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The Jfusic
REVIEW
Established 1879
CARLETON CHACE, Editor
Alex H. Kolbe, Publisher
V. T. Costello
Associate Editor
NATIONAL
ASSOaATION
OF MUSIC
MERCHANTS
Alexander Hart
Technical Editor
Mary Louise Kauffman
Circulation Manager
Published monthly at 510 RKO Building, Radio
City, 1270 Sixth Avenue, New York 20, N . Y.
Telephone: Circle 7-5842-5843-5844
Vol. Ill
APRIL, 1952
No. 4
Business - As We See It
L
AST month we attended the annual meeting of
j the Music Educators National Conference which
was held in Philadelphia, and we were cer-
tainly amazed at the tremendous activity which takes
place in the four days during which these meetings
are held. We Avere also impressed
hy the fact that there were a great
many exhibitors of small musical
instruments, wind, string and per-
cussion, but very few piano manu-
facturers availed themselves of
the opportunity of showing pianos
for use in schools, One piano
manufacturer had a school piano
exhibited and from our observa-
tion created considerable interest.
Undoubtedly that manufacturer
CARLETON CHACE
will probably profit by having
been there. In view of the consistent promotion
which is being put behind the group piano lessons
in the schools, it would seem to us that piano
manufacturers might profitably exhibit more fully at
10
one of these conclaves, which this year was attended
by approximately 8,000 music educators from all over
the country, as well as throughout the world. It would
just seem to us that piano manufacturers, especially
those who make pianos for school purposes, are miss-
ing a good bet by not being represented at a conven-
tion which is attended by so many music educators,
especially when part of the program is given over to
group piano instruction. Two sessions of this char-
acter took place on one of the days, and both were
enthusiastically attended. One of them took place at
8:30 in the morning, and even at that early hour it
was well attended which manifests the eagerness of
the music educators to learn all they can about the
group piano lesson movement. Under the guidance
of Mrs. Fay Templeton Frisch, now chairman of the
M.E.N.C. Piano Instruction Committee, a group of
teen-age children demonstrated clearly what can be
done in teaching piano by groups in schools. None
of these children had had any private lessons, and
they performed so successfully that they were enthu-
siastically applauded by those attending the demon-
stration. The movement to promote school bands was
started many years ago, and has proved a great boon
to manufacturers of small musical instruments. They
have found that exhibits at this convention have
proved very popular and profitable. At one time the
development of bands was just about in the same
position that the development of piano lessons in the
schools is at the present time. The music industry
knows well what has happened, and how this develop-
ment has grown, and it is certain that the manufac-
turer of small goods would not miss exhibiting at such
a meeting as was held in Philadelphia. Perhaps it is
time also for piano manufacturers to recognize the
importance of this annual meeting and plan to do
likewise.
A Valuable Handbook for Teaching Piano Classes
F
ROM the piano industry's viewpoint, the most
important publication which was displayed at
the M.E.N.C. Convention in Philadelphia, was
the "Handbook for Teaching Piano Classes". Here
is a 90-page book which has been prepared by the
Piano Instruction Committee of the Music Educators
National Conference under the guidance of Dr. Ray-
mond Burrows and others interested in promoting
piano lessons in the schools, including Mrs. Fay
Templeton Frisch, John Crowder, Polly Gibbs, Mar-
jorie M. Keller. Leah Curnutt, Alma Holton Risch,
A. M. Sharp, Dorothy Bishop and Myrtle Merrill, all
writing on various subjects which pertain to conduct-
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, APRIL, 1952