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News Number
THE
REVIEW
VOL. 86. No. 17 Published Weekly. Federated Business Publications, Inc., 420 Lexington Aye., New York, N. Y., April 28,1928
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Class Piano Teaching Endorsed
by Music Supervisors
Music Supervisors' National Conference in Chicago Recommends
to Educational Authorities Investigation and Instal-
lation of Piano Classes in the Schools
HICAGO, April 21.—The Music Supervisors' National Conference, at its meeting here this
week, officially endorsed the establishment of class piano instruction in the public schools
of America, in adopting unanimously the report of the Committee on Instrumental
Affairs, at one of its final sessions. The section of this committee report directly dealing
with piano class instruction reads as follows:
"The committee recommends to all school boards the study and investigation of group-
C
it no progress could be made in a practical
manner. The appointment of a special piano
committee by the National Supervisors was
due largely to the steady work of C. M. Tre-
maine, whose constant effort in this direction
met with many obstacles. Chief among these
was the fact that endorsement of class piano
instruction, it was considered by the super-
visors, would entail an endorsement of a cer-
tain method of instruction to which they were
naturally opposed. Mr. Tremaine overcame this
objection by urging the endorsement of group
instruction in principle only, leaving the choice
of method to the individual supervisor or the
Piano Section of the Committee on Instrumental Affairs. Music Supervisors' National Conference
Reading from left to right: J. E. Maddy, Chairman; Otto Miessner, C. M. Tremaine. Secretary; Osbourne McConathy; T. P. Giddings, Helen Curtis, and V. \.. F. Kebmann,
a member of the Instrumental Affairs Committee
piano teaching with a view to inaugurating it
in their schools. It approves the manual pre-
pared by the Piano Section of the Committee
for the guidance of school superintendents, mu-
sic supervisors and class-piano teachers, and
approves the policy of the Piano Section not to
advocate any particular method, but to leave
this to the selection of the individual teacher
and school system. Furthermore, it regards as
a notable achievement the fact that the mem.-
bers of the Piano Section, each working from
his own background, were able to collect and
organize so valuable a common fund of infor-
mation and suggestions, and this without touch-
ing upon the details of any individual method
or course."
In the opening paragraph of his report Chair-
man J. E. Maddy stated:
"This report marks the conclusion of six
years of activity on the part of the Committee
on Instrumental Affairs, in which time the sub-
ject of instrumental music has grown from an
experiment to a regular subject in many of the
school systems of America. The success of the
committee is due in a large measure to the
whole-hearted support and cooperation of the
National Bureau for the Advancement of Music,
through the untiring efforts of Mr. C. M. Tre-
maine, director of the Bureau and secretary of
the committee. The Bureau has been able to
get adequate financial support for the projects
of the committee with the result that construc-
tive policies have biiti undertaken and carried
out."
Behind this endorsement of class piano in-
struction in the schools from the music super-
visors of the country lies an interesting story
of vital interest, since the endorsement of the
National Conference is undoubtedly the most
important step which has been taken in the
campaign to place piano instruction within the
reach of every child in the country, for without
educational authorities concerned. Any move
connected in any way with any particular
method would have directly defeated the meas-
ure.
Throughout the campaign, which has ended
by this action on the part of the supervisors,
the work was badly handicapped through lack
of funds on the part of the piano industry and
trade The appropriations which support the
Bureau for the Advancement of Music do not
permit the use of any of its funds for direct
propaganda in favor of any one type of musi-
cal instrument. After the committee on piano
instruction had been appointed by the super-
visors there were no funds available to bring
lhe committee members together for a first
conference. This was overcome by the action
of the National Association of Music Mer-
chants, which, at a cost of approximately $600,
brought the members to New York in Febru-
(Continued on page 4)