Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
13
unevenly graduated, this apparently random
stringing may well be not merely convenient but
even necessary. It would not do any particular
harm to try the suggested substitutions as far as
the ena of the 15 wire, but I would not care to
Conducted and Edited by Wra. B. White.
experiment further without being very sure. Of
fraisse
suppose
for
one
moment
that
the
grad-
In a column of last week's Review there ap-
course, if I had the measurements of all these
pears a letter from Mr. L. J. Delfraisse, of New uate of a technical school enters a business with
strings, definite advice could be given, but my
the
idea
that
he
will
immediately
become
the
Orleans, in reference to the matter of technical
correspondent may be sure that Steinway & Sons
education, on which subject something has re- general manager? Of course, he thinks nothing
did
not adopt this stringing without knowing
cently been said through the medium of this de- of the kind, for he is not so foolish, and yet that
what
they were doing. Therefore, I would say
is just the inference that may most legitimately
partment.
that
it
will be well to go very slowly and make
Mr. Delfraisse, in his communication, takes a be drawn from his remarks.
no
alterations
if you do not actually have to.
The technical school is something to be de-
position so thoroughly in opposition to that
which I have maintained that I "propose to an- rided by a certain class of mind, because it is
I might say here also, in reference to Mr. Lip-
swer his contentions here for the purpose of not a conventional way of doing things, because man having requested a private answer, that as
showing that they are not founded on fact, but no one used to worry about technical education, the advice and suggestions given to correspond-
are rather the offspring of imagination and and because there are all sorts of old fogyish ents here are freely tendered at all times, the
prejudices against it. The mere fact that con- department must reserve the privilege of print-
prejudice.
There is a tendency characteristic of our na- ditions change and that the luxury of yesterday ing all communications sent to it within its dis-
tional disposition to praise learning in the ab- is the necessity of to-day does not appear to have cretion, unless a special request be made not to
stract and laugh at it in the concrete. No na- any weight to people who rush into print with- do so, in which latter case a private answer may
tion spends as much as ours in the cause of edu- out having duly weighed their words; but if Mr. or may not be sent, as the case may be.
cation, and none treats the exponents of its Delfraisse be interested in saying anything
higher aspects with such good-natured contempt. further in this matter, I shall be glad to give
I am glad to say that Mr. J. C. Miller, of Lin-
Among many men in America the phrase, "college him the fullest information, backed up by of- coln, Nebraska, whose able letter on tempera-
professor," is used as a gentle term of derision. ficial figures, for the purpose of showing him ment systems called forth some comment a week
Such a feeling can be traced throughout Mr. the enormous value of technical education in or so ago in these columns, has replied, defend-
Delfraisse's letter. He begins by saying that every industrial art which it has influenced. It ing his position. I shall be very happy to print
the idea of technical schools is all right "in is worse than useless to approach this subject in his letter next week.
theory," but will surely fall down in practice. a light and careless spirit. Unless one is ready
I also acknowledge receipt of a letter from a
This is a statement that should not be made un- to advance solid, specific and practical reasons
less it is entirely susceptible of proof. If Mr. for or against the proposition, one should really correspondent in North Dakota, who asks some
interesting questions in musical acoustics. These
Delfraisse can show that the history of tech- leave it alone. It is far safer to do so.
will be answered at the earliest convenience. He
nical and technological education in the United
States has proven that the system is better theo-
I print the following communication from R. also requests information upon certain subjects
retically than practically, then I shall stand cor- C. Lipman of Grand Rapids, Mich., who suggests connected with the practical end of the piano
rected. But there is no reason for believing this. an interesting situation, worthy of readers' atten- tuning business, which will likewise receive at-
tention.
