JULY
21, 1923
THE
MU SIC
TRADE
REVIEW
9
National Competition Grows in Favor
Review Suggestion for National Competition Limited to Piano Students in Grade and High Schools Granting
Credits for Music Work Receiving Widespread Endorsement From Manufacturers and Dealers
Trade Making Many Suggestions as to the Details of the Arrangements
T h e Review co ntinu es to recc ive a flood of
favorab le comme n t frolll members of the pia no
trad e on th e s ugges tion rece nt ly acl\'a nced by
this paper that a Na tional Pr ize 1-' ia no Pl ay in g
Compet ition be h e ld in New Yo r k durin g l he
period of the 1924 convention, open to st udents
of tho se high and grade d schoo ls thr oug ho ut
th e co untry which gra nt credits for mu s ic s tud y.
Variou s members of the trade have g ive n
mueh thought to the plan and ha ve suggested
various methods for enlarging it in order to at
tract th e grea test number of co ntestants and
lik ew ise the g reates t amount of general in terest.
It has bee n suggeste d thaI music conserv a
tori es in various sect ions of the country be
solicit ed r ega rding the granting of scholarship s
to prize-winnin g s tudents by subscription in,
~n d perhaps out of, the trade to meet tbr tui
lion expense of the prize winners.
This matter will be taken up in due course and
th ere is n o question but that The Review's plan,
eith e r in its original or in an amenckcl iorm,
wi ll be carried out. It is significant that such
objections as have bee n raised to the plan have
had to do on l,.' w ith minor details, which can
be a dju sted to genera l s'lt is faction before th e
movem e nt is ac tu a ll y ca rri ed out. The se de
tail s, s uc h as the selec t IO n of pia nos up on which
the stude nt s w ill play in compe titi o n, cali be
taken ca r e o f prope rl y, p rov ided memb e rs of
th e trade who participate g i\'e d efin;t e at t e n
tion to the compe tition itself a nd th e poss ible
resu lt s, rather than t o the id ea of ha v;n g th eir
particular ins t rume nt s in the foref ront. The
competition in no se n se wi ll be a di sp lay o f
pianos , but rather of piano-pla yi n g ab ili ty, and
on that basis the instrllment itself is ovcrshad
owed.
Possibilities of Contest
The possibility of arousing school a uth oritie,
ge nerally to the advisabilit y and wisdom of
g ranting credits for music study is in it se lf a
factor that appeals most stron g ly to the ma
jority of trade members, who see th e re in a
means for increasing interest in piano playing
as an acco mplishment and, consequently, c r ea l
in:; an increased demand for the se in s trum e nt s.
There are presented herewith another g ro up
of lett e r s receivecl by The Review which indi
cate t h e favor w ilh which the plan for a national
p ian o compet ition has been received by lead in g
members of th e industry.
Co l. F. B. T. Hollenberg, of the Holl enberg
Music Co., Littl e Rock, A rk., and a tr ade mem
ber w hose op ini o n is a lways d ese rving of deep
co nsid era tion , w rit es:
"The editor ia l page of your issue of June 23
is rece ived and carefully noted . You a1'e ab
sohttely right and I imagine it can be d one
wi thout a great deal of cos t. I n olher words,
I am satisfied that a large con servatory of
celebrated arl-isls 7(:ho teach 'lvould be deJ.ighted
to give a yeM', or e7Jen mo re, to five 01' six, 01'
even a dozen, wiJlnns of the contest. It need
not be umjil1ed to pial1o; voice wltlM'e might
be brought in als o, becMtse certainly it is im
possible to advance much in singing without
the u,(e of a piano.
