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Post new topic Hawaiian Conservatory of Music
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Author Topic:  Hawaiian Conservatory of Music
George Manno

 

From:
chicago
Post  Posted 18 Jul 2005 5:33 am    
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Does anyone have any information on this company out of South Bend, Indiana during the '30s and '40. This is not the "FIRST" Hawaiian Conservatory of Music that was based in NYC.

Thanks

George
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Russ Young


From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
Post  Posted 18 Jul 2005 5:59 am    
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George --

I don't have any information about the two Hawaiian Conservatories, other than the most famous student of the South Bend program was Buddy Emmons.

I do have a 1935 Oahu catalog that features three pages of courses from the Honolulu Conservatory of Music: "Elementary or Beginners," "Professional-Theatrical" and "Managers-Instructors."

The address given for the Honolulu Conservatory is 2108 Payne Ave. in Cleveland -- the same address as Oahu Publishing Co. and Hawaiian Guitar Publishing Co. I believe that Guitar Products Inc. was also at that address -- Harry Stanley was quite the businessman.

I hope you find what you're looking for.
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c c johnson

 

From:
killeen,tx usa * R.I.P.
Post  Posted 18 Jul 2005 6:56 am    
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I don't know about South Bend but in next door Mishawaka We had the Honolulu conservatory of music ran by a franchisee from Oahu Pub Co. Oahu was originally in Cleveland but inlater yrs moved to Arix. I purchased sheet music from them before they quit in mid sixtys. I took lessons from 1936 to 1940. Herb Remington was about three classes ahead of me and the teachers would always have Herb playing in another room and they would tell us kids practise more more and you will sound like Herby. My teacher was a gorgeous little blond about 18-25. Wehad about 20 guys in the class 7-12. At 7 8 9 we all would get a tingle when she was around. We hadn't figured out why yet and by the time we did she left.We all thought she had ran off with Herby. CC
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Rick Aiello


From:
Berryville, VA USA
Post  Posted 18 Jul 2005 7:30 am    
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I have an original reciept for a B6 ... dated Nov 1940 :

Aloha National Conservatory of Music

Executive offices & Main Studio
4621 14th at Grand River

Telephone: Tyler 4-1614

Pennsylvania ... Detroit, Michigan ... Ohio



I don't know if this is the company you are talkin' 'bout ... but it musta been to have so many "Hawaiian Conservatories" around back then ...

I tried calling them ... but couldn't figure out the whole "Tyler" thang ...

------------------

Aiello's House of Gauss


My wife and I don't think alike. She donates money to the homeless and I donate money to the topless! ... R. Dangerfield


[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 18 July 2005 at 08:34 AM.]

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c c johnson

 

From:
killeen,tx usa * R.I.P.
Post  Posted 18 Jul 2005 8:07 am    
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Rick TYler was the exchange just as the first 3 numbers of you telephone #. You would dial TR3 4567 or cambridge exchange CA5-6789. There were so many copycats of the Oahu Pub Co Oahu was the orig although Bronson claimed also to be. Their material was far below Oahus however. CC
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Gerald Ross


From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Post  Posted 18 Jul 2005 8:13 am    
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Executive offices & Main Studio
4621 14th at Grand River

Telephone: Tyler 4-1614



That is a Detroit area address and phone number.

------------------
Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'



CEO, CIO, CFO - UkeTone Records
Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website
Board of Directors Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association

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Rick Aiello


From:
Berryville, VA USA
Post  Posted 18 Jul 2005 8:58 am    
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Hee, Hee ... kinda like in all those old movies and TV shows ...

quote:
Sarah, this is Andy Taylor over here at the Sheriff's office .... can you get me Tyler 4-1614 ...

My B6 needs a remag ...

You can hang up now, Sarah ...



My two best B6s (condition wise) both came from that "Conservatory" ...

I have both original reciepts ... 4 yrs apart ...


------------------

Aiello's House of Gauss


My wife and I don't think alike. She donates money to the homeless and I donate money to the topless! ... R. Dangerfield



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Russ Young


From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
Post  Posted 18 Jul 2005 9:54 am    
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I suspect the Aloha National Conservatory was an offshoot of Bronson Music of Detroit. George Bronson was the half-brother of Harry Stanley of Oahu Publishing.

I had a (Regal-built?) student squareneck that had a peghead decal from "Aloha National Studios;" it was virtually identical to a Bronson, which are virtually identical to Oahus. I also had an Oscar Schmidt-built guitar from the "Hawaiian Teachers of California" in Oakland. The "Hawaiian Teachers of Hollywood" name appears on a lot of the little Weissenborn-shaped plywood guitars that pop up on eBay. It appears that this was a pretty incestuous business ... or at least one where a lot of the company names overlapped.
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Bill Creller

 

From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
Post  Posted 18 Jul 2005 11:11 am    
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There were at least two "Honolulu conservatory of music" places around this area as late as 1951. I dont know when all that stopped. They were using the Oahu teaching methods I know for certain.
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c c johnson

 

From:
killeen,tx usa * R.I.P.
Post  Posted 18 Jul 2005 12:15 pm    
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The gal that actually ran the Oahu Pub Co was Betty White. If any of you have some old Oahu sheet music 9 times out of 10 the Arranger was Betty. Betty went with Harry to Ariz. Both have passed on. CC
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C. Brattain


From:
Balch Springs, Texas, usa
Post  Posted 18 Jul 2005 2:32 pm    
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Stanley and his brother Bronson stared a lot of steel guitar music schools and most of them used that name.
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George Manno

 

From:
chicago
Post  Posted 18 Jul 2005 6:04 pm    
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I just picked up one of their child-size lap steels, and I have been playing all day. Heck I could take this on the plane with me.
on the headstock it reads HCofM

George
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Russ Young


From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
Post  Posted 18 Jul 2005 6:14 pm    
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George, do you mean a guitar like Gary Cooper's? (He was a Hawaiian Teachers of Hollywood kinda guy ...)

