Posted on 09/27/2011 6:07:25 PM PDT by Springfield Reformer
It is generally conceded that the use of brass musical instruments has greatly increased in this country during the last ten years. Few persons, however, have any accurate idea of the appalling progress which this terrible vice has made. There is probably not a village in the whole country without its habitual and shameless players on the cornet, while the number of those who are addicted to brass instruments, either openly and to an extent which they call “moderate” or secretly and to a ruinous excess, is estimated by trustworthy statisticians to amount to fully 3 per cent of our entire adult population. In comparison with those figures the prevalence of drunkeness becomes insignificant and opium-eating hardly deserves notice.
(Excerpt) Read more at horninsights.com ...
Some people didn’t recognize satire even then.
I call BS on the word, “addicted.”
I rescind my BS call. We may be seeing one of the early transformations of the word, “addicted.”
But this is clearly satire: “When I hear the accordeon I tremble for my country.”
On that matter, for the 1880s, it must’ve been pretty funny satire.
...except of course, in “the Music Man,” playing brass was promoted as an ALTERNATIVE to distasteful vanities such as pool. And pool halls were quite disreputable, associated as they were with drinking, gambling, sharking, and pissing money away.
This is satire reminiscent of Twain who was nearing the peak of his career about then.
There are some great old magazines from the 1880’s on http://www.gutenberg.org. Free downloads of just about any kind of book you would like to read.
I made the comment once to an old gal at our church on how the kid’s music always annoys the parents. She replied “Oh yes - it was that way when I was a child too.”
I looked at her sorta’ funny and asked “What kind of music did you listen to?”
“We liked the Big Band music. Our parents thought anything with horns in it was the Devil’s own.” LOL!
I like the post - interesting.
Chuckle :)
And that is very true. Brass bands were once thought to be of the devil way back in the day.
>>> “We liked the Big Band music. Our parents thought anything with horns in it was the Devil’s own.”
Precisely illustrating the point I’ve made in several of the Lady Gaga threads. The drama queens moaning she is the Whore of Babylon are oblivious that every generation has the old fogies moaning about the “depraved” music of the kids.
I happened to catch lady gaga on Letterman. Can’t stand Letterman anymore, but wanted to see who this gal was. Okay - she dressed weird. (The first 10-minutes of the interview her face was covered completely by a thick cloth - not just a see-through veil!) But, her conversation was decent.
Letterman praised her for being to the show so early, rehearsing, being prepared, etc. She said something like “Being able to be on your show - we wanted to get it right.” He said something like “But you’re the big star!” She replied “Naw, I’m just a girl from Long Island” or something.
She also talked about how she has her own line of clothing and costume designers and makers. And praised them on being able to change all of the support dancers costumes overnight for some big awards thing based on her last minute change.
She sounded very professional and business-like. I don’t recall the song she did, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be.
In the documentary about the band RUSH, they talk about opening for KISS back in the day. They said something like “Say what you want about Kiss or their music, but they taught us a lot about work ethic, putting on a show, and being in business.” It sounded like Lady Gaga is about the same.
brass ping
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