Music Trade Review
Issue: 1952 Vol. 111 N. 1 - Page 11
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
to Mr. Heaton, people still want to buy player pianos.
This, of course, may be so, but we might add that
if we have player pianos again, the Joe Spook para-
graph might read, "If we all had player pianos, we
wouldn't have members of the younger generation
and teen-agers playing the piano with their hands
like they are doing today." In our opinion, the lat-
ter is what we need in order to keep the piano busi-
ness growing from generation to generation. The re-
sults of the efforts of the AMC and the Music Edu-
cators National Conference and N.A.M.M. as well as
the National Piano Manufacturing Association dur-
ing the last five years in promoting a greater interest
in music in the schools, and particularly in interest-
ing school music superiors in piano lessons in the
schools bear out this contention. It has always been
our opinion that should a player piano be put on the
market, the present generation of teen-agers would
go for it to the extent that they would forget all about
playing with their hands. It would be an entirely
new adventure for them. Perhaps this might be one
way of increasing piano production, but would the
results, considering the tremendous expense of devel-
oping special machinery with which these instru-
ments must be manufactured, be as profitable and
as permanent as teaching young people how to play
with their hands from generation to generation? Per-
sonally, we don't believe it would. We may be wrong
and we are willing to be convinced if we are. Never
has there been found a more effective method of
creating piano sales from generation to generation
than the present method of promoting piano lessons
in the schools, and as it is being done at considerably
less expense than many other promotions which have
been tried, it would seem to us that this method of
creating piano sales should never be abandoned. It
is one which will prove beneficial to the piano busi-
ness every year it is continued. Even adults have be-
come interested in group piano lessons. So why kill
the desire for personal musical expression with some-
thing mechanical.
The Broadening of Television
ALTHOUGH the production of television will
/-% probably be cut back during 1952 to approxi-
mately 20% of the number of units which
were produced in 1951, the television picture regard-
ing sales looks bright for those music merchants who
are selling television. The consensus seems to be
that television sales will be boosted in 1952 due to
the fact that there will be so much of national im-
port transmitted into the home through television on
account of its being a Presidential year, that the
MUSICAL MERCHANDISE, JANUARY, 1952
listening public will be greatly increased. This will
be the first year of a Presidential election that tele-
vision has been available so that people can see as
well as hear the candidates as they speak. It will
undoubtedly play a tremendous role in bringing the
views and recommendations of all candidates into
more homes far and wide than ever before; for
many the first opportunity to see or even hear
those who are endeavoring to be elected. Another
phase of television is the industrial business which is
being done at the present time, with over 150 busi-
ness and industrial TV units in operation through-
out the country. Some industry officials contend that
television's commercial and professional uses will
overshadow its role of bringing entertainment into
the living room. This, therefore, seems to be the
picture for the television business in 1952, with an
estimated production of 4,000,000 sets, all of which
will undoubtedly be consumed before the year is
over.
Our Fingers Are Crossed
A CCORDING to a report from Washington Manly
/-%^ Fleischmann, Defense Production Adminsitra-
tor told the Joint Committee on Defense Pro-
duction at a hearing on January 9th that although
overall allotments of controlled materials for con-
sumer goods are being reduced by approximately 10
percent in the second quarter "less essential" prod-
ucts will be given increased amounts of steel, copper
and aluminum instead of less. He stated that in re-
viewing the treatment accorded "less esential" pro-
ducers in the first quarter "we have reached the con-
clusion that the Defense Production Act and a wise
public policy both require more liberal allotments
for these concerns". From this it would appear that
piano manufacturers should fare much better in the
second quarter as pianos have been listed in the "less
essential" catagory. It was this classification which
brought the strenuous protest presented by the Piano
Manufacturers Advisory^ Committee which met with
the NPA last month, and it is understood will meet
in Washington again next month. Here's hoping re-
lief is in sight.
EDITOR
II
to Mr. Heaton, people still want to buy player pianos.
This, of course, may be so, but we might add that
if we have player pianos again, the Joe Spook para-
graph might read, "If we all had player pianos, we
wouldn't have members of the younger generation
and teen-agers playing the piano with their hands
like they are doing today." In our opinion, the lat-
ter is what we need in order to keep the piano busi-
ness growing from generation to generation. The re-
sults of the efforts of the AMC and the Music Edu-
cators National Conference and N.A.M.M. as well as
the National Piano Manufacturing Association dur-
ing the last five years in promoting a greater interest
in music in the schools, and particularly in interest-
ing school music superiors in piano lessons in the
schools bear out this contention. It has always been
our opinion that should a player piano be put on the
market, the present generation of teen-agers would
go for it to the extent that they would forget all about
playing with their hands. It would be an entirely
new adventure for them. Perhaps this might be one
way of increasing piano production, but would the
results, considering the tremendous expense of devel-
oping special machinery with which these instru-
ments must be manufactured, be as profitable and
as permanent as teaching young people how to play
with their hands from generation to generation? Per-
sonally, we don't believe it would. We may be wrong
and we are willing to be convinced if we are. Never
has there been found a more effective method of
creating piano sales from generation to generation
than the present method of promoting piano lessons
in the schools, and as it is being done at considerably
less expense than many other promotions which have
been tried, it would seem to us that this method of
creating piano sales should never be abandoned. It
is one which will prove beneficial to the piano busi-
ness every year it is continued. Even adults have be-
come interested in group piano lessons. So why kill
the desire for personal musical expression with some-
thing mechanical.
The Broadening of Television
ALTHOUGH the production of television will
/-% probably be cut back during 1952 to approxi-
mately 20% of the number of units which
were produced in 1951, the television picture regard-
ing sales looks bright for those music merchants who
are selling television. The consensus seems to be
that television sales will be boosted in 1952 due to
the fact that there will be so much of national im-
port transmitted into the home through television on
account of its being a Presidential year, that the
MUSICAL MERCHANDISE, JANUARY, 1952
listening public will be greatly increased. This will
be the first year of a Presidential election that tele-
vision has been available so that people can see as
well as hear the candidates as they speak. It will
undoubtedly play a tremendous role in bringing the
views and recommendations of all candidates into
more homes far and wide than ever before; for
many the first opportunity to see or even hear
those who are endeavoring to be elected. Another
phase of television is the industrial business which is
being done at the present time, with over 150 busi-
ness and industrial TV units in operation through-
out the country. Some industry officials contend that
television's commercial and professional uses will
overshadow its role of bringing entertainment into
the living room. This, therefore, seems to be the
picture for the television business in 1952, with an
estimated production of 4,000,000 sets, all of which
will undoubtedly be consumed before the year is
over.
Our Fingers Are Crossed
A CCORDING to a report from Washington Manly
/-%^ Fleischmann, Defense Production Adminsitra-
tor told the Joint Committee on Defense Pro-
duction at a hearing on January 9th that although
overall allotments of controlled materials for con-
sumer goods are being reduced by approximately 10
percent in the second quarter "less essential" prod-
ucts will be given increased amounts of steel, copper
and aluminum instead of less. He stated that in re-
viewing the treatment accorded "less esential" pro-
ducers in the first quarter "we have reached the con-
clusion that the Defense Production Act and a wise
public policy both require more liberal allotments
for these concerns". From this it would appear that
piano manufacturers should fare much better in the
second quarter as pianos have been listed in the "less
essential" catagory. It was this classification which
brought the strenuous protest presented by the Piano
Manufacturers Advisory^ Committee which met with
the NPA last month, and it is understood will meet
in Washington again next month. Here's hoping re-
lief is in sight.
EDITOR
II
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).