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members in their own areas. This gave
each one a picture of his own state or
local community, but we still needed a
reliable statistical picture of the whole
country. The national chairman was
asked to prepare a detailed questionnaire
that would give all the material needed.
With the sanction of the National Edu-
cation Association, the President of the
Music Educators National Conference
addressed a letter to every school
administrator in the country, enclosing
the questionnaire. The National Piano
Manufacturers Association engaged a
professional survey organization to
handle the details of the survey, and
their published findings were subse-
quently combined with an authoritative
evaluation by Dr. William Sur, chairman
of the Music Education Research Coun-
cil of the Music Educators National
Conference, in the booklet entitled,
"Piano Instruction in the Schools."
This survey and its evaluation has served
in at least three important ways. (1)
It caused administrators to scrutinize
their program when they were answering
the questionnaire. (2) It gave new
administrators and those considering the
launching of piano classes an accurate
picture of a going program in other
communities. (3) It gave the committee
a chance to analyze problems and to
study ways to provide more and better
piano instruction in the schools.
Publication Program
The need for printed materials was
evident from the start. Besides many
mimeographs, reprints and small leaf-
lets, the committee has prepared eight
major publications, several of which
have already been mentioned in this
report. Special attention is called to the
two booklets. "Traveling The Circuit
With Piano Classes" gives a first hand
account of how classes have been started
in widely different situations. The
"Handbook for Teaching Piano Classes"
represents the final effort of a group
which has been sharing experiences for
five years.
In addition to these official commit-
tee publications, the individual members
have contributed generously to news-
papers and magazines throughout the
five year period.
Missionary Campaign to
Educational Program
The major shift in emphasis as the
five year program draws to a close, is
the transition from a program of per-
suasion to one of education. At first we
had to convince people that the pleasure
of playing the piano is a possible
achievement for every normal child and
adult. Famly groups needed to realize
how much happier their lives could be
with music occupying an important
place in the home. School music teachers
needed to learn how much richer their
program could be with keyboard ex-
perience supporting their curriculum.
Administrators needed to recognize the
practicability of piano instruction during
the regular school day. Boards of educa-
tion needed to accept their responsibility
for a portion of the cultural as well as
the academic education of the child.
Private piano teachers needed evidence
to learn that piano in school would not
reduce, but rather stimulate their busi-
ness in the studio.
Yes, five years ago there were many
who still needed to be convinced as to
why we should have piano in school.
Now this problem is virtually solved and
we need to place major attention on
telling how the classes can be conducted
most advantageously. In almost every
community the response now is, "Yes,
we want piano classes. How can we
organize them? Who will teach them?
What procedures and materials should
be used?"
This transition from the missionary
to the educational phase of our program
does not mean that the task is lighter.
It does mean, however, that the work in
years to come will be more rewarding.
The why and how of piano classes have
been constantly interwoven. Now we can
concentrate more completely on instruc-
tional problems.
Next Steps
It will be seen from the present report
that the piano committee program is a
continuing one. We need to keep as
many of our present leaders as possible,
and to develop new ones. We particular-
ly need to accelerate the process of
selecting and developing leadership in
state and local committees. Publications
should continue in newspapers and mag-
azines, although the output of committee
booklets need not be as large during the
next five years, since the present litera-
ture will continue to serve many of the
needs. As has been mentioned, the
survey of piano instruction in the schools
should be kept constantly up to date.
Workshops, demonstrations, and aid
to new class piano teachers should be
closely coorinated with summer and
winter courses in colleges and universi-
ties. Records, films, radio and television
should be carefully studied with the
thought of making efficient use of these
media in our educational program.
The piano committee should continue
to offer resources to other project groups
and to the entire M.E.N.C. organization
in building an integrated program of
music for enriched living.
Techniques in Piano
The technics of piano in school should
be continously studied, analyzed and
publicized. For example, the difference
between Keyboard Experience as a large
classroom activity and the more selective
Piano Class should be clearly defined,
and schools should be helped in the
development of both types of instruction.
N.P.M.A. Contribution
The committee is indeed grateful to
the National Piano Manufacturers Asso-
ciation for its generous support in com-
mittee projects throughout the five year
period. In keeping with the code of the
Music Educators National Conference,
and its parent organization, the National
Education Association, this support has
been given without any effort to control
either the policies or the publications of
the committee. It is fondly hoped that
the results have justified this generous
confidence.
The Higbee Co. fo Create
Extensive Music Center
Plans to convert the former radio
station WHK broadcasting studios on
the 12th floor of the Higbee Building in
Cleveland, 0., into an extensive music
center to be operated by the Higbee Co.,
were announced recently by John P.
Murphy, Higbee's president.
A concert hall, separate sales salons
for pianos, organs and other musical
instruments, and 28 private teaching
roems will be established in the 21,900
square feet of sound-proof and air-con-
ditioned floor space.
Calvin J. Jones, radio and television
buyer of Higbee's will be the director
of the center.
In addition to being a complete musi-
cal instrument, accessory and piano and
organ department, the center will be
developed to stimulate musical education
and general public interest in music.
The two-story concert auditorium, to
be known as the Higbee Music Hall will
have a seating capacity of more than
200.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, SEPTEMBER. 1951