Amateur programs have been present on the American scene for a long time but the efforts of Major Bowes have made them an American institution. People of almost all ages will attend them joyfully, but the performers will usually be in the second and third quarters of life’s span. There was a time when amateur performances were unrehearsed or sounded so. Major Bowes has changed that, too. The amateur show will now be found to demand rehearsals, expert accompaniment, and a certain amount of theatrical display. These factors should be encouraged and the music aide will do well to humor patients along, because success depends upon the seriousness, energy, and efforts of the performer. Care should be expended in careful programming. The best performers should be well spaced and appear in the second half of the program. Instrumentalists should be separated by vocalists. The procedure should follow the set pattern of regular amateur shows, including the award of prizes to the winner and second best. Where patient turn-over is slow, it is likely that the same performer may be first too often. Some limit should be set on the frequency or total number of times the same patient may receive an award to prevent participation from diminishing. Spontaneous shows in the recreation hall will consist of community singing, humming, whistling, and occasional rhythmic hand-clapping. It is not difficult to get a group to sing but maximum response will call for ingenuity on the part of the leader. The series of motion picture shorts called “The Bouncing Ball”, “Community Sing”, and others of a similar nature are excellent because they are complete packages of music, words, direction, humor, and tricks. The song leader should adopt as many of the novelties included in these films as the facilities will allow. Next best to the motion picture is the lantern slide. There are a few available with humorous illustrations, but they may be difficult to obtain. Lantern slides may be made rapidly and inexpensively by the music aide. The makings of simple slides may be had in any large commercial photography supply shop. “Radio Mats” are slide-sized pieces of clear cellophane enclosed in a folded piece of carbon paper and surrounded by a black mask. The “Mat” is placed in a typewriter and the words of the song are typed on it. The carbonized paper is discarded, as is the back of the mask, and the cellophane with words imprinted is easily mounted between the two glass cover-slips joined by “Scotch Tape”. By this method a permanent slide may be produced for about eight cents. If a projector is not available, the words may be mimeographed, printed in the occupational therapy shop, or obtained commercially printed in pamphlet form. The salient need is that all may be permitted to read the words.