George Gershwin Forecasts Triumphs For American Composers--Marilyn Miller Sizes Up Paul Whiteman

"It took me three weeks to write the 'Rhapsody in Blue,'" said George Gershwin. "I had always wanted to write something blue and "Paul Whiteman in spired."

"Paul Whiteman inspire?" Marilyn Miller broke into the circle. "Can you imagine him inspiring? I was asked to take a non stop flight around him several days ago."

Continuing more seriously. Gershwin told the CRIMSON reporter that it had been his New Year's resolution to write two symphonies. Asked about what tendencies he had observed in modern American music, he said that so much was being composed that it was hard to tell, but that he had noticed a bent toward smoother rhythm and harmony "Since I wrote the rhapsody several pieces have been written in the American idiom, call it jazz, blues or what you will I believe that in a few years classics will appear that could not have been composed anywhere except in the United States."

Gershwin then said that "Rosalie" was the third show he had written this season. "It was composed in six days," he said, "because I was working on "funny Face, too. That's why we are fixing up Rosalie now. Before the opening night in New York six new songs will have been inserted."

Commenting on trying Berlin. Gershwin declared that the popular song writer could not even read music Now at the age of 39 he is planning to study music "I told him to do that ten years ago," Gershwin said. "All great composers of the past spent most of their time studying. Feeling alone won't do the job. A man also needs technique."