Music Trade Review
Issue: 1928 Vol. 86 N. 25 - Page 13
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
MUSICAL MERCHANDISE
Conducted By Thomas W. Bresnahan
Eleven-Year-Old Boy Wins the Sixth
New York Harmonica Championship
Benjamin
Speigel, of the Bronx, Wins First Prize in Sixth Annual Contest—Boys'
Club IJarmonica Band Wins Senior Band Contest
/ G R E A T E R New York crowned its sixth
^-* harmonica champion last week when the
finalists in the annual championship met in
competition at the bandstand on the Mall in
Central Park, eleven-year-old Benjamin Speigel
of the Bronx carrying off the honors. Second
prize went to Harry Hankin, fourteen, with
Jacob Schiprout, thirteen, third; Max Engel-
berg, fourteen, fourth; and Herbert Ryvicher,
fifteen, fifth.
In addition to the individual championship,
there was the annual contest for harmonica
bands, senior and junior divisions. The winner
among the seniors was the Harmonica Band of
the Boys' Club and the junior winner was the
Hebrew Orphan Asylum Band of the Bronx.
Thousands attended the contests, which were
featured by a preponderance of the serious and
classical selections attempted by the contestants.
The judges were C. I. Valentine, supervisor of
music in the Newtown High School; Robert
Sherwood, the famous old-time clown of Bar-
num & Bailey's circus, and Arthur Lang of
Roxy's Theatre.
Points were awarded by the judges on this
basis: Intonation, 40 per cent; expression, 25
per cent; selection of music, 20 per cent; rhythm,
15 per cent. The five winners received a violin
outfit, cornet outfit, banjo outfit, and two ukulele
outfits.
Charles Mulholland, supervisor of recreation
in the Department of Parks, made an intro-
ductory address, and Sidney J. Winfield, of M.
Hohner, Inc., educational department, acted as
master of ceremonies. Before the contest be-
gan the entire ensemble of players rendered
"America," conducted by William J. Haussler,
president of the National Musical Merchandise
Association, who also congratulated the indi-
vidual winners.
New Vega
Banjo,
Eddie Peabody
Window
Display
Harmonica Bands Popular
in Cedar Rapids, la.
One Formed in Each of the City's Five Chil-
dren's Playgrounds for the Coming Summer
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA., June 18.—This is an cnthusi-
rrdlllllHIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIOIIIilllllllllilllllllllllli,
Peabody-Vega Display
to Tour the Country
Cedar Rapids
la.,
Children's
Harmonica
Band
astic harmonica town, due to the activities of
Mrs. Claire Nichols, assistant superintendent of
recreation in the Department of Public Schools.
In the latter part of 1927 Mrs. Nichols got busy
and brought together a small group of pupils as
the nucleus of a harmonica band. Although she
knows nothing about harmonica playing her-
self, she has a great reputation in this section
as a song leader, and by securing the services
of an expert harmonica player she was able to
whip her little group into shaj>£,in a short time.
Before long she had twentyifive members in
the band, now she has ninety. : There is a one-
hour rehearsal every Saturday morning, and
from two to four youngsters join at each time.
The first fifteen minutes of the period are given
to drilling the new members and the balance
of the hour to ensemble work. The band
played at two benefit performances last Winter
and realized enough money to pay for their
attractive uniforms.
During the coming Summer, according to Mrs.
Nichols there will be a harmonica band on each
of the five playgrounds followed by a city con-
test and a grand ensemble of all the bands.
BOSTON, MASS., June 19.—Musical instrument
dealers who dropped in to look at the Vega
Co. display at the recent New York Convention
saw something that had a lot of "pep" in its
make-up. They saw the Eddie Peabody Win-
dow Display, big as life, and effective in the
display of high-cass banjos. They saw some
precious instruments and some fine resonator
design and inlay work. They saw the ultra in
banjos, and even saw a Vega banjo cut away
so as to show the rigid and durable construc-
tion. This display built around one of the most
colorful banjoists of the country, who is par-
ticularly popular on the Pacific Coast, carries
with it banjos valued at $1,000, and will soon
start out on a tour of the Vega dealers of the
country. The complete display will travel as
shown in the photograph.
