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6
THE: MUSIC TRADE:
REVIEW
know nothing of them. We need men who have
the big enthusiasm that arises from faith, the faith
that arises only from certain and well digested
knowledge. We need men with brains of big, not
of small, capacity. And until we have populated
the ranks of our industry with men of this stamp,
we shall not come into our own.
PLAYER INSTALLATION TAUGHT.
American Player Action Co. Gives Instruction
Gratis, to Those Purchasing Their Mechan-
ism—A Safeguard for the Manufacturer
Against Comebacks.
"We are now as busy as we can be," said M. R.
But there are Brains and Near-Brains. The Musser, general manager of the American Player
Action Co., 2595 Third avenue, this week. "It al-
SUBSCRIPTION, (including postage), United States and
supply of the latter exceeds that of the former by
most seems as if everyone has been withholding
Mexico, $2.00 per year; Canada, $3.50; all other coun-
a
very
considerable
margin.
We
want
men
who
tries, $4.00.
their orders until now, and then letting them all
are more than superficially brilliant, more than
Telephones—Numbers 5982 and 5983 Madison Sq. showy. Some men are like a mountain torrent go at once. Those who are using our mechanism and
Connecting all Departments
action are realizing their value and ordering more,
that makes an immense amount of noise and
while the number of new customers which we
dashes around its rocky bed with great show of
NEW YORK, MARCH 30, 1912
activity, but which is found, when examined, to be have secured recently have kept us on the jump.
"You see it is our aim to give our customers as
but a few inches deep. Other men are, like a broad
much
attention as possible in order to feel that
"Wanted—Men with Brains!" That is the kind lake, apparently asleep, but really quiet with the
of advertisement that the player industry ought to quietness that comes from depth and power. The our actions will be installed properly and there will
be inserting in newspapers all over the country at Jatter sort are the men we need, want and must be no comebacks. Consequently, we are equipped
this time. If one thought about it from now till have. They cannot come too soon, nor can we to devote our best energies to the instruction of
Doomsday, one could not evolve one single rec- have too many of them. We want men who will them all, especially those who are not familiar with
ommendation of force and verity equal to this. think straight, who can look at a proposition player action installation. Therefore, when a man
Brains—Brains with a big B—are the one big need squarely and rightly, who can see the most remote orders player actions from us he is at liberty to
of the industry. The proposition is simple. We implication clearly and plan for them wisely. And send a player man to our factory and we will give
have a trade which carries within itself immense, practically those men are, unhappily, in the minority him every opportunity to learn the player action
from the time it is a plank in the rough to the fin-
unheard-of, incredible potentialities of develop- among us.
ished product and finish with the installation of
ment. No man can begin to tell what the future
the
action in one of his own pianos. When this
may hold. There has never been throughout the
Catchy advertising, meritorious claims, "smart
whole long history of musical instruments, an in- salesmanship" and all the crop of cheap shallow- piano is taken away and the man leaves our plant
should he have any trouble we are at his beck and
vention of more service than the player-piano to ness that has, unhappily, characterized too much
the world in general, as well as to the persons par- altogether of American business methods are call and will not leave him until we are thoroughly
satisfied that he understands thoroughly each in-
ticularly interested in making and selling it. rapidly disappearing from other great industrial
tricate feature of the action and its installation.
There has never been a musical development of
enterprises. America has grown up. We are out
"We also send our experts out into factories
parallel importance to the whole of mankind. The of leading strings. Is it not time that men every-
where these actions are to be installed, and they
player-piano is an enormously important, valuable where should give up the childish attitude of past
are instructed to stay at the plants until they are
and significant proposition. And we need the very days and settle down to business? The notion that
satisfied that the workmen in the factory have a
finest obtainable quality of brains to handle and "smartness" is the biggest asset a business man can
thorough knowledge of the installation. Conse-
develop it along right lines.
have is fallacious. It is, in fact, largely nonsense.
quently, although this educational campaign is tak-
Earnestness, enthusiasm and knowledge are the
ing up considerable time of our experts, besides
For it is not to be denied that the player-piano, big needs, and we must have them. Especially in
costing us considerable money, we feel that it will
like most other very big things, has to go through a trade like ours is this true, for we are dealing
be a saving in the end, owing to the fact that we
a relatively long period of childhood and with the problem of creating a demand for some-
will be certain that when we ship actions to our
adolescence, during which the most careful nurs- thing which has already been injured through mis-
customers they will be properly and expertly in-
ing, the most tender care, and the most prudent representation, ignorance and childish methods.
stalled by men who know the intricacies which
foresight are needed, if the young growth is to We have not merely to create a natural approval,
cause trouble and there will be no comebacks.
become healthy, fine and wise. Just as a child may but to kill off and completely eliminate a formed
"We have none but expert workmen in our plant
be ruined forever through carelessness and ignor- and growing prejudice. Let us not blind ourselves
and
none but what has proved his worth by actual
ance on the part of its parents, so may our to the facts. Let us rather face them courageous-
application to work which has been set before him.
player-piano proposition be turned from its proper ly, wisely and with clear vision. That way, and
We are constantly improving the action by en-
course, distorted in its features and rendered help- that way only, lies success.
deavoring to simplify it, rather than add to it.
less by unwise, hasty or brainless action on our
part. Again we say that Brains are the big need.
