PIANIST AND COMPOSER FELIX ARNDT, THE "CROTON" (ACTUALLY "HARMON") CONNECTION

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While researching some early jazz and ragtime pieces, one of the Elves discovered that composer and pianist FELIX ARNDT had been a "Harmon-on-Hudson" resident. In fact, according to Popular American composers from Revolutionary times to the present; a biographical and critical guide by Ewen, David, 1907-1985, Arndt died of pnuemonia at his summer bungalow in Harmon-on-Hudson.  Other sources say the Spanish Flu instead.

Born: May 20, 1889, New York, N.Y. Died: Oct. 16, 1918, Harmon-On-Hudson, N.Y.

Felix Arndt’s mother was the Countess Fevrier, related to Napoleon III. Felix was educated in New York City schools. Arndt started out as a self-taught pianist and later studied with some of the best teachers in New York. As a young man, he wrote special material for several years for a number of Vaudeville troupers including Bayes & Norworth as well as Gus Edwards. Arndt was a charter member of ASCAP, the performing rights society, and organist of New York’s famed Trinity Church. Within a three-year period as staff musician for the Duo-Art reproducing piano company, he produced an astounding total of 3000 piano roll recordings. Many of these paper recordings still survive today.

Arndt’s biggest hit was written as an engagement piece, ten months before his wedding to Nola Locke. (She was also a composer, singer, and teacher who traveled as soloist with the St. Louis Symphony.) "Nola," a "keyboard novelty," was published in 1916. This piano solo caught on very quickly, and lyrics were later added to a simplified version of the piece. READ MORE AT http://www.jazzmusicarchives.com/artist/felix-arndt

AND THERE'S MORE AT  https://www.discogs.com/fr/artist/732779-Felix-Arndt