Presto

November 14, 1925.
FOR MUSIC IN THE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Great Duty Devolves on Music Dealer in
Every State to Bring About Realization of
Opportunity to Make Music Study
Popular and Democratic.
THE PIANO'S PART
The Favorite Instrument, irom Its Comprehensive
Usefulness, to More Than Ever Benefit by
Spread of Music.
By WILLIAM L. BUSH.
There is a growing interest and a gradual awaken-
ing- among the thinking, progressive men of the piano
trade, both manufacturers and retailers of pianos, re-
garding the present opportunity of greatly increas-
ing the market and normal demand for pianos. This
is by establishing a fundamental basis of education in
piano music and piano playing, through the creation
and maintenance of a regular department in the pub-
lic schools, throughout the entire United States. In
every city, town, village, or rural district, the aim is
for regular courses of piano class lessons to be given
by capable and musically qualified and graduated
teachers, fitted and prepared for the work by actual
study and mastery of a complete, officially approved
and established system of teaching, including text-
books, charts and equipment installed in class rooms
especially adapted to this educational work of prac-
tical "Musical Advancement" that will soon be na-
tional in character, and unselfish, democratic, and
practical in manner of application.
The idea is to create in the children of America
and in the growing and developing generation a love
and appreciation of piano music, the piano affording
the highest instrumental and individual form of musi-
cal expression, contained in any one instrument. The
piano, with equal facility and effect, lends itself and
its great breadth of tone, scale, comprehensiveness,
and scope, to either solo work or to ensemble work
or concerto, also as an accompaniment to voice or
chorus as well as to any solo instrument or combina-
tion of instruments. The piano is really the basic and
leading musical instrument of this present musical
epoch.
Cites His Experience.
My familiarity with educational work in music,
through my close affiliation and association with
Bush Conservatory in Chicago, and the Bush Temple
School of Music in Dallas, Texas, where every
branch of musical education is represented and
taught, has given me special opportunity to judge
of the advantage of teaching young children of the
fifth, sixth and seventh public school grades, in group
PRESTO
or class formation, under advanced perfected sys-
tems. The preference would be for those adapted to
class work, such as the Fletcher-Kopp system, the
Dunning system, the Curtis system, the Premier sys-
tem, and the system which, through the efforts and
energy of W. Otto Miessner, has become the most
familiar and best known to the piano trade as the
"Melody Way" in use in many public schools, pri-
vate schools, conservatories and institutions in vari-
ous towns and cities, besides in many class rooms,
created and established by piano and musical mer-
chandise dealers. Representing as it does the most
practical, economical, effective, and productive form
of fundamental musical education by setting forth an
example and an undertaking well worthy of emulat-
ing and adopting as the great opportunity and prac-
tical means of creating a generation of piano players,
and prospective purchasers. If properly conducted
and advanced, the system will stimulate piano pro-
duction beyond the hopes or visions of our most en-
thusiastic and optimistic enthusiasts, regarding the
straight piano, and its logical companions for favor,
the registering playerpianos, and reproducing pianos,
of which true appreciation can best be realized by
those who know and study the piano and its possi-
bilities.
Interviews with Educators.
On my recent trip west, and preceding ones in
other directions, I have talked with many educators,
piano teachers, supervisors of public school music,
directors of conservatories, leaders of bands and or-
chestras, instructors of classes in both instrumental
and vocal work. I w T as seeking opinions, suggestions,
and actual experiences, regarding the real progress
and development of children working in classes,
where the stimulating effect of competitive strife and
endeavor is emphasized by ardent, enthusiastic work
of the individual. I sought information of study,
spurred on by the intelligent, sympathetic, appeal of
an instructor who glories in accomplishment and
work well and faithfully performed. One, too, who
strives to impress the parents of children, engaged
in such class work, with the moral benefits and social
advantages that accrue to the successful student of
music, and of the piano, especially, being the most
available medium of musical expression.
Talked with Children.
I have talked with children engaged in this work
and have heard expressions of childish delight and
enthusiasm, seldom found in a child working in soli-
tude over intricate tasks assigned from week to week
in the form of lessons on elementary rudimental
work that loses its burden of drudgery under the
stimulus of class association.
