Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
MARCH 31, 1928
The Music Trade
Harmonica Music Proves Big Success
Among the Schools of Lewistown, Mont,
Miss Mabel Swann, Supervisor of Music in That City, Gives in Detail the Work Which
Has Been Done There During the Past Year
T EWISTOWN, MONT., March 26.—Miss
Mabel Swann, supervisor of music in the
public schools, has organized a 120-piece har-
monica band which has brought about a real
have found a new field of interest. I have
stressed the composers, types of song, especially
among the folksongs, and by listening care-
fully to tune to try to match it, I find many
Melody
Harmonica
Band
wave of local interest in the harmonica. She
has written this enthusiastic letter to M. Hoh-
ner, Inc., who assisted her in organizing the
band:
"In January the girls organized, more boys
joined, and we now have 120 members in our
Melody Harmonica Band. At times we play
and practice together, and sometimes as a boys'
band or as a girls' band.
"The interest has been decidedly growing,
and several neighboring schools have taken the
idea and have started similar bands. From the
beginning we have used the Marine Band ' C
harmonica. With the free instruction book such
as you have so generously provided, we made
a start, playing the scale and one or two of the
easier pieces.
"After the group had learned to play the
scale, and a few of the songs as given in the
instruction book, we started to work on new
songs taken from the New Standard Harmonica
Course by Miss Synnberg of McKinley High
School in Chicago. The group has played in
public several times, for programs, clubs, etc.
At present the songs most popular among the
members are 'Home Sweet Home,' 'Nellie
Gray,' 'Pop Goes the Weasel,' 'Polly, Wolly,
Doodle,' 'Red Wing,' 'Zip Coon,' 'Old Black
Joe,' and 'Annie Laurie.'
"We have recently combined unison chorus
singing with the songs, the entire group of boys
coming out on certain lines singing while th?
girls continue the playing as accompaniment.
I have used piano with the group, have taken up
with the class the variety of rhythm patterns
which arise in almost any selection, and with
a whistling or singing stunt with the playing,
we have tried to work up novel ideas.
"I have found that the children realize just
how syllables can help them in learning the
harmonica, and I find the interest has grown
along the line of note reading in the classroom,
in fact it seems all indifference has disappeared,
and many of the apparently non-interested
pupils have learned the tunes of the good old
songs that are so often neglected.
"The parents have shown a fine interest. In
the early stages we encouraged children to
practice quietly in the home, and, better yet, in
a room by themselves."
Lyon & Healy Harps
Popular in Japan
#
CHICAGO, I I I . , March 24.—Lyon & Healy con-
cert harps play an important part in providing
the royal entertainment in the Imperial Palace
at Tokyo, Japan. One of the most interesting
sales of musical instruments to occur in some
time was the recent purchase of two Lyon &
Healy concert harps by the Imperial Palace
of Japan from the local manufacturers, Lyon
& Healy.
This order, according to R. J. Keenley, man-
ager of the harp department, was placed by
the Regent, who rules in place of the Emperor
of Japan. This makes the third Lyon & Healy
concert harp to be purchased by the palace.
Annual Music Festival of
Cleveland Public Schools
CLEVELAND, O., March 24.—The annual music
festival of the Cleveland public schools was held in
the Public Auditorium last Friday, and more than
2,000 children took part, under the direction of
Russell V. Morgan, director of music of the Cleve-
land Public Schools. This is one of the major
activities of the School Board designed to further
D
OLIVER DITSON CQ
BOSTON. MASS
n
MUSICAL
MERCHANDISE
BACON
Attractive S»«cialti*a
M o d t r i S •••• i c •
Sold by Representative
Muaic Merchants
BACON BANJO CO., Inc.
GROTON, CONN.
DURRO
VIOLINS
BOWS
STRINGS
BANJOS
MANDOLINS
GUITARS
Largest Wholesale
Musical Merchandise
House in America
Buegeleisen & Jacobson
5-7-9 Union Square
Interscholastic Music
Tournament Is Held
SEATTLE, WASH., March 21.—At the Southwest
Washington third annual interscholastic music
tournament held recently in Centralia, fourteen
trophies were awarded. Centralia High school
won the meet with 115j/» points. It was well
attended, aroused a good deal of music interest
in this section of the State and the competition
was keen. A cup donated by the music depart-
ment of the Women's Civic Club was also
awarded to the Centralia high school student
who had been the greatest inspiration in music
during the past year.
New Buescher Band
PORTLAND, OREI, March 21.—Frank Lucas, of
Seiberling, Lucas Music Co., representative of
the Buescher band instruments, announces the
organization of a fifty-piece band at Sheridan,
Ore., composed of boys and girls from the
high school of that place, under the direction
of Fred Bradley, leader of the American Le-
gion Band of that city. The new organization
was exclusively Buescher equipped by the
Seiberling, Lucas Music Co. of this city. Mr.
Lucas also announces that the Mt. Angel Band
of Mt. Angel, Ore., under the direction of John
Ecklein, has added twenty-five additional mem-
bers, increasing the organization to sixty pieces.
You have tried the rest
—Now use the BEST
Joseph Rogers' Son
"XXX" and "STANDARD" Brand
Drum and Banjo Heads
Made from Genuine Calfskin
The Frederick Rogers Co.
17 Jackson Are.
Middletown, N. Y.
Black Diamond
Strings
THE WORLD'S BEST
New Brunswick, N. J.
AND
STEWART
the interest of pupils of all grades in music. In
order to be allowed to participate the children must
show good qualifications, and are made to realize
that quite an honor is being bestowed on them.
The afternoon was devoted to the elementary
grades, and the evening to performances from
junior and senior high schools, which were repre-
sented in the junior high orchestra and the All-
High hand. Picked musicians from the various
high schools formed this orchestra and hand.
National Musical String Co.
•STABLHHBD ISM
Played by Leading
Musicians and Orchestras
19
Review
NEW YORK
Banjo and Drum Heads
Genuine Rogers "Quality brands"
were given Medal and highest
awards over all others
Five grades to select from, cheapest
to the very best.
White calf in thin, medium and
heavy.
Joseph Rogers, Jr., & Son
Farmingdale, N. J.