Music Trade Review
Issue: 1950 Vol. 109 N. 8 - Page 5
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The Jiusic jffiade
Established 1879
REVIEW
VOL. 109-No. 8
T H E
P I O N E E R
August, 1950
2,845th Issue
P U B L I C A T I O N
O F T H E M U S I C
I N D U S T R Y
What Is the Proper Age to Commence
Group Piano Lessons—4 or 9?
by SIDNEY WOLFE
Irvington, N. J.
T
HE American Music Conference,
to whom all of us in the various
segments of the music industry are
indebted, is spearheading its energies di-
rectly at the vulnerable spot — piano
group instruction for children at school.
But why start this work in the fourth
grade with children past rune years of
age—the danger line when kids start to
become burdened with school homework
as well as many extra-curricular activi-
ties which make demands upon their
time?
Many contend that children shnuld
get a taste of piano playing just as early
as possible, exposing them to it when
they're six or seven, before too many
other interests crowd and compete for
their attention.
I queried Melville Clark, head of the
Clark Music Co., Syracuse, N. Y., on
how he felt about this nine-year starting
age. I was especially interested in Mr.
Clark's opinion because of his well-
rounded qualifications — a successful
merchant, fine musician, as well as pos-
sessed of highly regarded musical judg-
ment. "Age four isn't any too early to
light the fuse and get the child started"
he said.
Group instruction isn't the total an-
swer to creating piano sales either. To
merely give a child a dummy keyboard,
a smattering of instruction (which is all
each child can absorb as part of a group
of twenty to forty children) and per-
haps a one-minute actual contact with
the piano itself (each child in the class
is given a turn at the piano) doesn't
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, AUCUST, 1950
exactly plant the most exciting seed of
desire for piano playing (and ultimate
piano ownership).
To be sure the band instrument di-
rector achieves brilliant results working
with large groups of trumpet, trombone,
saxophone and clarinet pupils. But,
there's a powerful difference. Instead of
a real clarinet, give the child a card-
board clarinet or trumpet and you'll
know why. The mortality rate of chil-
dren "giving it up" would rise faster
than an audience walks out, or falls
asleep, on most after dinner speakers.
Comparison of Results
We can see eight or ten in a piano
group, each with a live piano (a short
keyboard type is good enough) but
when twenty, thirty or forty must work
with one or two pianos, it's spreading
the butter a little too thin.
The results of recent group instruc-
tion piano classes in Chicago as reported
by the American Music Conference,
migjit be considered. After six months
of large class piano study, out of about
one hundred children, only sixteen ex-
pressed the desire to own a piano—an
average of one out of six. Let's give it
the benefit of doubt and conclude that
they definitely uilll buy. AnVl don't
ignore the follow through.
Now, let's compare it with the results
of piano dealers who offer group in-
struction in their stores (usually no more
than six or eight in a class) each with a
live piano. Recently the trade papers re-
lated the group instruction experiences
at the Paul A. Schmitt Music Co. of
Minneapolis and Wildermuth of Toledo,
among others too numerous to mention.
The results were eye-opening—Wilder-
muth clinching three sales out of his first
group of five children within thirty days.
In the February issues of the piano trade
magazines, Oscar Larson, Schmitt's
piano manager, scored a remarkable
eight out of eight with his first group
and ten piano sales resulting from his
second group of eleven children.
Maybe the piano manufacturers are
bypassing or overlooking the "goldhill":
promoting group instruction within the
very piano dealer's walls, where the
piano seed is planted, cultivated and
develops into a sale.
Music Store Sales Steadily Increase
In a ^hort address made by William
A. Mills, executive secretary of the Amer-
ican Music Conference, during the rec-
ent Convention in Chicago, some inter-
esting figures were revealed. Although
Dr. Albert Haring had told the Music
Merchants that music store sales had
increased from 80 million dollars in
1939 to over 235 million in 1949, Mr.
Mills pointed out that between the years
of 1929 and 1939 sales had decreased
from 160 million to the 80 million which
was the base figure Dr. Haring used.
For the first five months of 1950, music
store sales increased 12 per cent com-
pared with an average increase of all
retail stores of only 4 per cent.
