Radio doings (Dec 1930-Jun1932)

WHY I Sing POPULAR SONGS by Ted White NBC Tenor Breeze in the trees, humming sweet melodies — And they called it— THE BIRTH OF THE BLUES. And then they nursed it, rehearsed it and gave out the news That the Southland gave birth to the BLUES. And they might have appended— "The voice of America." "The Vagabonds," 11:00 P. M. Sundays. KGO, KFI: 9:15 P. M. Tuesdays, KCO. BUT there seem to be some Americans who don't want to hear it themselves. They hold their ears and whisper politely that it is not art. One wonders what the proper, highbrow Romans of the third and fourth centuries read into or heard in the strange utterances of the popular songwriters and poets of their time! Did they hear in those songs which were flung so casually into the Roman air of that day — and treasured, in fragments, by the scholars of today — the uncanny voice of Iberian Spain, the sorrow of conquered Carthage, the dark passion of North Africa, or the ominous strength of the Barbarian hordes? You can bet your life they didn't hear them! All these mingled racial voices sounded through the chants and songs which the Roman citizen heard or sang. But he paid no more attention to them than do the self-appointed high-brows today to the voices of emancipated Afro-Americans chanting through American jazz tunes; of old frontiersmen mourning the freedom they have bartered to mechanics, in the "Hill Billy" songs which have reached such incredible popularity on the radio. Ted White could have been a great pianist if he chose. Insted, he gave up piano to sing popular songs. In this article he tells why he prefers popular music. In a succeeding one, he'll tell what lies behind his remarkable vocal style. Even the love ballads your favorite crooner sings to you through the microphone, reflect the cynicism, disillusionment and humility of these past months of commercial depression — and if that doesn't make them folk;music — what IS folk-music? According to the musical editor of the New Century Dictionary, it is "music that arises among the common people or peasantry and becomes traditional among them. Its characteristics include artlessness of content and form, detachment from an individual maker or composer, and a tendency to embody or express something of local, communal, tribal or racial sentiment. Folk dances involve some union of dancing and music." In every detail, that definition applies to the popular music of today— even so far as "traditional" goes, for radio programs which revive popular songs of three, four, ten and fifteen years ago always bring floods of appreciative letters from listeners. Not only the generation which remembers these songs as part of its own youth, enjoys these old popular songs; so do the boys and girls of today, who in turn will listen with wistful pleasure a few years from now to the tunes to which they are dancing now. This is why I get slightly impatient with persons who insist upon looking down their noses upon American ballads and popular songs, while they fill concert halls to hear a tenor or soprano sing some trivial, tinkling little German or Italian air. ecstatically applauded as "delicious folk music." The little concert song probably is charming, but just as "Whistling in the Dark" is charming — or "It was a lucky April shower I sought a most convenient door — And found a million dollar baby In a five and ten cent store." There's modern romance for you — and poetry — and music. It breathes at once the spirit of this rushing age. and \Turn to Page 39] RADIO DOINGS Page Seventeen