Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
Established 1879
;
March, 1946
i
Vol. 105, No. 3
THE
PIONEER
2794th Issue
PUBLICATION
OF T H E M U S I C
INDUSTRY
Colleges Teach Piano Mechanics
and Business Management
" T ' V E been studying music and
playing the piano for fourteen
years." said a young woman
student in Syracuse University recent-
ly, "but I never knew until I took this
course under Prof. Schmitt that there
was so much to learn about what
goes into the making of the music
that comes out of a piano."
ing. The students are permitted to
ask any questions they desire and
urged to examine the piano carefully.
As a grand piano is used in most
cases many times students are found
on the floor underneath the piano
studying its construction.
"You know, the piano is the only
stringed instrument which the per-
This remark was prompted by in- former does not have to tune." Prof.
struction which is now being given to Schmitt pointed out as he told of the
upper classmen and women by Pro- interest which young women students,
fessor Elvin Schmitt, professor of particularly, a
piano and a concert pianist in his ©wn classes, bekeved to be the first along
right, who besides leaching students these lines in any college or university.
how to play the piano also gives them
Not only do the new classes, open
instruction in how a piano is made. only to junior and senior piano stu-
how the action works, how the iron dents, prepare them to know the re-
plate is produced as well as the keys, quirements to look for in selection of
sounding board, hardware, etc.
a piano, but also piano owners are
'"My earliest musieal education,'" better equipped to advise tuners. "And
said Prof. Schmitt recently, "ignored what is very important, piano per-
the fact that some knowledge of the formers know how to attain desired re-
construction of the piano is essential. sults from their playing." Mr. Schmitt
Upon going to Europe to study my added.
eyes were opened as to the great im-
"In order to sesure resonant tone
portance of that study I am now carry- and ease of technique", he continued,
ing out what I decided upon at that "she must know the intricacy and deli-
time. My students must have access cacy of a fine repetition action. One
to the knowledge that was denied rue learns that the piano key is one of the
for so many years."
most ingenious tools ever made and
The photograph reproduced on the that any mistreatment of it will result
front cover of THE REVIEW this in a labored technique and a poor
month is that of Prof. Schmitt and command of tone. So sensitive is the
one of his classes. A few students key to the human tuoch that, with prop-
are assembled around the piano at a er control, a tremendous range of
time and the various parts explained multi-colored tonal gradations can be
to them, what the function of each is. secured. The key may be depressed
how it is constructed and what must slowly or as quickly as lightning, the
be done to keep a piano tuned and attack may be direct or gradual, but
regulated in order to get the best tonal the fallacy of ruthlessly hitting the
results as well as technique in play- keys or of relentlessly pushing them
i
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, MARCH, 1944
down onto their beds becomes evident
to each observer after he has seen a
demonstration.
As one co-ed sums it up, "Mr.
Schmitt is giving to us pianists as
great a familiarity with our instru-
ments as players of other instruments
have with theirs. Maybe we will even
learn how to tune them someday!"
Offers Business Courses
At the School of Music of Indiana
University, training in music is com-
bined with journalism, radio, business
and dramatics.
Under new curricular combinations
students in music who do not wish to
follow a professional career as soloists
or become music teachers may fit them-
selves for many music-related positions
which an extensive survey by a School
of Music committee has found to be
open to young men and women with
the proposed combined traini«g. Tkese
include positions as music critics, mu-
sic publishing, music salesman, record
department managers, »adio announc-
ing, artists managers, music store de-
partment managers, and business man-
agers for orchestra, opera and other
musical organizations.
The new combined courses, which
were offered for the first time during
the semester opening Feb. 11, are ex-
pected by the committee to open up an
entirely new area of vocational op-
portunities for musically trained stu-
dents. For those who are graduated
from any of the combination of courses
the new degree of bachelor of science
in music will be given.
The School of Music committee
which worked out the new curricula
is headed bv William E. Ross, pro-
fessor of voice and a graduate of the
University of Wisconsin School of
Business, and includes Newell H. L«ng,
assistant professor of music, and Miss
(Turn to Col. 3, Page 6)