Pictures and the Picturegoer (April - September 1915)

PICTURES AND THE PICTUREGOER 433 Week ending r. 25, it.15 How Would You Like to Play to Pictures? HUNTS TO WOULD-BE PICTURE PIANISTS. IT is true 1 that there is no royal road to success, but there are short cuts to it somet i in e s. The would-be pianist may o b v i a t e much disappoint m c n 1 and delay in obtaining a berth it' he will follow the hints given in this article. It is a difficult thins in any profession for a novice to obtain an opening;. It stands to reason that a business man will prefer to employ some one he knows to be capable rather than try a person merely on the off-chance of his being so. The best way of overcoming this obstacle is to get your services accepted as relief-pianist. Make the acquaintance of a cinema pianist, and offer to relieve him for an hour or two daily. If you cannot arrange this to better advantage, offer to do it for nothing in order to get practice. As scon as this is settled order a hundred printed memo-forms, with your name and address inscribed thereon, followed by the magic words " Cinema pianist/' When these arrive you can answer at once as many advertisements as you like. The best papers for this purpose are the Stage, the Era, Kinematograpli TJ ee&lj/, liioscoi>e, and Cinema. You will be well advised to distinguish clearly whether the vacancies are for pictures alone, or for pictures and variety combined. Leave the latter severely alone; unless you are exceptionally clever yon will be unable to cope with that class of work. In your applications state your age, the salary you require, and, if you have a good appearance, say so quite frankly ; also emphasise the fact that you are at present engaged in a similar capacity, at such and such a picture-house, whose manager will give you a reference if desired. Now that may sound rather a roundabout way to Tipperary, but in reality you will find it a short cut. In the absence of experience you might reply to advertisements regularly for months without any result ; but by the method 1 have indicated you will be unlucky it' you have to wait three or four weeks. Remember, even if you are receiving no remuneration in acting as relief pianist in the first instance, you are obtaining without cost and with only a little trouble most valuable experience which will stand you in splendid stead when ybn make your dibut as a fullj -Hedged picture-pianist in a strange palace in, possibly, a strange town. It is/also wise when applying foryoitr first paid situation to ask the lowest terms you can afford to lake. By so doing you will not have to wait long for a post ; and, « lieu you have got one, it will be time 1 1 to lo >k round at your leisure for au opportunity of improving your cii stances. s.i iic picture-pianists seeniborn to the business, but they are few and far between. The everyday aspirant can make himself efficient enough if hi his work and takes ii seriously. In the first place he should train himself gradually to 1)3 able t 1 dispense with printed music as much as possible. 5 >i1 cannot keep one eye on the screen and another On the book ; and it is the s r< 0 which has the first call on you. Here comes the necessity for an extensive memorised repertoire. The most fertile source of supply for this is grand i Here you have thousands of exomplesof music welded to dramatic action. Now picture plots and opera librettos have much in common; indeed the incidents in one are frequently identical with those in the other. In the limited gamut of human emotion certain dominant tones are constantly recurring. In historical and geographical location the incidents of life differ, but essentially they are the same. In grand opera you find music written by the greatest composers especially to suit a replica of the actions and passions you see on the screen to-day. A knowledge of operatic music is therefore of the highest value in this connection, particularly if you have witnessed a performance of the ra and so und the e. >plicatioit From opera to music-hall mel >dy is ;t long stride, but an acquaintance with each should be possessed by tlie up-todate pianist. In the comic films it is surpi ising how many • for tic appropriate introduction of songs which happen to be the rage of the h 'ii'. Music of tin's nature is sily memorised and easily di-.1 when it outlive, its welcome; but it is very effectual in ii In order to keep yourself hi cloS3 touch with the latest music-hall fashion, ry six months six 1 imps with your memorandum-form stating where yoi are playing to M — r-. Feldman and Co., or the Stir Musi one or few 1 other music publishers who advertise in the Era. They will you by return of post a sheaf oi pi sional copies which will be of great -jrvice to you. Many of tli - will ' be whistled and sung by everybody in a few months' time, but by this means yon obtain them before ih-' general public has taken them Up. so gaining for yourself a reputation i >r keeping well abreast of the times. Improvisation is a gift not Lrb allot' us, but it may be latent in y..u. and only require bringing out. It is expert picture pianist's t . so every means of encouraging its development should be tried. Playing in the dark at home to an imaginary film is excellent practice, and should produce good results. Brian Lawrence. HOW TO BECOME A CINEMA PIANIST i r 1. Commence Musical Studies at an Early A.o. 2. Practise Fourteen Hours a Day. 3. Leahnto Improvisk. to Illustrate UN Musk) A MODERN NOVEL Ob Comic Papi k. When Perfj i r A.NSWER Am [ 1; riSEMENTB, Ane Wait r n Engagements.