Presto

MUSICAL
TIMES
PRESTO
Established
1881
Established
1884
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
10 Cents a Copy
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1928
$2 The Yeai
PROMOTING PIANO CLASS INSTRUCTION
NATIONAL MOVE FOR
BIGGER RESULTS
Efforts of the Music Merchants 'Association,
Bureau for the Advancement of Music,
Supervisors' Conference and Piano
Manufacturers Aid Scheme.
By DELBERT L. LOOMIS.
Members of the National Association of Music
Merchants will well remember that last January the
first move was made in what will undoubtedly result
within a comparatively short time in piano class in-
struction in the public schools on a nation-wide basis.
When, at the suggestion of the executive office of our
association the piano section of the committee on
Instrumental affairs of the Music Supervisors' Na-
tional Conference was invited to hold meetings in
New York. Our association paid the traveling ex-
penses of the members of the committee, many of
whom lived in the middle west. This money, which
amounted to about $600, was taken from the promo-
tion funds of our association contributed by members
and non-members through the purchase of the Mer-
chants' Promotion Piano Stamps. As a result of the
meetings held in January the committee formulated
a comprehensive report which was unanimously
adopted at the biennial convention of the Music
Supervisors" Conference in Chicago in April.
Begins Definite Campaign.
Immediately afterwards Mr. Tremaine. director of
the National Bureau for the Advancement of Music,
who is secretary of the supervisors' committee, began
the preparation of a definite campaign to inform
16,000 music supervisors and 10,000 public school
superintendents of a booklet entitled "Guide for Piano
Class Instruction in the Public Schools" which had
been prepared by the bureau for the committee, and
which was available to those supervisors and super-
intendents who were interested. Beginning July 10
letters were sent to 16,000 supervisors asking if they
would like to have a copy of the booklet, and up to
this date there have been received thirty-two hundred
replies, in all instances asking for the booklet and
expressing keen interest in the plan.
Meetings of the piano section of the committee on
instrumental affairs were held November 19 and 20,
and plans for carrying forward the work were defi-
nitely decided upon. Your executive secretary was
invited to sit at the meetings of the committee as a
guest, ,as he was at the first meetings of the com-
mittee last January and, also, at the meetings in
Chicago last April.
The piano manufacturers have taken a very decided
interest in this work and are contributing largely to
the cost of carrying it on at this time.
Use of Literature.
We are issuing the "Guide for Piano Class Instruc-
tion in the Public Schools," knowing that the trade
will be interested in this very carefully prepared pub-
lication. If a dealer desires to have any information
regarding the public school situation in his city and
will write to the executive secretary, he will get what
replies may have been received from supervisors in
his city and Mr. Tremaine of the bureau will gladly
give information as to how the dealer can be of
assistance in carrying on this important activity.
Our members should bear in mind the fact that it
is usually wise to proceed very carefully in the mat-
ter of discussion of piano classses in the public
schools with supervisors, superintendents or boards of
education, in order that these educators may not in
any way gain the impression that the activity is based
primarily upon a commercial viewpoint. The only
manner in which this work can be conducted suc-
cessfully is through educational channels and the Na-
tional Bureau for the Advancement of Music, with
which our association is affiliated, can, because of its
non-commercial character, do the work to the greatest
advantage.
Educator's Viewpoint.
Looked at from the educational standpoint, it is
found that the supervisors and superintendents very
generally take the attitude that instruction in piano
playing is of the utmost importance to the child.
Viewed from our standpoint of music merchants, it
should certainly not be difficult for the dealer to vis-
ualize the results which may be obtained.
As a direct result of the work which has already
been done, which is now being done, and which is
contemplated for the immediate future, and which
emanated in the first instance entirely from the exec-
utive office of the National Association of Music Mer-
chants, it is fair to say that within a comparatively
short time it will be possible to create a very definite
demand for pianos the like of which many of us who
have been for a quarter of a century or more con-
nected with this industry have never seen.
Members' support of the work through the pur-
chase of .the Merchants' Promotion Stamps and also
the old form of combination piano stamps, as well as
membership dues in the association, is furnishing the
means with which to carry on something which will
pay to every music merchant in this country who han-
dles pianos, dividends of the most substantial char-
acter.
Convention Matters.
The executive office of our association believes in
trying out new things. That is one reason why there
was a complete departure in setting up the programs
for the business sessions of the last national conven-
tion, held at the Hotel Commodore in New York. An
extraordinary list of prominent men outside of our
industry were invited to speak at these sessions. The
attendance at the sessions which exceeded any which
has ever taken place in the history of the associa-
tion gave ample indication of the interest which had
been aroused among the members.
