Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
RMEW
THE
VOL. LXXIV. No. 7
Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman BUI, Inc., at 373 4th Aye., New York.
Feb. 18, 1922
Single Coplea 10 Centft-
$2.00 Per Year
Survival or Revival?
YEAR ago, if anyone had been asked what were the survival chances of the music industries of Amer-
ica he might have been excused for hesitating before venturing an opinion. To-day the question
k would have to be, what are the revival chances of the industry? And the answer could be given
^ with fair definiteness. In the contrast between these two words—survival and revival—stands all
the history of the year 1921 as it concerns our industries. It is a vastly instructive history and one which the
business men of the trade should ponder to their profit.
A year ago no one could forecast with any feeling of certainty the outcome of the twelve months which
were beginning. At the best one felt that the music industries would struggle through somehow and emerge
safely. But that was all.
As a matter of fact, of course, they have done more than struggle through. They have survived. They
have proved that in the most strenuous times, when every utilitarian reason would seem to discourage the
notion of their necessity or even of their desirability, they possess what may be termed a survival value of
vast weight and solidity. If this fact is rightly understood it constitutes, in our judgment, the most important
lesson which the great world-depression of 1921 has to teach us.
The music industries possess survival value of vast weight and solidity. They have, in other words, a
power within themselves, an appeal to the popular thought, a something which the popular heart craves and
will have. The value of the product they make and sell is, in fact, so great, so nearly essential, that no possible
disorganization, no possible incapacity on the part of the men of the trade can, it would seem, suffice to wipe
it out.
One must be a very blind optimist not to be able to see that the attitude of the trade itself during the
year past has not encouraged those who have been hoping that the war had brought home some truths about
the real value of music to the community and the community's real need of it. Our trade, especially in retail
circles, was too much inclined to sit down and wonder when the blow was to fall. The mental attitude invited
disaster, and the fact that disaster collectively did not fall constitutes astonishing evidence of the stability of
the music industries. Again, as we said before, the survival power of the music industries is vastly greater
than has been supposed.
Here, then, is our lesson. It is not enough to survive. The law of growth is inexorable. The organ-
ism that does not grow stagnates and dies. The music industries have shown that they possess a high sur-
vival value. They must now translate survival into revival. This they can do. This they must do, and do at
once.
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They must, because their continued existence depends upon their beginning now to translate the idea
of survival into the idea of revival. We said that one can now prophesy definitely as to this required revival.
The prediction is simple. The music industries will organize a revival. Having shown their ability to sur-
vive they cannot now destroy their own existence by entering upon a career of stagnation. They must enter
upon a career of growth, of hustle, of work.
That is the lesson of 1921 for 1922. The music industries have learned that music is a staple. But
they must maintain it as such. They must cease waiting for business and begin at once to organize their
activities on the basis of the idea that intelligent service, intelligent selling of music to the people of America
will open quickly the road to slow but steady and consistent revival in every avenue of activity in the music
industry of this country.
We have proved our survival value. It is now time to show that our power of promoting revival is
founded as deeply and as surely. It is, in fact, so founded, but we must work to make that truth known to
ourselves and to our public. Then all will be well.
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