From the Rensellaer Polytechnic School of sixty tion:
years ago to the Carnegie Institute of to-day, the Editor Technical Department:
Communications for the department should be
history of these institutions has been one of un-
I recently bought a Steinway square piano, and
addressed
to the Editor Technical Department,
broken success. Even the practice of teaching am overhauling it to use in my own home. I was
various trades by correspondence, faulty as it un- very careful in taking the number of wire be- The Music Trade Review.
doubtedly is, comes in for a share of discreet fore beginning to unstring. I found that the old
FIRE IN SMITH & NIXON CO.'S STORE.
praise from the writer on technical education in stringing ran like this:
the new Encyclopaedia Americana, who further
2 tones of 12y 2 wire.
(Special to The Review.)
goes on to show facts and figures quite sufficient
10
" 13
Louisville, Ky., April 15, 1907.
to prove that the whole technological school sys-
7
" 14
The piano warerooms of the Smith & Nixon
tem in this country has been an unqualified
Co., at 622 Fourth street, were completely gutted
success.
16
11
by fire last Friday afternoon, and it was with
17
Mr. Delfraisse, however, seems to be under the
9
difficulty that neighboring buildings were sayed
7
18
impression that the factory offers the best tech-
from destruction. The loss to building and con-
2
19
nical education, provided only that one be will-
tents is estimated at over.$50,000.
20
3
ing to take advantage of it. I do not know
4
2oy 2
whether he has had any practical piano factory
Fred L. Couch, for sometime manager of the
21
3
training within the last few years, but if he has,
Glens Falls, N. Y., store of Cluett & Sons, has
22
2
he knows better than to make such a statement.
resigned to become manager of the piano and
1
23
The plain matter of fact is that the time re-
musical instrument business of M. Slason & Son,
quired for a complete training in every branch
This looks rather ragged to me, and I am won- Malone, N. Y.
of piano construction, while he himself is earn- dering if it would not be better, or at least as
J. U. Fulps has opened a new music store in
system, would be half a lifetime. Yet no man is good, to restring like this:
Henry, 111.
fit to be the mechanical head of a great piano
2 tones of 12% wire.
making institution unless he is an all-round ex-
8
" 13
pert, and not merely an authority on some part
8
" 14
of the work he has to supervise. Does Mr. Del-
7
" 15
fraisse think that even an exceedingly bright
7
" 16
young man can evolve out of his inner con-
7
" 17
sciousness a practical knowledge of any branch
6
" 18
of piano construction, while he nimself is earn-
6
" 1 9
ing his living at another branch? What is the
5
" 2 0 "
use of saying that any one who likes to stick
4
" 21
to his work can climb to the top of the ladder
3
" 22 «
when he must obviously go down to the bottom
1
" 23
again each time that he attempts to change from
The piano is a large size square. I intend to
one division to another. A man who has to sup- wait for your advice before stringing. Thank-
port himself in these strenuous days has enough ing you in advance,
R. C. LIPMAN.
to do without dropping his income every year or
An answer to this question is rendered particu-
so in order to learn a new branch of his business, larly difficult by reason of the fact that I have no
meanwhile subsisting on boys' wages until a data as to the lengths of the strings nor as to the
knowledge of the latest portion of the work is approximate tensions at which they are stretched.
expertly acquired.
It must be remembered that a square piano, with
Datt
Again, Mr. Delfraisse takes the position that its peculiar circular scale, demands different
the technical school encourages undue ambition treatment from that which would be proper for
September I8>26, 1907
in its pupils and graduates, and he defends this an upright or grand. At first sight, the stringing
excessively extraordinary assertion by the of this piano certainly appears rather extraordi-
further statement that we cannot all be man- nary, especially on the upper portions of the
agers, leaders, and so forth, but that some of us treble, where the strings should be nearly
Information supplied by
must be the plain workmen. Now I would like straight. Yet I would be loath to make changes
J. A. H. DRESSEL, Manager
to know just how far a workman is hindered in even here without the best of reasons, well
1 Madison Ave., New York City
his work by being ambitious, or by having the grounded on careful observation. If the scale is
desire to rise to a leading place. Does Mr. Del- so constructed that the string lengths are very
HAVE you secured
space for exhibition
purposes at the
NATIONAL
MUSIC SHOW
to be held at Madison
Square Garden ?