Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1926 Vol. 82 N. 26

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REVIEW
THE
VOL. LXXXII. No. 26
Published Every SaUrday. Edward Lyman Bill, Inc., 383 Madison Ave., New York, N. Y., Jane 26, 1926
8ln<
fe<£°&' & Cents
The Reproducer and Player in the
New Piano Promotion Plan
Whatever Is Accomplished to Create Interest on the Part of the Public in the Piano Itself Reacts Favorably
Upon Public Interest in Both the Reproducing Piano and the Player-Piano—The Problems
Confronting Both Manufacturers and Dealers in These Instruments
T
HE piano manufacturers have decided to
spend some of their hard-earned coin in
promoting a revival of piano sales. It is to
be assumed that under the word "piano" they
include also the player-piano and the reproduc-
ing piano. How are these likely to fare in such
a case?
It seems that this question ought not to be
faced courageously, because without a doubt it
will sooner or later force its way into the dis-
cussion. This indeed is only proper, for the
pneumatic end of the piano industry can no
longer be left out of consideration in a ques-
tion of this sort. In fact, so important is the
pneumatic end of the piano industry that it is
likely to have almost a determining weight in
any policy which is undertaken by the trade
as a whole.
And so it is as well from the outset to realize
that the whole case for the reproducing piano
rests upon the fact that it is a pianoforte first
and foremost; but a pianoforte plus the pianist
who plays upon it, in fact plus almost any num-
ber of artists capable of playing upon it. Given
the reproducing piano and the right music, one
has not only the musical instrument par ex-
cellence, but the means of enjoying at all times
the best of music played by the best of musi-
cians.
Parallel Cases
This is only another way of saying that what-
ever is done to revive interest in the piano
does to that extent work to the advantage of the
reproducing piano also. This is true even as
concerns the promotion of piano playing. For
the reproducing piano can only interfere with
the love for piano playing among its owners
when the library of music that goes with it is
entirely a library of dance records and general
jazz. The very moment we get anything better,
the moment that the owner of a reproducing
piano begins to take an interest in the inter-
pretation of piano music by this or that pianist,
that moment he becomes, to that extent, a
music-lover, and indirectly interested in piano
playing. In the family of that .owner the task of
learning to play the piano will be considered as
something to be taken up definitely by the
children, or revived by the elders who have
lost it through disuse.
For since evidently the whole case for the
be, but it is necessary now to realize that we
have, in future, to keep up the level of public
interest in the reproducing piano much higher
than the mass of the retail trade has been ac-
customed to hold it. The manufacturers, in
fact, have simply got to insist that the mer-
chants and the salesmen fall in line with the
HE fact that the piano manufacturers general trend of the times. After all, that should
are to devote their energies to a coun- not be so very difficult. One foresees greater
try-wide propaganda for the piano during prosperity than ever for the reproducing piano,
the next three years, as was decided at the a prosperity dearly bought and thoroughly de-
served. But the basic facts must be kept in
recent national convention, has brought up mind and the basic principles constantly put
the interesting question of the effect this into practice.
work will have upon both the reproduc-
Where the Player-Piano Comes In
When we turn to the player-piano, properly
ing piano and the player-piano.
Herewith
is an analysis of this problem, showing that co-called, that is to the pedal-played instru-
the interest of the industry is unified regard- ment, we find not an identical but a parallel
case. The player-piano is worth buying just
ing all instruments which are the products precisely in so far as it is playable. That is to
of the piano factories of the American in- say, just precisely in so far as the buyer can
play it with personal satisfaction is it worth
dustry.
his time and money to possess a player-piano.
