Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
APRIL 29,
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
1922
jyiifeflii^ii&fliiLgiiyiiikH^^
Wherein the Editor of This Player Section Sets Forth His Monthly Outpouring
of Wit and Wisdom Regarding Things of More or Less Import to the Player
Industry, Hoping That His Observations May at Least Prove of Interest
Overcome That Spring Fever
Spring, beautiful Spring, is with us and
Nature at last, after a wet, cold preparation,
seems really inclined to smile. So much the bet-
ter. But one thing must not be forgotten while
we are in this idyllic state of mind. It must not
be forgotten that we all have to earn a living and
that the player business has been in need of some
rather active stirring up ever since the frost first
came on the pumpkin last year. Now that the
weather is warm again and everybody is feeling
better, would it not be a good idea to remember
that we shall have to do some tall hustling right
through the Spring, and Summer, too? At this
tune of the year we are likely to get our belfries
full of bats, or our garrets full of rats, whichever
terms suit better, and so waste much time in
dreaming about how nice business might be:
whereas what we need to do is some hard work
to prove that business might be worse. It might
be worse indeed. No one is getting business
easily. Sales are not found save by a sort of
process of excavation. They have to be dug
up out of the ground, as it were; but dealers are
selling, pianos are being made, piano movers are
working. Something is stirring all the time, and
now, when the sap is stirring in the trees, it is
well to remember that we have no right to com-
plain of stiffness in our business limbs when
hustling is in the air. Let us open up the belfries
to the sun and warmth, disturb and chase out the
bats, and get settled down to business.
Our Minstrels
We have been amusing ourselves. Yes, we have.
We have been playing minstrels at home. In case
any reader believes this to be an impossible state-
ment we hasten to say that the performance men-
tioned has been taking place under the auspices of
the Minstrel Series music rolls of the Vocal-
style Music Co. Of all the pretty little ideas cal-
culated to arouse and maintain interest in the
player-piano and its music we know none to beat
this. The Minstrel roll is a complete show in
itself. It contains opening chorus, songs for
the soloists and a neat folder of jokes for Mister
Interlocutor and Messrs. Bones and Tambo. With
the aid of the jokes and the text matter printed on
the roll, together with the very clever arrange-
ments of choruses and solos, the family can have
a whole minstrel entertainment all by itself sim-
ply by getting around the player-piano and start-
ing off. It is a really clever stunt and the clev-
erest thing about it is the simplicity and clearness
of the wording and the arrangements. There has
been a lot of talk of all kinds about making the
player-piano popular and here is one of the best
ways ever devised to do that same thing. When a
crowd of friends is at the house, or when the
family does not know what to do with itself;
whenever, in fact, there is need for something
novel for an improvised entertainment, the Vocal-
style Minstrel roll will surely fill the bill. Sev-
eral numbers in the series are already published
and more are to come. We testify gladly to hav-
ing fun with this highly attractive stunt, which
ought to be an excellent seller at the hands of
every dealer in player-pianos.
This Is Masterly
"I don't want to be selfish, so, instead of the
diamond you promised me, let's buy a player-
piano, something we can all enjoy."
Here is a pretty good sales talk put into one
sentence. And it is only the first of a whole set
of sentences in the remarkable page advertisement
of the Q R S Music Co., which occupies the out-
side back cover of the Literary Digest this week.
The parable, which every good advertisement
always is, here is told most convincingly. The
young wife is saying to her husband that she
would rather have, after all, something for the
family, as an anniversary present, not merely
something for herself. And then comes the
clever follow-up: "You see," says the lady, "Baby
Dorothy is three now and she will be six years
old before she can start taking piano lessons; so,
therefore, why not get a player-piano into the
house so that we can all enjoy music—Baby
Dorothy not less than papa and mamma—not to
mention that Baby Dorothy will acquire some
musical ideas in advance of the day when she can
begin taking keyboard lessons. And, after all, why
wait till the kiddie can play for us?" . . . . There
you have a whole sales argument for the player-
piano put in most effective and fewest words. Put
forth, too, by a maker of music-rolls, who here
shows every maker of player-pianos the funda-
mental argument of all player selling! Of course
there is a Q R S roll argument, too, but it is so
neatly worked in that there is no perceptible
joining, no rough workmanship. It is pretty near-
ly a perfect model of what player advertising
of the constructive kind ought to be. As critics
of advertising we applaud it, and recommend to
every man in the player business a close study of
its beauties. For one and all will please remem-
ber that this is an argument for the player-piano
primarily, an argument co-ordinated with the
argument for a certain make of rolls so cleverly
that every one is benefited and no one is harmed.
That is advertising as it ought to be.
Foreign Music
Speaking about music rolls, any one who fol-
lows each month the lists of new publications
issued by the various roll manufacturers must
notice how few of the latter, comparatively speak-
ing, take any interest in foreign music. We
hope that the bright exceptions will understand
that we are implicitly excepting them from the
application of this preachment. There are mer-
chants to whom any reference of this sort will be
only irritating. He will want to know why Amer-
ican music is not good enough for the immigrant
and why said immigrant does not go back home
if he does not want to be satisfied with native
stuff. But this sort of man lacks vision. The
fact is that the foreigners, especially in respect
of music, can teach their adopted country a very
great deal. Bohemian, Polish, German or French
music has a wealth of lovely material from which
American musicians can draw untold quantities of
treasure. Moreover, the foreigner cannot, and
should not, be expected to throw away the wealth
of native musical tradition which he brings with
him. He should be encouraged to make use of
it to enrich America. From the coldest business
point of view, furthermore, there is money in
foreign music rolls. The immigrant who finds
that he can get service at a music store, in one
particular like this, will want to bring all his
friends and relations, as well as to buy all his
musical goods of all sorts there. Foreigners are
usually musical, and it is the height of idiocy to
show either indifference or neglect in dealing
with their wants. Where the business is there
we should go to seek it. This field is large,
fruitful and little cultivated. How foolish for
either manufacturer or retail merchant to neg-
lect it.
ROBINS PIANO CO. TO MOVE
COLUMBUS, O., April 24.—The Robins Piano Co.,
172 South High street, this city, has secured a
lease on a new store on Third street, into which
it will move early in May. Workmen are busy
renovating the new quarters, and a special room
will be prepared for the display of A. B. Chase
pianos and reproducing pianos.
A NEW DANCE CRAZE
STUMBLING
A FOX TROT ODDITY
"\6u catil fto WronA
With any FEISTson!"
HEAR IT NOW
Stum-blin$all a-round,Stum-blin$ all a-i-ound,5turnblin^all a-roundso fun-ny, Stuni-blii$here and there.5hirn-blin$eV-ry-whereAudi must de-dare.-