For the coming convention at the Hotel Drake,
Chicago, during the week of June 3, the Merchants'
Convention Committee has in preparation a program
which will, without doubt, be even more interesting
to our members than the programs last June. An-
other entirely new departure will be the fact that the
convention will be held concurrently with the Annual
Radio Trade Show, which will take place at the Hotel
Stevens, Chicago, during the week of June 3. This
is also something new, and it will furnish an oppor-
tunity for the trade as a whole to determine whether
these two most important events can be held success-
fully during the same week in the same city. It is
the belief of the officers and directors of our asso-
ciation that a large number of our members will find
it very interesting and much less expensive to be in
a position to not only attend our convention aid view
the exhibits of musical instruments of all kinds at
the Drake Hotel, but, also, have an opportunity to see
the newest styles of radio sets displayed by practically
all of the radio manufacturers during the same week.
It is also the belief that many radio merchants will
find the exhibits of musical instruments at the Drake
of decided interest to them.
Plan now to attend the next convention and be
sure to make your hotel reservations early, either
through the office of the executive secretary or direct
with the Drake Hotel. Also in purchasing your rail-
way ticket be sure to ask for a certificate so that you
may have the reduced convention rate.
HARRY WUNDERLICH MAKES A CALL.
Harry Wunderlich, famous for many years as a
prominent piano dealer at Kansas City, and well-
known also in trade circles in Chicago, was a friend-
ly caller at the Lyon & Healy store, Chicago, on
Tuesday of this week. He "breezed in looking like
a million dollars" is the way one of his admirers put
it, "and we were all mighty glad to see him." He had
been spending some time at his big farm "up in the
big woods of Minnesota" as he describes the location.
CORNER STONE OF
PIANO PLAYING
A Chicago Primary School Teacher, After
Reading in Presto-Times of Another
Teacher's Success, Writes This
Paper of Her Own Work.
Chicago, Dec. 3, 1928.
Editor Presto-Times:
My attention has been called to an article which
appeared in your publication recently concerning the
activities of one or two teachers in a South Side
school of Chicago who took up the matter of class
piano instruction in connection with their school work.
I was gratified to read that this work had resulted in
such a degree of success that additional classes had
to be formed from the overflow applications that
came in voluntarily. That rehearsal of experiences
was particularly interesting to me, for it was approxi-
mately a duplicate of my experience in my own
school here on the South Side of Chicago.
A Hopeful Start
In response to my first call for a meeting of pupils
over 8 years of age who had not before taken piano
lessons, I had nearly a full class and by the time I
also had given the second lesson I had enough pupils
for the starting of a second class.
My pupils show eagerness and deftness in learning.
In fact, I find that they are so eager to progress that
they study ahead at home and frequently come in
with a knowledge of the next lesson.
It may be interesting to some of your business
friends in the music trade to know that about one-half
of the pupils in our classes have pianos in their homes
and a good share of the remainder, to all appearances,
would be keen for a piano of their own one of these
days.
An Interesting Phase
I am much interested in this kind of piano teaching
in the primary grades of the schools and am confident
that if we can give the first six months of instruc-
tion that most of these children will have a partial
revelation of the beauty and power of music that will
seek utterance in future years in self-expression by
playing the piano.
When they leave our care to enter the higher grades
they are qualified to play simple pieces. Here the
foundation is laid, the fundamentals established, the
corner stone filled with memoranda that some day
will be read as history. Very truly yours,
MRS. C. W. LE BAM.
Presto-Times is pleased to publish Mrs. Le Barn's
letter. Her work, as indicated here, goes to show the
vast possibilities for increasing the sale of pianos
everywhere. What one teacher can do and has done
in her comparatively small way can be done by every
teacher of primary grade children in America. What
an immense development of the piano business that
would give! It would mean, of itself, the sale of
thousands of pianos additional every year, were every
primary school in America to take up this line of
instruction.
H. H. FLEER ENJOYS VACATION.
It is understood that Herman H. Eleer, who recent-
ly resigned the management of the piano department
at Lyon & Healy's, Chicago, intends to go south to
play golf for a few days in a milder winter climate.
Of course, he will be welcomed back in the piano
business later. In the meantime, his friends say, he
has ample means to enjoy his vacation as long as he
cares to make it, as he took advantage of the recent
advances in the stock market to bring him in some
good-sized returns.
Grinnell Bros., Detroit, have opened a branch in
Bryan, O.
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