Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1923 Vol. 77 N. 25

DECEMBER
22, 1923
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
EXTENDING THE SCOPE OF NEXT YEAR'S BAND CONTEST
C, M. Tremaine, of the Bureau for the Advancement .of Music, Enlists Co-operation of Jay
Wharton Fay, Chairman of Instrumental Music Committee of Supervisors' Conference
C. M. Tremaine, director of the National
Bureau for the Advancement o~ Music, returned
from a s uccessful visit to Rochester last week,
where he arranged with Jay \Iv'harton Fay,
chairman of the Instrumental Music Comm ittee
of the Music Supervisors' National Conference,
for the co-operation of that organization with
the Bureau in the runn ing of the high school
band contests next year. Mr. Tremaine aim~ to
develop this work, initiated at the band co ntest
in Chicago last June, in such a way that it will
steadily bring in a large proportion of the high
school s in the country and will lead to the for·
mation o·f bands and orchestras in a very la rge
proportion of these ill~titutions where suc h
g- roups do not now exist. His object ill enli s t­
ing the co-operation of the supervisors wa" two ·
fold; first, to ha ve them Illap out the kind of
general plan which would best serve the inter­
ests of band music in the sc hools, and, second,
to win for it the whole-hearted reco·gnition and
support from the ed uc from the comm unity.
In addition to paving the way for a definite
agreement with the supervisors concerning band
contests, Mr. Tremaine v isited several of the
schools o f the city to observe the work of
their bands and orchestra s. Rochester has made
remarkable progress in the promotion of instru ­
m~ntal music among th e children of the upper
grades and high schools, the impetus to the
movement having been given by a donation
from George Eastman. Through his generosity
about 500 instruments have already been pur­
chased for the children of the city, in the play­
ing of which they receive free instruction un­
der the school system. The instruments them­
selves are in the custody of the Board of Edu­
ca tion but are loaned to the pupils, who are
responsible for their care and safe return. Be­
side the children playing the borrowed instru­
ments there are some 800 receiving the instruc­
tion the city offers upon instruments of their
own, the whole group together compflsmg
about 1,300 children, divided into twenty-six
bands and orchestras . These ensembles played
publicly 392 times last year and are already a
strong influence in the development of musical
life among the young people of Rochester.
Their potential value in the musical advance·
ment of the community as the players grad­
uate from school is even greater. The instruc­
tion is given only to those . selected as likely to
benefit and is continued only for those who ap·
ply themselves and make satisfactory progress.
I t is given almost entirely outside of school
hours, although re ce iving school credit . The
cost of in s truction to the city is $12 per capita
per annum, and the rules under which it is ad­
ministered guarantee results for the expenditure.
9
Player Piano
NOTES
FROM THE LAUTER-HUMANA
FACTORY, NEWARK, N. J.
LAUTER-HUMANA IS SOLD
IN AN INDIVIDUAL WAY
Let the Customer Sit Down and Feel the Thrill
of Creating Music-Highly Successful, Deal­
ers Say
The salesman who seeks to make a sale by
burying his customer under an avalanche of
arguments and technicalities is a thing of the
past-at least for Lauter-Humana dealers.
While it is understood that every salesman
should have an accurate knowledge of his prod­
uct so tha t he can answer questions intelligently,
the Lauter idea is to let the customer do his
own choosing.
'(I"
LAUTER·HUMANA
'Player-CPul1f1J
Q R S "PETER RABBIT ROLL" HAS -HOLIDAY POPULARITY
Lee S. Roberts' Jingles and Music to Be Staged During Christmas Week at the Capitol Theatre,
New York, and at the New Fox Theatre of Philadelphia
along ce'ftain lines that I have decided to be
correct, the psycholog'ical si de of song appeal.
"The question may arise as to whether the
words or the music make the song. Th e pro­
portions vary, though I may say that in a real
success it is rather a fifty-fifty proposition.
Many will pe rsistently hum and enjoy a tune
with nO" knowledge of the words other than
possibly the title. Nevertheless, the title means
something to the 'hummer.'
" 'There are smiles that make us happy, there
are smiles that make us' blue,' has a human ap­
peal that in itself is largely responsible for the
~u c ce~ s of my so ng 'Smiles.'
The wo·rds of
a song that goes over big must a ppeal not only
to th e imagination, but to the emotions.
