Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
JANUARY 29, 1921
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
I^JIMIMl^
Wherein the Editor of This Pla>er Section Sets Forth in Cold Type His Ob-
servations on Various Happenings and Factors Bearing on the Music Trade
in General, Hoping Said Observations May Be of Benefit to the Reader
All Alive-O!
Well, we are still alive and all on deck.
January has come through and the music in-
dustries continue to live. We'll say they are
some continuers, so to speak. Business? Well,
it is true that dealers retain a distressing habit
of buying from hand to mouth and seem de-
termined to wait for further, and never-to-come,
sensational drops in wholesale prices. Of
course, their beliefs get passed on to the ulti-
mate consumer, who is, in the circumstances.
not much to be blamed if he or she prefers to
wait a little while longer to see how the cat
jumps. Yet, in fact, on the other hand, mer-
chants who have mastered the art of going out
once more after their customers, digging them
out from their lairs and closing them on the
spot, are reporting that business is going quite
nicely. Certainly, so far as player-pianos are
concerned, the immediate deduction to be drawn
from any complaint of slow buying is that in
this case the methods are wrong. The one big-
gest need of the industry today is method.
We sell player-pianos too much as others sell
meat or muslin, and sometimes with less
knowledge of our subject than the butcher or
the store clerk displays of his. Over and over
again it has been said that it is not fair to ex-
pect the public, in other than wildly flush times,
to buy freely an instrument which it does not
properly understand and which the sellers un-
derstand as little. There is something totally
wrong in-the idea that a music merchant need
know or care nothing about music. Yet, un-
happily, it is just this idea which lies at the
base of any slackness from which the trade
may be suffering at this moment. The way to
sell player-pianos during these, or any other
times, is to learn to understand them and to
play them oneself.
That Martin Man
Let us give due praise where praise is due.
Opinions may differ about methods, but they
can hardly differ about principles. The work
which is being done by the Gulbransen people
in sending out John Martin to teach the dealers
how to sell player-pianos by teaching them
how to play them is wonderful work. It is
wonderful in so many different ways that a
short paragraph cannot rehearse the half of
them. Demonstration, without the slightest minority of the possible music-loving public?
doubt, affords the only safe principle on which When we say "appeal," we mean, of course, in
to base the distribution of player-pianos to the the trade sense. There is nothing gained if the
people. Any other principle, no matter what its listener is merely impressed for the time being,
basis, must be rejected. Experience shows that but realizes that the reproducing piano is some-
the basis of all distribution is intelligent public thing out of his or her reach. Again, it is very
acquaintance with the goods. In our case that much of a question whether, if the reproducing
means demonstration. But, of course, there is piano could be produced in large quantities at
demonstration and demonstration. The right the same price as an ordinary good player-piano,
method must combine the opposed elements of the player business would not thereby suffer.
urbanity and correctness, of musical knowledge For, in reality, in the opinion of many very well-
and an ability to mix with the crowd, of good posted men, the foot-driven player-piano appeals
playing with the utmost ease in method. The far more naturally and readily than any other
combinations are not very easy to secure, but form of player instrument, simply because it
it all we hear is true Mr. Martin possesses in gives the owner something to do. If this be
high degree the ability to make them. The true, then it is clear that the foot-driven
first-class expert who sets out to teach the player-piano must remain the backbone of the
dealer how to sell player-pianos must be able industry. If this again is so, it is equally clear
to produce the best musical effects and at the that the magnificent pioneer work being done
same time must be able to explain to others .by Duo-Art and Ampico ought to be more
how to do the same thing. He must be an ex- directly linked up with the interests of the great
pert without looking or talking too much like mass of player owners or prospective purchasers.
one. He must sugar-coat the pill. He must
know how to wrap up the facts in the most
Pounds of Precept and Ounces of Practice
highly gilded of wrappers. He must, above all
Which reminds me that it is good deal easier
things, avoid the reproach of stiffness, while
seeing to it that his task is performed with the to preach than to practice. Anyone can write
utmost efficiency and accuracy. If the Gul- the above paragraph or a better one on the
bransen-Dickinson Co. is the happy possessor same text; but the trade will ask whether it
of the talents above mentioned, as in tire per- would not be still better to tell them exactly
son of Mr. Martin it appears it is, then con- how to do the linking up concerning which I
have been waxing so eloquent. To all of which
gratulations are due.
I am rather deplorably compelled to say that
I
have no immediate answer; seeing that I cer-
Where Is the Link?
tainly do not know how to do what I recom-
The Duo-Art and Dambois are wonderful. mend. Open confession is good for the soul, in
There is no getting away from the fact. The the opinion of many, and there are those in the
combination of qualities is extraordinary. The trade who think that it would be well if we all
Duo-Art accompanies the 'cellist, the 'cellist be- squared our practice with our preaching a little
comes pianist and plays with the Duo-Art in a more definitely. Such, indeed, appears to be the
duet, and then the Duo-Art reproduces the belief of the Piano Club of Chicago, which is
'cellist-pianist's own interpretations of his own going after its tasks in a practical manner which
compositions, occasionally allowing the 'cellist- fills us all with admiration. That lively institu-
pianist-composer to play a few measures on the tion is having, as we gravitate to press, some
keyboard himself. It is very wonderful, and rather remarkable lessons in learning something
there is not the slightest doubt, all jollying aside, about music in industry, in the home and in
that musicians who hear the Dambois concerts business, at the hands of practical men who
are coming around to a position of real respect. teach the thing itself in practical life. Later,
For all of which let us be very thankful. But we hear, an elaborate public demonstration of
there is something more. There is, in fact, a the beauties of the player is to be made. This
great deal more. Is it not true that all the looks like the sort of thing we all ought to do
wonderful exhibitions which have been made more often. Putting into practice what we
through the medium of the Duo-Art and the preach is better, though less usual, than preach-
Ampico can onlv appeal to a relatively small ing what we do not practice.
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