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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
8
THE POINT OF VIEW
(Continued from page 7.)
ganized, or for other reasons? Must he be a
floater and a drifter all his life? Too many of
our youths are just this. So we are getting the
continuation schools, in which public educational
authorities are offering to those who have been
to school and are out in the world, the opportunity
to do what really the schools should have done
for them perhaps years before; namely, learn some
trade.
It is exactly this which is now being done by the
Board of Education in Chicago for the player
trade.
What a Course in Player Construction Means.
There has been a certain amount of misunder-
standing as to the meaning and intention of the
course in player construction offered this season
by the Chicago Board of Education at the Carter
Harrison Technical High School, as part of the
evening trade school courses of instruction which
for some years have been a feature of educational
work in the Central Western metropolis. Speaking
from personal observation and with the distinct
reservation that in no way do these remarks rep-
resent any official educational view, so far as we
know, we believe that the theory of this sort of
thing may be expressed as follows:
A trade like the player trade, for instance, is of
importance to Chicago. Several thousands of men
are directly and indirectly involved in it. More
and more player-pianos are produced here every
year, and more and more are sold among the in-
habitants, to say nothing of the ever larger num-
ber being sent away to other cities. Thus, for the
sake of the industry itself, it is obviously desirable
that among the men engaged in that work, directly
or indirectly, there should be as much knowledge
as may be had concerning the mechanism itself, its
principles, its manufacture and the possibility of
improving it. Thus, whether we are dealing with
the player trade or with any other, it is, on general
principles, a good thing to teach men who have
drifted into it the way to better their work in it,
to better themselves, and thus ultimately to better
the entire industry.
When, therefore, the employers or the unions of
employes in a trade signify to the Board of Edu-
cation their desire for courses of instruction there-
in, the proper officials look into the matter and if
they think it important enough they set aside a
room in some school building and appoint a teacher
or teachers recommended by the trade. One
teacher to each twenty students is the rule.
The player classes in Chicago have been organ-
ized in accordance with these ideas, and in the mechanism, loaned by W. W. Kimball Co.; piano
first two weeks 114 men have been enrolled. The fitted with Melville Clark player mechanism,
Board of Education has provided a work shop and loaned by Melville Clark Piano Co.; and with the
other accommodations in the Carter Harrison following models and material: Working model
Technical High School building, which is in itself of Auto-Pneumatic action, loaned by Auto Pneu-
a monument to the progress of the vocational train- matic Action Co.; working model of Standard pneu-
ing idea, while the player trade of Chicago, to- matic action, loaned by Standard Pneumatic Ac-
gether with some of the enterprising and broad- tion Co.; working model of Amphion action, loaned
minded player manufacturers in the East, have by Amphion Player Action Co.; working model of
supplied models, player-pianos and material. The Angelus player, loaned by Wilcox & White Co.;
instructor in chief was recommended by the local working model of Price & Teeple player, loaned
trade, and he has an assistant, another practical by Price & Teeple Piano Co.; parts of Gulbransen
player, loaned by Gulbransen-Dickinson Co.; com-
man.
Thus at virtually nominal cost more than 100 plete set of parts knocked down, including bellows,
Chicago men actually engaged in the player trade pneumatics, valve boards, leather, cloth, valves, etc.,
in one position or another, are being instructed in loaned by Marquette Piano Co.; box of music
the principles of pneumatics, in the construction of rolls, loaned by Imperial Player Roll Co. Tools
player mechanism and in their regulation and are provided for themselves by the students. There
is a classroom in which theoretical work is done,
repair.
along with the shop work, while the physical
High Type of Students Interested.
Who are these men? In the first place, all of laboratory and lecture theater of the school pro-
them are in the piano or the player trades. They vides apparatus and accommodation for practical
are tuners, piano makers, player installers and experimental demonstration in pneumatics.
