Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
Splendid Progress in Group Piano
Lessons Disclosed in Regional Reports
A
T the time of the annual meeting of
the National Piano Manufacturers
Association which was held last
June in New York, a report was made
to the association by Henry Z. Steinway,
chairman of the Class Piano Instruction
Committee. Collaborating on that com-
mittee is J. V. Sill, vice-president and
general manager of W. W. Kimball Co.
and L. P. Bull, president of Story &
Clark Piano Co. Attached to the report
of this committee, which of course was
not read at the meeting, was a volumin-
ous report of 75 typewritten pages,
which included the report of Dr. Ray-
mond Burrows, Chairman of the Na-
tional Piano Committee for the Music
Educators National Conference, a re-
port by the American Music Conference
on the results of class piano workshops
held duiing the past year, a summary
of the AMC's activities, and reports of
the various chairmen of the special
committees, including south, northwest,
north central, eastern, southwestern and
California western committees. These
were made by Polly Gibbs, national
piano vice-chaiiman, and southern
piano chairman, Leslie T. Clausen, Cali-
fornia western piano chairman, Fay
Templeton Frisch, eastern piano chair-
man, Leah Curnutt, north central piano
chairman, John Crowder, northwestern
piano chairman, and Charlotte DuBois,
northwestern piano chairman.
Eastern Activity
The report which bore singular sig-
nificance was the 5-year summary and
forecast made by Dr. Raymond Burrows.
It shows how the work was established
and conclusively the splendid progress
which has been made with the project
of piano lessons in the schools. An in-
teresting phase of the report that came
from the eastern division piano com-
mittee, was that which pointed out the
progress in Connecticut where piano
classes are held in West Hartford, elec-
tive to all first grade children, where
piano class methods for teachers have
been inauguiated in the Julia Hart
School, and where the teachers in the
elementary schools of New London
requested classes for classroom activity,
which will be handled under the exten-
sive services of State Teachers College,
and where piano classes have been estab-
lished in Wethersfield, Moodus and in
Manchester high schools.
Reports from Delaware showed that
ihe 2-day workshops for teachers have
been held and that classes were increas-
ing in the state, and in Maine there
were classes in Pittsfield and there was
a class for the summer session of work-
shop at the university.
In Maryland, it was stated that Aden
Lewis is county supervisor of Piano
Classes in Cumberland County with 18
teachers in the schools. It is also excel-
lent in service training programs for
classroom teachers in Baltimore, and
classes in the schools for children.
Mention was also made of the workshop
which was held in New York City and
sponsored by the Piano Teachers Con-
gress, and that there had been a request
for piano classes in Syracuse.
In Massachusetts, it was noted that
there was an increase in classes in senior
high schools, and classes for elementary
classroom teachers. In Rhode Island
there are classes in Cranston. There was
a request for demonstrations at the state
meeting. The success of the piano work-
shop in Washington, D. C. was also
noted, and that classes have also been
established in the District of Columbia.
California Western Division
In the report by Leslie T. Clausen,
chairman of the California western divi-
s : on, he states that in Phoenix, Ariz.
about 1100 children, or over 10 per cent
of the elementary school population,
are engaged in class piano activities.
About half of these are first grade pu-
pils taking piano as part of their regu-
lar classroom music, taught by regular
classroom teachers, the visual way with
merits. Three piano teachers on the staff
handle the elective classes in the upper
grades. It also states that several of
the county schools located in Phoenix
have introduced class piano during the
last two years. These are taught by pri-
vate piano teachers in cooperation with
the school administrator. In Tuscon, he
said, the piano program is growing—
three more schools have added similar
programs to the ones instituted. The
classes are conducted by regular music
teachers in their respective buildings in
Grades 4 through 6. Piano experience
is added to the other musical experi-
ences of the children and about 750
children are thus receiving some experi-
ence at the keyboard, playing simple
melodies, simple chordals, accompani-
ments and transposition. Interest in this
activity is high among pupils and more
teachers are becoming interested in the
preparation of teaching such courses.
In Utah, classes in group piano in-
struction are given in two junior high
schools—the Washington Junior High
School in Ogden and the Madison Junior
High School, Granite District in Salt
Lake City. Other schools where mem-
bers of the State Piano Committee are
teaching have been encouraged to start
classes and it is hoped that a report
may be made on some new classes be-
ginning this fall. Classes in Washington
Junior High chool are given to students
by 75 per cent of the school faculty. A
course in group piano instruction was
given last summer at St. Mary's of
Wasatch. The course was taught by
Bernice Fiost and covered at all levels.
It was believed that Sisters from several
states were required to attend. In addi-
tion, there are several private teachers in
Salt Lake City who took advantage of
the course.
Reporting on California, Dora Dooley
O'Neill of Berkeley stated that interest
in class piano still continues to expand
in California, with most encouraging
committee reports from Southern Cali-
fornia. In San Francisco elementary
schools there are 529 children enrolled
in 31 schools under 13 teachers. This is
an extra-curricular activity sponsored
by the Parent Teachers Association and
endorsed by the Music Department of
the San Francisco Board of Education.
These piano classes are limited to 10
children. In Berkeley the junior high
schools recently introduced piano
classes. Class piano introduced in the
extension division of the University of
California in 1946 with beginning, in-
termediate, and advanced piano has
steadily grown with over 200 classes
being given. A new development has
been the introduction of piano classes
in adult education in Stockton College.
After several workshops, the class piano
method course was given for college
credit at Chapman College. It was also
stated in this report that five suburban
localities had indicated interest in the
group piano lessons, but the main ob-
stacle seems to be the lack of properly
(Turn to Page 22)
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, SEPTEMBER, 1951