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flUJIC TIRADE
VOL. LXXXIL No. 10
Published Every Saturday. Edward Lyman Bill, Inc., 383 Madison Aye., New York, N. Y., Mar. 6, 1926
Single Copies 10 Cents
$2.00 Per Year
The Paramount Problem Before the
Entire Piano Industry
I
N the public schools of Kansas City, Mo., every child attending
have practically served their purpose. It is now time to go further.
is given the opportunity of studying some musical instrument
The next step is to create music-makers, the amateur musicians,
as a regular part of its course of study. As a result, today
the greatest market of all for the output of musical instrument fac-
1,500 pupils are attending classes on the piano, 600 violin classes,
tories. Musical instruction has never been easily available for the
and smaller numbers classes in other orchestral instruments.
greater part of the people of this country. It has been classed in
the category of accomplishments, a part of education which has had
Here is a situation that forecasts a condition which must in time
to be paid for, an exceedingly difficult condition to overcome in de-
become universal among the grade and high schools of the country,
veloping universality among people who from their origin have been
. so that every child no matter what his or her conditions in life, will
nurtured on the idea of free public education available for all. A
have the opportunity of learning one musical instrument and thus
second element which has led to this condition is that musical in-
turn America from a country which, while widely appreciative of
strumental instruction has more or
music, is still largely a country of
less proceeded along the same lines
listeners, rather than one of music-
for children who were learning to
makers.
play as a recreation and as a" part
The Kansas City plan grew from
of their general cultural equipment,
the preliminary work of a music
as it has for children who showed
merchant, in this case the J. W.
signs of high musical talent and
Jenkins' Sons Music Co. This
who
were to make music their pro-
music merchant, realizing that to
/* CCORD1NG to the Federal Bureau of
fession
and life work. The result
sell a proper volume of musical in-
JLJL Education out of 13,700 public high
has been that the former in too
struments, the fundamental market
schools in the United States reporting to that
many cases, and their numbers
must be cultivated, some time ago
Bureau, but 2,575 were teaching instrumental
were thousands to one of the latter
inaugurated piano classes for chil-
music to their pupils, with only a total enroll-
type, have become discouraged,
dren under its own auspices. So
music lessons were a period of
ment of approximately 68,000 pupils in those
successful was the demonstration
drudgery
and tedious work for
of what could be accomplished in
classes. No figures could speak more loudly
them, and after a year or two they
musical educational work by the
for the neglect in which such a high cultural
ceased to take an interest and in a
system used that the educational
value as music has fallen. This is a condition
majority of cases they were lost to
authorities of the city became inter-
that must and should be changed.
the future.
ested with the result which is given
above.
Instrumental music classes in the
Here is a practical demonstra-
schools are the remedy to the first
tion of what must be done in the piano industry, an example of
of these two great elements which have had such a wide influence
paramount importance to both piano manufacturer and piano dealer
in keeping back the advance of the piano industry.
Obviously,
alike. For the piano industry during the past ten years or more
there is no more reason why instruction of this type should not be
has been in a position, taken as a whole, of fluctuation rather than
available in the elementary and high schools than any other of the
advance; there has been no stability or consistency in the annual
cultural subjects which are taught and which go to make a well-
output, nothing at all commensurate with the steady advance both
rounded man or woman. This type of instruction is perhaps still
in the population and the real prosperity of the country. To over-
in its infancy, but progress enough has been made to show that
come this condition, and it is essential that it be overcome, is some-
such teaching is feasible, that it attracts enough pupils to show there
thing the piano industry must do, if it is to develop in line with the
is a spontaneous demand for it, and that it is encouraged both by
other industries of the nation.
the pupils and their parents.
Its problem then is to create a greater number of prospective
To show the steps that have been made in this direction, the Fed-
buyers, a greater number of people to whom the idea of the piano
eral Bureau of Education of the Department of the Interior states
itself has already been sold. This can not be done through popular-
that in 1922, the last year for which figures are available, out of
izing music merely through its appreciation, valuable as that work
13,700 public high schools reporting enrollment by subjects to that
is and as widespread as have been the results from propaganda
bureau, 2,575 were teaching instrumental music to their pupils,
along these lines carried on by the industry in co-operation with
with approximately 68,000 enrolled. Figures for the elementary
many other forces during the past ten years. Musical appreciation
schools are not available.
and popularization are merely the foundations of a greater volume
This is enough of a beginning to show by experience that such
of musical instrument sales; they are the first steps which todav
(Continued on page 25)
Why?