How the Course Is Arranged.
regulators, player and piano factory foremen,
superintendents, salesmen and managers. Every
How is the course of instruction arranged? Is
one of these positions in the industry is repre- it practical? Does it fulfil its purpose? These
sented among the students. Every piano factory questions can be answered briefly.
in Chicago has some of its men in the classes, and
A mixed lot like the students in this particular
most of the dealers are also represented. The course must, on account of the peculiarities of the
average age is about thirty-two, and the type of
business, be treated on broad lines. Merely to
man, generally speaking, is very high and a teach a lot of small shop tricks would be beneath
thorough credit to the industry. Indeed, it may contempt, for the practical men know how to
be said that the cream of the practical side of the mess with glue and leather, while all of them need
piano and player trade is now studying player con- to learn mainly what they do not now know. What
struction at the Carter Harrison High School all need is to learn the things about the player busi-
building.
ness that they do not know already; to co-
A glance at the photographs shown on page 7 ordinate their knowledge. The course has there--
will reveal the type of student and will perhaps fore been arranged somewhat as follows, and in
suggest the manner of their instruction; of which this following order:
more below.
1. Elementary physics as far as required to
illustrate statics and dynamics of air. Experiments
Excellent Accommodations Furnished.
The accommodations at the school are excellent. and demonstration.
2. Practical demonstration and analysis in class
There is a large workshop, containing about 3,000
of
all the elements of player construction—bellows,
square feet of floor space. This is fitted up with
work benches and with the following pianos : Piano valve systems, pneumatic stack, motor, governors—
fitted with auto-pneumatic action, loaned by Wur- by comparison, dissection and explanation in the
litzer Co.; piano fitted with Standard pneumatic ac- light of physical principles.
3. Dissection of all models and their rebuilding
tion, loaned by George P. Bent Co.; piano fitted
with Inner-Player mechanism, loaned by Cable Com- by students in squads. Each squad under a leader
pany ; piano fitted with Euphona player mechanism, dissects one model and examines same (under eye
loaned by Cable Company; piano fitted with Price of instructors, who explain and answer questions)
& Teeple player mechanism, loaned by Price & and then puts it together again. The squad then
Teeple Piano Co.; piano fitted with Gulbransen- goes to next model, till each student has helped to
Dickinson player mechanism, loaned by Gulbransen- dissect each and every one.
4. General class work and bench work on regu-
Dickinson Co.; piano fitted with Kimball player
lation and adjustment. Discussion of principles
and mechanical details. Practical experiments.
Each student gets a chance at trying out what is
taught him in class.
-5. General class work on repair, consisting of
lectures on troubles and their causes and remedies;
followed by bench work on practical handling of
repair materials and making of repairs.
It is believed that this system combines the
virtues of the class room with those of the work
shop, and all in a manner at once comprehensive
and valuable. The attitude and interest of the
students so far seems amply to have justified the
system.
Composition Spool Ends
A great step forward in the manufacture of per-
forated music was the adoption of our spool ends by
the leading manufacturers in the
United States and Canada. We
have an especially equipped De-
partment for the manufacture of
this article, enabling us to make
interesting prices.
Our samples and quotations
will convince you.
The Siemon Hard Rubber Corp.
BRIDGEPORT, CONN.
Credit Due to Paul B. Klugh.
The prime mover in this excellent and practical
work, of which the beneficial effect will be felt for
all time throughout the Western player trade, is
Paul B. Klugh, vice-president of the Cable Com-
pany. The successful working out of the move-
ment is due to his initiative and untiring patience.
W. M. Roberts, District Superintendent of
Schools, is in charge of night school, is the direct
official head and has taken the greatest interest
from the start. The chief instructor is the technical
editor of The Music Trade Review, William Braid
White, and the assistant is Rudolph Lingenberg, of
the Chicago branch of the John Church Co.
This description and comment is set down here
in the hope that it may be of some value in clear-
ing up any misapprehension that may have existed
and in providing a clearer understanding of the
scope of this work and of the manner in which it
is being carried out.