Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1921 Vol. 72 N. 9

Page 8 Text:

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
8
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
NATIONAL PLAYER-PIANO WEEK TO BE A GREAT SUCCESS
Many Manufacturers Co-operating With the Standard Pneumatic Action Co. to Insure the Success
of Proposed Player Week Set for April 2-9—Vice-president Johnston Tells of Its Advantages
£he annoiincemejnt made last week by the
Standard Pneumatic Action Co., Fifty-second
street and Twelfth avenue, New York, of the
"'National Player-Piano Week," April 2-9, has
been -received with much enthusiasm by manu-
facturers -and dealers throughout the country
and it is expected this move will prove a great
success. The spirit behind this movement is
most commendable owing to the fact that it will
benefit practically every .manufacturer and dealer
of player-pianos in the country. On all the ad-
vertising matter there will be no mention of the
Standard player action, as it is the intention of
the Standard Pneumatic Action Co to make this
a proposition for the benefit of any and all
manufacturers of player-pianos as well as the
dealers who handle them. The campaign is now
well under way and, as told in The Review last
week, manufacturers and dealers, will be fur-
nished with all advertising matter free of c,harge
which may be used to exploit the merits of their
own product. In the accompanying illustra-
tions there are shown a window streamer and a
reproduction of one of the folders which are
now ready for distribution.
Regarding the co-operative spirit which has
been manifested by the various manufacturers
throughout the country, A. W. Johnston, vice-
establish public confidence and get business back
to normal again.
"Following are extracts from a few letters
that I have received from these manufacturers
which show their enthusiasm:
" 'I am with you heart and soul in this matter
and assure you that I shall be pleased to do
everything that I possibly can to make Na-
FEBRUARY 26, 1921
"But this literature alone will not make the
week a success. It is going to take work—lots
of work and careful planning, but the results in
increased sales will justify the effort."
Mr. Johnston also emphasized the great need
of concentrating on local advertising prior to
and during National Player-Piano Week. He
said in part: "With the public attention cen-
tered on the player-piano during National
Player-Piano Week, thousands of instruments
will be sold. But who will get the business?
Will it be you or the dealer across the street?
"Before Player-Piano Week the National
NATIONAL
PLAYERPIANO WEEK
Window Streamer Featuring National Player-Piano Week
tional Pla-yer-Piano Week a success. W. S. Bureau for the Advancement of Music will cir-
cularize thousands of newspapers with Player-
Miller, vice-president, Bush & Gerts Piano Co.'
" 'We wish to state that it will be our desire Piano Week articles for editorial use in music
to fully co-operate with you in every respect to columns. Soon your prospects will start to read
make this national campaign of Player-Piano these articles in their local newspapers.
"When the people in your city read about
Week a success. E. Label, Krciter Manufactur-
Player-Piano Week, and have the desire for a
ing Co.'
" 'In reply to your letter of the tenth, we are player-piano created in their mind, will they also
with you to the last ditch, so, Let's Go! B. H. see your advertisement in the newspapers tell-
ing them where they can buy an instrument? It
Janssen.'
" 'We have your letter of February 9 outlining is reasonable to believe that when people are
Player-Piano Week and we wilL be glad to co- thinking in terms of player-pianos they will be
operate with you to the limit of our ability. attracted to the store that advertises the article
they seek.
C. B. Lewis, J^sse French & Sons Piano Co.'
"Insure yourself against losing your share of