GRETSCH
for
MUSICAL MERCHANDISE
MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MAKERS
SINCE 1883
The Fred Gretsch
6O Broadway Brool
13
MUSICAL MERCHANDISE
Conducted By Thomas W. Bresnahan
Eleven-Year-Old Boy Wins the Sixth
New York Harmonica Championship
Benjamin
Speigel, of the Bronx, Wins First Prize in Sixth Annual Contest—Boys'
Club IJarmonica Band Wins Senior Band Contest
/ G R E A T E R New York crowned its sixth
^-* harmonica champion last week when the
finalists in the annual championship met in
competition at the bandstand on the Mall in
Central Park, eleven-year-old Benjamin Speigel
of the Bronx carrying off the honors. Second
prize went to Harry Hankin, fourteen, with
Jacob Schiprout, thirteen, third; Max Engel-
berg, fourteen, fourth; and Herbert Ryvicher,
fifteen, fifth.
In addition to the individual championship,
there was the annual contest for harmonica
bands, senior and junior divisions. The winner
among the seniors was the Harmonica Band of
the Boys' Club and the junior winner was the
Hebrew Orphan Asylum Band of the Bronx.
Thousands attended the contests, which were
featured by a preponderance of the serious and
classical selections attempted by the contestants.
The judges were C. I. Valentine, supervisor of
music in the Newtown High School; Robert
Sherwood, the famous old-time clown of Bar-
num & Bailey's circus, and Arthur Lang of
Roxy's Theatre.
Points were awarded by the judges on this
basis: Intonation, 40 per cent; expression, 25
per cent; selection of music, 20 per cent; rhythm,
15 per cent. The five winners received a violin
outfit, cornet outfit, banjo outfit, and two ukulele
outfits.
Charles Mulholland, supervisor of recreation
in the Department of Parks, made an intro-
ductory address, and Sidney J. Winfield, of M.
Hohner, Inc., educational department, acted as
master of ceremonies. Before the contest be-
gan the entire ensemble of players rendered
"America," conducted by William J. Haussler,
president of the National Musical Merchandise
Association, who also congratulated the indi-
vidual winners.
New Vega
Banjo,
Eddie Peabody
Window
Display
Harmonica Bands Popular
in Cedar Rapids, la.
One Formed in Each of the City's Five Chil-
dren's Playgrounds for the Coming Summer
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA., June 18.—This is an cnthusi-
rrdlllllHIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIOIIIilllllllllilllllllllllli,
Peabody-Vega Display
to Tour the Country
Cedar Rapids
la.,
Children's
Harmonica
Band
astic harmonica town, due to the activities of
Mrs. Claire Nichols, assistant superintendent of
recreation in the Department of Public Schools.
In the latter part of 1927 Mrs. Nichols got busy
and brought together a small group of pupils as
the nucleus of a harmonica band. Although she
knows nothing about harmonica playing her-
self, she has a great reputation in this section
as a song leader, and by securing the services
of an expert harmonica player she was able to
whip her little group into shaj>£,in a short time.
Before long she had twentyifive members in
the band, now she has ninety. : There is a one-
hour rehearsal every Saturday morning, and
from two to four youngsters join at each time.
The first fifteen minutes of the period are given
to drilling the new members and the balance
of the hour to ensemble work. The band
played at two benefit performances last Winter
and realized enough money to pay for their
attractive uniforms.
During the coming Summer, according to Mrs.
Nichols there will be a harmonica band on each
of the five playgrounds followed by a city con-
test and a grand ensemble of all the bands.
BOSTON, MASS., June 19.—Musical instrument
dealers who dropped in to look at the Vega
Co. display at the recent New York Convention
saw something that had a lot of "pep" in its
make-up. They saw the Eddie Peabody Win-
dow Display, big as life, and effective in the
display of high-cass banjos. They saw some
precious instruments and some fine resonator
design and inlay work. They saw the ultra in
banjos, and even saw a Vega banjo cut away
so as to show the rigid and durable construc-
tion. This display built around one of the most
colorful banjoists of the country, who is par-
ticularly popular on the Pacific Coast, carries
with it banjos valued at $1,000, and will soon
start out on a tour of the Vega dealers of the
country. The complete display will travel as
shown in the photograph.
GRETSCH
for
MUSICAL MERCHANDISE
MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MAKERS
SINCE 1883
The Fred Gretsch
6O Broadway Brool
13
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