"Children's songs must of ne cessity have this
c lem ent in even greater proporti011. Most chil­
dren are very susceptible to mus ic and it is the
rule rather than the exception that child lips
will often si ng words that th ey a re unable to
rep eat. The Mother Goose Nursery Rh ym es
that I set to music SOIl1(' years ago, as well as
the present Peter Rabbit contribution to the
nursery, ha ve proven sati sfacto·rily, at least to
m e, that my efforts in thi s direction are not
Lee S. Roberts
without resu lts . The moral in the Peter Rabbit
the story of Peter Rabbit, rhymed it in delight­
story is a splendid one and one that by constant
ful jingle and set it to music of his own creation. repetition which is brou ght about in the rhymed
The happy combination thus effected ca ught th e version of the tale, cannot fail in its impress
attention of Mr. Rothafel, music director of the upon the juvenile mind. To me childhood is
Capito) Theatre of New York, as well as that a ver~' interesting and wonderful thing and I
of Mr. Erno Rappe, o·f the Fox Theatre of take keen delight in contributing to it s happi ­
Philadelphia, with the result that Mr. Roberts' ness as well as in feeling that in these contribu­
version of Peter Rabbit's mishap, together with
tions there is embodied the germ that makes
the musical accompaniment, will be staged ill
for happier develo.pment and ultimately a better
ballet form durin g Christmas week at both theatres
Roth Mr, Roberts and Peter are to "this may sound theor etical , nevertheless it is
be congratulated, as ~. re also those who will see' " part of my hobby and as such, if combaJed;
this elaborate stage production of it.
would have my vigorous defense."
That a business man's hobby may be turned
to financial credit and dist inct ion is well ex­
PLAYS FOR ITALIAN EMBASSY
emplified by Mr. Roberts' case, because with
him his music is but a runner-up to the main
"I-nton Bilotti, the talented young pianist, who
issue, which is the manufacture of player ro1ls. Inade hi s concert debut with the Hardman piano
When Mr. Ro'berts was asked as to the in­
in New York this Fall, gave a formal concert
spiration that prompted his musical treatment program Friday o·f last week at the home of
of Peter Rabbit he replied: "There was no in­
Prince Caeta ni, a member 0'( the Italian em­
spiration in\'olved, just the further working ba ssy in \lv'ashingtol1, D. C.
A particularly popular feature of the Q R S
catalog during the holid ay bu ying season has
been L ee Rob erts' Peter Rabbit Roll, which
has been strongly featured in newspaper adver­
tisements and by othe r means of publ ic ity.
Because of th e splendid publicity being given
the Christmas specialties offered this year by
th e Q R S Mu sic Co., it is reasonable to assume
the tr ade is a ware that Mr. Roberts ha s taken
~
There
IS
Nothing Quite Like Playing
the Lauter-Humana
would you like to Sit down" In your liVing
room chiS eve ning ;md pht} "At Dawning,"
chac charming ballad by C2dman ~ With the
:.­ Lauter-Human:!. you have only to feel the
•
urge of musIc . The roll IS put InCO plaC'C. and the soft,
bC3uufui musIc 6115 the room
mJ
" OW
H
U'J,( II
U'JU/I
rlt.
':"tr'lIjfllll(' I .
,Ir.
I):J.
J {j~r yn
,I" #lr"""I' -:.~d, '11,4 "1. J /",' ,."
,"'.,'.s Id.Jt. ~ ,,,,,
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lAc,
i".
J I~r "It, / IHII J, /It
H"Jwr flu
. i fll1l
.'UW I II t!U IJ
.
You play-now softl y, now loudl)'-all the whil(' ex;
yOUI own personality!
The last bar famtly diltS away and you emerge from
a delightful rf!:vt:nt , You have' enJo),td yourself mort'
than you ('\er (Quid have by merel y Iistcning to music
You have bten a part of "A t Oawning"--· you hav(
felt all the t hrill that Cadman must have ielt when hr
romposed this ballad PI:l)'mg thc Lauter - Humana
possesses a faSCina tion of whICh you will never rire.
p;'c~smg )'our own feelings,
LAUTER PIANO CO.
59"593 BROAD ST REET
A RECENT LAUTER ADVERTISEMENT
Instead of the salesman doinll' all the demon­
strating, which is generall y the procedure, the
customer himself is a's ked to sit down and play
the Lauter-Humana. Expression comes so
easily and so naturally that he is immediately
in'teres ted to. an unusua l degree. After having
pumped other player-pianos the soft beautiful
n~ usic of the Lauter-Humana-produced with
hardly an effort on his part-is a revelation.
He knows instinctively that the Lauter-Humana
is different from any other instrument he has
e:ve~. played. _There is 'an if'stant desire to
own it!
While this plan works ve ry successfully 111
. selling the Lauter-Humana, we do not advocate
its use with cheap players that do not pump
easily.
