and the research work in science, I have been very busy. Too busy to do justice to the horn and Mr. Hoss. This was the case before I was married, so that I feel being married has not accomplished what was already true. So that, as you will be sorry to hear, I am not studying the horn any longer. I learned a great deal about the instrument, for which I am grateful; and I have become a friend of Mr. Hoss, who is excellent. But doing things, I should like to do them well; and I had not the time. I had to make a choice: and the choice was obvious: to continue with Schoenberg and to support myself financially with the research work, which is not only money-making but fascinating, and often presents the same employment of mind that is presented in the study of music.
Xenia is an angel. We have been married now almost two months. It is always very beautiful. I look forward to her knowing you. For she will love you as I do and you will love her. Schoenberg mentioned the other day the necessity of constantly reviewing the work you have done. So that I think I shall begin teaching Xenia counterpoint, in that way making a review and also bringing us very close together.
I am going to write to you again shortly, ordering, if I may, one of your compositions. I have not decided which. Which would you want me to have? I can afford it, I think, now.
Mme. Scheyer28 often speaks of you; I have loaned to her my copy of the recording of your songs.
August third we have a meeting of young composers, modern, of Los Angeles. I don’t know exactly what will happen. Wm. Grant Still will be there, and some other negro composers. They have asked me to play something, but I refused, for I am a student too much now.
This is what is bothering me most now: Xenia and I may be sent to Pittsburgh to continue this research work. This will be the case if the arrangements with Westinghouse are successful. I will then be separated from Schoenberg. I do not know what to do. Fortunately it would not be for long. If it did occur, however, there would be the possibility of seeing you and Mrs. Weiss.
I think of you very often,—and write so little because and only because I am never knowing where to find time enough to do even my “work.” Never am I able to just go to sleep and think not at all about waking up. I always have to make some artificial arrangement about getting up. But I am exceedingly happy.
To Virgil Thomson29
March 15, 1939 | The Cornish School, Seattle
Dear Mr. Thomson,
Henry Cowell just gave me your address.
I remember in New York hearing some “Songs of Solomon”30 for voice and percussion you had written. This letter is to ask whether you have any scores for percussion alone, and, if not, whether you would be interested in writing something for a percussion concert which we will give May 19th here in Seattle.31 We gave such a concert last December (it was very well-received), including works of Ray Green, Gerald Strang, William Russell and myself. For this next concert Johanna Beyer has written 3 movements for percussion.32 Henry Cowell has written a new work, Lou Harrison has completed his 5th Simfony.33 We would like very much to present some work of yours. Rehearsals begin April 10th. We have 5 good players, and three not so good (they could play easy parts). We have 7 gongs, 3 cymbals, 4 tom-toms, two timpani without pedals, many wood blocks, and can improvise instruments from junk yards or construct things, given specifications of sorts, etc.
Please let me know about this as soon as convenient for you.
To Henry Cowell
[ca. July 1939] | Location not indicated
Dear Henry:
Thanks for the card telling about playing the records at the N[ew] S[chool].34 I’m anxious to know whether you have the two little records of the First Construction with Roldan’s Ritmica on one side. I sent them with two scores to the Guggenheim and never received any word from them about receiving them. I deduced from one of your letters that you had this record of the Construction; but I can’t tell for sure. I’d appreciate your letting me know about this, because I wanted to be certain that the scores and records reached Moe.35
Thank you for playing the record at the ns. I imagine from Johanna’s card that you played the three pieces for woodblocks and drums and bamboo sticks. I’m glad she liked them.
I’m enjoying my work on the Recreation Project.36 The first few days weren’t so good because I didn’t have very much to do. But now I’m getting very busy organizing groups of children writing articles for recreation publications, giving demonstrations making instruments, etc. Made a Chinese woodblock of which I’m very proud and intend to make some Teponatzles (spelling?)37 out of bakelite. This was Lou’s suggestion which I think is excellent. Will also make marimbula, and claves as soon as they have lathe. I work with Italian children at Telegraph Hill. Children in the S.F. Hospital. Negro children out on Divisadero and Chinese children in a Catholic Mission. The Negroes are astounding, and all I do is give them instruments and they play the most amazing rhythms, complex and marvelous. I never can believe my ears. And they leave the instruments and begin dancing just spontaneously. The only teaching I did was to suggest first a 4-measure phrase and then an 8-measure phrase within which they improvised. They were able to play cross rhythms and accents off the beat, grupettos across the bar, etc., and still stop cleanly at the end of either phrase length. They played on everything they could see in the room and asked me to bring new instruments next time.
The Mills class is going well now.38
The Chinese children in the Catholic Mission don’t seem very imaginative, but they follow directions well. I’m hoping to get things around to the point of their having ideas of their own. The work they did before with percussion was a rhythm band that was directed by Sister —— who played the piano and the children just played bang bang over and over again. I was surprised to find something so unholy.
Please let me know, if you do know, whether my score + records reached the Gugg[enheim].
To Mr. and Mrs. John H. Ballinger
September 14, 1939 | Cornish School, Seattle
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Ballinger:
During the past year I presented, in Seattle (at the Cornish School), two concerts of modern American percussion music. The group of players which I direct is the only group of the kind in the country. The concerts here were of such importance musically that, while I was teaching at Berkeley this summer, I was invited to give a concert at Mills College, which I did. Since the establishing of this work, the number of composers writing percussion music has doubled; the scores are sent directly to me for performance with my group.
A few weeks ago I received a letter (from Miss Cornish) to the effect that many of the instruments which I had used last year would not be available this coming year. These instruments were Chinese gongs, cymbals, tomtoms and woodblocks belonging to Lora Deja (the German dancer who was formerly on the Cornish faculty). She has requested that the instruments be sent to New York.
In order to have the proper materials I have, heretofore, borrowed, constructed and invented instruments to supplement Miss Deja’s collection. It is not, however, possible to replace her instruments in any other way than buying them. So that, although I have invariably in the past acquired instruments at my own expense, it now becomes necessary, in continuing this work, to ask for sponsorship.
I can refer you to Charles Paige Wood and George McKay of the University’s Music School, to Dr. Richard Fuller of the Art Museum, who has kindly assisted me, as has Mrs. Thomas Stimson, and to Mr. Alfred Frankenstein, music critic of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Among the composers who would be immediately indebted to you for performances are Jose Ardevol, Johanna Beyer, Franziska Boas, Henry Cowell, Ray Green, Lou Harrison, Amadeo Roldan, William Russell, Gerald Strang, Edgar Varese, and myself.
Since this work is new and experimental I may take the liberty of describing it as an exploration of sound and rhythm. It will, I believe, be thought of in the future as a transition from the