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THE
MUSIC
TRADE
RENEW
(Registered in the U. S. Patent Office)
PUBLISHED BY EDWARD LYMAN BILL, Inc.
President and Treasurer, C. L. Bill, 373 Fourth Ave., New York; Vice-President,
L B. Spillane, 373 Fourth Ave., New York; Second Vice-President, Raymond Bill 373
Fourth Ave., New York; Secretary, Edward Lyman Bill, 373 Fourth Ave., New York;
Assistant Treasurer, Wm. A. Low.
J. B. SPILLANE, Editor
RAY BILL, B. B. WILSON, BRAID WHITE, Associate Editors
WILSON D. BUSH, Managing Editor
CARLETON CHACE, Business Manager
L. E. BOWERS, Circulation Manager
Executive and Reportorial Staff
EDWAID VAK HARLINGEN, V. D. WALSH, E. B. MUNCH, LEE ROBINSON, C. R. TIGHE,
EOWAID LYMAN BILL, SCOTT KINGWILL, THOS. VV. BRESNAHAN, A. J. NICKLIN
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NEWS SERVICE IS S U P P L I E D WEEKLY BY OUR CORRESPONDENTS
LOCATED IN T H E LEADING CITIES THROUGHOUT AMERICA.
Published Every Saturday at 373 Fourth Avenue, New York
Entered as second-class matter September 10, 1892, at the post office at New York. N. Y.,
under the Act of March 3, 1879.
SUBSCRIPTION
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REMITTANCES, in other than currency forms, should be made payable to Edward
Lyman Bill, Inc.
Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques-
tions of a technical nature relating to the tuning,
regulating and repairing of pianos and player-pianos
p
are dealt with, will be found in another section of
this paper. We alw publish a number of reliable technical works, information concerning
which will be cheerfully given upon request.
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Exposition Honors Won by The Review
Grand Prix
Diploma
Paris Exposition. 1900
Silver Medal
Charleston Exposition, 1902
Pan-American Exposition, 1901
Gold Medal
St. Louis Exposition, 1904
Gold Medal—Lewis-Clark Exposition, 1905
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONES—NUMBERS 5982—5983 MADISON SQ.
Connecting all Departments
Cable Addresi: "Elbill, New York"
Vol. LXXV
NEW YORK, OCTOBER 7, 1922
REVIEW
OO-OHKK 7, Wll
instruments at retail that is open to strong criticism both from an
ethical and artistic standpoint, there has nevertheless been, within
the last decade or so, a marked improvement in the general character
of music trade advertising as proof of the fact that more earnest
thought is constantly being given to that means for stimulating
business.
There are so many different standards by which the advertising
is to be judged in the contest that it would seem as though prac-
tically every retail music merchant will have an opportunity for
participating and making a try for one of the prizes. If the con-
test proves sufficiently interesting to move the members of the
National Association of Music Merchants to make special effort
to improve the character of their publicity, then the plan will have
proven successful for this one result alone.
A RESULTFUL CONVENTION
T
HE Music Merchants' Association of Ohio is distinctly a State
organization, though it may be said to be national in its influence
and the interest it arouses, but, nevertheless, that body has a snappv
way of running its conventions that might be taken as an example
by other associations in the music trade, both national and local.
According to the official report there were a total of 88 bona-
fide retail piano dealers in attendance at the convention in Toledo
last week—this out of a total membership of approximately 250—
and any convention program that will attract so many members
from all sections of the State must in itself be worth while.
The complete report of the Toledo convention, which appeared
in The Review last week, gives some indication of the interesting
and important character of the various papers presented at the
sessions and of the discussions in which the membership at large
indulged.
Most of the topics covering practical merchandising and its
several divisions of credits, advertising and salesmanship are well
worthy of consideration by live merchants throughout the country.
They are presented by men who know and are of a character that is
calculated to make them helpful to a great majority. The con
vention of the Ohio Music Merchants is an annual event that has
become an acknowledged trade institution.
No. 15
A NEW IDEA IN PLAYER ROLLS
CO-OPERATE WITH BETTER HOME WEEK
W
ITH the endorsement of President Harding a call has gone
out to American communities to devote next week, that of
October 9 to 14 inclusive, to the demonstration of the advantages
of building homes and better homes. The movement has been
strongly organized, has the backing of prominent Government
officials and a number of State Governors, and may be expected
to attract considerable attention.
It is fortunate that the Music Industries Chamber of Commerce
has seen fit to urge members of the music industry throughout
the country to arrange to take part in the Better Homes Week cele-
bration by special advertising and window displays emphasizing the
place that should be held by music in the home and by working with
local committees for the cause as a whole.
The home is naturally the place for musical instruments, par-
ticularly the better home, and any movement calculated to impress
the general public with the desirability and necessity of providing
better places in which to live is a movement calculated to help,
ultimately, the sale of musical instruments.
There are so many movements under way nowadays and so
much propaganda set afoot that the average business man is often
doubtful whether or not to participate. A move for better homes,
however, even though it may not be as widespread as expected,
is certainly calculated to prove beneficial to some degree at least.
THE RETAIL ADVERTISING CONTEST
T
H E announcement by the Music Industries Chamber of Com-
merce that plans have been completed for the Retail Advertising
Contest which was proposed at the conventions in June and en-
dorsed heartily is of general interest from the fact that such a con-
test, if successful at all, should have a distinct influence toward im-
proving the general character of music trade advertising through
force of example.
Although even today there is considerable advertising in musical
T
HE issuance by the Q R S Music Co. of what they term
"Educator Rolls," by means of which it is declared the novice
can actually learn to play the piano manually, is a matter of general
interest to those who have to do with the manufacture and sale of
player-pianos, for the rolls are calculated to offset in some measure
at least the belief that still persists in the minds of many pro-
spective purchasers of players to the effect that the instruments are
calculated to discourage hand playing or the studying of the art on
the part of children.
It is to be hoped that the new rolls will accomplish all that is
claimed for them, but at least they can be made to perform a very
valuable service for the dealer and salesman in overcoming the objec-
tions of those parents who feel that with a player-piano in the house
children will be more likely to develop their technique with their
feet than with their hands.
There are quite enough people in the United States who still
believe in manual playing to make the consideration of their desires
and prejudices worth while. Their number is proven by the in-
creasing sales of straight grand and upright pianos, and to those who
look to the further development of the player-piano itself anything
that will rouse interest in that instrument is worth while.
MUSICLESS DAY
I
T has remained for Portland, Ore., to try the experiment of
creating additional interest in music by giving its people a taste of
what a "musicless day" really means and how barren the world
would be if there were no music of any kind. As stated in the
news columns the city council of Portland set aside October 4,
during Music Week in that city, as "musicless day" and placed an
official ban on the playing of musical instruments of all kinds. The
results of the prohibition are yet to be learned, but the experiment
at least is in itself interesting. We have found out how effective is
the campaign for giving the public as much music as it can absorb
all the time and the plan of depriving it of music is unique enough
to be worth while.