Once again the College has its own student dance band, the Harvardians, "The Undergraduate Dance Orchestra." Three times during the history of the College, students have attempted to establish their own dance orchestras; three times they have failed because of the absence of a place for such an organization to practice within the University.
Bob Hermann, who last year ran a student orchestra under his own name, essayed the gauntlet of University recognition three weeks ago and obtained clearance for the name Harvardians.
His present ten piece band is now established within the Collegiate circle, having played at Dunster House during the Columbia football weekend and at two Army dances, the Officers' Ball and the Cadet Hop, during the Army weekend.
"Our major difficulty," Hermann said, "is that most of the College House chairmen are worried about booking an undergraduate band for undergraduate dances. We are liked and wanted at local girls colleges and at away game football dances, but here, where our interest lies, we are meeting resistance before they have heard us."
Practice in Firehouse
The Harvardians have beaten the practice room problem through the generosity of the Cambridge Fire Department. Hermann and several of his instrumentalists are honorary members of the department and play with the department band at Sunday morning communion breakfasts and at local city functions.
It is pretty tense and exciting, according to Hermann, to take off on rides amidst poker games and fire whistles. The firemen's polo is located in the middle of the sax section and the practices are broken once or twice nightly by the whine of the emergency whistle and the tumbling of drivers and hosemen down the hole and out to their engines.
The Harvardians use stock band arrangements. Johnny Green, one time Benny Goodman arranger, has made several specials for the band and Hermann has distributed songs among undergraduate composers for arrangement contributions. But at this early date the orchestra relies mostly on proven compositions.
Need Thrush
At present the band is looking for sultry female singers. The Boston Conservatory of Music has shown the most possibilities in that line, but the hand is hoping to secure some hopeful from Radcliffe as their steady vocalist.
