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THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
********
With the Makers and Sellers of Talking Machines
A. E. THOMAS' 1NVEM10N
AID TO VOCAL TEACHERS.
EILERS BIQ VICTOR ORDER.
For Controlling the Volume of Sound in Talk-
ing Machines—Invites Conservatory Class to
Hear Celebrated Artists-
The Talking Machine Brings to Light Errors
and Enables Singers to Hear Themselves as
Others Hear Them.
Secured Over a Thousand Machines and Five
Thousand Records for the Various Pacific
Coast Houses Which They Control.
(Special to The lieview.)
Some weeks ago reference was made in The
Music Trade Review to the value of the talking
machine to the musician, particularly the vocal
teacher, and the immense possibilities in connec-
tion therewith. We notice some very pertinent
remarks on this subject in a London paper which
further elaborate our contentions. "All of us,"
says the writer, "cherish fond illusions concern-
ing our personal qualities. We may even be too
modest about them. Let the teacher sing into
his talking machine, and then listen to the re-
sult—preferably at a future time. He may feel
surprise. Dispassionately he will be able to re-
gard himself from the outside—as others see
him, or hear him, rather. All his own perfec-
tions and imperfections he will be in a position
to set in a notebook, con, and learn by rote.
And all the while his conscience will not per-
mit him to deny the identity of what he hears
with the tones and ac3ents of his own voice.
This is no slight service. So distinguished a
man as Saint Saens admits that by means of
the talking machine he made the discovery that
he was in the habit of playing incorrectly a
passage in his 'Valse Canariote.' In consequence
he advises musicians to make use of it. If the
talking machine reveals the teacher to himself, it
is obvious it may be used in a similar manner for
the pupil's benefit. A student listening to his
Geo. L. Ackerman, of Ackerman & Co., the own voice as if it were the voice of some one
music dealer in Scranton, Pa., reports business else can hardly fail to perceive its defects when
picking up to such an extent that he was called the teacher draws attention to them. Thus lan-
upon to enlarge their quarters, and they are guage and argument (to which some pupils are
again cramped for room. The jobbing end is prone) may be avoided. Further, the gradual
particularly strong. Mr. Ackerman has acquired progress of a pupil from his first feeble efforts
an automobile, and is quite an expert chauffeur. to his final state of perfection may be recorded
with precision, for the pupil's own gratification
Paul Heifers, who has a store in New York and for the encouragement of his successors in
and another in Brooklyn, will open a third in their moments of despondency."
Manhattan, at 2213 Eighth avenue, which
will be occupied May 1. Mr. Heifers is also an
Business is holding up splendidly.
expert electrician.
Milwaukee, Wis., May 8, 1905.
A very important contrivance has been in-
vented and patented by A. E. Thomas, the enter-
prising manager of the Columbia Phonograph
Co.'s establishment in this city, which may be ap-
plied to a disk machine for the purpose of soften-
ing or reducing the volume of sound to any pitch
desired. He has named this attachment the
"Dolcer." A demonstration of its possibilities
was made last week, and it proved to be a tre-
mendous success. It was also shown that the
wear on the disk was greatly lessened by its use.
Mr. Thomas is doing quite some work in bring-
ing the talking machine to the attention of our
leading people. Last week he invited the vocal
class of the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music to
the display rooms of the Columbia Phonograph
Co., where songs by Schumann-Heink and other
celebrated artists were reproduced on the disk
graphophone. The possibilities in the way of
aiding voice culture—especially in demonstrating
the correct method of breathing—were dilated on
most interestingly by Miss Owens, the instructor.
The entire affair was a most delightful one, and
furnished further evidence, if it were needed, of
the way in which dealers can bring the talking
machine before people.
(Special to The Review.)
Spokane, Wash., May 8, 1905.
The Eilers Piano House has just received the
first half of a large shipment of Victor talking
machines and records, for which the house has the
exclusive agency in all the territory west of
Minneapolis and north of San Francisco. The
shipment received comprises 1,000 machines and
5.000 records, and the second half is expected in
the course of the next few days.
