Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE
56
VAN ALSTYNE TO PUBLISH
Organizes the Firm of Van Alstyne & Curtis,
;
With Offices in Several Cities
• Some time ago The Review printed an an-
nouncement that Egbert Van Alstyne would
shortly enter the music publishing field in his
own behalf. He now announces the formation
of the firm of Van Alstyne & Curtis, with Chicago
professional offices at 117 N. State street, and
with a Toledo office under the management of
Loyal Curtis, his partner, in the Gardner Build-
,ing, Toledo, O. Announcement of the New York
headquarters will be made shortly. The present
catalog is composed of "Give Me the Good Old
Days," "Marie" a French baby song, "Spring-
time," "Mississippi Shore," and "Until the Shad-
ows Have Flown."
'IN YOUR ARMS" IS POPULAR
Harry Collins, sales manager of Richmond, the
publisher, has just returned from a trip through
the New England territory. H e states the or-
chestras are all playing his firm's successful
number "In Your Arms." He brought back
many substantial orders for Richmond publica-
tions and he states that the New England trade is
giving his house exceptional co-operation.
SINGS "GRANNY" FOR GRANNIES
While playing at the Hamilton theatre in New
York City last week, L. Wolfe Gilbert secured
the permission of B. S. Moss to play a special
performance of a most unusual sort. He ap-
peared at the Home for the Aged, where he
sang several of his late numbers, including
"Granny," for the old folks, who were enthusiastic
in their praise of the spirit of the number.
MEYER COHEN IN HOSPITAL
Meyer Cohen, head of the Meyer Cohen Music Co.,
is at present confined to the hospital suffering with
an attack of blood poisoning. Mr. Cohen had one of
his fingers infected some time ago, and immediately
went under the care of a specialist, but after several
minor operations was forced to go to the hospital,
where his hand could be under the watchful eyes of
his physician.
TO 6000 McKINLEY AGENTS
46 New Numbers
and New Catalogs
Now Ready for 1919
YOU ARE SURE TO HAVE CALLS
Bmttmr Music, Better Paper, Better Titles
150% Profit on
FAMOUS
McKINLEY
10 CENT MUSIC
All of the Best Reprints and more
Big Selling Copyrights than any
other 10 Cent Edition.
Free catalogs with stock orders. We pay
for your advertising. Our music is as staple
as wheat.
Write for samples.
Chicago McKINLEY MUSIC CO. New York
REVIEW
NOVEMBER 29, 1919
THE NEED FOR REAL SALESMEN
but should be receiving and assimilating ideas
from the dealers in every town he visits.
The Music Publishing Field Needs Salesmen of
Probably in no other industry are the salesmen
Aggressive and Progressive Ideas, Instead of as unprogressive and devoid of ideas as those
Mere Order-Taking Representatives
found in the music publishing field, which is
largely due to the fact that publishers in the past
During the past two seasons the music pub- have often failed to pay sufficient salaries to
lishers, especially those in the popular field, have encourage salesmen of the progressive type to
reported a distinct shortage of music salesmen, join their forces. More often than not, the sales-
and in the past season, during which the ma- man's salary was so small that if it were not for
jority of the popular publishers inaugurated 30- his traveling at the house's expense, he would
cent catalogs, this shortage has been greatly ag- hardly be able to support himself. A man is
worthy of his hire, and to get representatives to
gravated.
Owing to the manner of sales and distribu- blaze the trail and to represent houses that have
tion in the popular field since the day the syndi- ideas, sales plans, etc., costs money. And it is
cate stores opened popular music departments, money well invested.
It is true that salaries have increased in this
the necessity for the popular publisher to develop
salesmen passed. Several of the syndicates have field in the last two years, but it is doubtful if
hundreds of sheet-music departments, and, while they have been increased sufficiently. It is true
the individual store has a manager who can order some of the houses are beginning to realize
music on his own initiative, most of the music is the importance of the salesmen, and, no doubt,
bought by the national buyer, or, at least, he en- this improvement will continue with this awak-
courages his managers by special listing of num- ened industry; awakened through conditions that
bers that are most meritorious, so far as sales have been forced upon it through the war and
are concerned. He does much to increase the following it.
sale of a number, and can send a general order
to the various departments, giving a publisher a
PRINTING TROUBLES ENDING
blanket sale covering all the stores.