" 'Naturally, we would be very glad to co-
operate with you on your plans for Player-Piano the Player-Piano Week business. Advertise in
Week. W T ill you send us, as soon as possible, the newspapers. Put on a special window dis-
all literature and plans for this campaign so that play and send for the sales-producing Player-
we can utilize it to the best advantage with our Piano Week literature which will be sent to you,
dealers? A. V. W. Setley, vice-president, Estey free of charge. Every dealer may count on a
big week's business from April 2 to 9, if his
Piano Co.'
sales
and advertising net is sufficiently strong to
" 'We shall be very glad to have samples of the
literature you promise sending out and, if it is catch and hold this business. The advertising
available for our dealers, we shall be very glad literature mentioned above may be secured free
to make use of it. Chas. McConnell, vice-presi- of charge from the Standard Pne\tmatic Action
Co. and the manufacturers whose instruments
dent, Lindeman & Sons Piano Co.'
" 'Your letter of the ninth inst. has been re- contain the Standard player action.
"National Player-Piano Week supplies the in-
ceived, regarding your nation-wide campaign for
player sales, and it is needless for us to say centive as well as the tools to make the founda-
that we are prepared to co-operate with you. tion for a new era of piano prosperity. Let's
Shoot the literature along whenever you like tackle it with the winning spirit and make it
and we will get busy. A. V. Koehler, secretary, an assured success."
Bjur Bros. Co.'
"'Replying to yours of the tenth inst.,*we cer- MUSIC ROLLS FOR^T. PATRICK'S DAY
tainly will be pleased to have all your literature
Pianostyle Music Co. Issues Special Bulletin
regarding National Player-Piano Week. L. S.
for That Occasion
Rocmer. Cable & Sons.'
" 'We are in receipt of your favor of the tenth
In keeping with the spirit of St. Patrick's
inst., regarding National Player-Piano Week,
Day, the Pianostyle Music Co., Inc., of Brook-
and will be very glad to co-operate with you.
lyn, N. Y., have issued a supplementary bul-
Krakauer Bros.' "
letin of Pianostyle player rolls of famous Irish
Mr. Johnston continued: "There is just one melodies and dances. This list, appropriately
way to tackle National Player-Piano Week. printed in green, contains an excellent selection
Player Week Folder for Dealers' Use
president of the Standard Pneumatic Action Co., That is, with our eyes open to the fact that it of Irish melodies, with and without words.
will be a mighty big week for sales for the men Starting with "Mother Machree" and ending
said this week to The Review:
"Thanks to the co-operation of the ninety-four and firms who tackle it right.
with "Wherjp the River Shannon Flows" 'an ex-
"Tons of 'sales-getting' ammunition especially cellent selection of the most popular Irish melo-
manufacturers who are helping to put National
Player-Piano Week across, the campaign is des- "designed to put National Player-Piano Week dies is presented.
tined to be a tremendous success. I cannot 'across' have been printed, and are now ready
speak too highly of the unselfish attitude taken for distribution to dealers. Thousands of win-
by the many manufacturers who have pledged dow streamers are ready to make your special
their-support. The enthusiastic manner in which window display attractive. A 'human interest'
The Roll of Rolls
- thqy have tackled the undertaking of promoting compelling series of newspaper ads has been
designed
by
one
of
the
best
artists
in
the
coun-
„ National Player-Piano Week proves beyond
CONNORIZED MUSIC CO.
144th Street and Austin Place
New York
question .that- they are ready and willing to do try. Tt is now at your service to make your
1234 Olive Street
St. Loui*, Mo.
'.* a'nyrhing in their power to help the dealer re- local newspaper produce big results.
CONNORIZED
FOR TONE, DEAUTY
•AND LASTING
A
ACCOMPLISHMENT
The WERNER INDUSTRIES CO. Cinci