Just precisely, on the contrary, in so far as the
buyer cannot get personal satisfaction out of
magazine that the piano is the greatest of musi- the personal playing of the instrument, he is
cal instruments -and one which all the children
not justified in buying it and not to be blamed
should learn to play, and on another page that if he does not buy it. Which is simply to say
the piano is the greatest of musical instruments that the salesmen who have, for so long, rung
and one which one need not learn to play. The the changes on the silly childish talk about "a
two ideas cannot be separated in this way with- child can do it," "no intelligence or knowledge
out mutual disaster. On the other hand, they needed," must hereafter do what every manu-
can be kept wholly apart if the true sphere of
facturer has for the last ten years been in-
the reproducing piano is kept in mind. That is sisting on having done; namely, they must here-
to say, in so far as the trade realizes that the after sell the player-piano as one sells a set of
reproducing piano must be worked in as an clubs to a novice golfer or a set of lessons to a
aid in the promotion of the general prosperity
novice automobilist. In a word, the player-
of the industry, as now planned to be rebuilt,
piano must either profit by the forthcoming
the trade will also realize that it must put its
campaign for piano revival, or it must be de-
efforts into selling as much as possible of the stroyed by that campaign.
better types of reproducing piano music. Once
The player-piano, in fact, is a piano first and
this simple point has been grasped the way foremost. It is also a piano which anyone can
will be clear.
learn to play with personal satisfaction after a
One may say with confidence that the manu- very short spell of practice, providing the facts
facturers of reproducing pianos have understood of its operation and control are properly demon-
It is an instrument which one can
from the first the position in which they stand. strated.
They have built up their business upon fine learn to play with an amount of satisfaction
music played by fine musicians. One may say which devotees tell us is only surpassed by the
that the recording musicians and not the re- satisfaction obtained by the pianist whose
producing mechanism have sold the reproducing technic, laboriously acquired through years of
(Continued on page 4)
piano. This, of course, is exactly as it should
revival of the piano must be based ultimately
upon piano playing, it likewise follows that the
case for the reproducing piano must be similarly
founded. It is absurd to say on one page of a
r
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
The Music Trade Review
Manila Music Merchant Planning to Open
Branches in Hong Kong and Singapore
Points Out That Germans Win in Competition by Meeting Climatic Conditions in East Indies—
Heine Piano Co. Planning to Open Los Angeles Store
OAN FRANCISCO, CAL, June 18.—Arthur F.
^ Uggen, of the Lyric Music House, Inc.
Manila (P. I.), has the only American-owned
and controlled music store in the Far East, and
he has had such success that he is considering
opening up new branches, probably in Hong
Kong and Singapore. He has, however, a
problem that he would like to have settled be-
fore he expands and this has brought him to the
United States. Mr. Uggen landed here a few
days ago and called on A. L. Quinn, Western
manager for the Q R S Music Co. He was
greatly interested in the process of manufactur-
ing rolls, especially as his store in Manila is a
Q R S dealer. It was after visiting the mechan-
ical department that Mr. Uggen told Mr. Quinn
why he has made a special trip to the United
States in order to visit some of the piano man-
ufacturers here.
Germans Cater to Climatic Conditions
In the Philippine Islands, as well as elsewhere
in the Far East, the dealers seem forced to buy
large quantities of German-made pianos. This
is due to the fact that the German manufac-
turers take the climate into consideration in
making up their pianos. For one thing, veneer
blisters under hot, moist tropical conditions and
German manufacturers are quite willing to make
pianos of unveneered wood, polished to a fine
finish. They also use screws in many places
where the American manufacturers use glue.
Mr. Uggen is here to try to make arrangements
with some of the American manufacturers for
making pianos for export that will resist the
hot, soggy tropical climate of the Far East.
He is very partial to the American player-
piano, but as it is made at present he hesitates
to sell it to either white or native in outlying
districts, as it does not stand up under the
moist heat and the services of an expert me-
chanic are required to keep it in order. The
natives are very fond of music and there is a
field for player-pianos among the natives. Mr.
Uggen plans to visit Eastern piano manufac-
turers and see if any of them will cater to
Oriental climatic conditions. He will also call
at the Q R S Music Co.'s headquarters in
Chicago.
Three Great Valleys Facing Prosperity
Wiley B. Allen Co. branch managers from
three of the great California valleys are all visit-
ing headquarters here and give hopeful accounts
of the outlook. They are R. W. Young, from
Fresno (San Joaquin Valley); William Law-
rence, from San Jose (Santa Clara Valley), and
Harry Williams, of the Sacramento branch
(Sacramento Valley). Speaking of the reports
brought in by these three branch managers,
James J. Black, treasurer of the company, said
they all believe that the music trades will re-
ceive their fair share of the promising crop con-
ditions in the three great valleys and things look
promising for the remainder of the year.
