DOOM OF “CANNED MUSIC”

Hawera Star, Volume L, 14 February 1931, Page 16

DOOM OF “CANNED MUSIC”

gO far as the American Federation of Musicians is informed ,its campaign against “canned music’’ is having very, little effect upon the theatres in New ! York, says the Boston “Christian' Science Monitor.’’ No motion picture house or “legitimate” theatre has vet informed officials of the union that they intend to install an orchestra, according to William L. Mayer, vice-president oi the musicians’ organisation. | But m the smaller cities and towns it is a different story. People in small villages, whose means of entertainment is more limited, arc in many places 1 getting tired of the mechanical music * ■ accompanying motion pictures, Mr I Mayor said, and write to the central ' | ofl'ce of: the union in considerable nuin- ' bers in support of its campaign. In . j some of the outlying places, small or- 1 jchestras are gradually coming back “The most surprising element in our | I campaign thus far,” said Mr Meyer, ! , “if the response that has come f rom 1 the South, which has not generally l it-u 0 considered advanced in cultural achieve-, •* meat, particularly in music. The resist- J 1 unco of the theatre-goer to “canned;* music ’ ’ has been greater in the South ' i than anywhere else, and the results 11

Amencan Opinion Changes

achieved in the theatres have been more substantial. “ We expect that New York will be a.,cut the last place to respond. The theatrical producer here depends very largely for his income on the 350,00*0 v sitors that come into the city every day from all parts of the world, ft. doesn't matter so much whether he pives the highest value or not. There will be many more along the next day. ’ ’ Ai r Mayer holds that if the number of musicians is seriously reduced by mechanical music, the art itself will deteriorate. “The 'machine age,’ ” he said, “has contributed many improvements which have been financially beneficial to the world’s population, as well as to the inventors and promoters. “ I'ho music machine, however, while profitable to its inventors, is not a beneit to the world. On the contrary, it s a menace to the continued existence >f civilisation ’s greatest emotional asm.t. Not only America, but every nation on the globe is being exposed to the innovation and musicians everywhere are being forced into other employments to earn their dailv bread.”