Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
VOL. LXXXII. No. 12
REVIEW
Published Every Saturday. Edward Lyman Bill. Inc., 383 Madison Ave., New York. N. Y., Mar. 20. 1926 ""'{Ifffe? v°ea? ent '
How Werlein Develops Piano Playing
in the New Orleans Schools
New Orleans Music Merchant Underwrites the Cost of Instruction for Elementary Pupils in the Schools of
That City, the Schools Themselves Providing the Class Room Space—More Than 160 Pu-
pils Taking Course at Present With a Waiting List Rapidly Developing
NE hundred words of fact are worth a
thousand words of theory, especially in
the discussion of any such movement as
the development of piano playing as a part of
the regular curricula of both the grade and high
schools of America.
An example of the way in which one music
merchant has enlisted the interest of the school
authorities in his city, and through enlisting
that interest has developed the work in such a
manner that it is rapidly spreading and is taking
a more and more important place in the city's
educational work, speaks volumes for what can
be done, if only more music merchants would
realize the seriousness of the situation which
confronts them and would lend their co-opera-
tion along similar lines to develop a funda-
mental market for the piano, the type of a mar-
ket that never fluctuates and which steadily in-
creases along with the advance in both the popu-
lation and prosperity of the country in general.
The city where this work is rapidly being
accomplished by the individual work of a single
merchant is New Orleans, and the merchant is
the well-known house of Philip Werlein, Ltd.,
of that city. For instead of considering teach-
ing piano a distinctly home matter, Philip Wer-
lein, Ltd., had a wider vision and turned to the
public schools to carry out a larger program,
after having experimented with the Miessner
Melody Way of class piano instruction to its
own satisfaction within a limited scope.
The" first move was to enlist the support of
Miss Mary Conway, supervisor of music of the
New Orleans public schools, who cordially en-
dorsed the plan and assisted materially in mak-
ing it possible to carry it out to a point where,
at the present time, 160 children have registered
for the course in the schools. That number is
growing constantly to the point where all avail-
able classroom space is being filled to capacity
and a waiting list of applicants for each class is
piling up.
In New Orleans the Werlein house co-oper-
ates with the schools to the extent of under-
writing the costs of the instruction—a very
small item per individual, but somewhat substan-
tial in the aggregate. The schools provide the
students and the classrooms, lending their en-
dorsement to the idea. The result has been far
more successful than dreamed of by those most
directly interested.
The fundamental idea, of course, has been to
O
increase the number of piano students through-
out the city, and thereby to increase the interest
in piano music and piano playing generally. Any
possible opposition from the regular music
teachers has been quickly and thoroughly over-
Demonstration of "Melody Way"
PIANO CLASS INSTRUCTION
(Thi« demonstration it given by a group oi children from the fir it cla»
that ha. ju.t completed the twelve-leuon c o u n t of Melody Way
•(•>d>«l piano praWoualy.)
PROGRAM
Little Wooden Shoes
......
French Melody
Played in 3 key. by Sarah Buck (a«ed 7)
To a River
...French Melody
Played in 2 key. by Charlea and France. Karr
Evening Song
Old Melody
Played in 2 key. by Be|ty H.d.on
The Tenor Drum
Mietsner
Played in 5 key. by Betty Hud.on
Happiness
....
Old Melody
Played in 3 key. by Jenny Japcka
Lady Moon
Mieamer
Played in 2 key. by Dorothy Haa.
My Pony
Miewner
Tren.po.ed in 2 keya by Dorothy Haa.
The Mocking-Bird
Lady Bird
.
German Melody
_
-
French Melody
Played in 2 keya by Carol Robinaon
Sleep Baby Sleep
German Melody
Played in 2 k*y. by Sarah Buck
Lightly Row
_
Folk Melody
Tranepoeed in 2 key. by Dorothy Haaa
Minuet. .
..
..•
Mozart
Original key by France. Kerr
Knead Your Dough. Marie
French Melody
Original key by Mary Cavanairh
Review of the Entire Course
Played by Mary Cavanagh
SARAH BUCK
CHARLES KERR
FRANCES KERR
MEMBERS OF THE CLASS
BETTY HUDSON
CAROL ROBINSON
JENNY JAFCKE
MARY CAVANAGH
DOROTHY HAAS
T k u h m : MISS MARGOT FRECHET
A Program After Twelve Lessons
come through the fact that those students who
complete the Melody Way Course, and who
show a promise and a desire to advance, are
referred to private teachers for further instruc-
tion. It is significant that in a number of cases
private teachers have urged prospective pupils
to take a course in the schools in order to re-
lieve themselves of the necessity of drilling them
in the elementals and provide freedom for giv-
ing more advanced instruction.
The Werlein course in the schools covers a
period of six weeks, and the progress that is
made by the average run of students is indicated
by the program of a recital given by one of the
graduating classes. The character of the pro-
gram gives most direct proof of the progress
made, and after each such demonstration a
marked increase in interest is evident on the
part of both students and parents.
The instruction is given without cost to the
students, registration being limited to those be-
tween the ages of eight and sixteen. Each class
meets twice a week, for a one-hour period, and
thus in the full six weeks' course it receives
twelve distinct lessons. The practicability ol
the idea is indicated most strongly by the en-
dorsement of the school authorities.
What Philip Werlein, Ltd., has done in New
Orleans is possible in many other cities of the
country, as has already been proven. What is
needed is some music house, or an individual,
to lead the way, someone who is able to operate
without injecting any strong spirit of commer-
cialism in the venture.
Through the medium of the courses the
house of Werlein has received some of the best
type of publicity in those homes of New Orleans
where pianos would fit most properly, and it is
stated by R. I. Raymond, manager of the adver-
tising department, that a very substantial num-
ber of piano prospects have developed directly
out of the classes, a feature that proves itself
immediately valuable to the company during the
six weeks' stay of the pupils in the classes.
So strongly have the classes in piano instruc-
tion appealed to the schools that they will have
to be continued indefinitely if those children
who have applied for registration are to be taken
care of. It has been proven in New Orleans,
just as it has been proven in other cities, that
under the proper sort of guidance there can be
developed a genuine interest among children in
piano playing—an interest that, properly cul-
tivated, means only a little less than the salva-
tion of the piano trade in the future, as well as
its advancement.
It is such work as this upon the individual
initiative of the local dealer, that will do the
most to put over the campaign to develop and
encourage the teaching of instrumental music in
the grade and high schools of the country. Wer-
lein's presents an example that other houses
should follow.