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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
APRIL 5, 1924
Out in the Field With the Dealers
A. Frederick Carter, Field Editor of The Review, Sums Up Conditions Existing in the Retail Music Trade
in Alabama—Demand for High-grade Instruments Predominating Among the Buyers in This
State—Musical and Civic Activities of the Retail Music Merchants
IRMINGHAM, ALA., April 1.—One cer-
tain way to gauge the progress of any
particular community is to interview music
dealers who are progressive and active in ac-
tivities of their city. The State of Alabama is
particularly fortunate in this respect as music
dealers are taking an active part in every move-
ment designed to help the State take its posi-
tion as one of the leading ones of the entire
South. This is no careless statement, for it is
based on observations, not only from the
musical standpoint, but from the reaction which
musical influence has had on city and State
chambers of commerce. Without exception
these business bodies have corroborated this
opinion. There is no question that the State of
Alabama is second to none in progressiveness
in the South, for it is rich in natural resources
and is a beehive of industry where manufactur-
ing plays an important part.
A very interesting point as regards music
business here is the large number of high
priced instruments that are sold. This is inter-
esting in view of the fact that in the largest
manufacturing city of the State, Birmingham,
merchants are getting this class of business
when it would be naturally supposed that the
majority of their sales would be of the lower
priced instruments.
People are purchasing
Steinway, Chickering and other well-known
grade A pianos. In the talking machines con-
soles of the very finest kind find a ready market.
Merchants are bending every effort to enlarge
this field and are cultivating every single chan-
nel offered to secure this class of business.
This does not mean, however, that the lower
grades of instruments are not sold, for I re-
member one merchant totals his business almost
two-thirds in the middle priced player-piano
class and the low price upright, and his volume
is indeed a large one. This proved that, no mat-
ter how poor or how wealthy a particular com-
munity may be, both grades of instruments have
a market, providing that the music merchant
makes a careful analysis of the possibilities and
lays his plans accordingly.
Montgomery, Ala.
It was a pleasure to meet L. S. Parsons,
general manager of the Jesse French retail
warerooms, who is, without doubt, one of the
best-posted men in that State I met. Mr. Par-
sons is the ideal type of modern merchant, as
he not only interests himself in the affairs of
his own business, but is continually active in
movements for the civic betterment. My visit
with him was on his return from a Rotary
Club luncheon at which he had given a short
talk on the musical possibilities in the city.
Mr. Parsons is very much interested in bring-
ing to Montgomery the leading artists of the
country through the medium of the Mont-
gomery Concert Course Association, which is
conducted by three leading musicians of the
town in the persons of the Misses Kate Booth,
B. Leigh Eilenberg and L. Bryan Gill, who
have their headquarters in the store of Mr.
Parsons. The series this Winter included
Mischa Levitzky, Segrid Onegin, Madame
Pavlowa and the Ukranian Chorus, and the St.
Louis Symphony Orchestra. Needless to say
Mr. Parsons, through these activities, has made
for himself an enviable reputation and a host
of friends, which have been responsible, in a
large measure, for the successful business of
which he is the head.
S. E. Pace, manager of the Starr Piano Co.,
is one of the oldest members that this organi-
zation has and is considered one of the ablest
B
managers in the entire chain. His store is one
of the best arranged 1 have yet seen, for he has
equipped it with every modern convenience de-
signed to properly serve all classes of clients in
talking machines, records and pianos.
Mr. Pace this week placed a new dealer for
the Starr Co. in Wallace, N. C, in the person
of E. L. Sandlin, who conducts the Wallace
Cycle Music Co. He has just acquired addi-
tional space which he is to devote exclusively
to the display of the complete line of Starr
phonographs and pianos. Mr. Pace is enthu-
siastk over this new account as it will give his
house a representation in a section of North
Carolina that is making rapid strides in its com-
mercial progress.
The definition of a live wire in musical mer-
chandising is certainly exemplified in the person
of C. A. Tyler, who manages the store of the
Cable-Shelby-Burton Co. on Dexter street. Mr.
Tyler has an organization that knows how to
sell goods, especially high-priced pianos and
talking machines. He has with him Mrs. A. E.
Gibson, who does nothing else but sell pros-
pects outside of the store and, according to Mr.
Tyler, has not a peer in the entire country in
this highly important phase of securing busi-
ness. Mr. Tyler reports a very healthy business
since the holidays and, from all indications,
1924 promises to be one of the best his store
has yet enjoyed.
Birmingham, Ala.