5
The Jiusic jffiade
Established 1879
REVIEW
VOL. 109-No. 8
T H E
P I O N E E R
August, 1950
2,845th Issue
P U B L I C A T I O N
O F T H E M U S I C
I N D U S T R Y
What Is the Proper Age to Commence
Group Piano Lessons—4 or 9?
by SIDNEY WOLFE
Irvington, N. J.
T
HE American Music Conference,
to whom all of us in the various
segments of the music industry are
indebted, is spearheading its energies di-
rectly at the vulnerable spot — piano
group instruction for children at school.
But why start this work in the fourth
grade with children past rune years of
age—the danger line when kids start to
become burdened with school homework
as well as many extra-curricular activi-
ties which make demands upon their
time?
Many contend that children shnuld
get a taste of piano playing just as early
as possible, exposing them to it when
they're six or seven, before too many
other interests crowd and compete for
their attention.
I queried Melville Clark, head of the
Clark Music Co., Syracuse, N. Y., on
how he felt about this nine-year starting
age. I was especially interested in Mr.
Clark's opinion because of his well-
rounded qualifications — a successful
merchant, fine musician, as well as pos-
sessed of highly regarded musical judg-
ment. "Age four isn't any too early to
light the fuse and get the child started"
he said.
Group instruction isn't the total an-
swer to creating piano sales either. To
merely give a child a dummy keyboard,
a smattering of instruction (which is all
each child can absorb as part of a group
of twenty to forty children) and per-
haps a one-minute actual contact with
the piano itself (each child in the class
is given a turn at the piano) doesn't
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, AUCUST, 1950
exactly plant the most exciting seed of
desire for piano playing (and ultimate
piano ownership).
To be sure the band instrument di-
rector achieves brilliant results working
with large groups of trumpet, trombone,
saxophone and clarinet pupils. But,
there's a powerful difference. Instead of
a real clarinet, give the child a card-
board clarinet or trumpet and you'll
know why. The mortality rate of chil-
dren "giving it up" would rise faster
than an audience walks out, or falls
asleep, on most after dinner speakers.
Comparison of Results
We can see eight or ten in a piano
group, each with a live piano (a short
keyboard type is good enough) but
when twenty, thirty or forty must work
with one or two pianos, it's spreading
the butter a little too thin.
The results of recent group instruc-
tion piano classes in Chicago as reported
by the American Music Conference,
migjit be considered. After six months
of large class piano study, out of about
one hundred children, only sixteen ex-
pressed the desire to own a piano—an
average of one out of six. Let's give it
the benefit of doubt and conclude that
they definitely uilll buy. AnVl don't
ignore the follow through.
Now, let's compare it with the results
of piano dealers who offer group in-
struction in their stores (usually no more
than six or eight in a class) each with a
live piano. Recently the trade papers re-
lated the group instruction experiences
at the Paul A. Schmitt Music Co. of
Minneapolis and Wildermuth of Toledo,
among others too numerous to mention.
The results were eye-opening—Wilder-
muth clinching three sales out of his first
group of five children within thirty days.
In the February issues of the piano trade
magazines, Oscar Larson, Schmitt's
piano manager, scored a remarkable
eight out of eight with his first group
and ten piano sales resulting from his
second group of eleven children.
Maybe the piano manufacturers are
bypassing or overlooking the "goldhill":
promoting group instruction within the
very piano dealer's walls, where the
piano seed is planted, cultivated and
develops into a sale.
Music Store Sales Steadily Increase
In a ^hort address made by William
A. Mills, executive secretary of the Amer-
ican Music Conference, during the rec-
ent Convention in Chicago, some inter-
esting figures were revealed. Although
Dr. Albert Haring had told the Music
Merchants that music store sales had
increased from 80 million dollars in
1939 to over 235 million in 1949, Mr.
Mills pointed out that between the years
of 1929 and 1939 sales had decreased
from 160 million to the 80 million which
was the base figure Dr. Haring used.
For the first five months of 1950, music
store sales increased 12 per cent com-
pared with an average increase of all
retail stores of only 4 per cent.
5
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