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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
How the Player-Piano Enters Into the Educational Scheme of To-day—Just
as Necessary for the Students to Hear Good Music as to Learn Sight Sing-
ing—Room for Profitable Exploitation Work by Manufacturers and Dealers.
For a good many years now, those who have in
ter of public interest, or to busy himself pleasur-
llieir charge the educational direction of America's
ably with any topic exceeding in importance ath-
youth have been exercising themselves concerning letics, fraternities and girls, is a matter for concern.
the matter of musical appreciation. At one time,
it has long ago come to be known that music,
as we all know, it seemed to be the belief that what
as a matter of cultivation and appreciation, with-
may be termed cultural studies were in no way the
out special emphasis on its professional features, is
business of public education; but that American
one of the most powerful agencies conceivable for
schools were designed to teach only such things as
the discipline of the mind and for the furnishment
would directly bear upon the practical problems of
of a rational basis for high and enduring intellect-
earning a living. This ideal, it it may so be called, ual occupation. The child who learns to appre-
was well enough, no doubt, in days when the coun-
ciate line music from early youth can never be
try was still largely a wilderness to be conquered, altogether superficial or altogether stupid. Those
and when its conquest was the concern more or
who have observed families in which the practice,
less of the whole people and the direct business of
even amateurishly, of good music has gone on for
a large proportion thereof. The cultivation of art any length of time, will have noticed without doubt
in any form does not begin until man has reached the civilizing influences of this culture upon chil-
a place where his material comfort is assured.
dren. The facts are, indeed, too well-known to
That time has come long since, and we are now need any special emphasis at this time.
Music a Proper Study in the School.
in the position of being able to ask ourselves
whether we have not carried the gospel of the Now such facts as have been briefly and imper-
practical in our educational system so far as to fectly hinted at here are by this time commonplace
have been in danger of wiping out altogether the
among educational authorities. And it has for
ideal of culture. We hear a great deal to-day some years been known that music is a natural and
about culture, especially since it seems to plea.se
proper study for the child of school age. To this
various of the belligerent powers in Europe at the end, the schools in our cities now usually require
present time to suppose themselves the especial ex- some sort of attendance upon classes in sight sing-
ponents of civilization in its highest form. But
ing, musical form and musical history, while con-
culture means the cultivation of the mind, and the cert singing in assembly is a feature of all mod-
word cultivation means really no more than tilling, ern city school programs. So far, so good. In
ploughing, sowing, reaping. The cultivated mind
fact, the idea is carried out as well as may be, both
lhen is the mind that has been carefully trained to in the grade schools and in the high schools.
get the most out of life.
But all of this, no matter how admirable it may
It is a general complaint among those who teach, be, needs further development. In present con-
and who observe the results of teaching, the Amer- ditions, it is not likely that teachers of musical
ican child that superficiality and an almost com- appreciation can be officially added to our high
plete lack of what may be called knowledge of com- school staffs, and it is too much to expect that the
parative values are the most prominent character- ordinary singing teachers should undertake such
istics to be discovered in the rising generation. The
work in a systematic way, without some form of
fact that the high school graduate emerges with a
special assistance. Nevertheless, educational au-
diploma after four years of supposedly steady
thorities are everywhere asking how they may put
work in a variety of subjects, but is unable to write the teaching of music appreciation upon a better
a. decent letter, to think consecutively on any mat- and a broader basis. The answer may now be
Racine
Combination
PLAYER AND PIANO
Bench
Here is the ideal seat for the playing
of both piano and player, saving
bother to the player owner when
changing from manual to mechanical
playing. It is much better to sell a
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than to give away something which is
liable to reflect upon the player itself.
Sold at a popular price.
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Showing Style 370.
Height for piano use, 2OJ4 in. Height for player use, 22
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veneer. In Mahogany, Walnut and Oak.
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Chicago Offices and Warerooms, Room 3O4-339 South Wabash Ave.
made to these questions. For the player-piano, if
rightly used as an assistant to the school music
teacher, is amply able to fulfil all requirements.
Here the piano dealer comes in, and for that
matter so does the piano manufacturer, not to
speak specifically of the player manufacturer. Let
us for a moment examine what the player-piano
may accomplish in the school, and then perhaps
the commercial men will be able to bring about
some practical result.
The principal value of the player-piano lies in the
fact that it puts within reach of anybody who
cares for music the means for producing it. Now,
any kind of music may be s< s reproduced, while the
player-piano permits the interpretation of music
with almost any degree of fineness that the per-
former can desire. In fact, the more the performer
understands and appreciates, the more he or
she can do with the player-piano. Its possibilities
are endless, and its surface as yet has only been
touched.
The ordinary singing teacher in a school, then,
may profitably use the player-piano for the pur-
pose of instructing the pupils in the appreciation of
good music. If one-half the time supposed to be
devoted to sight singing in an ordinary school
could be given up to instruction in the actual art
of listening to music and learning to appreciate it,
the results would be far greater from a cultural
viewpoint than otherwise is found to be the case.
Appealing to the Teachers.
The first thing, of course, is to get the teachers
to see the possibilities of the player-piano. But
this is not difficult. All that is necessary is to pre-
sent the thing sanely. The talking machine people,
whom we have-not mentioned here at all as yet,
have been untiring in propagating the use of their
goods as a part of the music appreciation courses
offered in the public schools. And they have suc-
ceeded in making many school principals, boards
of education and music teachers see the value of
their proposition. But the player people have done
virtually nothing in this respect. They could and
should do much; and if they once begin to think
seriously about it perhaps they will also begin to
act.
We might take space here, seeing that this is a
specifically musical article, to go into some detail
as to the manner in which music in the public
schools could be taught through the agency of the
player-piano. But it is not necessary to do this.
All that is necessary is that the teacher herself
should have a knowledge of musical history and
musical form sufficient to enable her to interest the
children in her story. If she has not this and is
not an accomplished pianist, then the player-piano
will enable her very quickly to study the subject
and very effectively to illustrate it. Wherever the
thing has been fairly tried it has succeeded. There
is one principal of a large high school in a great
American city who has made a rule that once a
week every student may have the opportunity of
listening to a forty-five minute talk, with playing,
on some aspect of good musical art, setting aside
a study hour for this purpose. The teacher who
takes this work is fortunate in that the school pos-
sesses in its assembly hall a splendid Artistano
grand, while she herself is a player enthusiast.
It is no wonder that she gets audiences of three
and four hundred each week, though attendance is
entirely voluntary. Every high school in the
United States is fair game for the sale of a player-
piano and a library of rolls. Most high schools
are prospects for player grands. The conclusion
of the matter is surely obvious and needs no fur-
ther comment.