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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
T
HE year 1914 seems to be opening up—as the financial papers
would say—very nicely indeed. It almost begins to look as
if people would in course of time understand the wild absurdity
of first creating from their own minds a Frankenstein monster of
Fear, and then grovelling before it in abject worship, incidentally
becoming quite angry with anybody who dares to suggest that the
process is at all illogical. Nothing is at once sadder and more
ridiculous than to observe the positive anger with which people
will greet any attempt to blow away the bubble of Panic. Yet
one sees with satisfaction the gradual coming of better under-
standing erf the reasons for these things; 1914 is going to be a
good year for the player business, and anybody who thinks any-
thing different had better begin to think a little more deeply 6f
recent developments in that business.
There is one point to be observed about prospects for business
which we should not overlook. The player is to-day in a better
musical position than ever before. No one can deny this fact.
The prejudice of musicians is little by little being dissipated in the
light of fuller and clearer knowledge. To-day we are in a better
position with regard to this one important element in success than
we ever were before, and it is our duty to take full advantage of it.
Let us stop talking about what happened last year and get down
to 1914 business.
UDGING by the contents of the music-roll bulletins for the
month, one might say, with our contemporary, Life, that "he
who does not 'hesitate' is lost, these days." The psychology of the
rag-time dances is something that fascinates us. We observe with
astonishment, not unmingled with awe, the intelligence and the
wealth of the nation alike having fits over tangos, maxims, hesita-
tions and other exotics of the same genus. We are amazed, we
say, because we are so totally unable to see what it is all about.
Just what there is so compelling in these rhythms is a matter of
pure mystery to us, and yet we are not old fogyish by any means.
Can it be that there are others who feel as we do, but are not
reckless enough to say so? Can it be that there are even some
music roll men who wish they did not have to spend so much time
and labor arranging new ephemeral nuisances every month. Per-
haps some day public tests will become reasonably intelligent!
Perhaps!
J
HE remarkably successful Angelus recital at Des Moines,
which has been treated to so much well deserved publicity
in the trade press, was an excellent example of putting into practice
some of the principles which this section has consistently preached.
"Take the people seriously," we have said. And the Lehmans
took them seriously. "Appeal to their intelligence," we have
urged, and this was done. "Make your recital work as careful
and as thoughtful an accomplishment as any other kind of adver-
tising! Have faith in what you are doing and especially have
enough faith not to be secretly ashamed of the claims made for
the player-piano." These ideas, notions, or principles governed the
promoters of the Van Yorx-Angelus affair. And the results were
as remarkable as anyone could have wished. Surely nobody sup-
poses that this sort of work is wasted. Suppose that it does cost
a little money! Is there any publicity method that can be thought
T
9
of in which so much can be done at once novel and effective? To
devise a new method for producing talk about the player is one
thing. P)iit to do this simultaneously with giving the finest pos-
sible sort of demonstration of the playing of the player-piano is a
great deal more. And to combine the two desiderata with a third,
whereby the whole is turned into a regular society event; this is
splendid. We heartily congratulate everybody concerned on this
fine work. It is worthy of emulation.
O
NE thing is certain, whatever else may or may not be true:
this player business of ours has got into its stride at last.
From now onwards the days of experiment, of hesitation, of doubt,
of uncertainty, will fade further and further into the mists of the
past, leaving behind an ever receding memory and nothing else.
We have struck the pace at last. The player is here to stay, and
its influence upon the piano business, upon public taste and upon
the cultivation of music in America, must henceforth be the subject
of careful calculation. It is no longer a question of whether the
player will survive; it is altogether a question of what its influence
will be. No longer can we ask what we shall do with the player.
We must rather ask now what the player will do with us. And in
accepting this inevitable situation, let us resolve to make the most
of the great possibilities thus set in our path. We are going to see
greater and greater improvements and refinements. We are going
to see the once despised and rejected "machine" overcoming, one
by one, the last strongholds of prejudice and enmity. Let us then
make sure that whatever we do, we stand not in the way of
progress.
T
HE enthusiastic, well-meaning, but wrong-thinking partisan is
as bad an enemy as the out and out antagonist. In fact, he
is often worse, because he thinks himself a friend, and is therefore
very indignant when someone suggests that he is doing more harm
than good. The wrong sort of enthusiasm is worse than no en-
thusiasm at all. Let us not, therefore, make the mistake of sup-
posing that there is no more to learn, or that approximate perfec-
tion has been reached. This is not so. Because we see our path
clear before us, we cannot suppose that we may rightly pretend
the journey is not as much as ever to be taken. Vision may show
me the way up the mountains, but work gets me to the top.
F
AlTPi based on knowledge, confidence as the result of con-
viction, and clear thinking; these are the requisites for suc-
cess in the present state of our business, as never before. It is
the man who can see ahead, have confidence in his business pre-
dictions and who is elastic enough to profit by the mistakes of his
competitors while still maintaining his own convictions who will
win out in the end. This is the age of development, not spas-
modic, but steady and normal.
T
HE Player-Piano Up-to-Date, the new text-book on the pneu-
matic art, is now ready for distribution from this office. We
bespeak on the part of all in the trade whose opinion is worthy of
consideration, a sympathetic reception and perusal of this new book.
It represents considerable study and labor, and the text has been
most carefully prepared, in order that accuracy may be assured.
The Master Player-Piano
is now equipped with an
AUTOMATIC TRACKING DEVICE
Which guarantees absolutely correct tracking of even the most imperfect music rolls
W I N T E R & CO., 220 Southern Boulevard, New York City