If the Lauter-Humana agency is open in your
territory, it will be worth your while to investi­
gate it at once. Write to The Lauter Co.,
591-593 Broad street, Newark, N. ].
THE · ,MUSIC . TRADE
10
REVIEW
TOLEDO DEALERS ·EXPERIENCtNG FINE HOLIDAY tRADE
\stocks in High-grade Lines Not Up to the Demand-Goosman Wins Prize in A B. Chase Con­
test- J, W. Greene Co. Holding Retail Sales Contest-Frazelle Increases Sales Force
TOLEDO, 0., December 17.--It's a fine holiday
'§easori for lecal music merchants. Sales are
geing ahead, therefere, customers are satisfy­
in~ their desire fer piano, pla.yer and nl\lsjcal
instrument ewnership.
Christmas
savings
checks aggregating three millien were paid by
the banks and merchants report many customers
laid away pianos awaiting the checks. Dewn
paYmelits, · the'refore, were better than average.
., Tne-quality of the holiday advertising is of
distinctive, high order and decidedly in keeping
with the stor e and the merchandise offered. It is
an obvious fact that large, black face, coarse ap­
pearing adventisements attract ene class of cus­
temer, who often buys cheap goods, while well
illustrated, nicely balanced advertisements draw
a group which generally purchases better
pianos, players and other musical merchandise.
The quality appeal is, of course, far more re­
sultful than a mere scattering of shets which
seldom reach the mark, or at best make but a
surface impression. Grands, reproducing grands
and players are alike getting the interest of
prospects.
Grinnell Bros. are experiencing a shortage ef
Due-Arts and Steinways.
Seme custemers,
therdere, who ordered. for Christmas delivery
will be cempelled to wait until after the holi~
days for their .i nstrum ents. However, the house
is exclusi ve agent for nine well-knewn lin es of
pianO's and players in )Jorthwestern Ohio and
all indications point to one ef the best holida y
sea sons in several years.
Greene Sales Contest
At the J. W. Greene Co. all de partments In
the store exceeded the anticipated sales mark
for the past month.
A sales contest with
awards fer certain i·ndividual . achievements did
much to' put the month over, P~eston P. Brown,
sales manager, reports . Nine concerts were
staged in the Greene Concert Hall the past
month which drew a large number of persons
to the store and resulted in direct sales to a
few. This feature is regarded as general pub­
licity and is valuable in forming the aquaint­
ance of music lovers. The new small goods
department, Kenneth Kneisel states, is making
fine headway. Christmas sales are goed. The
talking machine section, under the directien ef
E. A. Kopf, has nearly doubled its holiday sales
over last yea.r.
The GeosmanPianoCo . . in· the sales race,
carried· en b)' the A. B. Chase makers, re­
ceived twO' awards. Fifth prize was given to
Fred. N. Gbosman for salesmanship, and sev­
enth prize was awarded the store for its record
among the dealers of the country.
Baby Grands in Demand
Baby grands are selling better than for years,
C. E. Colber, manager of the St. Clair street
store, advised. Grand prospects are being made
automatically and unconsciously. he believes, as
it seems the ambition oJ a growing number of
persons is to own a small grand. This desire
has come abeut through propaganda not wholly
of the musi c dealer's making. For instance, na­
tional adve'rtising, whether it is of tooth paste,
automobiles, flat irons or what not, frequently
has a contented home picture with a grand
piano to' add class to the illustration. Efforts
here are centered on the A. B. Chase, Starr,
Ivers & Pond, Milton and Bush & Lane.
The company's store at Bryan, 0., is closing
many sales with farmers and with dwellers in
the small tewns adjacent, it is reported. The
gc·neral publicity obtain ed from renting pianos
to chain steres, such jlS vVoolworth's, Kresge's
and Grant's, is regarded as well worth while,
Fred Goesman states, on account of the large
number of persens whO' visit these steres day
after day.
The Frazelle Piano Co. is receiving' a heart y
response from its drive to exploit the Kr a nich
& Bach Grandett e. This line is selling so
briskly that it is difficult to keep stocks full.
Edward :Mahoney, factory representative fer
Kranich & Bach, made a trip to Toledo r ecently.
Further, the Gulbransen and \;IJ eaver, also th e
Kurtzmann, are receiving much holiday patron­
age. A carload of Schiller pianos ,vas prac­
tically sold before it arrived at the station. The
sales force has been strengthened through the
addition of Milo Barrett, Alden Ward, Edward
Davis, Joseph Falcon, Carl Fer g uson and :Mr.
\Vinters.
