PRESTO
March 3, 1923
FAVORS COMPULSION
IN PIANO LESSONS
Sophie Braslau, Metropolitan Opera Star, Ad-
vocates Compulsory Study of Piano in
Public Schools, with Geometry and
Such Secondary in Curriculums.
In an address at Atlantic City, N. J., last week,
Sophie Braslau, Metropolitan Opera star, who is
visiting there, said: "1 advocate the compulsory
study of the piano in all public schools in order that
America might compete with Europe in the develop-
ment of musical talent and genius. I believe that
geometry and kindred subjects should be overlooked
and give place to the education of children in music."'
While the public schools of the L'nited States have
not gone as far as compelling the pupils to study the
piano, many of them have proceeded sanely in cre-
ating the spontaneous desire to do so. It is a very
unprogressive school board that actually discourages
the study of music. Strange to say, there are some,
and they provide the horrible example of nnfitness
for the most important task.
But did every school head view the matter psycho-
logically when piano lessons became a part of the
curriculum? Did every music teacher in the schools
make "suaviter in modo" rather than "fortiter in re"'
the motto in the dealings with the prospective piano
artists?
Answer Is Cue.
If you knew the answer to these questions you
could make a good guess at the successes achieved in
the piano departments of the schools. Wise parents
are aware of the uselessness of the club in making
children diligent piano pupils, but in their wisdom
they usually find the way to removing the compul-
sory character from their attitude of firmness.
A great many music teachers experienced in the
human nature of the youthful pupils have criticized
parents for the lack of firmness in insisting on the ob-
servance of the practice periods in the home. They
have held that a proper interest in the children's
piano studies would inspire the youthful pupils and
prevent piano practice from being a perfunctory per-
formance. All normal children love to play and
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curtailing the playing hours is something that causes
vehement protest. And when the hoy or girl is
yanked from the merry group to practice scales and
pieces he or she naturally draws invidious com-
parisons hetween the keyboard exactions and the
glad, free exercises with the gang outside.
Briggs Was It.
Clare Briggs, the cartoonist, admits he was only
recalling incidents in his own early life when he drew
that "When a Feller Needs a Friend" cartoon,
which pictured a little boy practicing a piano lesson
while his companions joyously romped outside,
plainly visible through the window. John McCor-
mack in an interview, blessed "the dear code of com-
pulsion" that made him prompt in taking up his
music lessons while-his playmates in the little Irish
town were making the welkin ring with inharmonious
glee.
A Suggestion.
An excellent way to encourage music and foster
the study of 'the piano by children is to provide a
book of instructions for parents on how to make the
young 'tins keep at it until a lasting taste for music
in general and piano music in particular is created.
No work or the management of children contains a
chapter specially devoted to that problem. Which
is a pity. The more children who learn the piano
whether under compulsion or not, the more pianos
will.be sold. On the ability of the parents to keep
the youthful pupils at the keyboard grind the pro-
portion of competent piano players depends. And
the ratio of competent players effects the ratio of the
good and the best pianos sold.
Flint, Mich., supplies a good example of a practi-
cal scheme for including music in the school curricu-
lum. There, over a thousand children are studying
music in class in the public schools, and, according to
the accounts, the pupils do not have to be clubbed or
bribed to keep up with the lessons.
And what is most interesting to the piano trade is
that the piano lessons seem to be the most popular
among the courses. Nor is the choice of the piano
limited to girls. An almost equal number of boys are
taking the piano lessons. There are close to 1,000 in
the piano class, and coming second is the violin class
with 700.
13
KEEN INTEREST AROUSED
IN ADVERTISING CONTEST
Two Valuable Trophies Spur Ambitions of Publicity
Men in Large and Small Places.
The accompanying cut shows the cup for the first
award in Class A of the Music Industries Chamber of
Commerce contest in retail music trade advertising.
The awards will be made at the annual convention
of the trade at the Drake Hotel in June.
The silver cup shown is provided for the group
composed of merchants in large cities. Another
PANAMA MADE TOPIC OF
CLUB LUNCHEON TALK
Maynard Lee Daggey Tells Interesting Facts to
Piano Club of Chicago.
Maynard Lee Daggey, executive secretary, Ameri-
can Community Association, addressed the Piano
Club of Chicago at the weekly luncheon on Monday
of this week. Mr. Daggey had just returned from
Panama, where he had been acting in an official
capacity. He told "What Uncle Sam Is Doing in
Panama."
Panama is a country in which all citizens are inter-
ested because of the national and commercial promi-
nence of the canal, and Mr. Daggey was in a position
to give the Piano Club the inside facts as to what
is going on down in that important part of our pos-
sessions. It was a talk well worth hearing and few
members of the club missed it.
An unannounced feature of the club luncheon of
last Meek was the "turn" by Van and Schenk. An-
other number not scheduled in advance last week was
that of David Davies, the well known baritone, ac-
companied by Miss Ney,
EAST ST. LOUIS BUSINESS SOLD.
Fred Lehman has sold his interest in Lehman's
Music House, 309-311 Collinsville avenue, East St.
Louis, to the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. The business is
one of the oldest in the city, a fact recently proudly
proclaimed when the Lehman's Music House cele-
brated its fiftieth anniversary of its founding. The
future plans of Mr. Lehman have not been announced
other than that he is about to take a long vacation.
CHANGE IN SOUTHERN FIRM.
The Reese-Welch Piano Co., Anderson, S. C,
will hereafter be known as the C. A. Welch Music
House. The interest of John M. Reese has been pur-
chased by Clyde A. Welch, who has been active in
the management of the company for some time.
The change does not affect the policies of the concern
nor its financial status. It will continue to handle
tine pianos and musical merchandise.
FEATURING CABLE-NELSON LINE.
The Cable-Nelson Piano Co.'s line of pianos and
players is carried by the Hyannus Music Shoppe,
opened recently by H. L. Baker in Hyannus, Mass.
Mr. Baker has modern ideas for arousing interest in
his music goods line, which, in addition to pianos, in-
clude talking machine rolls, records and sheet music.
CUP FOR FIRST AWARD IN CL.ASS A OF THE MUSIC
_
TRADE ADVERTISING CONTEST.
silver cup will be awarded in the contest for mer-
chants in cities under 20,000. There will be ten
honor awards in each class, or twenty-two awards
in all. The number of entries already received show
the keen interest in the contest throughout the coun-
try. The standards for contests and rules and regu-
lations were printed in Presto last week.
SALINA, KANSAS, FIRM
ENLARGES ITS MUSIC STORE
The Chappell Music Company's Three Floors to Ac-
commodate a Bigger Piano Stock.
The Chappell Music Co., Salina, Kans., has ac-
quired three entire floors for accommodating the
larger stock consequent to the expansion of the com-
pany's business in that section. A rearrangement of
the space already occupied and the allotment of the
newly acquired space will provide for bigger depart-
ments in all phases of the business.
The piano department in the remodeled store will
be the one of greatest importance. It is the pur-
pose of the company to advertise its piano line with
greater spirit for the future. J. F. Chappell, the
manager, has very ambitious publicity plans which
he will specially supervise in detail.
W. L. Chappell, manager of the Abilene branch of
the company, came to Salina last week to assist his
brother in the rearrangement of the store. He will
return to Abilene this week to continue his drive
for a big spring business.
Harry Bayer has purchased the interest of his
partner, Frederick Koth, in the Koth-Bayer Co.,
manufacturers, Poughkeepsie, N. Y.
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