Music Trade Review

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Hotpoint Employees Plan Chords
and Melodies After Few Class Lessons
A small group of workers at Hot-
point. Inc. in Chicago is discovering
the fun of learning to play the piano
in the company's new musical recrea-
tion program.
Following a survey of their entire
plant. Hotpoint officials found a defi-
one of the pioneers of the class ap-
proach to teaching instrumental music.
She feels a new music student learns
techniques more quickly and enjoys the
learning process more in a class than
alone.
"Music can be a part of the individu-
Teacher Jean Clin-
ton,
Hotpoint, Inc.,
demonstrates
two
students
to
how
to locate notes on
the silent
key-
boards.
nite interest in a class piano program.
The class was established with one pi-
ano, 12 students and unlimited enthusi-
asm. After the first "course" of 12
weekly lessons, all the students re-en-
rolled. Some are "just having fun!";
some are finding music brings better
balance to the limits of factory life;
some feel they are getting a start to-
ward a lasting hobby. All of them want
to continue.
Classes are held after working hours
—from 5:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. once a
week. Between class sessions, students
seek the pianos of friends and rela-
tives I only one has a piano at home)
and with only a few weeks of training
behind them, they are playing simple
chords and melodies. Not one of the
class had any musical training before
registering.
During the class period, students
work out fingering of chords and
themes on their individual cardboard
keyboards between turns at the piano.
Jean Clinton, instructor of the class,
explains: "We never do any work
without sound, even though we use the
technique of the silent keyboards.
Someone always keeps music in the
room while the class learns correct
placement of fingers silently."
Miss Clinton, director of the adult
division of Chicago Musical College, is
al experience of nearly every human.
The playing of a musical instrument—
not sitting by and listening, but actu-
ally playing—can be achieved interest-
ingly and without long hours of scales."
Harold E. Kendle. manager of em-
ployee activities, explains: "We hope to
be able to expand the facilities for this
instrumental program as employee in-
terest increases. And. of course, to pro-
vide more pianos."
Kendle sees a bright future for in-
strumental music at Hotpoint, and
hopes this first indication of em-
ployee interest in instrumental music
can be developed to include many
kinds of musical instruction. The ori-
ginal survey gave many choices for
music classes: class piano, band, or-
chestra, class organ, accordion band
and uke and guitar. Hotpoint has a suc-
cessful. 5-year old chorus and singing
program in operation as well.
Heaton's Gives Wooden Nickels
Heaton's Music Store. Columbus. ()..
is passing out wooden five-cent pieces
as souvenirs of Ohio's Sesquicentennial.
They're mailed to customers in bills
and given out at the store.
Optimism Keynote of
Jenkins Sales Meeting
The music business has a bright sales
future in the second half of 1953 if
salespeople make the same efforts they
did on the sales Moor before World War
II. managers of the twelve Jenkins Mu-
sic Company stores were told June 1,
at a manager's meeting in the Hotel
Mayo at Tulsa, Okla.
Addressing the managers was Ken-
neth G. Gillespie, Kansasa City, Vice
President and General Manager of Jen-
kins.
"This year our piano and organ sales
are running ahead of ]952 and I know
we will do even better in the last two
quarters." Gillespie said. There is de-
spite reports of other firms in the mu-
sic trade that business is 10 to 20%
below last year. I credit our gains to
our tremendous promotional efforts in
connection wilb our Seventy-Fifth An-
niversary."
Gillespie pointed out lhal the program
of giving away 75 pianos to churches,
schools, hospitals and non-profit or-
ganizations and institutions in Mis-
souri. Kansas. Arkansas and Oklahoma
was stimulating sales in all departments.
The winning institutions are being
selected by the public, up until Decem-
ber ,'-51. with one vote cast for each
10 cents spent in a Jenkins store.
Also boosting sales is the annual sum-
mer piano sales of Jenkins, launched
June 8 with large newspaper ads in
Kansas City. Mo. and Kansas City, Kan-
sas; Topeka. Wichita, and Salina, Kan.;
Tulsa. Ponca City and Oklahoma City,
Okla.; Joplin. Springfield and Jefferson
City. Mo., and Fort Smith, Ark.
The Managers, including Waverly
Beltrand of the Tulsa Store, also heard
talks by W. T. Sutherland, Manger of
the piano-organ division and Charles
H. Sterbens, field sales supervisor under
Sutherland.
BRAND NAMES COMMITTEE
(Continued From Page 5)
a new brand booklet, "Dividends from
Brand Selling." a book of brand adver-
tising and promotional techniques de-
signed to help merchants in pursuing a
more effective year-round brand policy.
The Committee also made final plans
for the forthcoming Brand Name Re-
tailer-of-the-Year awards to honor re-
tailers who do the best job in 1953 to
identify their firms with the brand
names they carry.
Mr. Wilknig sai that the 1953 com-
petition will be announced to retailers
on August 1, 1953.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, JULY,
1953