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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
THE VALUE OF TALKING MACHINES IN SCHOOLS.
By FREDERIC GOODWIN, Director Educational Department, Columbia Graphophone Co.
In no way is the old saying, "Seeing is believ-
ing," more strongly emphasized than in the fact
that four years ago there was hardly a single
talking machine in
any one of the 500,000
schoolrooms of the
United States and its
dependencies; and to-
day, speaking of one
company's p r o d u c t
alone, there are over
200 Grafonolas in the
New Y o r k City
schools — t h e r e are
Columbia machines in
Alaskan schools, Phil-
ippine schools, Ha-
waiian schools, and
in the schools of
every large American city.
Four years ago, remember, hardly a single ma-
chine within the walls of a schoolhouse, and to-
day, with all that has been accomplished by the
large talking machine companies maintaining edu-
cational departments, the gross results are mar-
velous, yet the threshold of the school business is
but scratched.
Schools that have purchased talking machines
have for the most part purchased single machines
for a building. In a few more years a single ma-
chine in a school building will be superseded by a
machine in each room as an aid to the individual
About one in ten thousand can. Teachers aim to
the material value of a school appliance when
that appliance can do things the teacher cannot do,
and help the teacher in the things she can do.
How the Teacher Is Helped.
Can a teacher play a march correctly, or a folk
dance, an overture or a symphonic selection?
About one in ten thousand can. Teachers are to
make use of anything that helps them become more
efficient in their profession. Some teachers can
sing. Some! But a Nordica, a Gliick, a Metzger or
a Homer sings daily in some schools! To be per-
sonal, Mr. Dealer, if you have children, do you
wish some children to enjoy such a daily privilege
and your children not? These little, simple
thoughts glimpse the fundamental facts why talk-
ing machines are going into schoolrooms. Nothing
can keep them without.
The talking machine is the most amazing art
product of our time. Its impress upon our life is
almost beyond realization, for no statistics have
been collected, no research articles have been
printed. Here and there a great mind makes the
statement, or rather generalizes upon the modern
progress of music as an art and the part the talk-
ing machine is playing in its development, simply
because he or she has come in touch with some
salient demonstration near at hand; but the prod-
uct committees and the record committees of the
great producing companies are computing records
in millions, not hundreds, not even thousands.
These great pioneers, artisans, humans, have been
taught deep things of import by the insistent de-
mands made by the great public for this selection,
or that artist, till they themselves have become
artists through administering their trust.
The wisdom of John Ruskin has been forced,
literally forced, into their minds by the over-
whelming combination of business and art com-
bined. "Life without industry is Guilt; industry
without Art is brutality." A few thoughts of
master minds about the educational value of the
talking machine are not out of place at this point.
Will Earhart, director of music, Pittsburgh public
schools, in his excellent bulletin, "Music in the
Public Schools," issued by the United States Bu-
reau of Education, writes: "The order of popu-
larity with school authorities is, first, music his-
tory; second, harmony; third, appreciation. There
is manifest desire to make high school music
something more than the chorus singing. No
report of the use of player-pianos and talking ma-
chines has been asked for by the national com-
mittee, but the place given them in schools is so
important that their number was voluntarily re-
ported. The value of these instruments in musical
history is not to be overestimated. The operas
should not be studied less, but the great instru-
mental forms should without question ibe studied
more."
Thomas Tapper, Litt. D., lecturer in the Institute
of Music, city of New York, in his book just pub-
lished ("The Education of the Music Teacher"),
writes of mechanical musical instruments as fol-
lows :
"The advent of the mechanism capable of re-
producing music with some degree of merit im-
mediately raised the question, 'Will they decrease
the study of music?' We have had these various
mechanisms with us long enough to know, first,
if they have come to stay; second, if some of them
are capable of artistic reproduction of music;
third, that they are carrying the message of music
to thousands of homes that before were entirely
without it; fourth, that the music propaganda be-
ing accomplished by this means is actually increas-
ing our national interest in music, and is therefore
to a certain music study favorable; that is, to in-
crease it. Many companies maintain expensive
laboratories in which nothing else is attempted ex-
cept the improvement of the product. These
mechanisms are not enemies or serious rivals of
music teachers. They are allies in many ways.