AN ATHLETIC STIMULATOR
Is the Talking Machine—Paris Taking the Lead
In the Field—A Pointer For New York
School Commissioners.
The talking machine has now made its appear-
ance as an aid to athletics. At the annual re-
union of the Gymnasiums of Paris, France, it
has been found impossible to get simultaneous
action on the part of the different organizations
owing to the lack of understanding, not only of
instructions, but also of the music employed as
an adjunct to the various exhibitions. The happy
idea recently occurred to M. Castagno, supervisor
of gymnasiums, to utilize the talking machine,
and in collaboration with M. Barnier, director of
the 57th Infantry Band, the various musical num-
bers utilized in the movements of the gymna-
siums have been recorded on five cylinders, as
well as the other instructions necessary to the
success of the athletic festival. These records
will be distributed among the various gymna-
siums and employed during exercises, so that at
the general athletic reunion all the different
bodies can virtually assemble as one, and thus
much friction be avoided. This is only another
demonstration of the tremendous value as well
as possibilities of the talking machine.
A PROGRESSIVE DEALER.
THE NEW CARUSO RECORDS
A GREAT
SUCCESS
DON'T FAIL to let every customer hear
them. Most dealers don't realize how
many VICTOR RED SEAL Records are
sold. The price seems high until your
customer hears them. Then he is sur-
prised to be able to buy such marvelous
Records at any price. Even those who
cannot afford it buy many of them.
THESE ARE FACTS—TRY IT.
High class Records have been the
means of selling many large outfits when
the customer could not have been inter-
ested with any other class of Record.
We think we have the LARGEST
STOCK OF VICTOR RECORDS. The
"other fellow" won't show us his inven-
tory or we might be sure. But you don't
care about that. What INTERESTS YOU
is the way your orders are filled.
HIS LATEST PICTURE SENT
ON APPROVAL
SIZE I I " X 14 ' PRICE $2.50 LIST
If you have been g e t t i n g about
50
of w h a t you o r d e r , or less
give us a t r i a l o r d e r .
VICTOR TRUMPET HORNS - $5.50 I VICTOR CONCERT TRUMPET HORNS $8.00
HELPS
SELL
RECORDS
HERE'S THE SECRET. They make any record sound more natural. They're care-
fully and hand made on the proper acoustic lines, Japanned and baked, with NO METAL.
WRITE
FOR HEW QUOTATIONS.
Fits Victor, Zonopbone, Columbia, Talkaphono.
VICTOR DISTRIBUTING AND EXPORT CO.
77 CHAMBERS ST., NEW YORK
Samuel Landau, a well-known jeweler of
Wilkesbarre, Pa., started in the talking machine
line in a small way two years ago, and within
the last year the business has increased to such
magnitude that six months since he opened a
fully-equipped music store, handling pianos, mer-
chandise and the full line, but making a special
feature of talking machines. For instance, he
displays 100 machines in one window, and is
rated one of the largest dealers in the State.
He handles Victor goods exclusively. Then to
complete his happiness along comes a baby boy,
now nine weeks old, and as fine an example as
can be found in seven States. Last week, at the
consecrat^m banquet, a splendid affair, by the
way, Mr. Landau was the pleased recipient of
hearty congratulations at the hands of a host of
friends, for he is a popular citizen as well as
a successful merchant.
ASCHBACH NOTES INCREASE.
George C. Aschbach, a leading music dealer of
Allentown, Pa., who reports a big increase in his
talking machine business, recently had on ex-
hibition in one of his store show windows an
original Edison phonograph that used the tin-
foil record. The machine, which was displayed
alongside an Edison 1905 model, is considered
a great curiosity, as few are in existence, conse-
quently it attracted a great deal of attention.
Hereafter pianos will Lft carried from Portland,
Ore., to Coast ports for $5 instead of $8, which
has been the rate on a measurement, basis.