MUSICAL
TIMES
PRESTO
Established
1884
Established
1881
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
10 Cents a Copy
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1927
$2 The Year
HOW TO CONDUCT THE PIANO PLAYING CONTEST
THE COMPLETE METHOD AND PROCEDURE
How to Interest the Children, the Parents and
the General Public in Plan for Promoting
the Basic Instrument of Music.
By FRANK j . BAYLEY.
[It is in response to widespread inquiry from the
piano merchants of the country and of a formal reso-
lution of request by the Board of Control of the Na-
tional Association of Music Merchants, that Frank J.
Bayley has written the following detailed explanation
of the plan, theory, and operation of his invention, the
Detroit Piano Playing Contest, which met with such
startling success last year.
Mr. Bayley's contention has been that the problem
of the apparent decline of public interest in the piano
must be attacked with powerful and dramatic meth-
ods, and must be aimed at the interest of the child,
utilizing the modern weapons of the newspaper, the
radio and the movies. The highest compliment to his
theory and work lies in the fact that it has apparently
sold itself to the whole trade in an incredibly short
space of time, through the efficiency of the trade
press. Nearly every large city and many small ones
in the country have availed themselves of his counsel
and are well along in plans for 1927 Piano Playing
Contest.
The following article, together with forms and
other information, will shortly be issued in hook form
by the National Bureau for the Advancement of
Music, for the benefit of the members of the National
Music Merchants Association of America. — Ed.
Presto-Times.]
The Piano Playing Contest is a publicity method
for creating a widespread interest in the child playing
the piano, and depends for its success upon the com-
bination of the following three factors:
1. Newspaper.
2. Parochial and Public School systems.
3. The Music Merchant?.
The Newspaper
The newspaper is the all important factor for the
reason that with its wholehearted support only can
the message be gotten over to the public, and great
public interest and enthusiasm aroused and main-
tained. The exclusive news value of several thou-
sand children engaged in an educational competition
is of great value and prestige to any paper, especially
one of such culture and dignity that it reaches rich
and poor alike. It is a circulation and prestige
builder, as has been attested by the Detroit- Times,
the Rochester Journal-American and the Chicago
Herald-Examiner.
It has been recommended by the 27 Hearst papers
in the country, from the central office, as being the
finest thing of its kind yet tried. The paper is asked
to run a daily article for six or seven weeks before
the contest, and during the four weeks of actual con-
test. Entry blanks are printed in the paper for two
weeks previous to start of contest, coincident with
the distribution of blanks in the schools.
During this six or seven weeks of preliminary cam-
paign the object, plan, schedule of contests, and the
interviews with public men and musicians furnish
excellent copy, as when the contest starts do also
the lists of winners, photos and items of human in-
terest of children and events.
The experience is that the campaign is built up to
a keen city-wide interest, the children all commence
to practice up and more entries are received each day
which becomes an avalanche at last reaching, in the
case of Detroit, a total of 15,000 out of 300,000 pupils.
It was estimated that some 35,000 people in all at-
tended the first elementary elimination held in 177
schools at once, out of the total of 316. The man-
aging editor of a newspaper is quick to perceive his
interest in taking the credit of fostering such a move-
ment, for here is real news value and public interest.
The tremendous prestige value to a metropolitan
paper, in fostering a movement of such public value
and interest, may be appreciated from the recent
statement of the management of the Chicago Herald-
Examiner that this paper would spend, if necessary,
$50,000 to $100,000 out of its own funds.
The School Systems.
Educators today recognize that music is just as
important in a child's education as arithmetic and,
since the piano is the basic instrument, is the key
to a knowledge of music. Economists appreciate the
necessity of protecting the modern American home
from its many onslaughts, and no more potent factor
has been suggested than that of inducing the child
to play the piano, the genuine home instrument. It
is a well known fact that the child who plays the
piano has a cultural advantage -which produces a
greater love of home and is thus a great crime-
deterrent, an undoubted benefit to the child and to
the community.
The responsibility of our rising generation rests
with our school systems; therefore it is but natural
that they are deeply interested in a movement of such
obvious benefit to the child and the home, if not
to our very civilization. It is the experience of music
supervisors that the school orchestra has been a won-
derful incentive for the children to take up 'the study
of small instruments, and that the Piano Playing Con-
test serves the same purpose for the king of all
instruments.
Small Instruments, Too.
The parochial schools have taught all instruments
for years, but it is only a recent innovation that small
instruments have been introduced with great success
in the public schools, and no one disputes the fact
that the piano is most desirable of all. It is no new
thing to conduct band and small instrument contests
in the schools, but these have never aroused the great
enthusiasm among the children and the public interest
that the piano develops, as is proved by the immense
crowds of parents and children that turn out to hear
the piano competitions in the school auditoriums.
