The NBC Music Appreciation Hour: Radio Broadcasts of Walter Damrosch,1928–1942

Walter Damrosch, a pioneer in the early days of radio, introduced American and Canadian children to classical music through the radio broadcasts of the NBC Music Appreciation Hour, 1928–1942. This article contains a description of the format of the programs and instructional manuals. It includes a discussion of the programs sponsorship, Damroschs collaboration with MENC, and the national impact of the broadcasts. The Music Appreciation Hour broadcast four series of programs for four different age-groups, and various authors prepared instructors manuals and student notebooks. The successful programs were promoted as a supplement for school programs, and students were encouraged to expand the experience with other musical activities. The broadcasts were discontinued in 1942 for financial and personal reasons. The Music Appreciation Hour and other music programs of the past can be used as models for contemporary projects as educators explore the creative use of technology in music teaching. Although technology changes, many issues of the past (audience development, repertoire selection, finances, sponsorship) are still relevant today.