Music Trade Review

Issue: 1951 Vol. 110 N. 4

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
tact with our schools today, and as a
suggestion of what goes on musically
in the educational field, we have attached
hereto typical printed material and pic-
tures which were prepared by some of
our schools quite independently of the
musical instrument industry.
"Just as there is a critical period in
the growth of each child during which
speech is most readily learned and if
passed over without contact with parents
or teachers of some sort, the learning of
language becomes limited in a large
degree, so also there is a critical period
for the growing child in the learning of
music. If in this period the child is de-
nied, for one reason or another, the use
of an instrument and the help of a
teacher, his musical education and all
the concomitant benefits issuing there-
from may be lost forever. Experienced
teachers and educators recognize that
when the opportunities of this propi-
tious period are neglected or denied,
they must be recovered, if ever, with
great difficulty.
"An increase in the rate of the tax
on musical instruments now may mean
a delay in the beginning of a child's
musical education, and that delay may
mean denial. This is of great practical
importance and deserves your careful
consideration. How easily it would have
been for any child of yours to have en-
joyed the advantages of an active part in
music "if he or she had only started at
the right time." We feel that no child
should be denied such opportunities
short of an actual all-out war, and we
believe that you will feel the same.
"In the tax bill which was under con-
sideration in early 1950, the present ex-
cise tax rate on musical instruments was
then about to be reduced one half, but
was not. May we not then logically con-
clude that the tax which we now have
is, in effect, double the tax which we
now would have had, but for aggression
in Korea and the need to resist possible
further aggression, And may we not then
in all fairness ask "Is not this doubling
enough?"
"At considerable expense in prepar-
ing the necessary legislation and the set-
ting up of the functioning agencies, and
in some cases by a direct outlay of funds,
our Government has in times past and
is at present helping certain industries.
It has bailed out certain industries or
sections of the economy which were in
distress. It has, for instance, financed
or guaranteed their installment sales,
and in many ways, direct or indirect,
advanced the earnings or the credit of
the taxpayers to the immediate benefit
of those in distress even though in a
manner thought befitting to the whole'
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, APRIL, 1951
economy. The desirability and propri-
ety of these aids to others is not here
in question, but we believe that the
Musical Instrument Industry which has
stood and survived its difficulties "upon
its own," and has, by the grace of its
enfranchisement of the hearts of the
people, withstood all economic storms
and hardships without governmental
aid;—we honestly believe, that it has
earned and especially deserves the de-
liberate consideration of the Committee
on its behalf.
"If we are correct in this assumption
that we, and our customers, have earned
this special care in your decisions, and
if the premises here set forth are factual,
relevant and pertinent to our plea, as
we believe they are, then we think that
we may entertain the hope that you will
recognize the present excise tax on musi-
cal instruments as being fully equal to
our fair share of excise taxes, and that
any rate of increase could not be worth
the risk of the ill-effects which would
flow therefrom.
"We reiterate, that we in no wise plead
to be permitted to escape our fair share
of any necessary increase in revenue
for the safety of our country, but we
sincerely believe that such revenue
should be sought elsewhere and not
through an increase in the rate of the
excise tax on musical instruments."
Attention: All Organ Dealers!
If you're selling organs . . . you'll be interested in America's
most versatile chime and carillon instrument. It's making
sales history in the music trades. (Octamonically) tuned . . .
with instant responsive action, Vibrachime is a perfect
companion to any electronic or pipe organ.
FOR CHIMES . . .
Vibrachime can be quickly installed in the
Model M Hammond or the Series 15 Wurlitzer
organ, to be played from the organ manual. It
requires no added floor space, is easily installed
and is a perfect means of building your unit
of sale.
Vibrachime is also available as a complete
unit, housed in a beautiful walnut console with
self-contained keyboard, for all makes of organs.
FOR CARILLONS . . .
Vibrachime serves as a beautiful tower carillon,
with amplification designed in a wide range of
power to give sound coverage of from 1 to
6 miles or more.
It can be installed as a separate instrument,
with its own keyboard, or in any organ, where
it can be played with an independent Vibra-
chime keyboard or from the organ manual.
Vibrachime is a truly great value in chime and
carillon installations. It is priced to Hi the most modern budget
and has a ready market among churches, institutions,
clubs, restaurants and individuals.
Write today for complete literature on the Vibrachime
and other Maas instruments:
