Wanted—A Dance Orchestra For National Stations

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 28, 18 January 1935, Page 6

Wanted—A Dance Orchestra For National Stations

To the Editor ‘ Sir,-After spending several months across the Tasman, I was amused to notice that in this week’s copy of the "Radio Record" our friend in Timaru js still carrying on the fight against his socalled "Degrading Immoral Piffle." L am pleased to notice that several writers . are keeping up the defensive against . such a. narrow one-eyed debasement. of modéern dance music. Unfortunately .the . word jazz sti _ereeps into our dance phraseology; this word would suitably describe the first at"tempts at modern dance melodies during the hectic years of the war; since that time our dance music has evolved int the pleasant, sweet flowing rhythm which to the normal healthy-minded person is irresistible. Modern dance music is just as much an art.as our classics, and if our friend from Timaru would care to read the musical biographies of a few of our moderns, ‘he would find that their qualifications are just as high ag our leading exponents of the classics. ‘In fact, practically all of our moderns started off to be highbrows, ‘but soon changed to the © new order. To say thit dance music is dominating the programmes is absolute nonsense; in . fact, during the last week there has been hardly ‘a. dance recording played outside of the very scanty dance programmes that’ are now put over from the YA stations. The dance. programmes of late seem to _ have developed into a competition to see _which station can find the greatest num--ber of old recordings. ‘There are dozens of new recordings every month, yet none of these are heard for months after, and many are never. played. We still ge* the same stereotyped dance programme consisting of'a big percentage of Continental recordings, which are entirely unsuitable*for present styles of dancing.’ .and are typical of dance recordings of ten years aga

Why can’t our dance programmes be made more attractive? These are the only periods when one is able to hear dance recordings from the YA stations. I suggest that some one familiar with the requirements: of the dancing public be commissioned to arrange the ‘dance programmes. At the present time they are just played without any thought as ‘t» whether they are suitable or not. Perhaps it would interest .our Timaru friend to know. that the Australian Broadcasting Commission has signed oa: Jim Davidson and his well-known: band » for a year’s tour of all their | stations throughout Australia.. This shows that they are aware of. the fact that dance music plays:an important part in their. programmes. It. would be a great boost in this country if a versatile combination of players could be recruited to form 2 national orchestra: to supply our modern dance music, old-time music, and perhaps light classics. This would certainiy supplement the recordings and minimise the endless repetition’ of old recordings. Before closing I would like. to ask our friend jn Timaru just how he. explaius the fact that with all this nasty j&zz on the air our moral standards are so much higher than when his much discussed classics’ were written. If our friend’s arguments were correct, we should all go.and bury our heads in shame to thins that jazz has made the world so bad. "No, Sir, dance: music from the moderus "is here to stay, and I suggest to Mr.: Parkin that he be more tolerant, of modern music and allow us very immcra! dance-lovers' to have our smaJ]] amount. of music when. the rest of New Zealani sleens.-I am. etc..

MODERN DANCE LOVER

Hamilton.