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Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
REVIEW
or city, and should co-operate with leading local committees who
are interested in engaging musical organizations. This practical
interest in the musical welfare of the community is the best kind
of advertising for the piano merchant, and he can view this in a
purely selfish way, if he wills, for increased musical knowledge and
appreciation means a greater demand for all kinds of musical in-
struments.
BUSINESS CONDITIONS IN EUROPE
PUBLISHED BY EDWARD LYMAN BILL, Inc.
President and Treasurer, C. L. Bill, 373 Fourth Ave., New York; Vice-President,
J. B. Spillane, 373 Fourth Aye., New York; Second Vice-President, Raymond Bill, 373
Fourth Ave., New York; Assistant Treasurer, Wm. A. Low.
J. B. SPILLANE, Editor
RAYMOND BILL, B. B. WILSON, Associate Editors
WILSON D. BUSH, Managing Editor
CARLETON CHACE, Business Manager
Executive and Reportorlal Stall
V. D. WALSH, WM. BRAID WHITE (Technical Editor), E. B. MUNCH, L. M. ROBINSON,
C. A. LEONARD, EDWARD LYMAN BILL, SCOTT KINGWILL, THOS. W. BRESNAHAN, A. J.
NICKLIN, L. E. BOWERS
WESTERN DIVISION:
BOSTON OFFICE:
Republic Bldg., 209 So. State St., Chicago.
JOHN H. WILSON, 324 Washington St.
Telephone, Wabash 5774.
Telephone, Main 69S0.
LONDON, ENGIiAND: 1 Gresham Buildings, Basinghall St., D. C.
NEWS SERVICE IS SUPPLIED WEEKLY BY OUR CORRESPONDENTS
LOCATED IN THE LEADING CITIES THROUGHOUT AMERICA.
Published Every Saturday at 373 Fourth Avenue, New York
Entered as second-class matter September 10, 1892, at the post office at New York, N. Y.,
under the Act of March 3, 1879.
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage), United States and Mexico, $2.00 per year;
Canada, $3.50; all other countries, $5.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $6.00 per inch, single column, per insertion. On quarterly or
yearly contracts a special discount is allowed. Advertising pages, $150.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency forms, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill, Inc.
Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques-
Piann allU
and
-riallU
tions of a technical nature relating to the tuning,
regulating and repairing of pianos and player-pianos
y
are dealt with, will be found in another section of
this paper. We also publish a number of reliable technical works, information concerning
which will be cheerfully given upon request.
OCTOBER 2, 1920
T
H E declaration of Herman Irion, of Steinway & Sons, to the
effect that real assistance from the United States is required
to put war-ridden Europe again on its feet as an economic factor,
bears out the statements made by many men of intelligence and
vision who have come back from Europe after making tours of
inspection of the various countries.
The average American does not grasp the fact that the help
we are asked to extend is not political but practical. What is
needed is not charity, but a resumption of business relationships;
the extension of credit on a sound basis, and the reopening of trade
routes approximating those in existence before the war.
While a nation may live within itself politically, although this
is still a mooted question, no nation can live within itself com-
mercially and continue to prosper. In aiding the European coun-
tries to get back to a normal basis, we are simply opening the way
for our own business expansion in both imports and exports. It
is a matter that should be given prompt thought.
MUSIC ROLL BUSINESS WILL BE HELPED
T
H E news that the deadlock that has existed between the music
roll manufacturers and certain music publishers during the past
few
months has at last been broken through the determination of
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
Grand Prix
Paris Exposition, 1900 Silver Medal.. .Charleston Exposjtion, 1902
the
music
roll men to negotiate with the publishers as individuals
Diploma,.. .Pan-American Exposition, 1901 Gold Medal
St. Louis Exposition, 1904
Gold Medal—Lewis-Clark Exposition, 1905
in the matter of securing word rights on music rolls, should be
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONES—NUMBERS 5982—6983 MADISON SQ.
of distinct interest to music merchants generally, for it will mean
Connecting all Departments
Cable address: "ElbllL New York"
the brightening up of many word roll catalogs with selections that
are of a timely and popular order.
NEW YORK, OCTOBER 2, 1920
Vol. LXXI
No. 14
There is no denying that the music roll business has suffered
to some extent during the past few months through the inability
THE GROWTH OF MUSICAL APPRECIATION
of the manufacturers to offer some of the reigning hits in word
H E first week of this month witnesses the opening of the roll form, even though the hits have been few and far between.
The release of the latest song numbers just now and in time for
musical season in New York and other cities throughout the
Fall
business is particularly desirable and welcome.
country, and according to the plans of the leading musical bureaus
and impresarios we are schedued to hear the greatest number of
PRODUCTION IS RAPIDLY INCREASING
pianists in recital, and in conjunction with the great orchestras, ever
heard in one musical season in America. These artists will demon-
O all appearances the piano merchants of the country will not
strate the wonderful musical possibilities of the piano, and illustrate
be able to offer shortage of stock as an excuse for any drop in
the perfection of the workmanship attained by our great manu-
sales totals during the next several months, for the piano manu-
facturers.
facturers have made most satisfactory progress in increasing pro-
There is unquestionably a greater interest in music now abroad
duction to the point where it comes close to taking care of all normal
in this country than has ever existed before. This is due not only
demands of the retail trade. This applies to the production of the
in a large measure to the splendid work carried on by the National
leading makes of instruments, as well as those of the medium grades,
Bureau for the Advancement of Music, but also to the educational
and although the large and small grands are still somewhat scarce
work of the player-piano and the talking machine, which have
articles, there are enough of them being shipped from the factories
brought into the homes of the people the great masters of music,
just now to insure more than a mere sample on the wareroom floor
as well as the more popular compositions. For, while the news-
of the average retailer. With the goods on hand the question of sell-
paper writers may lead one to believe that the owners of player-
ing takes on added importance.
pianos and talking machines use nothing but jazz and the music
hall numbers of the day, the fact remains that a very large per-
SATURATING THE MARKET
centage of the owners of these instruments appreciate high-class
music, and through the medium of those same instruments have
UCCESSFUL advertising is the result of saturating the market.
been able to hear in a most intimate manner compositions by the
Along this line "Class" remarks:
great masters. They have come to appreciate the beauty of these
"The advertising which gets contact with all possible pros-
great works, and have acquired the desire to hear these same com-
pects, gets it constantly and gets it under favorable conditions, is
positions played by the famous pianists or orchestras of the country.
bound to produce.
"The weakness of purely general advertising, no matter how
The growth of musical appreciation in America for the past
large the aggregate circulation employed, is shown up immediately
ten years has been truly marvelous, and it is increasing year after
when it is subjected to analysis. It is found to have too little circu-
year. This is evident from the fact that the small towns, which
lation in any one locality to influence local conditions to a marked
rarely heard noted artists or musical organizations, are now listening
degree, and too little circulation in a given industry to produce a
to the best in music and are booking all the leading musical attrac-
definite
change in buying habits.
tions for the coming season.
"The easiest and most effective method of saturating the market
Music dealers in every section of the country should keep in
is to use business papers, with which the trade and industrial factors
the closest touch with the musical happenings of their community—
can be completely covered, and to use local industrial publications
in other words, tie up with every local musical event. They should
or newspapers to get territorial concentration."
manifest the greatest interest in the musical progress of their town
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