VIBRACHORD . . . HARP CELESTE . . . BELL CARILLON
SYMPHONIC C A R I L L O N . . . AUTOMATIC PLAYERS
TOWER BELL REPRODUCERS
s
oiitiiii ciinii'iiin
DepfT T"I, 3015 Casitas Ave., Los Angeles, Cal.
13
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
8200 People Attended Second Annual
Boston Piano Fair in Two Days
Over 8200 attended the two-day
Second Annual Boston Piano Fair here
at Symphony Hall, Friday and Satur-
day. March 16-17, while an estimated
2000 could not find even standing room
and were turned away at the evening
sessions which were highlighted by the
50 spinet-piano orchestra directed by
Arthur Fiedler, famous conductor of the
and Carl E. Tamm, assistant treasurer
of Chickering & Sons.
All of the piano dealers exhibited
and were joined by Thomas N. Rogers,
president of Hastings Sales Engineering
Co., with sound recorders, and the
Frank Gaviani Piano Accordion School.
Arthur Fiedler, conductor of the Bos-
ton "Pops" Orchestra, headed the music
The piano orchestra performed the
following: "Marche Hongroise", Ber-
lioz; "Ballet Music from Rosamunde",
Schubert; "Danse Macabre", Saint
Saens; "Polka from the Golden Age",
Shostakowitsch; "Twinkle, Twinkle,
Little Star", arranged by George Wright
Briggs; "Malaguena". Lecuona, ar-
ranged by George Wright Briggs. Mr.
Briggs conducted "Twinkle, Twinkle,
Little Star."
Elliot Lawrence, pianist and orches-
tra leader, performing his own com-
position, "Suite for Animals", was the
SOME OF THE H'iflO PEOPLE WHO ATTENDED THE HUSTON PIANO I AIK MARCH KITH mid 17TH.
Boston "Pops" Orchestra.
Newspapers in Boston as well as
throughout the country used numerous
stories and photos of the proceedings
as national coverage was made possible
through the United Press, Associated
Press and the International News Serv-
ice.
The attendance was almost triple that
of a year ago when the Boston Piano
Fair was started on a trial basis in
the smaller New England Mutual Hall,
when Fiedler led a 20-piano orchestra
for capacity audiences. At a committee
meeting held Wednesday, March 28, it
was the consensus that the Boston Piano
Fair would be a permanent event, and
plans were discussed to make it a three-
day affair. Carl E. Tamm, assistant
treasurer of Chickering & Sons, was
elected chairman for next year's Fair.
The Fair was made possible by the
following piano dealers who cooperated
with music educators in Eastern Massa-
chusetts: George F. Stanley, manager
of Baldwin Piano Co., who was chair-
man of the Fair; Ralph Burg, vice presi-
dent of Beacon Musical Instrument Co.;
Louis V. Lennon, manager of Music
Dept., Paine Furniture Co.; Paul Mur-
phy, treasurer of M. Steinert & Sons,
Inc., who headed last year's Fair; Guy
Norris, vice president of Norris & Co.,
who was vice chairman of the Fair,
14
educators committee which included
Albert Alphin, director, Boston Con-
servatory of Music; Harrison Keller,
director, and George Wright Briggs,
supervisor of the Popular Music De-
partment, New England Conservatory
of Music; Julius ChalofF. director, Cha-
loff School of Music; Dean Warren S.
Freeman and Professor Jules Wolfl'er.
Boston University College of Music;
Heinrich Gebhard, dean of Boston piano
teachers; Leo Litwin, director of music,
M. Ida College; Bert Nickerson, presi-
dent, Boston Musicians' Protective Asso-
ciation; Phil Saltman, director, Phil
Saltman School of Modern Music; Mel-
ville Smith, director, Longy School of
At both evening performances, Larry
Green, pianist and orchestra leader, pro-
vided a program of popular music, fol-
lowed by Leo Litwin, concert pianist
- with the Boston "Pops" Orchestra and
director of music, Mt. Ida College, in
classical selections concluded by a re-
quest for "Warsaw Concerto", which
he recorded for Victor Records with
Fiedler; Phil Saltman, pianist and direc-
tor of Phil Saltman School of Modern
Music, and George Wright Briggs, pian-
ist and supervisor of the department
of Popular Music, New England Con-
servatory of Music, in popular piano
duets; with the finale of the 50-piano
orchestra conducted by Arthur Fiedler.
feature at the Friday afternoon session.
The enlarged piano orchestra present-
ed numerous problems requiring an
engineering survey to determine if the
Symphony Hall stage could accommo-
date the weight; available rehearsal
space which was finally arranged at
Paine Furniture Co.; tuning of the
pianos for the rehearsal and at Sym-
phony Hall both nights; arranging of
music with no current available source;
and many others. The dealers provided
the pianos.
The attractive 20-page program was
another of the decided improvements
over last year's. The admission price
remained the same at 60 cents per per-
son including tax.
The Fair opened Friday afternoon
at 1.30-3.30 with solos by sixteen col-
lege and conservatory students; nine
adult performers, 4.00-5.30; a mixed
group of nine soloisst performed 6.30-
7.30.
Saturday afternoon 1.30-3.30 had
nine teen-age students; seven adult per-
formers, 4.00-5.30; nine students in the
6.30-7.30 concert. The evening per-
formance commenced at 8.30.
All pianists were selected through
auditions by the music educators com-
mittee and special recommendations
from schools and colleges, resulting in
110 pianists who performed.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, APRIL, 1951

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