GROUP PIANO TUITION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20339, 21 August 1929, Page 14

GROUP PIANO TUITION.

DEMONSTRATION OF METHODS

& FIRST SHOWING IN DOMINION.

DIFFERENT SYSTEMS OUTLINED. A unique demonstration of group methods of pianoforte instruction, tho first of its kind to be given in New Zealand, was given in the Lewis Kady Hall last ovening under the auspices of (lie Auckland Society of Musicians and tlio firm of Lewis Eady, Limited. There was on attendance of over 200, representing nearly all the teachers of music in the city. Dr. Kenneth Phillips, president of the society, presided. Two different systems of group instruction, the Bavin method and the Mary Cochran method, were illustrated, the working of the methods being shown by children from the ages of about six to nine years, who had been learning for only a very few weeks.

"Class teaching has boon accepted for years in other parts of tlio world." said Mr. A. R. Don, who introduced the demonstrators. Music taught individually was certainly very thoroughly learned, and the method of group instruction was not intended to supersede individual tuition. The advantage of tho class system was that it brought music into tho life of evory child, as tho cost of teaching was so small. It was the child's inherent l ight to have music, and any effort in this direction should be worthy of every support. Tho two different methods shown wore not intended to cornpeto with each other.

Explaining tlic more important methods employed in Bavin system, Miss J. Parker said that'it aimed at the development of Iho ear, eye and touch from tho first lessons. Each child was tho owner of a model keyboard four octaves in extent oil tho same scale as an ordinary instrument, with- tho notes marked above each with their harmonic equivalent. Tho lessons were divided into eight parts, revision, finger movements, the playing of simple tunes without looking at the keys, playing another tune, placing lines and spaces, singing a new tune, transposing a tune and playing in harmony. At tho close of the explanation a number of small children gave a demonstration of all eight parts of the lesson on their silent keyboards. Described as a quite different system, tho Mary Cochran mothod was outlined by Miss Veda Hutchison, who was assisted by Miss Wrigley. Miss Hutchison said that this system was invented by Miss Cochran, a Sydney teacher of music, who studied tho Montessori method of child instruction by games. Knowing that the child's senses were nil developed at the age of five, she determined to commence instruction at this age, although the existing technique was too difficult to be mastered at that age. She accordingly' devised her system in accordance with Montessori methods. Miss Cochran later found that she obtained better results by teaching in groups, ns the children gained much by watching each other. If Miss Cochran was teaching alone she worked with a group of two or three, and with two assistants took as many pupils as six at once. She had tried c'ight, but found that with that number she could not get the best results. A demonstration of the system was given by other children, tho teacher remarking" that they wero-only taught one thing at a time, a great deal being learned before thev went to a piano at all. At tho close, tho chairman thanked the teachers who had shown the methods, and Mr. L. A. Eady also spoke briefly.