He who first said "Be true to thine own self"
For plainly speaking, we have not enough Brains knew what he was talking about. He knew, for he
PECULIAR J \ D V E R T I S I N G .
in our industry. The dominating idea throughout was a wise man, one of the wisest this world has Strong Points of Wilcox & White Booklets Used
our trade is still the old one of "laissez aller." Let
ever seen. It is an axiom of life that success is
to Feature Malcolm Player-Piano.
things go and they will come out all right somehow not success at all until it brings with it a pleasure
or other. It is a fatal attitude, and one which even natural and healthy. The joy of doing is greater
An advertising campaign that is creating much
now, early in the game, is beginning to show bad than the reward which a material world holds out. comment among the reputable piano houses to
fruits.
The biggest things have never been done on a whose attention it has come is that which has
hireling basis. We are ourselves facing the second been carried on in the Minneapolis, Minn., papers
Take one instance only. There is the fallacy great period in a wonderful industry. We are just by the Metropolitan Music Co., a concern of high
which shows itself in the statement that the beginning to have some idea of its future possibili- standing and having the agency for such noted
public knows nothing and cares less about music, ties. Now is the time therefore to think straightly, pianos as the Steinway, Weber, Kranich & Bach
to see clearly, to judge wisely. Now is the time and Ludwig. The advertising referred to was in
and that therefore it is quite immaterial whether
a player-piano is made so as to produce artistic for thought and reflection. Now is the day for the interest of the Malcolm player-piano, and the
music in an artistic manner, or not. And con- wisdom. We need men with brains, men who can advertising writer had incorporated matter taken
sider farther the extension of this obsession to see, men who can think, men who can form judg- verbatim, practically, from the catalogs, booklets
the music-roll, as expressed in the claim that the ments that will be as valid in the future as they and other publications of Wilcox & White and
roll really does not need to be made so as to give are to-day. We need big men, men with brains! which referred to an occurrence in Pittsburgh,
where the Angelus was the subject of the demon-
artistic translations of scores, since the public
knows and cares nothing about these. The whole
Our country is filled with young, talented, am- stration.
Added to this appeared three testimonials given
notion is based on the fallacy that the success of
bitious men, with men who are just now surveying
any commercial proposition rests upon the ignor- the harbor of business, seeking for the ship under by Mr. Latnare, Mr. Foerster and Mascagni to
ance rather than upon the intelligence of the peo- whose ensign they may most wisely enlist. We the Wilcox & White Co. and referring to the
ple. In fact, of course, the truth is just opposite are not getting enough of those young men, these Angelus, which was used with the object of mis-
to this. Although it may be conceded that most captains of the future, into our business. There is leading the reader into the belief that they were
people are as bad as they are supposed to be in
a sort of idea prevalent that our industry is a given in connection with the Malcolm player.
these matters, still the fact remains that it is not small, a petty and a cheap thing. How far we our-
We can hardly believe that the Metropolitan
the "common people" at all who set the fashion or
selves are responsible for such a feeling is not a Music Co. would knowingly permit such tactics.
who create favorable public opinion for things like matter for present thought. But that this is an evil There are undoubtedly ample selling arguments
pianos and players. No good piano could exist state of public mind cannot be denied. We must to be used in favor of the Malcolm player-piano
without cultivated approval, and cultivated ap- make it our business to get into our ranks the without employing doctored testimonials and recon-
proval sets the fashion for that which is unculti- best brains this country of ours can produce. We structed textual matter which applies to the Wil-
vated.
shall have need of them in the near future. We cox & White Angelus player, and to no other. This
have need of them now. The great age of de- is certainly competition which must be strongly
velopment is at hand with us. Let us see to it condemned. It is unfair to the Wilcox & White
We need men in this industry of ours who will
have an abiding faith in such great truths as this. that we set to our work well and truly. And let Co., as well as to the public, and reflects discredit
We need men who will deem it not a joke, but a us also remember that we need men—men with on a house whose reputation h,a,S always stood
high.
shame, to confess that they sell player-pianos but brains!
Published Every Saturday at 373 Fourth Avenue, New York