Re: [ARSCLIST] articles against the "domesticated" phonograph

[bandmann@xxxxxxxxxxx]

on 9/17/05 4:29 PM, Kurt Nauck at nauck@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

> Have you seen the article by Sousa?
> 
> Kurt & Diane Nauck
> 
<snip>

John Philip Sousa had a long and strange relationship with the introduction
and propagation of sound recordings in not only American culture but, one
could argue, the world at large.

First, Sousa himself conducted only six commercially released recordings
that can be currently documented. Generally he sent his assistant conductor
(Herbert L. Clarke, Henry Higgins, etc) and some of his band members to play
for the recording sessions. From the earliest days of commercial recording
the United States Marine Corps Band, "The Presidents Own", made many records
that help spread his name and fame.

When he left the Marine Corps in 1892 to form his famous band they went
immediately into the Columbia studios to record a series cylinders for
commercial release. But even though Sousa (and by extension his band) was
one of the top sellers for the Victor Talking Machine Company (and Berliner
before that), it wasn't until the early 1900's when he uttered his terse one
line approval, "Victor records are all right." Until that time he decried
recordings as the death of music. He continued to write and speak out
against recorded music going on to coin the term, "canned music".

One only has to read "The Menace Of Mechanical Music", Appleton's Magazine,
Vol. 8 (1906), pp. 278-284, http://phonozoic.brinkster.net/menace.htm, to
get a sense of the other side of the advertising coin. You may wish to read
his testimony before Congress, Arguments Before the Committees on Patents of
the Senate and House of Representatives, conjointly, on Bills S. 6330 and
H.R. 19853, To Amend and Consolidate the Acts Respecting Copyright, June, 6,
7, 8 and 9, 1906 (Washington, Gov. Print. Off., 1906), p. 24.25

Dan Reed