Music Trade Review
Issue: 1950 Vol. 109 N. 9 - Page 11
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
since the forming of the American Music Conference
has been quite phenomenal. Not only has progress
been made in teaching the children but at last reports,
since the inaugurating of the piano workshops, some
1,500 teachers have received instruction as to how to
teach these group piano lessons in the schools. This
has been one of the most difficult problems to over-
come, because when the promotion was started there
were but a few if any teachers throughout the United
States who had had any experience in the art of group
piano instruction. There is no doubt that the earlier a
child is taught to appreciate the value of music, and
particularly piano music, the earlier the aptitude of
the child will be learned and the earlier he will be
prepared to continue lessons with a private teacher as
many of the students in schools are doing at the present
time. Eventually, we believe that we will be seeing
children of early ages receiving their pitch instruction
from the double-staff standpoint.
Proposed Piano Workshop For New York City
i_. _ k HE American Music Conference is planning to
J I
hold a piano workshop in New York City
^ " " within the near future. The largest city in the
country has not yet been visited, and we might say
perhaps "with malice aforethought," until the piano
workshops have been tried in other cities, also in the
rural districts, medium-sized cities, as well as in the
city of Chicago. Without a doubt, these piano work-
shops have proved a very successful venture. They
have not only aroused the enthusiasm of state and
county boards of education to the possibility of group
piano lessons in the schools, but have had the effect
of preparing the way for these lessons by instructing
teachers in the art of conducting group piano lessons.
New York City has been one of the hardest nuts to
crack in respect to piano lessons in the public schools.
The piano workshop in New York, however, which
will show the educational division of the great city
how these lessons may be conducted and at the same
time instruct many teachers in the procedure will be
a very convincing lever toward a better understanding
which it is hoped will eventually lead to the recognition
of this project hoped for for so many years. Not only
will the music supervisors of public schools be able to
witness demonstrations but also the supervisors of the
Catholic parochial schools, some of the largest of which
are conducted in the five boroughs of greater New
York. Due to the success of these piano workshops
which are practically self-sustaining, every dealer in
the greater New York area should take vital interest
in the project and in the four-day sessions, the dates
of which will be determined at a meeting of the com-
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, SEPTEMBER, 1950
mittee which has been appointed, which will be held
later this month.
Retail Salesmen In Demand
LTHOUGH the piano business from a retail
standpoint has been very good throughout the
year, many firms are vitally interested in
increasing their sales staff. In some instances they are
not only interested in having men to work on the ware-
room floors but also to work outside. It is interesting
to. note how few young men are entering the retail
piano business. For some reason, the piano business
does not attract young men although there are many
successful retail men in the industry. Most of them at
the present time have been connected with the industry
for many, many years. Some people seem to think that
it must be necessary for a man who is engaged to sell
pianos to be a fairly good pianist, but it has been our
observation that some of the very best retail salesmen
in the country have never been able to play a note.
Many of these men are making a very comfortable
annual income of five figures, which proves beyond
doubt that there are splendid opportunities for those
who know how to sell. Has the industry itself been
negligent in not sending facts regarding the possibilities
to the right source, or has the industry been conducted
along such traditional lines that it has received the
stigma of being a 'closed family affair' in which the
outsider should not intrude? When World War II
was over, it became evident that there were very few
technicians in the field, and steps were taken by the
National Piano Manufacturers Association to establish
schools throughout the country to interest the younger
men coming out of the army to learn their trade with
the assistance of the G. I. Bill of Rights. Never, how-
ever, in our recollection, has very much ever been done
to interest men in the sales end of the business which
may account to some extent for the present situation
with sales staffs composed of men well over the middle
age, and with the younger generation still in the great
minority.
"
Editor
..'••>J*
since the forming of the American Music Conference
has been quite phenomenal. Not only has progress
been made in teaching the children but at last reports,
since the inaugurating of the piano workshops, some
1,500 teachers have received instruction as to how to
teach these group piano lessons in the schools. This
has been one of the most difficult problems to over-
come, because when the promotion was started there
were but a few if any teachers throughout the United
States who had had any experience in the art of group
piano instruction. There is no doubt that the earlier a
child is taught to appreciate the value of music, and
particularly piano music, the earlier the aptitude of
the child will be learned and the earlier he will be
prepared to continue lessons with a private teacher as
many of the students in schools are doing at the present
time. Eventually, we believe that we will be seeing
children of early ages receiving their pitch instruction
from the double-staff standpoint.
Proposed Piano Workshop For New York City
i_. _ k HE American Music Conference is planning to
J I
hold a piano workshop in New York City
^ " " within the near future. The largest city in the
country has not yet been visited, and we might say
perhaps "with malice aforethought," until the piano
workshops have been tried in other cities, also in the
rural districts, medium-sized cities, as well as in the
city of Chicago. Without a doubt, these piano work-
shops have proved a very successful venture. They
have not only aroused the enthusiasm of state and
county boards of education to the possibility of group
piano lessons in the schools, but have had the effect
of preparing the way for these lessons by instructing
teachers in the art of conducting group piano lessons.
New York City has been one of the hardest nuts to
crack in respect to piano lessons in the public schools.
The piano workshop in New York, however, which
will show the educational division of the great city
how these lessons may be conducted and at the same
time instruct many teachers in the procedure will be
a very convincing lever toward a better understanding
which it is hoped will eventually lead to the recognition
of this project hoped for for so many years. Not only
will the music supervisors of public schools be able to
witness demonstrations but also the supervisors of the
Catholic parochial schools, some of the largest of which
are conducted in the five boroughs of greater New
York. Due to the success of these piano workshops
which are practically self-sustaining, every dealer in
the greater New York area should take vital interest
in the project and in the four-day sessions, the dates
of which will be determined at a meeting of the com-
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, SEPTEMBER, 1950
mittee which has been appointed, which will be held
later this month.
Retail Salesmen In Demand
LTHOUGH the piano business from a retail
standpoint has been very good throughout the
year, many firms are vitally interested in
increasing their sales staff. In some instances they are
not only interested in having men to work on the ware-
room floors but also to work outside. It is interesting
to. note how few young men are entering the retail
piano business. For some reason, the piano business
does not attract young men although there are many
successful retail men in the industry. Most of them at
the present time have been connected with the industry
for many, many years. Some people seem to think that
it must be necessary for a man who is engaged to sell
pianos to be a fairly good pianist, but it has been our
observation that some of the very best retail salesmen
in the country have never been able to play a note.
Many of these men are making a very comfortable
annual income of five figures, which proves beyond
doubt that there are splendid opportunities for those
who know how to sell. Has the industry itself been
negligent in not sending facts regarding the possibilities
to the right source, or has the industry been conducted
along such traditional lines that it has received the
stigma of being a 'closed family affair' in which the
outsider should not intrude? When World War II
was over, it became evident that there were very few
technicians in the field, and steps were taken by the
National Piano Manufacturers Association to establish
schools throughout the country to interest the younger
men coming out of the army to learn their trade with
the assistance of the G. I. Bill of Rights. Never, how-
ever, in our recollection, has very much ever been done
to interest men in the sales end of the business which
may account to some extent for the present situation
with sales staffs composed of men well over the middle
age, and with the younger generation still in the great
minority.
"
Editor
..'••>J*
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