Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
Spinet Piano Saved The Industry and
Is Here To Stay Says Archambault
lines of merchandise, and erase them-
selves forever from the piano market,
as piano pupils and piano repair and
tuning jobs as well as piano customers.
A. J. Archambault, of the Wm. "It has enabled piano teachers to
"Contrary to Mr. Alexander's asser-
Knabe & Co., retail sales force who has have more pupils than they ever dream- tion, the spinet piano has been tre-
many years of experience to his credit ed of having before the arrival of the mendously successful with the buying
had taken exception to the comments Spinet and, if not incidentally, greatly public. True, there are good and poor
of F. B. Alexander, Ludington, Mich, increased their income from the busi- spinet pianos as there were good and
on "Why Spinet pianos are Criticised" ness of piano teaching.
poor grand and up light pianos, but
which appeared in the January issue
"And, last but not least, it has also the overall picture is very comparable
of The Review.
greatly increased the income of the and is certainly not just cause for even
"I should like to remind Mr. Alex- piano tuner, for the greater number derogation, let alone throwing the
ander" said Mr. Archambault to a of pianos sold the greater number whole idea out the window and going
Review representative "that had it not must be tuned, and I might add, at a back, but the public never would and
been for the Spinet, which not only higher fee than in the days of the 'best we would be very much the loser, much
revolutionized but saved the industry quality of Upright Piano'.
to the delight of our real competition—
(a fact he well knows) there would
the radio, the automobile, the refriger-
"No,
the
Spinet
far
from
being
a
not now be thousands of pianos in
ator, and any other product which the
American homes and we would still failure, as it is called in Mr. Alex- public wants to have.
aner's
article,
has
been
successful
in
be in the "horse and buggy" days of
"We believe it's time for an awaken-
the old fashioned cumbersome upright contributing a very real sense to the
musical
advancement
and
education
of
ing.
If the piano manufacturers and
wondering why pianos were not selling.
the children of America, for in the the piano retailers have been asleep,
"The Spinet, due to its size, eye main it is for their children that par- let's turn on the lights, but if we
appeal, decorative features, and its ents buy these pianos. It may be in- haven't, let's turn the lights on for
relatively extremely low price, has teresting for Mr. Alexander to know
caused thousands of families to own that previous to the war Spinet sales some one else."
pianos, to give their children the ad-
vantages of some sort of musical edu- constituted 80% of the total sales of COURSES FOR MUSIC STUDENTS
f Continued from page 261
which, perhaps otherwise, they would new pianos.
"Let us forget about the technical pected by the committee to open up an
cation—at least musical appreciation
not have received. Has he forgotten the tuning details stressed in Mr. Alex- entirely new area of vocational op-
slogan used in the industry for many ander's article and remember that the portunities for musically trained stu-
years that 'The richest child is poor perfect piano has yet to be built.
dents. For those who are graduated
without some knowledge of music'?
"But, what is more important, let from any of the combination of courses
"It has caused a real desire among us remember, too, what the Spinet has the new degree of bachelor of science
adults and parents for the return to meant to the industry and to the aver- in music will be given.
the piano as the center of home and age American family. It has done and
The School of Music committee
family life—something which is sadly will continue to do a grand and much which worked out the new curricula
needed in this atomic day and age.
needed job. It is here to stay."
is headed by William E. Ross, prof-
essor of voice and a graduate of the
University of Wisconsin School of
Business, and includes Newell H. Long,
assistant professor of music, and Miss
Montana L. Grinstead, assistant prof-
E. Cecil Barker, manager of The tional program to show the error in essor of piano. As «a basis for the
Hollenback Piano Co., Spokane, Wash, judgment on the part of those who course combinations, the committee in-
terviewed nearly a hundred leaders in
believes that piano manufacturers and fight the spinet piano.
the National Association of Music
"Prospective tuning jobs and piano the commercial music field, all of whom
Merchants as well as the trade papers pupils are involved in far greater num- endorsed the plan. In supporting the
should take some action in the attitude bers in this controversy than in the idea, those interviewed declared that
of tuners and teachers toward the sale of pianos. Discouraging advice in the music-related fields many fine
Spinet piano. In a statement to The given by piano tuners and piano teach- employment opportunities are lost be-
Review, Mr. Barker says:
ers daily forces people who want to buy cause of lack of "secondary training
"The letter from F. D. Alexander, pianos to invest their money in other on the part of the individual."
printed in the January Review, critiz-
ing spinet pianos, which is most dis-
appointing to us brings up a point
which is extremely important to the
music industry as a whole, including
the piano tuner and the piano teacher.
"The piano manufacturer, the piano
retailer, and ninety per cent of the
piano buying public is apparently very
NEW SOURCE OF INCOME FOR YOU
well satisfied with the spinet-type
Have a Piano Tuner on your Muff. Piano dealer** cannot keep up with
piano. We feel that the trade papers
demands for Tuning. You ran Ret a prood whare of thin nuHinesH. Our new
co-operative training method in tuning, repair and cane reflnlshlnR m p -
and the National Association of Music
plieN expert Tuners and Technicians Investigate! "Write for complete
(letnils and descriptive folder.
Merchants should take a hand in the
unfortunate controversy, which some
HARMONY SCHOOL OF PIANO TUNING
short-sighted piano tuners and teach-
2117 N. SIXTH STREET
HARRISBURG, PENJf.
ers persist in, by conducting an educa-
Urges Tuner and Teacher Spinet
Promotion by M'fg'ers and NAMM
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, FEBRUARY, 1946
27