Th e Cable PianO' Co. is putting its efforts en
players and grands, which just now are v e ry
popular, Manager 'N. A. Maag states. C. E.
Everingham has joined the sales force and will
specialize in out-of-town calls-fer a growing
number of prospects from o·utside communities
are favoring the store with their patronage.
The highest class player
actions in the world
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"The valve unit that made the player
famous"
~
~
DECEMBER 22, 1923
Kenneth R. Shepherd, in charge of credits here,
has been premoted to the post of credit and
collection manager ef the Detro.it district with
about twenty stores to oversee. Bernard Felix
will succeed him.
At the Whitney-Blaine-Wildermuth Co. the
grand is receiving impetus from the general
trend which now is favoring this type. People
are talking grands and have a real desire for
ewnership which is a healthy sign, Henry C.
Wildermuth states.
PORTLAND DEALER HOME FROM EAST
Harold S. Gilbert Places Many Orders for
Future Delivery-Adds New Line-Sherman,
Clay & Co. Featuring the Sohmer Piano
PORILA ~D, ORE., December 13.- After a six or
seven weeks' trip to the East, during which
time he combined' busin es s with pleasure,
Ha reid S. Gilbert, of the Harold S. Gilbert
PianO' Co ., has returned to the city. While he
was away his establishment was weI! looked
after by hi s assistants, according to Mr. Gilbert,
and many good sales ef both pianos and phono­
graphs were closed.
While in the East Mr. Gilbert visited a num­
ber of piano factories and ordered a good line
ef pianos for his coming trade . In speaking­
of his trip Mr. Gilbert said that he found it
better to see persenally the men he was buyin g
from, that they weuld better understand his
needs, and he would become acquainted with
them in turn. Then, teo, he said he could se e
what he was buying and in orderin.c: he kept in
mind the needs and desires of his custemers.
He ordered a goed lin e of uprights and grands
and among the new lines taken on by him were
the Biddle, Baus, of the Jacob Doll & Sens, and
the Est ey line, while he reordered from the
Howard-Stowers Co. and the Laffargue CO'.
The Reed-French Piano Co. was visited last
week by James A. Stitt, of the Hallet & Davi~
Piano Co., who has his headquarters in Les
Angeles. Mr. Stitt is making an annual Coast
trip sizing up the business conditions and re­
mained in Portland abeut a week with the Reed­
French Co., who are the Portland representa­
tives for the Hallet & Davis pianos and phono­
graphs. Mr. Reed reports excellent business III
the Hallet & Davis line and remarked that i(
the business for December continued as it had
started in the month would be a record breaker .
The Sherman, Clay & Co. store in Portland
announced the taking o,ver of the Sehmer
a ge ncy by an attractive window display in which
a Sohmer concert grand was the central figure.
On each side ef the Sehmer was a handsome
peried model Victrola. while the furnishing of
the window consisted of beautiful Oriental rug~
and furnishings in keeping with the Sehmer~
The window attracted many customers, whO'
went into the store to inquire about the Sehmer.
Miss , Zonee Adams, who has been in charge
of the player rell department of Sherman, Cla.y
& Co., has re s igned h er positien to accept a
positien as a teacher of piano in the State school
at Grand Mound, vVashingten. Miss Adams'
position has been filled by the appointm·entof
Miss Helen vVatts, whO'· is a graduate of the
Oberlin Conservatory o·f Music · and last year
was the superviseI' ef music at Baker, Ore..
RYAN CO. TO HANDLE PIANOS
The ..ew "Amphia .. ·A-~cessible Actio.... is 1M las( word in Jcientific pia)'"
achievement. II has Ihe complete valve aclian assembled in .0 ",De1')o:untable
Unit') givi1'U instant accessilrility.
AMPHIONO~ACTIONS
J!I
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.
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: . . ..
.. .
SYRACUSE .. (
..
~CTlo ....
- Your Guarantee ... .. )
NEW YORK
E ,\ST ST. LO U IS, ILL., Dece mber 17.-A. piano
department has been ad ded to the John A .. Ryan
Furniturc Ce ., 122 Cellinsville avenuc. A linc
of new players has b ee n g iven a special display
ill tile store. and it is expec ted that the ·new
depart1l1Cll[ lll ay pre\·c a des irable fea ture:·
McFARLAND MUSIC CO. MOVES
MIUIlLETOW I\, 0 .. D ecember 18.- The McFarland
Music Co., after many year s of prospe rity on
Main str ee t. has removed to a more central
lecation at 408 East Third street. Du -; iness has
already been re s umed at the new lecatien.

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