Between the Sheets

Things changed during the late 1800s, due to a shift in technology—actually, in several technologies.

The first technological change was printing-related; the widespread adoption of the modern printing press made mass-produced printed sheet music both affordable and common. This spurred the growth of music publishing companies, which in turn provided opportunities for songwriters to publish their songs to a broader market. For music lovers, this meant that you didn’t have to wait for your local chamber orchestra or brass band to learn and play a new piece; you could purchase the sheet music and play it yourself, at pretty much the same time people around the country were doing the same.

By the turn of the century, then, sheet music became the primary way for music to be disseminated. Listeners would hear new songs at department stores and music stores in their home towns, performed by hired song demonstrators. When you heard a tune you liked, you’d purchase the sheet music and go home to play it on piano.