Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
Prof. George C. Stout of the Univer-
sity of Houston (Tex.) was the fea-
tured attraction at the education divi-
sion meeting of the National Association
of Music Merchants, concluding a four-
day convention in the Palmer House.
The educator, who claims he can give
a million people group piano instruc-
tion at one time over television, gave
music lessons to eight pupils in an ac-
tual demonstration of how he is using
the new medium to help hundreds of
Houston residents become musicians.
An important prop in his TV piano
lessons is his electric staff and keyboard
control chart. This is illuminated, note
by note, through small light bulbs as
Prof. Stout gives instruction.
Prof. Stout also introduced NAMM
members to his revolutionary Practi-
Piano, a three octave movable keyboard
which utilizes "sound" (similar to a
xylophone), developed by one of his
TV students, a Houston engineer.
Verne R. Marceaux, director of the
Education Division of NAMM, hailed
the Practi-Piano "as one of the great
developments of progress to come into
the industry this year, because it can
be manufactured at a price that will
make it most attractive to schools and
educational institutions throughout the
country."
TV piano lessons, as given by Prof.
Stout over Station KLJHT-TV in Hous-
ton, last 30 minutes and occur twice a
week. He divides his telecourses into
two sections—one giving three hours
of college credit and the other called
the home study group.
The college course costs $40.00 and
the student receives special mimeo-
graphed study aids and attends campus
classes every two weeks. For half the
price, the home study student receives
one campus lesson a month. However,
any viewer may take the lessons with-
out additional instruction. Practi-Pianos
or the real instrument may be used in
learning.
In Houston, TV piano lessons are
paying off. Prof. Stout said that after
six weeks of instruction, his TV stu-
dents without previous keyboard exper-
ience, were able to play 45 melodies,
and play melody and chords simultan-
eously for 17 of these.
Piano and Organ Festival Manual
Earlier in the meeting, Marceaux pre-
sented NAMM members with the asso-
ciation's new Piano and Organ Festi-
val Manual. "This manual is set up not
only from the point of presenting a
good music program, but also of set-
ting up a good, workable and highly
refined public relations vehicle for mer-
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, AUGUST, 1954
chants anywhere to use as a guide," he
said.
The manual states the purposes of
such a festival and then discusses each
feature in detail. General purposes are:
1. To increase the public's awareness
of all music and the piano spe-
cifically.
2. To act as a local vehicle to help
shape public opinion towards pi-
ano group thinking and teaching.
3. To help directly to stimulate sales
and create new sales leads.
A special panel of six NAMM mem-
bers who helped develop outstanding
festivals in their own communities then
discussed how to produce festivals.
The Jenkins Anniversary
W. T. Sutherland, manager of the
piano and organ division of Jenkins
Music Co., Kansas City, described the
success and wide-spread publicity re-
ceived by their 75th anniversary cele-
bration, during which they gave away
75 pianos to educational organizations
in their trade area. Jenkins employed
a school voting contest, and customers
were entitled lo one or more votes for
(Turn to Page 12)
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