Because of this the publisher has no need for New York Plants Resuming Operation and Nor-
mal Output of Sheet Music Is Expected to Re-
salesmen of unusual mentality—salesmen of the
sult Shortly—Relief to Publishers
aggressive sort; salesmen of ideas. More often
than not, the salesman in the popular field would
only be a representative who furnished the syndi-
According to present prospects, the strike and
cate music departments with extra title pages, "vacation" of the New York printers, which has
hangers, banners, etc., for display; watch their proven a serious handicap to music publishers in pro-
sales; see that they did not run out of goods; ducing sheet music at a time when the demand was
keeping an eye, of course, upon the purchases the heaviest, is now on the wane. Printers in a
and reporting on conditions to his firm. In a big number of large plants, including at least one de-
way he was hardly classed as a salesman.
voted exclusively to music printing, have returned
Present day conditions, where all the music to work, and it is expected that within a week or
publishers have catalogs in which the whole- so practically all the plants in the city will be run-
sale price of the music is around 18 cents, make ning close to normal. It will take the printers many
the above sort of representatives passe. What is weeks, however, to catch up with production, and it
needed today is salesmen. Under the conditions might likewise be mentioned that music printing
existing during the past few years, the popular costs will advance materially.
publisher never realized the absolute necessity
Under the new rates it will be practically impos-
nor the dignity of salesmanship. It was a case sible to produce popular music to sell at ten cents
of fawning upon and catering to the whims of and still leave a profit. During the past six weeks,
all the various representatives of the syndicates. while the strike was in progress, publishers were
The day of the noisy, loud-mouthed representa- forced to go back to black and white title pages and
tive is gone, even the syndicates couldn't stand to resort to other expedients in order to get out any
for him at times, and ever so often issued an or- music at all, and the end of the trouble is therefore
der barring him from their premises. He was a most welcome.
disturber more often than not, and he was often
charged with breaking up the discipline of the
FEIST'S PRODUCTION MUSIC
sales force—generally composed of girls. With
the increased price of music, publishers of music Leo Feist, Inc., Now Control Scores of Two
must have representatives of the better sort,
Broadway Successes—More Coming
men of ideas, aggressive men, but men who are in
no sense noisy. A legitimate sheet-music dealer
Leo Feist, Inc., are the publishers of the scores oi
is a different type of music buyer than are those two successful musical shows now appearing on
composing the buying force of the syndicate Broadway, "Irene," now playing at the Vanderbilt
stores.
Theatre, and "Linger Longer Letty," which opened
It is true that the legitimate sheet-music dealer at the Fulton Theatre on Wednesday night of last
is often charged with being backward; with being week. In addition, Leo Feist, Inc., will publish the
a man of no ideas, and unwilling to accept ideas. music for "Monsieur Beaucaire," which will open in
This is not always true, but as much of it as is New York on December II. This is an opera which
true is due to the representatives from some of has been tremendously successful in London. The
the standard publishers who have been visiting same firm will also be interested in the publishing
him for these many years, because the standard rights of "As You Were," another successful Lon-
publishers, too, have often failed to furnish the don production which is to be produced in New York
trade with salesmen of mental capacity above the shortly.
average.
At the present time in Ned Wayburn's Demi Tasse
A salesman, after all, should be a man who Review, now playing at the Capitol Theatre, New
blazes the trail, carries ideas t o the trade, sells York, they have two successful numbers. "How Can
goods and teaches his customers how to sell.
You Tell" and "Arizona."
Salesmen from the standard publishing houses
have frequently failed to be men of this caliber.
Leo Feist, Inc.. have opened up a new branch in
If the legitimate sheet-music dealer is unprogres- Milwaukee. Wis.. at 134 Grand avenue, under the
sive, and if he is unresponsivve to the sugges- management of Eric Earle.
tions from the publisher, it is because the pub-
lisher's representative has failed to give him the
THE BALLAD SONG HIT
proper education. A salesman should not only
know conditions from the publisher's standpoint,
"WHEN THE WORLD
3 New songs just off the press.
"Leaves from the Human Heart"
"Dear Rose Marie"
"I'm grlad I live in Ohio"
Words by Addison G. Smith, music by J. E. Andino.
Beautiful title pages. All gems of art.
6c to dealers, prepaid where check accompanies the
order. Addison G. Smith. Bucyrus, O.
IS SOUND ASLEEP"
VERY BEAUTIFUL
PUBLISHED BY
E. W. WILLIAMS
6955 UPLAND AVE.,
5 ?
PITTSBURGHJ$M