"The piano trad e could raise (L fe
sand dollars which could be used for pa)'l1lelti
of board and lodging of th e successfttl contest
ants while the), arc getting the bellejit of the
free sc/tolm'ship, and th e conserva tories 1)1' (L1'f
ists would be delighted to give' th eir services,
without charge, to such an aspiring and really
capable student, particnlarly if the' piano trade
Or someone else would SUPPly th e fund to pO)'
the board or actlJal livillg expenses of the stu
dent willile attending lessons at the conserva ..
tury ur stu.dio. '{here a.re about 1,400 menl
bers of Ih e M2tj'ic Jl!len:ilclllt/ Association and
1 aliI mtisjied that 0111 of that number at least
$ \0,000 cuuld be raised fu ·r Ihis Plt1'/'OSC 'If
Ill'cdcd. 'J'h e I,iano mantt/aettlrers 'Would, no
daubt, contribute quite an autGunt, or equal
that of the pillno dealen. and even the piano
supply trade and ·,the·r allied interests 'Would
cuntribl/te. F//(! {)hOllograph dealers and man
ufaclll1'ers Inight also be int el'es ted in this
prupusition and make a substantial contribu
tion.
"1 do not think the?'e is a question of the
money at all. I believe that could be easily
arranged and obtained. The aile thing neces
sarj' is to get it before the piano trade and
allied inlere.(t" and then to work out a compre
hell .,i·, ,; plan, one that will be of 1'eal benejit
to th e man)' )'oung people of genius with which
onr coun tr)' abounds. We pay thousands alld
thousa.nds of dolla1's ·i n many 7f1ays which do
not ha'lle 011j' lasting benefit and w ith compara
liv ely a few thousand do llars we could carry
on a. plan of this kind which, eve n if it did not
benefit the pia.no trade and its allied interests
dir,.dl)', ,(Jould be of lasting bene jit to our
youl1g people and 'Would be worth a great many
lim ej' more than the small amount it would
cos t.
"Aside from the piano trade there are, no
doubt, a number of very wealthy individuals
,(lito, if thc)' knew of such a {,Ian, would be
delighted to res/Jond (c'ith a .,ubstantial C01'l
t?'ibution to this worll . You 'm ay easily gather
from this tha t I am absolutely in favor of the
plan proposed alld I am of the opinion Iltat ,
after it has been on foot a fe w 3'ears, thc music
7c'eeks throughout the States will become more
prominent and the applicants for th e scholar
slli/) '" auld be numerOus, alld a grea.ter inter
est stimulated in 1?1u.l'ic in various loca.lities,
and jinally, but 110t least by (m), IneallS, Con
gl'CSS '/could e·llcn.tua /ly lake lIo/ice and a Na
tional C onse1'vato r), of J'vIusic, somewhat on thl'
lincs of th e public sc hools, would be estab
li shed at IVashington, ,,·here young musicialls
of ahl:li ty and genius, be the}1 1'iclt or poor,
could be /,r opcrly troincd and ,'c!unzrd 10 the
va1'i~l/.s parts of tile ['lIited Stales, aNd th eir
respective places of residence ~('ould be grcati3'
bel1l'jitl'd thereby N
Chas. A. De ut sc hmann, president of the Na
lional .'\, soc iatio l1 of Piano Tuners, which or
gan izatio n has lon g worke d in the interests of
the trade g~ncra lly, says of the plan:
"YOtl1' editorial advising the piano tmde to
inaugurate a Nationa l Piano Contest based on
school o'edils at the next convention, and the
~.; inne ·rs to 1'ecei've scholarships, is certainly a
move in the 1'ight direction. It is surely high
time that the piano trade does something 10
('J'I(ourage young pianists in their endeavors,
as they are laying the foundati on f or fut ure
piano businpss. J-l oping your excellent editorial
will bring about the desired result."
Chas. H . Ya hrlin g, president of th e Ya hrlin g
Hayner Piano Co., Youngstown, 0., a nd chair
man of the press com mittee of the Ampico Art
Soc iety, makes so me int eresting and valuable
sug~eqiol1s in the fo ll owing let t e r:
" I am in I'eceipt of the editorial from Th e
Rcvie,.' 0/fe1'1:11g suggestions to the piano indus
tryon holding a contest at the next annual
mee ting of the }.1usic1!f erchants' Asso ciation.
