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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
THE VITAL QUESTION
{Continued from page 3)
playing the piano, per the player mechanism,
then that person will normally want a foot-
pumped player-piano, or, at any rate, a player-
piano which lends itself to personal control.
Every retail merchant who has ever seriously
tried the policy of showing prospects how easy
it is to give a little expression to the playing
knows that there is no comparison between the
enthusiasm which can be thus aroused and the
comparative apathy which supervenes when the
human element is ignored. Certainly, if the
salesman is to sell player-pianos by sitting at the
pedals with his arms crossed and working his
feet as if they were on a treadmill the sooner
the pedals are taken out and an electric motor
substituted the better for all concerned. But is
this the right sort of policy for the future suc-
cess of the player business?
Bad Playing vs. Bad Listening
The reproducing piano, properly so-called
(that is to say, the Ampico, the Duo-Art, the
Welte-Mignon, and so on), has its own high
place. It is the recording, the preserving, the
teaching player. It preserves musical interpre-
tation and puts at the disposal of the musically
minded, and of serious musicians everywhere,
the treasures of contemporary interpretation.
But it is not the player-piano for the masses
and no sensible man supposes that it is. Even
if it competed in price with the foot-pumped
player-piano the fact would remain that general
public musical interest will always decline when
the personal element is once shut out. Nothing
can be more absolutely certain than this. Bet-
ter by far to have the masses producing bad
music of their own than try to persuade them
to invest their money in devices which allow
them never to be more than passive listeners.
Passive listening does not sell music, pianos,
rolls or anything else.
A Field for Each Instrument
Let each instrument take its due place. The
reproducing piano is the great interpreter. The
automatic player-piano is the instrument for
public and for commercial uses, par excellence.
MAY
28, 1921
The foot-pumped player-piano is the player-piano
par excellence for the home, the best instrument of
all for bringing to the masses the love for music—
a love which must be stimulated by personal par-
ticipation before the interpreting players can
even be appreciated.
Reviving Player-Pianism
So it seems to us that the whole secret lies,
after all, in reviving the art of player-pianism,
and insisting that the retail salesman shall learn
the simple trick of playing, and impart this to
all his prospects.
There will not be any future for the player
business if the foot-pumped player-piano is
allowed to decline.
DECKER GRANDS IN DEMAND
Style L Player Also Among Popular Instru-
ments Manufactured by Decker & Son
That high-grade pianos and player-pianos are
in demand has been manifested at the plant of
Decker & Son, 697-701 East 135th street, New
York, where there has been a steady increase in
orders, especially for the Decker grand. No less
"The Player They Want
to Play Well"
That is how the right kind of a player-piano ought to
appeal to the prospective customer; if the salesman
knows the A. B. C. of his business.
If You Have Any Doubts as to This, Acquaint
Yourself Speedily With the Wonderful
M. Schulz Co.
Player-Piano
which for eleven years has been steadily developed, in
our own factories, by our own experts, along original
and exclusive lines, which have made .it pre-eminently
Easiest to Play
Simplest
Most Responsive to Sympathetic Handling
Most Reliable
Tightest
Least "Mechanical"
Live dealers, in this new time when player merchan-
dising is recognized as based on the musical value of
the instrument, are invited to gain a better knowledge
of one whose merits are extolled by an army of loyal
representatives.
Just Write to
M. SCHULZ COMPANY
Founded
General Offices
Sehulz Building
711 Milwaukee A T * .
CHICAGO
1869
Southern Wholesale Branch
1530 Candler Bldg.
ATLANTA, GA.
More than 175.000 of our pianos and player-pianos have been made and sold.
Decker Player, Style L
popular than the Decker grand, however, is the
Style L player-piano, an instrument which has
won quick success under the guidance of F. C.
Decker, whose reputation as a creator of good
instruments is well known throughout the coun-
try. As may be seen in the accompanying illus-
tration, the case design of this instrument is
particularly pleasing. It is finished in figured
mahogany and is four feet ten inches high.
Decker pianos and player-pianos have been
well known throughout the country since 1856
and have always been built by a member of the
Decker family. In this way the standard of
quality which was established by Myron A.
Decker, the founder of the company, has been
maintained by his son and grandson, and the
line has been kept abreast of the times with the
result that this old-established business has
shown progress from -year to year and a host
of representative dealers all over the country
are handling the Decker pianos and player-
pianos with great success.
REPUBLIC SERVICE PLEASES
Letters Received From Customers Praising
Quick Deliveries by Republic Corp.
The prompt service the Republic Player Roll
Corp. is giving dealers everywhere has brought
in many letters of commendation lately. One
just received from H. H. Duncklee, of the
Lauter Piano Co., of Newark, N. J., is especially
interesting, and reads: "We wish to thank and
congratulate you for your prompt service, viz.,
an order 'phoned you at 3.30 p. m. yesterday
was received by us at 9.30 this morning " Such
service on out-of-town orders gives dealers the
backing they need.
The demand for Republic rolls has increased
greatly of late, proving that the hand-played
dollar word roll is bringing roll business back
to normal figures. Letters received from deal-
ers and individuals bear out the correctness of
the Republic sales slogan—"Why Pay More
When You Can't Buy More."