Page 9 Text:

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
FEBRUARY
9
i
Being the Random Remarks of the Review's Random Remarker, the Editor of
This Player Section, Who Herein Sets Forth His Observations and Opinions
on Men and Events Which Touch Upon or Appertain to the Player Industry
specialized industry. It needs a deal of skilled
help which can only be trained in the factories
and of which there is even now a distinct scar-
Slowly, though not too slowly, busmess is city. If merchants hold off too long from order-
coming back to something like a normal condi- ing in adequate quantities the personnel of the
lion. Not too slowly, for great movements factories will undoubtedly be depleted. This will
must not be hastened. The world is not yet mean that at the last moment, when the Winter
ready to start up at the pace of, say, 1913, but rush is on and pianos and player-pianos are
only the worst kind of blindness and selfishness badly wanted, the factories will not be in
can keep it lagging behind much longer. The position to fill all orders through lack of
piano trade—and that includes the player-piano trained men. All the supplies in the world are
—is unique. It usually shows an increase in, of very little value without trained personnel in
years which are distinguished for depression in the factories. During the war years there was
other industries. One of the principal reasons quite enough—in fact, there was a good deal too
for this state of affairs is to be found, of course, much—of poor workmanship. We don't want
in the fact that pianos and player-pianos are an any more of that. Nor do we want to have the
investment. Investments are popular in slack personnel of the industry affected any further,
years, While evanescent luxuries and extrava- if we can help it. Recovery may not be so fast
gances are the natural concomitants of periods ab some would hope, but it is going on, and
of easy money. Still we are not out of the there is no reason to suppose that there will not
woods and it is not quite time to .begin whis- be the usual run on the factories before the
tling. The truth of the matter is that we shall Winter trade sets in; before, indeed, but not
laid ourselves where we were before 1915 only long enough before to save all parties from a
by climbing down as far as we have climbed up. great deal of disappointment caused by unfilled
Business needs relief from excessive .taxation. and unlillable orders.
Business needs the release of frozen capital-
Business needs a fair adjustment of wage con-
Just a Bit of Brains!
ditions. Especially business needs resumption
There is quite a lot of talk just now about
of buying on the part of the people who are
new ways of getting business. Few merchants
staying out of the market in the expectation of
still lower prices. Piano men, though, are doing seem to realize that one of the reasons for the
business, and perhaps one of the most remark- difficulty they sometimes experience in popular-
able facts about the present condition of affairs izing the player piano beyond a certain point in
is found just here. It cannot be too much em- their communities lies in their neglect of all but
phasized that periods of depression are always a single section of the population. It is not
good periods for the piano merchant who really enough to sell the player-piano only to the
has the courage of his convictions., A worried musically uneducated or to the aesthetic bar-
world wants music very badly. A body of mer- barians who want nothing but noise, and lots
chants believing in the goods they sell would of it. Neglect of the musically educated classes
have little trouble in supplying that want at a is one of the principal sins of our business. But
there is still another side to it. There has been
profit.
a great deal of difficulty in getting merchants
to see that one of the weaknesses in the industry
Nota Bene, Please
is in respect of the supply of music rolls. Mer-
Merchants, one learns, are showing a disposi- chants do not attempt to sell better-class music,
tion to place orders again. It is about time. The nor to let the musically intelligent know that
piano and player-piano business, indeed, is in such music may be had. In consequence, the
vtry good condition generally in respect of the merchants, by their example, discourage the
ability to stay alive for a very long time. Piano manufacturers from arranging and cutting good
manufacturers have made a good deal of money music. That is just another reason why the new
during the last three or four years of the seller's experiment which Lyon & Healy are making in
market and most of them can afford to shut Chicago is so important. To open a department
down for the rest of the year if they feel like for giving free instruction in playing and appre-
it But this simply won't do. Our industry is a ciation to owners of player-pianos, no matter
"But Not Too Slowly!"
where they bought their instruments or of what
makes those instruments may happen to be, is to
do a fine piece of broad-minded advertising.
But it is also to rebuke every stupid and blind
member of the trade who has insisted on clos-
ing his eyes to the facts. The player-piano is,
on its merits, the most fascinating product of
human ingenuity within the entire range of the
arts. Yet it is sneered at by the musicians and
by those who really most need its ministry of
music. Its wonderful capacities are not under-
stood. No player-piano save the foot-pumped
instrument will ever serve to popularize the idea
of pneumatic music, for no other is both uni-
versally available and capable of response to
personal control. It is this element of personal
control which is decisive for the foot-pumped
player. It is plain foolishness to neglect it.
Lea-Bar-Jan!
Which reminds us. There is a gap in the
player business, a gap which has only just been
bridged. That gap is in the roll branch of the
business. There is a great demand for special
music, for music which cannot be had from the
great manufacturers because there is not enough
sale for it. Piano accompaniments for voice and
violin, or other instruments, are asked for by
hundreds of owners of player-pianos who sing
or play another instrument and want to have
always available the advantages of correctly
played accompaniments. Singers are especially
badly off in this respect, and if a complete sup-
ply of voice accompaniments could be had!
singers by the hundreds would want player-
pianos. Of course, such music cannot profitably
be published in a commercial way. But what
about the Leabarjan music perforator? We are
the proud possessor of two of these wonderful
machines and we could not get along without
them. They are invaluable to everybody who
can read music, and those who cannot now can
soon learn from the machine. Any kind of
music roll can be rapidly and correctly made
from any music. We have arranged almost
everything, from simple nursery rhyme songs
to orchestral accompaniments for solo instru-
ments, on music rolls by means of the practical
and ingenious Leabarjan. Here is a wide gap
well bridged. It won't hurt the sale of other
rolls. But it will bring into the player business
a lot of intelligent interest which just now is
staying outside.
Music Publishers—Composers
Have you heard a player-piano roll that w a s made on the
It will pay you to investigate the superior quality of Leabarjan reproduc-
tions. You can make player rolls of your compositions on the Leabarjan.
Style No. 3
Style No. 5
FOUR MODELS
$35.00
Style No. 8
75.00
Style No. 8-B (Electric)
$150.00
295.00
THE LEABARJAN MFG. COMPANY
Eastern Sales Office: 256 Broadway, New York, N. Y.
STYLE No. 8-B LEABARJAN MUSIC ROLL PERFORATOR
Factory: Hamilton, Ohio

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