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Bill Creller

 

From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
Post  Posted 18 Jul 2005 7:37 pm    
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YUP !!
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George Manno

 

From:
chicago
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2005 4:35 am    
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No. Smaller and it is a MOTS solid body

George
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Russ Young


From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2005 4:52 am    
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Oh -- it's electric?

Is it similar to this Magnatone:



or this Supro?



(Thank you Brad, for the photos)
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George Manno

 

From:
chicago
Post  Posted 19 Jul 2005 5:31 am    
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It is closer to the Magnatone but about half that size.

George
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Don Kona Woods


From:
Hawaiian Kama'aina
Post  Posted 21 Jul 2005 2:59 pm    
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I thought that I would pass along some more information on this topic, which I obtained from my friend, Vern Cornwall, who was a student and teacher in the Oahu Conservatory schools in South Bend, Indiana.

Quote:
The address given for the Honolulu Conservatory is 2108 Payne Ave. in Cleveland -- the same address as Oahu Publishing Co. and Hawaiian Guitar Publishing Co. I believe that Guitar Products Inc. was also at that address -- Harry Stanley was quite the businessman.


Note: The Honolulu Conservatory in Cleveland was the main office. All published materials came out of this office. Harry Stanley was Director and Betty White had a title of supervisor. She took over the Conservatory after Stanley died. She later moved the Conservatory to Arizona.

Then there were branch offices from the main branch in Cleveland:
The main branch office for Indiana (north) was Fort Wayne Indiana. A sub-branch coming out of Fort Wayne was located in South Bend, Indiana. Mr.& Mrs. Peterson was the head of this branch

It so happens that several well-known steel guitar artists came out of the South Bend branch.
l. Herbie Remington whose teacher was Oscar Mosher

2. Buddy Emmons whose teacher was James Farver who was Vern's brother-in-law. Vern stated that Buddy took some basic lessons without completing the course because he had a natural born talent and did not need it.

3. C.C. Johnson whose teacher maybe was Rita Horstman and then Menzie after she married?

The main branch office for Michigan was in Detroit. There were sub-branches throughout Michigan, i.e. Lansing. Norm English came out of the Fort Wayne office and started sub-branches. Later he start a sub-branch in Lansing.

VERN TOLD ME THAT HE RECEIVED AN ORIGINAL PICTURE OF THE CLASS THAT HE, HERBIE REMINGTON, BUDDY EMMONS WAS IN. SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHEN HERBIE PERFORMED IN JOLIET VERN PLACED THE PICTURE WHERE HERBIE COULD SEE IT. HERBIE WAS SHOCKED TO SEE HIS PICTURE. VERN THEN GAVE (NO MONEY) THE PICUTRE TO HERBIE THAT HAD BEEN GIVEN TO HIM WHO OFFERED TO PURCHASE IT. VERN DECLINED THE OFFER AND TOLD HIM THAT SINCE HE IS IN THE HALL OF FAME THAT THIS IS ONE WAY TO PERPETUATE THIS ORIGINAL PICTURE. LET IT GO TO THE HALL OF FAME MUSEUM. NICE STORY.

I hope this adds a little color to this topic.

Aloha,
Don


[This message was edited by Don Kona Woods on 22 July 2005 at 07:09 PM.]

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c c johnson

 

From:
killeen,tx usa * R.I.P.
Post  Posted 21 Jul 2005 3:14 pm    
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all these years that I have known and heard Vern, I know he is a great rhythm guitar player but never heard him play steel. Best wishes Vern. CC
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Don Kona Woods


From:
Hawaiian Kama'aina
Post  Posted 22 Jul 2005 6:07 pm    
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Hi C.C.

Well, I was fortunate to hear Vern play the steel. He played a few years at the Steel guitar conventions in Joliet and Winchester. He gave the public playing up, at least 10 years ago, because he could not hold the bar with it slipping out of his hand because of arthritis.

You remembered him playing rhythm guitar, and I would say, Vern is a GREAT RHYTHYM GUITAR player with a great ear. He knows all of the intricate chords when he accompanies anyone.

Aloha,
Don

[This message was edited by Don Kona Woods on 22 July 2005 at 08:59 PM.]

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c c johnson

 

From:
killeen,tx usa * R.I.P.
Post  Posted 23 Jul 2005 3:13 am    
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Don, Vern truly is great on rhythm. Sorry to hear about his arthritis. Mine is getting worse and I may have to get out the old pedal guitar so I can cut down on bar movement and no slants. Hope all is well w/you and yours. CC
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