ABSTRACT
Irving Berlin began writing the melody for his songs with increasing frequency. Still restricted primarily to the piano's black keys, Berlin had discovered an enormously useful tool: the transposing piano, which he nicknamed the "Buick". In 1911, Berlin wrote the tune that first made him famous: "Alexander's Ragtime Band". The tune got off to a slow start, but various vaudeville performers began to feature it in their acts, and audiences grew increasingly enthusiastic. In 1914, Berlin was the sole composer for a Broadway show, Watch Your Step, which included one of his signature quodlibets. Early in 1918, the thirty-year-old Berlin was startled to find that he had been drafted into the United States Army. Released from military service, Berlin was quickly hard at work again, writing for shows, revues, and his own publishing company. Berlin was not thinking ironically, however, when he drafted "Supper Time", one of As Thousands Cheer's most powerful numbers.
