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PLAYER SECTION
NEW YORK, APRIL 24, 1920
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The Popular Theory That Success Gomes From Giving the Public What I
Wants Will Not Always Stand Close Inspection, as Is Shown by the Status of
the Player Roll Demand at the Present Time—Need for Educating the Public
It has well been said that the way of the
pioneer is hard; and cynics have gone so far as
tc allege that the transgressor himself has a
better chance all round in the long run. How-
ever that may be, the world seems to be fairly
unanimous in the belief that if one wants to
have an easy time and enjoy life one should
avoid any attempt to educate anybody or any-
thing. In a word, the uplifter has a hard time,
say the pessimists; and therefore, my son, be a
good burglar in preference.
What Does the Public Want?
However this may be, the fact remains that
the attitude of those who have things to make
and sell has always been rather painfully con-
servative in respect of improvement or better-
ment of any kind. It has been held that the
thing to do is to "give the public what the
public wants." Excellent advice, but just what
does it mean? Who and what is the public?
Who knows what it wants? Does it, in fact,
have any definite wants of any kind?
The human mind always tends to fall into
the error of oversimplifying things. We talk
of "Russia," of "England," of "Labor," of "Big
Business," as if each of these terms represented
some definite entity which can be singled out
and encased within a recognizable outline. Of
course no such conception corresponds to fact.
A mass of people is a mass of individuals. In
some very general directions it may be said that
the tendencies are thus and so; but no one can
presume to speak more accurately. Superficial
indications are often not only inaccurate but
actually misleading. If, for instance, there is
noted a strong demand for a certain piece of
goods, this may have nothing to do at all with
the merits of the article. It may rr.erely mean
that the people have been attracted to it by
advertising, and that their apparent enthusiasm
has no deep-founded reason." To conclude that
because a certain article is" being sold in large
quantities the public is really "wanting" it—that
it is "what the public wants"—is to assume a
great deal without adequate reason.
All of which is simply' another way of saying
that in practice those who are loudest in shout-
ing "give the public what the public wants"
usually mean no more than that, having found
acceptance for something which appeals to the
lowest of some particular set of instincts, they
have not imagination enough to suppose that
any other instincts exist. So, too, it means that
public taste is not measured by the quality of
the most numerous articles, but by the exist-
ence of the best, no matter how few the latter
may be.
This has its meaning for us in our industry.
In one conspicuous respect the player industry
has been educational and reformative.
The
player-piano was in itself a revolution; and it
has always had to fight its way against a thou-
sand and one prejudices. It still is sufficiently
interesting in itself to those who are profes-
sionally occupied with it to assure that improve-
ment shall not cease and that technical ques-
tions shall continue to attract attention. On the
other hand, the music roll has for long sheltered
itself behind the player-piano and so has escaped
much of the criticism which should have been
leveled against it. In fact, it is not too much
to say that the player-piano has commonly been
blamed, and is being blamed still, for defects
which are in reality to be attributed more right-
ly to the roll. There has been very little
"criticism" of the roll, using the term in its
right sense of "investigation followed by rea-
soned judgment."
Now it is our opinion that the future of an
industry may be judged with some approach to
accuracy by consideration of its present activi-
ties. The spirit in which it is conducted leads
to a reasonably accurate understanding of its
probable career henceforth. The music roll in-
dustry, in face of such an investigation, will
show itself as less than admirable in some re-
spects. This is true in many respects, techni-
cal, commercial and promotive.
The "Public" Fallacy
We have in this particular branch of our in-
dustry a perfect example of the lengths to which
the conception of "giving the public what it
wants" may lead. As was remarked above, if
one is superficial enough to suppose that there
is really one public with one specifically de-
finable want, one is sure to judge the nature of
this by the appearance only. Now it is a mat-
ter of knowledge that we first find as common
to a mass of individuals only the most primitive
instincts. Everybody marches in step to a
drum. Everybody is sometimes hungry and
demands food; the coarser in quality as the
hunger becomes intensified. But that does not
mean that the primitive response to rhythm or
to hunger is to be encouraged as a great civiliz-
ing instinct. We do not get up industries to
teach the world to beat drums. So also in mu-
sic. If we leave the matter entirely to the
public, and ask, "What do you want?" the an-
swer will be in terms of the lowest common
factor.
Now the music roll makers, like others in the
music industries, should not fall into the error
of supposing that their present state of pros-
perity is likely to be permanent if they do not
wake up. -No industry can prosper permanent-
ly unless those who control it see that the de-
mand for their product is based on something
like a solid foundation. The present public
demand for music rolls is based on an insecure
foundation, as is evidenced by the fact that the
average collection of music rolls in the average
home which contains a player-piano is repre-
sented by about a dozen titles. This fact tes-
tifies that the people do not continue to buy
rolls after they have bought their player-pianos.
It is a recognition of this fact which is leading
the Q R S interests to promote the Story Roll.
Now the Story Roll represents one of those up-
lifting efforts at which, as we say above, the
cynics and shallow-pates always laugh. It is
usually indeed true that the way of the pioneer
is rocky; but it is also true that the player busi-
ness is a pioneer business which came into
existence through the breaking down of bar-
riers of tradition.
Some of the best brains in
the industry are coming to see that the music
roll business must wake up and start once more
to "educate" the public. This time it is to be
an education in better arranging, better selec-
tion and better musical effect. We need a re-
awakening of attention to the details of musical
effect, less acceptance of the belief that the
public wants only the elaborately boosted "hits"
and an understanding that' it is not good busi-
ness to have all bargains and no staples.
The way of the pioneer may be hard; but
some hard-working pioneers are much needed
just about now. It is all very nice to talk
about giving the public what it wants; but a
little real thought on the subject is likely to
produce some change of opinion in this respect.
PIANOSTYLE ROLLS BY TRUCK
Pianostyle Music Co. Overcomes the Effects of
the "Outlaw" Railroad Strike
In keeping with their usual spirit of progres-
siveness, the Pianostyle Music Co., of Brooklyn,
N. Y., surmounted the difficulties imposed by the
outlaw strike on the railroads throughout-the
country and successfully supplied Pianostyle
music rolls to their many dealers. The large
Pianostyle truck was kept very busy, and made
tiips as far distant as Washington, D. C, and
throughout New England.
The Pianostyle
dealers appreciated this service and hearty co-
operation, as was evidenced by many expres-
sions of appreciation received at the executive
offices of the company.