oC concerts of oC chamber music participated in b by the time pupils of or the school Without doubt this school chool will wUl bring about a J. vast t Improvement In American Amen Ameri ran can military mUilan music When hen America went into the war ar tho Musical CourIer Courier Courter Cour Cour- ier ter remarked that while America surely sure sure- ly hy would have o nothing to be ashamed or of In the of or her liar sol soldiers ier and their equipment she would have o much to learn about military music And Arid that lint she has learned It so promptly and taken such Imme Immediate st steps ps looking to tu its Hs betterment is a n heart hearty cause for rejoicing Musical Musical Courier |