It’s been ages since my last Inez’s Clippings writing. And while looking through the stash here in my files, I found an article that I thought would be kind of fun to elaborate on. This is from Farm Journal of January 1931 within a section called How it Looks to the Farm Journal. I feel like comparing a 1931 stat to 2023 is a literal journey through time. And I wonder if this music piece was what piqued Inez’s interest with her students having attended the children’s choir at the 1930 Iowa State Fair.

According to pianodreamers.com, guitar sales hit 1.3 billion in 2020. Projections for 2023 are 1.8 billion. There are 131.2 million households in the United States in 2023. So that puts how many guitars per home? I came up with nearly 10 per household. And that’s just for this year alone! Personally speaking, there is only 1 in my home. Now banjos, that’s a different story. Maybe my banjos make up for the difference? But I digress.

The main thing here is that in 1931, the worry over whether radios and talkies would effect the love for homemade music was for nought. Guitar music is the most influential part of music-making today. Guitar music has a timeless appeal that transcends generations. It allows both ammatuer and professional musicians to express a wide range of emotions and styles. If only they could see the wealth of influence on rock, pop, jazz, blues, country, and more. Unfortunately, Inez would have been 111 this year. I am sorry we can’t have this conversation in person. This writing leaves me wondering what she would have thought of our music today?

Up next, some influence of homemade music in our home for the past 10-11 years or so. So, you know the drill: don’t copy, use, or steal these photos. My property and there is no permission granted here without asking. But hope you enjoy!