I could cite numerous outstanding examples of suc-
cessful work now being conducted in several cities
and towns I have visited, but it would require too
much space for details, but I specifically call your
attention to the outstanding examples of established
classes being conducted in some of the public schools
in Dallas, Tex.; Kansas City, Mo.; Topeka, Kans.;
Milwaukee, Wis.; Des Moines, Iowa; Mankato, Minn.,
and numerous other cities. In addition to which a
SALES OPPORTUNITY
Piano dealers or agents, whose sales volume is not what it should
be, and who are not afraid to undertake a sales effort in a different
line, will learn of an exceptional and an exclusive opportunity by
addressing P. C. Sherman, Wylie B. Jones Advertising Agency,
Binghamton, N. Y., who insert this advertisement in behalf of a
manufacturing client.
This is a splendid opportunity.
Sales plan is proven and the product has been successfully sold
for several years.
Wylie B. Jones Advertising Agency, Binghamton, N. Y.
JESSE FRENCH JUBILEE
EVOKES WARM LETTER
Celebration of Event by Montgomery, Ala.,
Branch of Jesse French & Sons Prompts
Mark P. Campbell to Write.
The Golden Jubilee Anniversary of the Jesse
French & Sons Piano Co., of Alabama, recently ob-_
served in Montgomery and several other places in
the south showed the feeling which the company and
its pianos has engendered. In Montgomery, news-
papers, banks, several of the big industries and com-
mercial houses, including some of the music trade,
paid marked tribute to the business methods of the
Jesse French & Sons Piano Co.
Among others who sent flattering congratulations
on the Montgomery celebration was Mark P. Camp-
bell, president of the Brambach Piano Co., New
York, who in writing to Mr. Poston, the manager of
the Montgomery house of the Jesse French & Sons
Piano Co., said:
"To know Mr. Jesse French is indeed a privilege—
to know him well is an inspiration. The character of
that man can well be emulated by any young man
entering into the business world, and so I take great
pleasure in extending to you my heartiest congratula-
tions, and I am sure that this Golden Jubilee will
be extended on to the Diamond Jubilee—having ever
in mind the struggles, trials and tribulations of the
founder, and his never wavering from the principles
of justice, service and integrity, all of which has
built the name—a name that is recognized by any
house when the card of Jesse French & Sons Com-
pany is presented."
Commenting on the letter Mr. French said:
"I hope, should I live to celebrate the Diamond
Jubilee, that I can stand equally high in the estimate
of my co-workers in the piano trade. I certainly
appreciate it, and hope I may leave behind as a rich
legacy to my children, the good testimony of friends."
large number of dealers have equipped special rooms
with regular school or class room equipment and have
engaged graduate teachers in normal class work to
conduct these classes. All report surprising success
in securing capacity enrollment of enthusiastic, am-
bitious children, whose parents gladly welcome this
economical class tuition given by experienced gradu-
ates in class work, the cost being about ten percent
of the cost of private lessons under a capable teacher.
Importance of Idea.
This subject is important and should be of vital
interest to every piano manufacturer and every piano
dealer in the country, once its value and significance
and relation to piano output and sales is realized and
grasped by the members of our trade bodies and or-
ganizations. It is most encouraging to note the
special reference and attention paid to this very
important work at the last meeting of the executive
board of the Music Trade Industries Chamber of
Commerce. It was proposed to place this great edu-
cational campaign to stimulate the study of music
under a class instruction system in our public schools,
through the National Bureau for the Advancement of
Music. The members, upon investigation, will find
several efficient and practical systems already in use
and worthy of commendation and encouragement,
and it is hoped that the selection of such courses or
systems of instruction will be determined by the most
capable judges and most experienced teachers, super-
visors, and creators of these various systems.
Class Lessons Old.
The class lesson form of instruction for piano is no
novelty or innovation in musical progression, except
as emphasized by its neglect by boards of governors
of the public schools.
Various systems have been available and some have
been sparsely used for several years in the primary
grades, but now there is a definite movement, an
awakening of the wonderful possibility of such a
broad and proven course of instruction, and the trade,
our entire industry, should get in the band wagon.
And the trade should not only lead but support this
movement by liberal contribution for demonstrating
and proving its great beneficial efficiency as a devel-
oping educational force for moral social cultural
musical advancement, by leaps and bounds instead
of by plodding steps.
Twenty years ago in Bush Conservatory normal
classes in piano were conducted through the use of
charts, text-books, and silent keyboards and were suc-
cessfully maintained for a period of years. Each
year since that time improvements and advances have
been developed and created by intelligent work of
interested teachers and individuals until now there'
remains the great opportunity to create sentiment to
use every just and legitimate means to incorporate
this work as a regular and important study, to be in-
cluded in the regular fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/