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JANUARY 9,
1926
THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
New Music Advancement Committee
Is Appointed by Jacobson
President of the Music Industries Chamber of Commerce Announces New Members of Body Charged With
Advisory Service to the National Bureau for the Advancement of Music—All Sections of the
Music Industries Represented by Prominent Figures — Mr. Jacobson's Statement
RESIDENT E. R. JACOBSON, of the
Music Industries Chamber of Commerce,
has tendered appointments on the Advisory
Committee to the National Bureau for the
Advancement of Music to the following promi-
nent members of the industry: Herman Irion,
chairman, Steinway & Sons; H. A. Beach, East-
ern sales manager, Brunswick-Balke-Collender
Co.; E. S. Clark, Grinnell Bros., Detroit; E. J.
Dingley, sales manager, Victor Talking Ma-
chine Co.; M. V. DeForeest, Sharon, Pa.; Frank-
lin Dunham, educational department, Aeolian
Co.; A. M. Farrier, vice-president, Thomas A.
Edison, Inc.; C. D. Greenleaf, C. G. Conn, Ltd.;
P. O. Griffith, Griffith Piano Co., Newark, N. J.;
William J. Haussler, C. Bruno & Son, Inc.;
Homer L. Kitt, Homer L. Kitt Co., Washing-
ton, D. C.; H. E. Lawrence, Standard Pneumatic
Action Co.; Alex McDonald, Sohmer & Co.;
H. Paul Mehlin, Paul G. Mehlin & Sons; Otto
Miessner, Miessner Piano Co.; Jerome F. Mur-
phy, M. Steinert & Sons, Boston; W. W. Smith,
J. W. Greene & Co., Toledo; Sigmund Spaeth,
American Piano Co.; Shirley Walker, Sherman,
Clay & Co., San Francisco, and Robert N. Wat-
kin, Will A. Watkin Co., Dallas, Tex.
Much thought was given to the selection of
the personnel of this committee because of the
great importance of the music promotional ac-
tivities of the Chamber, and especially because
of the elaborate plans which will have to be
developed by this committee for the expansion
of instrumental instruction in the public schools.
In explaining the reasons for his selections Mr.
Jacobson said:
"There is no man in the industry so qualified
by past contact with the National Bureau for
the Advancement of Music and from his busi-
ness connection for this service as Herman
Irion, of Steinway & Sons, who served as chair-
man of this committee during the administra-
tion of my predecessor. I am congratulating
myself for having been able to prevail upon Mr.
Irion to continue as chairman.
"While the music promotional work is of vital
importance to the entire industry, including
makers of parts of pianos, phonographs and
other instruments, nevertheless, the man on the
firing line is the dealer. We must develop our
music promotional work in accordance with the
best advice and suggestions we can get from
the dealers. The dealers on this committee—
Messrs. De Foreest, Clark, Griffith, Kitt, Smith,
Walker and Watkin—are all well known in the
trade and men who have been successful in their
own business. I have also endeavored to select
men who not only have a practical knowl-
edge of the retail sales problems of our indus-
try, but also who have shown in their own busi-
nesses that they know how to develop a prac-
tical tie-up between the art of music and the
sale of musical instruments. Alexander Mc-
Donald is a member of the executive board of
the National Association of Music Merchants,
and has recently spoken at several conventions
on music promotional subjects. He suggested
the popular slogan of the recent Chicago con-
vention, 'Make America Musical.'
"The dealers on this committee also have a
special responsibility in educating the dealers of
the country to the importance of this work. I
was especially impressed by what Mr. Irion
wrote me about this in his letter of acceptance,
when he said:
" 'I am of the belief that the piano manu-
P
facturers composing the Chamber are fully and
practically unanimously aware of the value of
the National Bureau for the Advancement of
Music to our industry. Unfortunately this great
value is not yet equally well appreciated by the
vast body of music merchants throughout our
country. In making this statement I am alive
to the fact that there are many prominent music
merchants who keenly appreciate and who have
greatly helped the National Bureau for the Ad-
vancement of Music, but there are many others
who pay scant attention to what the Bureau
can and will do to help in the dissemination of
musical culture in the United States if it is prop-
erly and generously supported by the Chamber.
And for this purpose we require a large mem-
bership and ample funds. My thought was that
a lively interest among the music merchants of
America could and should be brought about
more rapidly by the prominent and active music
merchants on this committee rather than by a
man, like myself, representing a manufacturer.'
