A study of the Los Angeles Bureau of Music with implications for civic music in the United States

71 Pages·02.94 MB·English

by  Young, Milton Burnett

A STUDY OP THE LOS ANGELES BUREAU OP MUSIC
WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR CIVIC MUSIC IN THE UNITED STATES
A Thesis
Presented to
the Faculty of the Graduate School
University of Southern California
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Music
Milton B* Young
February 19^9~
UMI Number: EP61870
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This thesis, written by
.............. JvttLTON _ B_ .r. YOUNG.............
/ $ > / & &
under the guidance of h.Xs... Faculty Committee,
and approved by all its members, has been
presented to and accepted by the Council on
Graduate Study and Research in partial fulfill­
ment of the requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF MJSIC
Dean
January 1950
Faculty Committee
TABLE OP CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. THE PROBLEM AND THE IMPORTANCE OP THE STUDY. . 1
The problem . . . . . . . ................. 1
Importance of the study ................. 4
Definition of term ucivic music11........... 8
Organization of remainder of thesis • • • • 9
II. REVIEW OP CIVIC MUSIC IN THE UNITED STATES . ♦ 11
Status of civic music before 1925 • • • • • 11
Status of civic music since 1925 » • • • • • 13
The American Music Conference • • • • • • • 17
III. ORIGIN AND ORGANIZATION OP THE LOS ANGELES
BUREAU OP MUSIC . ........................ 21
Origin....................................... 21
Organization .......... • • « 24
Line organization ................... 25
Staff organization........................ 26
Selection of staff..................... 27
The financial budget ..................... 30
Salary status of personnel................ 32
IV. YOUTH CHORUSES............... 34
Organization and objectives • ............ 34
Organization • • • • • ................. . 34
Objectives • • • • ....................... * 35
Promotion and activities................... 37
Promotion . . . ^ ............... 37
iii
CHAPTER PAGE
Activities • ........ . ....................■ 40
Relationship of civic music to public school
music » • .............. . . . . . . . . . . 41
V. ADULT CHORUSES AND OTHER ACTIVITIES ........... 44
Adult Choruses • .............................. 44
Organization .............................. 44
Objectives • ................................ 45
Activities......................... 45
Community Sings .......... « 46
Organization............ • 47
Objectives ■ 47
Contests and festivals................. 48
Orchestras and bands ....................... 50
Orchestra..................... 50
Bands ................... 50
VI. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ..................... 53
Summary ................... 53
Conclusions ........................... 54
BIBLIOGRAPHY . . ' . . . . 60
LIST OP FIGURES
FIGURE PAGE
1. Chart of Organization of the Los Angeles
Bureau of Music ...................... 29
2# Schedule of Summer Band Concerts sponsored
by the Los Angeles Bureau of Music, 1949 • 52
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE PAG-E
I# Results of Partial Survey Made of Civic Music
in 46 Cities in 1946 (Over 100,000 Popula­
tion) .................'............ 15
II* Comparative Budgets of the Los Angeles Bureau
of Music for the Fiscal Years 1944-45
through 1949-50 • » • • • • • • • ......... • 33
a
*
CHAPTER I
THE PROBIEM AND THE IMPORTANCE OP THE STUDY
For many years civic music organizations of various
kinds have given millions of Americans many hours of plea­
sure and have added greatly toward building a fine apprecia­
tion of good music within our society. In addition to
helping build a musical culture, this type of organization has
also played a prominent part in molding national unity by
breaking down barriers against which democracy must continual­
ly fight* Music has for centuries been a powerful factor in
welding together people of various races, creeds, and interests
This fact is being realized more and more not only by those
interested in our national solidarity, but also by leaders in
international problems.1
I. THE PROBLEM
During the past number of years, as the pace of living
has been greatly accelerated, the need for opportunities to
release stored-up emotional energies and for self-expression
through group participation has become a recognized problem.
The act of singing in a group or of playing in an instrumental
ensemble, provides an excellent means of satisfying this
Howard Hanson, "The Scope of the Music Education
Program,M Music Educators Journal, XXXIV (June-July, 19I4.8),
P. 57. -
2
need.2
Various types of civic music organizations have been
established, some of them being successful, others being
short-lived. These groups have been organized under innum­
erable circumstances and situations, ranging from a small
chorus or instrumental ensemble, meeting occasionally for the
enjoyment of singing or playing together, to large organiza­
tions capable of performing major works. Church groups,
industrial groups, service clubs, and a host of other organi­
zations have all contributed to the list of such music-
participation projects.
In recognition of the many values to be derived from
such a project, numerous cities in the United States have
attempted, at one time or another, to establish organized
civic music programs on a city-wide basis. The types of
organization and the objectives in view have varied in scope
and intention, but the number of cities that have had lasting
success with their civic music projects, in comparison with
those who have fallen by the wayside, are few in number. It
has been learned that, with very few exceptions, the emphasis
in building civic music projects has been placed on providing
2 Augustus D. Zanzig, Community and Assembly Singing
(New York: M. Witmark and Sons, 1933)» PP* 5~7*
P. Melvyn Dawson, "Music For What?ff, Music Educators
Journal, XXXV (May-June,> 19^-9 )* PP* 11-13*