NEW ZEALAND COMPOSERS.
sir,-What is radio in New Zealand doing for the New Zealand composer? New Zealand dance bands and soloists play and sing only songs plugged by films and people like Bing Crosby, Diriah Shore, Vera Lynn, and the rest. There are many New Zealanders who consider that they can write songs as good as many that are published in America or England, but no publisher will touch our songs because they haven’t had radio backing. Here is a sample rejection note from a New Zealand publishing film: "I might tell you that we were very impressed with this number .. . which is considerably better in every way than many big song hits, but because it is not featured in a talkie or sung by Bing Crosby or someone like that, it is very hard to find a demand here;.. very few numbers that are composed in New Zealand, without overseas background and without overseas featuring, have any chance of being successful sellers on this market, etc., etc." The policy of New Zealand radio is to foster home talent. This is being done for singers and instrumentalists, as well as for actors and playwrights. But is anything being done to foster song-writ-ing? We have no films or big radio stars of our own and the music publishers will not consider printing a song that hasn’t a big name tagged on to it. Will New Zealand radio help? I know that many New Zealand-composed songs are too terrible, but there are many that would be hits if we could get them heard on the radio. Surely this is a branch of radio that could be exploited. Wherever my songs have been played and sung they have made an instant appeal and people say: "It will be a hit."" This is encouraging, but it doesn’t get the songs published. With radio backing there would be a chance, Is there anv help for us?
AMBITIOUS
(Wanganui).
| [The Broadcasting Service gives the most careful consideration to any compositions submitted by New Zealand composers. If any of these are reasonably near broadcasting standard broadcasts are arranged after an agreement has been reached with the composers as to the fees nee traad by the Service for the broadcasting rights.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19450427.2.13.1
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New Zealand Listener, Volume 12, Issue 305, 27 April 1945, Page 5
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373NEW ZEALAND COMPOSERS. New Zealand Listener, Volume 12, Issue 305, 27 April 1945, Page 5
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