Music Trade Review

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THE
VAST SUMS FOR RECORD MAKERS.
One Concern Spends $100,000 a Year for In-
strumental and Vocal Masterpieces—Better
Incomes Than Are Made in Vaudeville and
Appeal to Large Audiences the World Over.
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
"Some of the people whose trials show that
they would be utterly useless to us have had
more or less success on the stage. These are the
ones who do not depend upon their voices alone
for the success with audiences. The machine, of
course, is not susceptible to a romantic appear-
ance or a winning smile. It is the voice alone
that it records on the wax, and this is where
some of our most confident applicants for engage-
ments fall down.
"On the other hand, a singer who has failed on
the stage not infrequently makes a big success
with us. His looks or manner hasn't appealed to
people out in front. He lacks the magnetism
necessary to make the house warm up to him,
but the voice is there, and that is what we are
after. Numerous singers of this kind have been
saved from poverty and despair by talking ma-
chine work.
"The opportunities in this special field are
greater for men than for women. The male voice
is much the more satisfactory, being stronger and
steadier. The machines have not yet been suffi-
ciently perfected to record the delicate shades
and wide range of the voice of the woman
singer. On our staff the proportion of men to
women is about ten to one.
"Few of our musicians are in love with talking
machine work. While they like the good money
they get for it, most of them complain about the
uninspiring nature of the work itself. The point
is that they miss the applause of the crowd.
But the songs reach a great audience.
"A friend told me that last summer out in the
wilds of New Mexico, apparently a long way
from civilization, he heard the moving strains
of the 'Holy City,' and of ballads popular on
Broadway issuing from a wigwarn in an Indian
settlement. The chief was entertaining a com-
pany of braves and squaws with a talking ma-
chine.
"In addition to its pleasure giving activity, the
talking machine is becoming more and more of a
factor in serious matters. Machines were used
as substitute spellbinders on wagons in our mu-
niciple campaign last fall, and we are preparing
to have a lot of them play the part of political
gatling guns and pour hot shot into the ranks
of the enemy in the coming fight for the presi-
dency.
"Another plan which we are beginning to put
into operation is one to get records of the voices
of all the famous men of the country. In a year
from now we expect to have a big list. The best
of these records will be preserved on specially
prepared metal molds, which will remain in good
shape for centuries. It would be interesting if
we of the present day could listen to the voices
of Shakespeare and other great ones of the past,
wouldn't it? Well, we are just beginning sys-
tematically to provide for the handing down of
the voices of our celebrities to our remote de-
scendants. We feel that it will be work worth
while."—Talking Machine World.
The presiding genius of one of the record labo-
ratories found time the other day to chat about
the "mysteries" of the craft, or art, whatever you
please to call it, and actually startled the "knight
of the quill" by stating that his house pays about
$100,000 a year, or $2,000 a week, to singers and
instrumentalists who make records for them.
These artists range from grand opera celebrities,
who won't sing for less than a thousand or so,
to men and women who get $2 a song. He said
further:
"We paid Edouard De Reszke an even $1,000 for
three songs, which consumed abovit half an hour
of his time, including waits while fresh records
were being put on the machine. Another well-
known lady, a member of the Grand Opera House
Co., got $3,000 for three songs. The $2 a song
which we pay comparatively unknown artists
may seem a small stipend, but it isn't, because
most of our people sing fifteen or twenty times
during the day, and we make use of them right
along.
"Salaries are now paid to the majority, includ-
ing three bands for different kinds of music, a
couple of quartets and a number of vocal and
instrumental soloists, to say nothing of two ac-
companists and two announcers. Most of these
make more money than they would in vaudeville.
Almost all of them have been on the stage and
have given it up for steady work with us.
"Singers and players are growing wise to the
fact that making talking machine records is a
good thing for them financially, and the result
is that we are besieged with applications for en-
gagements.
"Most of these people are inclined to be rather
superior in manner when they make us their
first kind offers of assistance. They have an air
of feeling that it is rather beneath them to sing
into a mere horn—that the work is dead easy.
"This is where they are away off. The horn
may be unresponsive. It doesn't applaud, but
it knows what it wants and won't do its part un-
less it gets it.
"Because it is so hard to obtain the right kind
of voices for the horn, and because we have to
keep up to Broadway with new songs, as well as
to make fresh records of old ones, we are looking
for good singers all the time, and give almost
everybody who comes in a chance to show what
he or she can do.