What the Various Divisions Are Doing
"If there is one product in our industry which
is more closely tied up than any other with the
art of music, or which must be promoted largely
along educational lines, it is the reproducing
piano. The manufacturers realize this, as is
shown by their educational departments. I be-
lieve that the representatives of the reproducing
piano manufacturers, Messrs. Spaeth, Dunham
and Lawrence, are going to be especially val-
uable members to this committee.
"The most advertised product of our indus-
try is the phonograph. The sales managers of
those companies must be practical men who can
move their products in great volume. The pres-
ence on this committee of the sales managers
of Victor, Brunswick and Edison companies as-
sures us, I believe, that the conclusions of the
committee will be sound from a practical sales
standpoint.
'From the ranks of the piano manufacturers,
who as a group have for many years been heart
and soul behind our music promotional program,
I found men who will bring special knowledge
and ability to the committee. Mr. Mehlin for
many years has been in close touch with the
music promotional work of the National Piano
Manufacturers' Association. Mr. Miessner is
not only a piano manufacturer, but is also one
of the most prominent music educators of the
country, being a past president of the National
Music Supervisors' Conference. His own suc-
cess in developing group piano instruction in
public schools in connection with his business
has commanded widespread attention of edu-
cators. Mr. Murphy is not only a manufacturer,
but will also bring to the aid of the* committee
experience from one of the largest retail mer-
chandising organizations of the country.
What Band Instrument Men Have Done
"The band instrument industry is represented
by Mr. Greenleaf, who personally is largely re-
sponsible for the present standing of the largest
company manufacturing band instruments. He
is also president of the Band Instrument Manu-
facturers' Association, which itself has done a
great deal in the last few years in co-operation
with the National Bureau in the promotion of
school bands. The distribution branch of the
small goods business could not be representefl
by any better man than Mr. Haussler, who him-
self has a wonderful record of sales promotion
in his campaign to popularize the harmonica."
"The organization of school bands has already
proved to be one of the greatest factors in the
continued growth and prosperity of the band in-
strument companies. I believe that even more
can be done for the piano, especially through
group instruction. Just think what a demand
for pianos there would be if every pupil of our
public school system were taking piano lessons
in addition to learning the three 'R's.' As a
matter of fact, instrumental music instruction
does have a real place in the public educational
system not alone from the educational and cul-
tural advantages to be derived, but also as a
training for a profession. The number of people
in each community earning their livelihood or
supplementing other income by music is alone
sufficient to justify such instruction. In fact,
probably in any public school in the country
there are now far more pupils who will ulti-
mately be musicians than will be carpenters or
plumbers, doctors or lawyers or engineers. Yet
we think the public school system should give
manual training and prepare for further study
of the professions. Why, then, should we not
give practical training in music?
The Problem
"Our problem is not so much one of intro-
ducing a new musical development in the
schools or even of undertaking a new activity
by the National Bureau, but rather that of ex-
panding and placing more emphasis on certain
activities of the Bureau which have been going
on for some time. For several years the Bureau
has been co-operating with the National Music
Supervisors' Conference in developing the idea
of the proper place for instrumental instruction
in the school curriculum. It has been particu-
larly active in co-operation with the Super-
visors' Committee on Instrumental Instruction.
The results of this work have been shown in
the development of school .bands and orches-
tras. More emphasis should be placed upon
the piano and the possibilities of piano instruc-
tion in group classes. With the work already
done by the National Supervisors' Conference,
and as a result of the interest in musical edu-
cation for children, awakened through such
agencies as the Federated Music Clubs, women's
clubs, Rotary and similar organizations and
municipal officials generally, I feel that the
necessary ground work has been, laid for ener-
getic and more definite promotion.
Considering Educational Factors
"If we are to be successful we must work in
the future as in the past, giving consideration
only to the educational factors involved, and
striving for a sound and healthy development
of instrumental instruction, in accordance with
the limitations and dictation of established
public school educational policy, rather than be-
ing moved by considerations of publicity, or
hope for immediate and great expansion of
musical instrument sales. Publicity, propaganda
or oratory cannot induce our public school offi-
cials to add features which have not first been
determined by them to be sound and desirable
from an educational standpoint. Our problem,
therefore, is to convince educators, public offi-
cials and taxpayers of the country of the edu-
cational and practical advantages of instru-
mental musical instruction. I feel that we will
be able to hasten very materially the general
adoption of public school instrumental instruc-
tion, but we must first develop the educational
(Continued on page 9)