Music Trade Review

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instruments in a musicale before leaving the White
House. The psychological effect of all this indirect
promotion is tremendous. Though it may not be felt
immediately, eventually it is bound to help in promot-
ing future piano sales.
Television and Education
T
HE last day of April marked a history-making
experiment in the Montclair, N. J. State
Teachers College which televised an entire day
of educational programs for classroom use. The col-
lege produced live shows viewed by more than 400
pupils in 12 Montclair and Bloomfield, N. J. schools.
This was the latest development in the Audio-Visual
Aids field, and is an example of what can be done in
the future, proving that all elements of musical edu-
cation are being promoted throughout the school
administrations, which will prove a boon to the
merchandising of musical instruments throughout
the years to come. For years, the teaching of band
instruments has been promoted throughout the
schools until we now have some of the finest bands
in the country in the public schools. For the last
five years, the teaching of group piano lessons in
the schools has become more or less accepted and is
being promoted in a large number of public school
as well as parochial school systems. Even the piano
teachers appreciate the fact now that group piano
lessons is something which can be promoted very
much to their advantage. So, the general picture of
the promotion of music in the schools looks much
brighter today than it did five years ago. The same
might be said of promotion of industrial music, which
is now also being encouraged by the American Music
Conference, with satisfactory progress being made
along these lines. Never in the history of the music
business has there been so much concentrated promo-
tion, for which the dealer should be very appre-
ciative, and whenever he has an opportunity to co-
operate he should do so in a wholehearted manner.
Suspension of Regulation "W"
T
HE Federal Reserve Board suspended Regula-
tion "W" on May 7th but recommended that
Congress continue its authority to reinvoke the
curbs should circumstances warrant. For those in the
music industry who have been selling merchandise
which has been controlled by this regulation the last
suggestion should be a warning. If credit terms run
too wild the regulation can and probably will be in-
voked again. When Regulation "W" was reinstated
on September 8. 1950 the sale of pianos and musical
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, MAY, 1952
instruments was not placed under it. From the ex-
periences which the piano industry had when the
ruling was first invoked it was found that substantial
down payments and shorter terms proved so satis-
factory that most retailers continued along con-
servative lines. They sold a great percentage of
instruments on a cash basis and when the occasion
arose where time payments seemed to be necessary
kept terms as short as possible. The result was that
when Regulation "W" was enacted again the credit
situation in the music industry was so well regulated
by the members of the trade itself that the Federal
Reserve Board deemed it unnecessary to include it
under the regulation. Those who are selling radios,
television sets and phonographs might well heed this
lesson.
Piano Advisory Committee Acts
N May 15th the Piano Manufacturers Advisory
Committee met with the National Production
Authority in Washington and asked for alloca-
tions of controlled materials at a higher programmed
level. It pointed out that through a survey of
dealers 85 to 95 per cent of all pianos sold are used
in musical education of one or more people and that
where a sale is made to a music teacher, school or
conservatory this number may extend into thousands.
It was also pointed out that an increasing number of
schools are including piano instruction in their cur-
riculum and require a reasonably high proficiency
in piano playing for graduation. Stress was also laid
on the fact that no adequate substitute has been
found for copper for winding bass strings. The com-
mittee further recommended that NPA take under
advisement:
O
(1) Establishment for the industry as a whole of
a single base period, namely that used by persons
qualified to self certify for purchase of controlled ma-
terials (the whole of the year 1950 production
divided on a quarterly basis).
(2) Lengthening of the 45-day inventory restric-
tions under which the industry currently operates.
Many of the highly fabricated materials used by
piano manufacturers can be purchased only in large
quantities that cannot be used up in a 45-day period.
(3) Elimination of controls. Industry representa-
tives believe the industry would fare as well or better
were controls on materials lifted.
EDITOR