"About one in twenty-five of those who try
comes anywhere near filling the bill. We expect
the singer to give his song with much distinct-
ness and strength, and to get in the expression
without too much variation in tone. He has to
be very careful in his words, because the little
needle that is putting it all down is more sensi-
tive than the average ear, and has a cold-blooded
SCHEME FOR TESTING BUSINESS.
way of exaggerating a singer's faults.
"Then there is more or less gymnastic work
Within the past few weeks one of the leading
connected with singing to the machine. For
manufacturing companies hit upon a novel and
notes that are soft and low you must thrust your apparently efficacious scheme for testing the busi-
bead into the receiver, and must draw it out ness acumen of store management and salesman-
again just as rapidly or as slowly as you increase ship. Unheralded they sent out a party in a
the volume of sound. In a piece that has sud- well-appointed automobile to every dealer of any
den changes the singer's head keeps bobbing back size in the Greater New York territory, who was
and forth all the time. To be a good 'talker' spe- charged to inquire about certain machines—not
confined to their own product, by the way—rec-
cialist you must be able to vary the distance of
your voice from the receiver in exact accordance ords, machines, etc. The gentleman was waited
with the sound. If a soprano is singing, for ex- upon in the usually courteous manner, and on
ample, she must put her head as far as it will leaving, with but few exceptions, his name or ad-
go into the horn when she's on her very low dress was not asked for. The test customer had
notes, and when she soars to the heights she must the appearance of a most desirable "prospect,"
draw quickly back and sing straight to the cell- nevertheless no steps were taken to follow up the
ing. If she doesn't, the machine will transform business.
With this peculiar experience before them the
Mary Jane's top notes into a grating shriek.
"The knowledge of how to do these things general sales manager of the company, which in-
comes only from experience. We don't expect dulged in the "rubbering" expedition, has since
to hear at a first trial a voice that is just right been wondering how many sales are actually lost
for the machine. We listen merely to find out by the careless methods and inattention to details
whether it contains material that will make it he uncovered in so simple yet so effective a
manner.
suitable for the machine.
SOUSA AND PHONOGRAPHY.
Remarks at Copyright Hearing at Washing-
ton Subject of Much Comment, Pro and Con
—Frank Carr Twits Him Poetically.
John Philip Sousa's remarks at the recent hear-
ing in connection with the new copyright bill,
have been the subject of much comment in the
daily papers. Some writers, wh« have yet to
learn that the talking machine is no longer a
toy, but a perfected medium for the interpreta-
tion of the best vocal and instrumental music,
have been writing silly prattle; other writers
have recognized in Sousa's statement a compli-
ment to the "talker" inasmuch as it is a "foeman
worthy of his steel." Frank V. Corr thus sums
up the situation in the Green Bay (Wis.) Ad-
vocate :
I'liil Sousa says (lio phonograph will sorrow soon bo
bringing
Inlo this world,—ho makes mo laugh he says there'll
be no singing
Or playing of pianoforte; the time will soon be coming
When Pompey will not Dinnh court as banjo he is
thrumming.
The phonograph-and graphophone we will consign to
the attic—
All instruments to music known ; songs plain and
operatic
Will not be sung by human voice, so says the famed
bandmaster,
Well, sometimes, if I had my choice, that would bs
no disaster,
For I have met with those who thought the whole world
should be ringing
With praises that should come unsought from those who
heard them singing.
And we, who listened, thought them punk, them we
would like to muzzle,
Do they themselves or hearers bunk? this to me's a
great puzzle,
If Sousa ever lived around where some players were
thumping
A piano, at every sound or player he'd be jumping,
Or had lie ever heard, like me, some singers loudly
screeching,
The merits of phonography l'hll Sousa would be
teaching.
Knicker—The packers say they use everything
except the squeal.
Bocker—Couldn't they can that in a phono-
graph?
A Word with
the Piano Dealer
Do you carry a regular line of Talk-
ing Machines? If not, why not?
There's good money in It, and it
blends perfectly with your vocation.
Do you wish to know all about the
business? Its possibilities and how to
make money in selling "talkers"?
THE
TALKING
MACHINE
WORLD
is the only publication In America de-
voted solely to the Interests of the
talking - machine trade. I t contains
forty to fifty pages 11 x 15 of interest-
ing matter, and has practical sugges-
tions, helpful comments, a complete
list of all records issued monthly by
the leading concerns, patents and im-
provements, and every item of trade
news which is worth recording from
all parts of the world.
The cost is only a trifle—one dollar
a year (stamps or cash). No subscrip-
tion entered for less than one year.
EDWARD LYMAN BILL
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER
OFFICES:
I MADISON AVE., NEW YORK