Music Trade Review

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THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW,
December, 1931
25
little pieces to conform with the color idea.
Thus if a note is colored red and has a red
three above it the third finger finds its place
on the E string. If the note is up one octave
it acquires a tail. This same idea is ap-
(Continued from Page 7)
plicable to all other instruments according
never attempt to play a trumpet.
children is that it helps the child to over- to Miss Reitler.
"I try to make the charge for my instruc- come his shyness. In a short time he is
In the very first piece the children are
tions as low as possible. The average tui- perfectly at home playing in public. Ner- taught to keep time. Three notes are played
tion is twenty-five cents a week for a one- vous children are particularly benefited by and then the drummer strikes the cymbal.
hour lesson, both in the country and in town. the study of music and ensemble playing. Again three notes and again the cymbal
If the school is quite a distance out from I have noticed all through my teaching and so on throughout the entire little melody.
Denver and I have a small group, say ten career that backward children take to music Miss Reitler does not advocate long hours
pupils, I must charge fifty cents a week. As like a duck to water. Why I have even of home practice nor does she believe in
a general rule though, my country school had deaf children in my classes. I have forcing a child to practice. The child is
groups include from fifteen to twenty-five in mind one little boy who has always been taught that music is fun, not punishment!
pupils and I find the minimum charge ade- deaf who is a regular whiz on the piano. Long tiresome exercises are unknown to her
quate. Orchestra practice is held once each The xylophone, accordian and piano are pupils. As soon as the child is old enough
the best instruments for a deaf child or one the color system merges naturally into the
week.
regular letter method.
"As early as possible, usually for the next who is hard of hearing."
Miss Reitler's five adult orchestras are
Each lesson lasts one hour. "That may
P. T. A. meeting, I have the orchestra ready
for its first public appearance. This often organized through churches, lodges and seem like a long time to keep seventeen
brings in more pupils, sometimes enough so other social factors. Lodges particularly babies from two and a half to five years
that I must reorganize and arrange two like adult orchestras to play at dances and interested," said Miss Re'tler. "We have
conventions. Practically the same order is all kinds of fun during the rehearsals. I
orchestras.
followed in organizing these groups as in never allow them to get tired if I can help
"From time to time during the year I the schools.
it. Sometimes we stop and I tell them a
have these groups give concerts at different
The ten town orchestras, which are com- story while one or two of them climb onto
schools, besides taking part in all their own
school entertainments. Often I arrange to posed of Denver children from two and a my lap. Maybe we liven things up a bit
take them into town where they play at half years to sixteen years, include Midget with a short game or a comical song. A
various lodges and social functions, some- orchestras Nos. one, two and three; Donnie drink of water and a short rest period
French's orchestra; Mern Reitler's Cham- work wonders.
times even broadcasting!
pions;
the Piano Accordian band (referred
"These orchestras are organized accord-
"When summer arrives I do not desert
the country school orchestras. I carry them to recently in the Review) ; the Girls' or- ing to ability. No child is ever held back.
And all of my town orchestras are uni-
through the whole vacation period and the chestra ; the Boys' orchestra and others.
Two years ago, when Miss Reitler con- formed. They make a much better appear-
children surely do appreciate this. An ar-
rangement is made with the school board ceived the idea that has since made her one ance in public this way.
"I believe in starting children in music
to use the building for rehearsals and I of the most popular music teachers in the
simplify my work by combining groups from West, people were not at first very much as young as three, four, or five years. Why?
interested. Especially in having music Because for one thing it teaches them con-
several nearby schools.
"As each school year rolls around the taught to three- and four-year-olds. Accord- centration and also teaches them how to
membership in these orchestras increases. ing to Miss Reitler if you have something fall in line with organized activity."
What Miss Reitler has accomplished in
This means much reorganizing. Sometimes that you want the whole community to
it is necessary to give certain pupils a few notice you must have some big influence child training in music is amazing. One
private lessons to bring them up to the back of you. She needed publicity. Just has but to witness a performance of these
when things looked most discouraging the youngsters to be forever robbed of any
standard of the other members.
"One big advantage in orchestration for Denver Post stepped into the picture with skepticism.
its co-operation and some good publicity;
Her work is receiving much comment not.
a prominent music store in Denver also only in Denver but throughout the West.
offered its hearty support and at the end of In a recent "Kids' Review" given by a
the first three months Miss Reitler's pupils prominent local theatre at which pupils
numbered seventy-five! The first formed from different music schools contested, Miss
group was known as the Denver Post Mid- Reitler's groups of musicians scored three
get orchestra. Now there are three midget points out of five. At a popular Harvest
with the trend toward
groups, and seven other children's orches- Festival given last month, Betty Jane Moore,
tras.
six years old, entered an accordian contest
At the end of three months each one of
with fourteen other accordian players all
these orchestras was ready for its first pub- of them at least twice her age. Betty Jane
There is a very definite trend toward
lic appearance. People were astonished to was held over for the finals and won second
see these tots, perfectly poised, playing away place.
at their three-quarter size violins, piano
This little girl began studying music just
RED-O-RAY and
accordians, drums, clarinets, and banjos like a year ago under Mern Reitler and now
veteran musicians.
plays semi-classics and popular pieces, her
TONECRAFT STRINGS
Perhaps a short resume of Miss Reitler's favorite being "The Indian Love Call."
Seventy-five pupils at the end of three
method of teaching ensemble playing to very
a new popularity stimulated by country-
wide advertising and backed by unques-
young children will prove interesting. Miss months and five hundred pupils at the end
tioned superior quality.
Reitler uses her own original method which of two years! This is in itself sufficient
PROFIT BY THE INCREASING DE-
has been copyrighted and which is known testimonial of the splendid success of her
MAND—CONCENTRATE ON THESE
as the Reitler Color System. While the methods in teaching ensemble playing.
OUTSTANDING STRINGS!
three-year-old does not ordinarily know his
Write for a special proposition in your
letters, he can be taught in a very short NOTED PIANO ACCORDIANIST
territory.
time the different colors. He can also read-
TO ACT AS INSTRUCTOR
ily learn to count to four.
The Harbor Music Co., 447 Sixth street,
On the violin, for instance, the E string
Kaplan Musical String Co.
San
Pedro, Cal., has secured the services of
is
colored
red;
the
A
string
blue;
the
D
South Norwalk
Conn., U. S. A.
string black, while orange is reserved for Miguel Verdugo, formerly prominent in
Over a quarter-century of fine string
the G string. The first finger is the "one- vaudeville, as piano accordian teacher and
making.
finger," the second, the "two-finger," and already has enlisted a large number of
so on. Miss Reitler rewrites the first simple pupils.
500 YOUNG MUSICIANS HAVE BEEN
TRAINED BY MERN REITLER IN DENVER
Fall
in...
Kaplan Strings!