I think your suggestio11s are very timely and
sh ould be given very serious consid eration by
th e music trade in general. In going over this
mailer the thought occurred to me thai, if II
co ntest could be arranged whereby yoUng pian
isis from all over the /ouIl11'y could parlici
I)ate and 1'/1111,e it kind of a national even t, it
c,'oldd create a great deal of illterest through
uut the conntry. J1!ly idea of izandJ.i1tg this
,('auld be to have a dealer in each city, or, be/
tel' s tili, 'lv here there is a local association,
Londuct a h ome conll'st and offer as a prize
to the best student a trip, w ith all expenses
pa.id, to Ne w Yo1'/, to participate in the IW
liolla.1 con tes t. Both Ih e 10((11 and the nalional
cOllll'sls shou ld be arrang ed to include s tudents
liP to a cer tain age limit, and Ihe 1()I'lli wHtesl
should be in the form of an elimina.tion C01'{
tes t and the winner of the IQ cal alfair zi.;ou.ld
bl' decided by a committee selected frail! some
music club. It would be on the sa nle order as
the beaztly conlest w hich w as held in the differ
ent cities.
"Of (oune, the 1nam;jactl.1re1's would have
10 oj/er s ome substanlial p1'ize to create inter
est among Ihe young pia11lists, but I have no
doubt Ihat several of the manufacturers wo uld
bCin'lling 10 0.0 I'r a grand piano and ottzer
The Music I ndust1'ies Chamber o f
prizes.
Commerce, tl11'ou.qh i ts Trade Service Bur eai~,
,.-ould ha'lle to distribute the necessary mll
terial among thl' pupils through the dealers,
and there is no doubt in the wrile?"s mind that,
if this was lW11dled f'ropedy, it would be a big
success al1d the publicity IILe music trade would
get from a (I)ntest of this kind tll1'ongh the
n ezllspapers ,.liould be ·in-valuab le.
"This is si11lpl y (Ln outlil1e of my id,a and.
of cozt1'se, would have to be worked out to suit
conditions. Personall)" I believe that, as far
a.s this city I:S cOH cenled, we cou ld wo rk up a
contest j'uch as J mentioned without murh
trouble, and 110t onl)' SNU1'e the co-operat ioll
of the music teac hers, but also of the 1nusica.f
instru.d ors of the lo ca.l schools, an.d J am SU1'e
the differen t music clubs wou.ld be glad 10 IJPI
behind a movement of th.is kind."
C. L. De nni s , manager o f th e Trade Service
Bureau of th e :r"rus ie Indu s trie s C hamber of
COlllmerce, has to sav of The Rev iew plan:
" 1 (111'1 St1'011.CJly i11lp1'('.,sl'd '(('ith Ihe /,osslhili
tl:CS of a. National Piano Contest such as you
hQ..7)( oUlliurd ill your l'(/.l:/01'ial of June 23.
/.Vhile l!l ·is
a1/.d one which shol.tld not be entered upon
"'ithont Ili c!1'ouglt. shldy and considera tion, yel
I believe it is within the range of practl:ca.bility.
('er toinly it 'Utili be interesting to have the
vie"cpoint of Ihe trade 1'egarding the proposal."
EICHHOLD CO. FILES SCHEDULES
C1NCINNATI, 0., J uly 16.-·-The bankruptcy sched
ule of the Lou is B. Eichho ld Co., musical in
stru me nt d eal er , 211 3 Wes t Eighth street and
3664 Warsaw aven ue, fi led r ece ntly in the
O nit ed States d istrict court lists liabilities at
$47,366.3 4 and assets a t $55,928.13.
JACOB DOLL MAKES RESCUE
Two men m a rooned on a rock in Long Island
Sound were rescued rece ntl y by Jacob Doll,
sec r e ta r y o f Jacob Do ll & So n s, New York.
T h e m e n we r(' h a lf it mil e f rolll s hore w h e n
their sma ll po we r boa t sp run g a leak a nd forced
them to la nd on a jagge d r ock. Mr. D o ll,
hearing their c r ies, we n t to the rock in hi ~
yacht and took them as ho r e. ,\ 11 of th!' Doll
brothers a r e a rd ent yac ht sme n.
Consult the Un iversal Want Directory of
The Re view . In it advertisements are inserted
free of charge for men who desire positions.