Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
ABOVE IS A PICTURE SHOWING
MRS. FRISCH IN THE ACT OF CONDUCTING A GROUP OF SCHOLARS AT
DEMONSTRATION OF GROUP PIANO INSTRUCTION.
music teacher of Montana, stated after
classes: "The most important fact of
piano class, to me, is that it is a thor-
oughly practical way to teach piano.
More children receive the benefits of
fundamental music education than in
any other method of teaching music.
Class piano is a fine definite help to the
children who are unstable emotionally,
or who are not well-adjusted to society
also. You must consider also how the
child reacts to class piano. Watching
the children in the workshops helps me
to realize the enjoyment they receive
from working in a group. They gain
something from ensemble work which
cannot be obtained through individual
study with the same material. So, con-
stantly they benefit from mistakes and
achievements of others around them.
In a group it is a simple thing for them
to feel it themselves. Through bodily
movements, rhythms may easily be felt.
Soon, rhythm becomes not just beat but
something felt within the pupil. Then,
rhythm is something which is expressed
from experience through the medium of
the piano."
Most Valuable Experience
Kenneth Barry, Music Supervisor of
the schools in Missoula, Montana, who
attended the University of Montana
workshops, made this remark: "It is
one of the most valuable teacher train-
ing experiences I have ever had and one
which I am putting into immediate prac-
tice. It has opened my eyes to so many
wonderful possibilities and at the same
time it has made me regretfully con-
cious that my teaching of piano could
have been so much better."
Band Leader Enthusiastic
From the University of Southern Cal-
ifornia, the comment of George Buford,
President of the Oklahoma Negro Band
Association, a teacher for many years of
instrumental music in various high
schools, said: "I can truthfully say that
I have never learned as much and en-
joyed a class presentation as I have in
the last three weeks. Since I am teaching
band theory, orchestra and other instru-
mental classes, and only entered this
methods class for comparison of various
music class instruction methods, I am
more than convinced that the piano class
instruction in ensemble playing offer
more to actual real music development
for students than any other method for
teaching children music."
Immediately after the piano work-
shops in Honolulu in 1950, the Hono-
lulu Advertiser published a letter from
Mrs. Trude M. Akau, Vice-President of
the Parent Teachers Association, in
which she stated: "The musicianship
these youngsters have developed in six
weeks is something for the books; rapt
attention to the instructor's suggestions,
complete freedom and release from ten-
sion; poise and self-confidence with
their newly-acquired skill and sheer en-
joyment in learning to play the piano.
Indeed, these were not the kind of piano
lessons through which most of us suf-
fered when we were in the knee-high-
A
RECENT
to-a-grasshopper stage. Not one child in
the group had ever had piano instruc-
tion before entering the piano teaching
workshop, but the 'small fry' were learn-
ing and loved it. Mrs. Fay Templeton
Frisch, teacher, is responsible for the
contagious enthusiasm of the children."
Another comment on the Honolulu,
workshop was one from Miss Virginia
Wood, music teacher of a church school,
in which she said: "I have studied the
piano at various times with different
teachers from childhood up, and later
organ and voice, but I never had things
presented in such a clear, interesting and
fascinating way. Music was meant to be
enjoyed and not endured. Granted that
there are times when real hard work is
necessary, but when the work is done in
a group it is so much more enjoyable.
The old saying of 'many hands make
light work' is also true at piano. The
realization of a demonstration of a way
to ring music to the masses and not
simply the favored few is extremely
helpful."
After the Pasadena workshop, Doro-
thy Conner, studio teacher and com-
poser, made the following comment:
"The whole course has been most in-
teresting to me, but the part that has
been most helpful is the class work
with the little children. I is amazing
how busy they have all been kept all
the time. It is wonderful how the child-
ren have improved in relaxation and
finger independence with nothing hav-
ing been said on these points."
(Turn to Page 18)
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, OCTOBER, I952