No child of coming generations will be without
fairly definite evidence of the reproductive art of
Caruso, Bond, Ysaye, Kreisler, Hofmann, Sem-
brich and all the great company of the present-day
artists. No one can deny the estimable value of
this. ' The day will come when a teacher will say,
'Let us see how great artists have interpreted this
selection.' The advent of music mechanism in
schools is already proving of practical utility. They
are being used for listening lessons, studies in ap-
preciation and interpretation, for marching and
for folk dancing."
One fact should be noted before we leave this
subject: Practically no great artist has ever re-
fused one or another of these instruments to per-
petuate his art. We have pointed out the great
historical value of this to future generations. To
the present generation it is a testimony of the
comparative excellence of the means.
Can't Pass by the Truth.
Truly, as we say in our booklet, "School Room
Music," "the tuning fork has gone, and the grapho-
phone has taken its place." The live talking ma-
chine dealer is not passing by the truth. He is
recognizing that the strenuous endeavors made to
put the work of the educational department
strongly before the dealer and the public school
teachers is not an advertising scheme, but spells
permanency for the business and higher artistic
values in the product. He realizes that attention
to the subject and attention to the musical quality
of records must be pronounced in educational
records.
He is fully alive to the effect of this upon the
general trade. We who are on the inside know
how difficult it is to find artists who meet re-
quirements. When you stop to think of the diffi-
culties encountered it is obvious that only the best
of artists must make school records in the future.
Those, having greater vocal control, more refined
expression, better articulation and diction, more
careful phrasing, a keener appreciation for the
subtleties of rhythm, and so on. The teachers de-
mand this, are disappointed that they cannot al-
ways obtain it, and we must not forget that they
are the leaders in culture in our country. The
pupils of to-day are the home-makers of to-
morrow. Thus it is evident why we are doing
elaborate work and careful planning in our edu-
cational department.
"Show me how" is one of the most human de-
sires, expressed by children even. Yet, if we study
men and their successes, we are impressed that
those persons who frankly say, "Show me how,"
are just the ones who become authorities on a
subject, and we can refer to many humble minds
that have become leading merchants because they
were not ashamed to ask the "how." These are
the ones who study and ponder over problems
until they master them; until the knowledge be-
comes theirs, to be used for their advantage and
their profit.
A study of the principles of school teaching
shows how the minds of the young are led, step
upon step, line upon line, in the pathway of knowl-
edge. Business men realize this fundamental need
as much as teachers need business knowledge. In
"School Room Music" we definitely show how the
Grafonola is essential to the well-being of chil-
dren. We accomplish this by showing how teach-
ers arc using the Grafonola in their schools, ex-
plaining its value and demonstrating that it does
contribute to the physical, mental and cultural up-
lift of boys and girls.
The talking machine dealer, after reading this
book carefully, knows for the first time how to
go after the business, and how to get it. One of
the great commercial institutions of this great
country of ours, the Chase National Bank of New
York, recently sent abroad a patriotic creed. We
quote the first paragraph:
"We believe in our country—United States of
America. We believe in her Constitution, her
laws, her institutions and the principles for which
she stands—the past is secure. We believe in her
vast resources; her great possibilities—yes, more,
her wonderful certainties."
The talking machine is one of the commercial
certainties of the United States. It is going into
her institutions. Some of the principles for which
out great country stands have been etched on the
surfaces of educational talking machine records.
Lucky the dealer (yea, far-sighted) who be-
comes the talking machine trading center of the
schools of his territory. The teachers belong to
him; the pupils belong to him; and, if he is alive
to the possibilities, it is a direct avenue into the
homes of the pupils' parents.
BEtfJ. SWITKY SELLS OUT.
Victor Distributor Disposes of Entire Stock on
Thusday of Last Week and Will Retire from
the Talking Machine Business Permanently.
Renj. Switky, Victor distributer, of 19-23 East
Twenty-fourth street, New York, sold out his en-
tire stock on Thursday of last week, and it is
understood that the entire line of machines and
records will ultimately find a place in a prominent
local department store. Mr. Switky will retire
permanently from the talking machine business and
will engage in another line of trade not yet an-
nounced publicly. He had been handling talking
machines as a dealer and jobber for about twelve
years.
INCORPORATED.
The Master Talking Machine Corporation was
incorporated at Albany on Monday with a capital
stock of $25,000 as distributing agent and manu-
facturer.
The interested parties are Preston
Walsh, J. Robert Rubin and H. B. Danziger.
Jir,
For Best Service, write to
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