The city of Birmingham is so filled with civic
pride that the atmosphere generally is per-
meated with it, and welcome is the visitor once
he enters the city's gates. It is a beehive oi
industry, a steel mill, iron mill, coal and mining
center with a number of other varied industries,
which all tend to make it one of the busiest in
the entire South. It is no wonder that music
merchants carry a smile on their faces and go
about with a satisfied air which bespeaks general
prosperity. Every single one with whom I
talked reports an excellent business for the past
year and a very healthy demand for his goods
since the new year. The condition of their
stores is remarkable, in that they are well ar-
ranged, well kept and each vies with the other
in the decoration of their show windows. These
latter are a revelation in the art of window dis-
plays, for here I have seen some unique and
original ideas carried out that are without ques-
tion a reflection of the high-class character of
the local wareroom.
The Clark-Jones Piano Co. on Third avenue,
which features the Steinway piano and other
high-grade makes, has one of the finest ware-
rooms in the South. Both Mr. Jones and
Robert McDavid, general manager of the store,
have a keen conception of methods used by the
successful retail music dealer and they are con-
tinually formulating new plans and originating
unique ideas to foster their business. Mr. Mc-
David specializes in originating some of the
best window displays I have ever seen and so
good are they that the local newspapers have
become interested to the point of taking photo-
graphs of them and reproducing them. From all
reports, these windows have been responsible
for the largest business secured during the last
two years. Both of these gentlemen are promi-
nently connected with local civic bodies and are
taking their place in the advancement and prog-
ress, of the city of Birmingham. By the way,
it is a question as to whom of the two is to
attend the Allied Music Trades Convention to
be held in New York in June, but if I have been
a good salesman there is no question about it.
In addition to conducting one of the largest
piano businesses in Alabama, Steve Warrick, oi
the Seals Piano Co., finds time to play a good
game of golf, ride a thoroughbred horse and do
considerable hunting in the season. Mr. War-
rick, in partnership with Robert Seals, a brother
of Clude Seals, who began this piano company
in 1882, conducts the present business and,
from figures and statistics which he showed me,
it is one of the most prosperous music stores in
the State.
I met a very interesting gentleman and a
most accomplished musician in Oliver Chalifoux,
who conducts one of the busiest music stores
in the city. His store specializes in every con-
ceivable type of sheet music. In addition to
these strenuous activities, he finds time to teach
the violin to a large class of pupils, and has had
the distinction of turning out the winner of the
first prize in violin pupil competion in the city
of Birmingham for the last two years, which
speaks exceedingly well for his talent in this
instrument. Mr. Chalifoux has an able partner
in his accomplished wife, who is a harpist and
who also teaches. This combination is very
much in demand throughout the city for concert
work.
While visiting in the C. C. Holcombe store,
I was just too late to have tfre pleasure of
shaking hands with Jesse French, Sr., president
of this well-known piano company, who had
been visiting Mr. Holcombe, Sr., while on his
way North from a Winter sojourn in the South.
However, I met an old friend in the person of
Clyde Holcombe, who is assistant to his father
in conducting this business. Also I had a very
interesting discussion on music conditions
generally with Ira F. Randall, general manager
of the store, whom I found well posted on music
conditions and who is an experienced piano
man of many years' standing. He was for many
years connected with the W. F. Frederick Piano
Co. of Pittsburgh.
Mobile, Ala.
Mobile offers, to my mind, manifold possi-
bilities commercially and every other aspect of
general progress, for it is the gateway of ocean
travel for the entire State. A concentrated effort
of the- leading merchants has been able to im-
press the State authorities on the importance of
Mobile port with the most gratifying result.
In the Loper-Gresset Music House I ran into
more musicians than I have seen for many
months past. Mr. Loper is an accomplished
musician and so is his wife, and last, but not
least, they have with them a negro porter who
plays the piano such as I have never heard
anyone play in all my experience. The re-
markable thing about his playing is that he
knows nothing of music and all his playing is
extemporaneous with a left-hand melody all of
his own transposing. Last week Hart Gillen,
composer of "The Mean Blues," was here visit-
ing Mr. Loper, and after hearing this negro
play his number in his own peculiar way he
immediately adopted the left-hand transposing.
Through the courtesy of Walter D. Miller,
general manager of the W. H. Reynolds Co.,
Victor distributor, I was given some very in-
teresting information as regards Mobile and its
possibilities musically. Mr. Miller's particular
activity is in wholesaling Victor product, but he
is also interested in the affairs of the retail
store conducted by Mr. Reynolds on Dauphin
street. Unfortunately, Billy Reynolds, pro-
prietor of the store, was confined to his home
with a serious attack of pneumonia, but, from
latest reports he is recovering.