The Music Supervisor, as the editor, will quickly
perceive the benefit and will recommend cooperation
to the Superintendent and Board of Education, or to
the Chancellor of the Roman Catholic Diocese. The
school authorities will be amazed at the great inherent
interest that exists in the child playing the piano,
an instrument that is complete in itself and, no mat-
ter what the stage of proficiency, no auditor can fail
to be impressed with its value to the child, the home
and the school. In fact, one will hear the remark
on every hand: "Why have we not done this be-
fore ?"
The schools are asked to distribute a circular with
enclosed entry blank to each child attending school
and to allow the use of the school auditoriums for
public competitions, mostly on Friday evenings for
a month.
The Music Merchants.
The schools will allow no firm, or matter savoring
of commercialism, in any way to enter their precincts;
therefore it is necessary that the W H O L E trade
backs the movement and that nothing in the way of
name advertising occurs. To sponsor a Piano Play-
ing Contest costs money, and it is but fair that those
who may profit somewhat in a financial way carry the
burden. The public is going to spend only just so much
money on music anyway, and the merchants will get
it all, whether spent in one form or another.
Music is recognized today as a necessity. The
phonograph, the player-piano, and now the radio,
have been most instrumental in developing the appre-
ciation for music in the homes of all, but these are
automatic. Education can only be secured by study,
hence the recent widespread movement to incorporate
this in the child's curriculum. Educators recogir'ze
the all-importance of the piano. If the men who
sell pianos will not back such a movement, then
who will? It thus is not only an opportunity to the
merchants, but their very duty.
Trade Associations.
If a local Association of Music Merchants does not
exist, it is necessary to form one in order to assume
the financial and executive responsibility. The execu-
tive factors thus become:
1. Manager.
2. Publicity Director.
3. Executive Committee.
4. Advisory Committee.
The manager should be selected with great care
since his tact, personality, energy and executive
ability are most important. The local paper's advice
in this connection may be very beneficial. The man-
ager starts to work at about the same time as news-
paper publicity begins. He opens an office, it may
be in a music store, at least it should be convenient
to the newspaper office and easy of access to the
public. He secures office equipment, telephones,
stenographer, etc. His first duty is to secure the co-
operation of all interested parties and organizations,
including civic, school, conservatories, music teachers,
musicians, women organizations, etc.
He must arrange with the school authorities for
the schedule of contest dates, conform the divisions
with those existing in the schools, following the same
grouping of schools for district contests. Since the
success of the contest will be measured to a great
extent by number of entries he must make all rules
and directions with simplicity and allow the pupil to
make its own selection of music. Some things may
seem unfair, but where so many pupils are involved
in a single school, and so many contests to be con-
ducted, simplicity is of the utmost importance. In
order to maintain public interest, the contest cannot
be allowed to drag and must work up to a climax
as soon as possible.
A Get-Together Meeting.
It is advisable to hold a meeting as soon as con-
venient of all the merchants, newspaper, school au-
thorities, conservatory heads, city officials, leading"
music teachers and representatives of parents-teacher
and women's clubs, for complete discussions of pur-
pose and plan. It cannot fail to develop great enthu-
siasm since the Child Piano Playing Contest is based
on sound public benefit. Likewise it is quite neces-
sary to appear before the monthly meeting of the
school principals and music teachers, and music sis-
ters, who will render all assistance in their power,
which is very valuable indeed.
The judges for the many contests must be secured
from teaching staffs of the conservatories, the private
music teachers of the city, and some from the school
music teachers and music sisters. A circular letter
and newspaper call will bring the manager in touch
with a sufficient number of music teachers. As soon
as the music teachers of the city are convinced of
the fairness, they are quick to sense their benefit and
their cooperation is invaluable.
Must Cooperate.
The manager must always work in close coopera-
tion with the newspaper, the school authorities and
the executive committee of the merchants. He must
be keen for publicity features. News develops every
day from every meeting, every consultation and every
letter, even telephone calls. Every letter and tele-
phone call must be answered with the utmost defer-
ence, though they will be innumerable for the pupils,
parents and teachers become very interested and ask
questions that have been printed a dozen times in
the paper; they must be assured of its eminent fair-
ness and lack of any "catch."
The printing must be taken care of early. As the
entries come in by mail each day, they are listed as
to school and division. The judge must be selected
for each contest well in advance, and assurance of
presence be satisfied. A large school map is indis-
pensable, for reference in the office.
Conducting the Contest.
Each judge must be instructed as to how the con-
test is to be conducted. The contest must be held
with the utmost dignity; in the smaller ones the
children are all seated on the stage with the judge
(and assistant, where possible) at a table. An ex-
planation as to purpose of contest is made by judge,
or school principal, the child is introduced, who an-
nounces its piece. On retiring the judge pins the
contest button on the breast.
The judge has the judges' sheet of instructions for
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