Instrumental Clubs' Manager Presents Activities and Organization Features

There are at Harvard every year a great many men who not only enjoy listening to music, but would also like to sing and play, more or less informally, if suitable opportunity were offered. Many men bring their saxophones and banjos to college in the hope that they may find a chance to get together with others for some enjoyable evenings. Perhaps others used to be able to do feats of magic or perform stunts, but find that these talents are now unused in college.

Many years ago a group of undergraduates with these same feelings formed themselves into an organization which corresponded to the present Instrumental Clubs, and for years carried on with varying fortunes until about fifteen or twenty years ago when this group split up into the present Glee Club and the present Instrumental Clubs, the latter continuing with lighter, semi-classical, less serious music and also continuing the policy of having, besides a Vocal Club, instrumental music, a dance orchestra, and later a Specialty division. And because more men every year or finding that the Instrumental Clubs are filling a definite need in their extra-curricula life, the Clubs have slowly grown into their present place in University life.

The Clubs are coached by professionals, but otherwise entirely run by its undergraduate officers. The University has no direct connection with the running of the Clubs, so that almost unlimited opportunities are offered to every man to show his own initiative and reliability, especially is this true in the case of the managerial candidates.

The Clubs are made of five units. The Vocal Club sings college songs and popular four-part semi-classical numbers. The Mandolin Club and the Banjo Clubs present suitable tunes, and with the Gold Coast Dance Orchestra, offer places for almost every kind of an instrument. The Specialty Division has included in the past few years tap dancers, magicians, quartets, an accordion duet, a ventriloquist, a juggler, and unicyclist, soloists, and other humorous stunts. This year there is a great need of new Specialty acts, and it is hoped that a number of things will be worked up before we start our concert reason.

After the trials on Monday, October 8, and Wednesday, October 10, in the Music Building, those provisionally accepted will be notified immediately (there is a $5 charge for these men) and rehearsals will take place twice a week until after Thanksgiving, when we will give a series of concerts in nearby towns, schools, and clubs; many of these performances will be followed by dances. During the Christmas Vacation, a trip is planned to Middle-Western cities. Last year the Clubs were royally entertained, in Chicago, Winetka, and Cincinnati, where they gave concerts, a trip never to be forgotten by those 42 men who went on it. Activities cease during the Reading Period and Mid-Year Examinations, but after those, new officers are elected and a Spring series of concerts is given, lasting up until the Spring Vacation. At the Annual Spring Dinner, all men who have played with the Clubs a college year and are elected to full membership, are formally taken in.

The Managerial competition, open only to Freshmen and Sophomores, starts a week earlier, with a meeting in Phillips Brooks House on Monday evening, October 1, at 7.30 o'clock. The competition lasts until the Yale football game with probable cuts before. The work is not hard, there are no long reports, and is not hampered by University red tape. It should prove interesting to the candidates and will certainly give valuable experience. Candidates may do their work at times to suit themselves and so neither this competition nor the rehearsals and concerts will interfere with scholastic work, but will on the other hand, supply many opportunities to meet new men, air your hidden secret talents, and best of all, add more pleasure to your life while here at Cambridge.

The trials are held in private, all provisionally accepted members are given opportunity to play in all local concerts