THE “SWING-BACK”

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 19 June 1936, Page 4

THE “SWING-BACK”

SELF-EXPRESSION IN MUSIC EDUCATION OF THE CHILD THE TREND TO-DAY The “swing-back” to selfexpression in things musical that has been increasingly evident over the past twelve months was commented on to-day by Mr Charles E. Begg, General Manager of Messrs Charles Begg and Co., Ltd., who is visiting Nelson. The fact that personally performed music was regaining its place, however, did not mean that radio was losing its appeal, but the desire of the people to play their own music now went hand in hand with the radio’s entertainment.

During the hard times of the depression it had been stated that the radio had ousted the piano, for instance, and the people found it easy to believe that for they had been constrained to do without in many things and in frequent cases the musical education of the child had been sacrificed. During the last twelve to eighteen months there had been a decided “swing-back” or change of mind on the part of the public towards music, and people everywhere had found and were finding that they were missing real music, personally, performed. Happily for the children, the parents were once again directing their attention to their musical education; and proof that this was the case was found in all parts of the world, where increased sales of sheet music of all types were being reported.

THE PIANO Sales of the leading musical instruments, pianos, .piano-accordians, guitars, right down to the humble mouth organ had during the past twelve months shown a marked increase. The firm which the speaker represented, with its 75 years, experience, had during the past year increased its sales of pianos 60 per cent, over the previous twelve months. Although many people were buying the second-hand piano, more and more were realising that the new instrument represented the best value. The most interesting development in piano manufacture, said Mr Begg, was the number of new and attractive styles now available in modern casework. A miniature piano which had the ordinary keyboard, and built to n height of 3ft to 3ft lOin had been wonderfully successful; and so much so that Americans had acquired patent rights to build similar types. Another type of piano that was a success was the small grand which was popular in small flats where the other type of piano was unsuitably large for the music room. Accordingly this smaller type had been evolved and with improved methods of construction the same quality, touch and tone as the larger models had been obtained. Typical of the modern style was one of these types, a miniature, finished in black chromium, which Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret Rose both used in their musical studies.

POPULAR PIANO ACCORDIAN Apart from the piano, the most popular self-performed musical instrument, said Mr Begg, was the piano aecordian, which in its tens of thousands was all over England, its sale being tremendous, and it was impossible to obtain delivery from the factory in under three months from the date of placing the order. In very many 1 places in England piano accordian clubs had been formed and also a College of Piano Accordian players, with a system of examination similar to that for the piano. Every wellknown tune had been arranged for the instrument, with every degree of difficult music. Its popularity had now reached New Zealand. The increased sale of sheet music was a very good sign, and a bigger proportion of the better class music was being sold than formerly. Though the latest “hits” were in demand, the more serious types of music were being increasingly sought after. All this did not mean to indicate, however, that the radio was losing its appeal, said Mr Begg. The appeal of radio with improved reception from overseas made possible by short-wave models had increased rather than otherwise. Even in countries like Great Britain and America where many millions of receivers were sold, saturation point had nowhere near oeen reached and the output of the factories was higher than ever. People as a general rule were finding it worth while to buy the better types of set equipped for the very best short-wave reception, and were payng much more than a year or so ago. The speaker’s firm, as agents for one of the largest radio organisations, had found its sales in New Zealand during he past few months to have topped ill records.