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THE
VOL.
LXXXIII. No. 17
REVIEW
Published Every Satwday. Edward Lyman Bill, Inc., 383 Madison Aye., New York, N. Y., Oct. 23, 1926
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The Music Teacher and the Ways to
Make Him a Selling Asset
Heaton Music Co., Columbus, 0., Finds Class Piano Instruction Results Overcome First Prejudices Among
Music Teachers of City and Make Them Enthusiastic Advocates of It — J. R. Reed Music Co.
Advertises "There's a Music Teacher in Your Neighborhood," With Good Results
I
N certain piano stores the piano teacher is
regarded chiefly as a seeker after commis-
sions on piano sales either actually or sup-
posedly influenced by him or her, and the atti-
tude of the manager and salesman towards the
teaching fraternity may be described as more
antagonistic than friendly. This relationship
between the piano dealer and the teacher is a
remnant of the old days, and has no place in
the piano business to-day, for modern retailers
have demonstrated the fact that closer and
honest co-operation between distributors of
pianos and those who teach the young idea how
to play can be a tremendous mutual advantage.
It has been no unusual thing during the past
year to find piano houses running advertise-
ments calling attention to the standing of local
piano teachers and often publishing the names
of those who stand high in the profession in
their particular community. Furthermore, with
the spread of the free piano instruction idea
among piano houses this tie-up with the teachers
is steadily becoming closer and more pro-
nounced.
It is but natural that those deriving their in-
come from teaching the piano should at the
outset resent free lessons by piano houses.
But, through proper handling, the situation has
developed to a point, where the teachers wel-
come the announcement of such free courses,
for they appreciate the fact that these children,
grounded in the fundamentals at little or no
cost to themselves or their parents, are in a
great majority of cases inclined to seek further
instruction in the accomplishment and must go
for that instruction to the qualified teacher.
The recent experience of the Heaton Music
Store, in Columbus, well illustrates the point.
The store announced free piano lessons by the
class method and at the outset met with indiffer-
ence on the part of local teachers. The purpose
of the course was explained in detail with the
result that a majority of local instructors either
took a favorable view of the move or at least
conceded that it might have some value for
them. The chief difficulty was in getting a
teacher to handle the classes for the usual
period of several weeks at a fee of 40 or 50 cents
per pupil for the course. The man who did
undertake the work and carried it through
found, however, that over 90 per cent of a class
of 120 continued to take instruction with him
at regular rates after the free classes had come
to an end. The result was that this particular
teacher was compelled to engage additional in-
"Are You a Might Have Been?"
How many of your friends say ' I would give
anything if I could play the piano. I took lessons
for awhile, when I was young, but dropped them?"
Perhaps you are one of the thousands of
Might Have Beens
Will you let the same tragedy come into the
lives of your children?
Remember
There's a Music Teacher in
Your Neighborhood
Consult with them about your child's
musical education.
Your inquiries about pianos will be welcomed by us.
"WE SPECIALIZE IN GOOD PIANOS'
J.R.REED MUSIC CO.
"AUSTIN'S LEADING MUSIC HOUSE"
Established in Austin for 25 Years.
Second Annual Massed Orchestral
Majestic Theatre, Nov. 8
WWVAWVWWWVSWWWWV
structors and found that his so-called free work
had really established him in the local profes-
sional field more firmly than he dared hope was
possible.
In Columbus, and the experience has been
the same in other cities where free piano in-
struction has been offered by dealers, the very
teachers who were opposed to the plan at the
outset and who refused to assist it in any way
were among the first to seek the privilege of
acting as instructors for any future courses of
free teaching that might be carried out by the
Heaton Music Store or some other concern.
As a result teachers have begun to show an
inclination to encourage prospective students to
register in free instruction classes so that they
will learn the fundamentals and thereby be fitted
to take up more advanced work when they go
with a private instructor, for it is generally
found that the teaching of the fundamentals by
the individual teacher offers little profit. In the
first place, the child does not retain the same
interest in his work as when he takes instruc-
tion with a class of twenty or more and is kept
on edge by the spirit of association and com-
petition. What is often drudgery when taken
alone becomes more or less a game when en-
gaged in'with children of the same average age.
Having once gained a fundamental idea of piano
playing, and realized the fact that he, or she, can
actually play little tunes, individual study of
advanced work becomes more pleasant because
an incentive is offered. This is not a matter of
theory but of actual experience, repeated fre-
quently enough to afford a basis of fact for it.
Even where the dealer does not see fit at the
moment to engage in giving free piano instruc-
tion, he can, and frequently does, pay tribute to
the piano teacher in his advertising, for the
good will that is thus developed wins worth-
while returns in actual business. When no one
in the family is able to play manually, the sales
resistance, so far as the straight piano is con-
cerned, is increased immeasurably, and although
the player or reproducing piano may be sold to
such a home, there still remains that wide sales
field made up of people who either cannot afford
a player or reproducer, or who for one reason
or another prefer the straight piano and hand-
made music, regardless of how imperfect that
hand playing may be.
In championing piano instruction some deal-
ers have developed interesting and convincing
arguments. An example is presented herewith
in the reproduction of a recent advertisement
by the J. R. Reed Music Co., Austin, Tex., and
(Continued on page 4)