Tucker Delighted With New L. A. Store
Maurice Michaels, of the piano department of
the Wiley B. Allen Co. here, has just returned
from a vacation motor trip in southern Cali-
fornia. In Los Angeles he found E. P. Tucker,
the branch manager there, very much elated
over the new location of the store. Business,
especially Ampico business, was most encourag-
ing. The new box-office arrangements are very
satisfactory. The store handles box-office sales
for the bulk of the concerts.
R. E. Wolfinger, manager of the phonograph
department of the Wiley B. Allen Co., has sold
a Brunswick Panatrope, combination radio and
phonograph, to William B. Leeds, Jr., for his
home in Oyster Bay. Mr. Leeds, who has been
staying at Hotel Del Monte, expressed satis-
faction with the Brunswick Panatrope recently
installed there. This reaching the attention of
Mr. Wolfinger, he called on Mr. Leeds and the
result of the visit was a thousand-dollar sale.
Robertson Returns From N. Y. Convention
A telegram has been received by Sherman,
Clay & Co.'s offices here, stating that R. E.
Robertson, who has general supervision of the
Northwest branches for the firm, has returned
from the convention in New York. P. T. Clay,
president of the firm, who was accompanied
East by Mr. Robertson, has not yet returned.
Seeking New Location in Los Angeles
Mrs. S. Heine, president of the Heine Piano
Co., is in Los Angeles, considering several pos-
sible new locations for the branch there of the
Heine Piano Co. At present it is at 110 South
Spring street, but Mrs. Heine is anxious to see
the store in a more central location and she
went South to find one.
J. F. Hale Has Almost Recovered
J. F. Hale, of Kohler & Chase, assistant to the
president, has returned from a business trip to
the South. Mr. Hale stated to-day that he
has almost recovered from his recent somewhat
severe illness and is busy at work again. It is
hoped to move to the new store early next
week.
"Dream of Love" on Victor Records
One of the best-selling records on the Coast
at present is the new Victor record, "Dream
of Love," with "If I Were King" from the light
opera "Patsy." "Dream of Love" is a Floren-
tine publication and an even later one is "Count
the Stars" by Maurice Gunsky.
E. G. Johnson, representative of the Wiley B.
Allen Co. at Eureka, Humbolt County, has
aroused a great deal of interest in that northern
California seaport by at last discovering what
is believed to be the desk used by Ulysses S.
Grant, then Captain Grant, when he was sta-
tioned at Fort Humbolt for five months in
1853-4. At the Pacific Exposition held in San
Francisco in 1915 Mr. Johnson learned from an
expert on antiques that the desk used by Cap-
tain Grant was supposed to be in Humbolt
County. For eleven years he has been seeking
JUNE 26, 1926
the desk and once traced it to a house that was
found to have burned down. Last week, how-
ever, the desk was found at an abandoned house
An itinerant, stopping to speak to Johnson at
his place of business and noting a number oi
antique objects, said that the music dealer ought
to see the old desk he had seen in a house where
he had found shelter the night before. Because
he likes old things, Johnson went to the tumble-
down place and was greatly surprised to see a
desk exactly resembling the one used by Grant,
according to the sketch made by the antique
dealer eleven years before. The music store is
at 226 D. street, Eureka.
Preparing Radio Exposition
Active preparations have been begun for the
Pacific Radio Exposition, which will be held in
the Civic Auditorium here, from August 21 to
28, under the auspices of the Pacific Radio
Trade Association. Mark E. Smith, district
sales manager, E. T. Cunningham, Inc., is
chairman of the Exposition Committee of the
Association.
Reproducer and Player
in Piano Promotion
(Continued from paijc 3)
study and practice, enables him to command
all the resources of the keyboard. It is a fact
actually well known that there are groups of
player-pianists here and there throughout the
land who have found their musical salvation in
the player-piano and who would not give up for
anything the satisfaction they get out of their
greater or lesser mastery of its control. Those
who complain that the player-piano does not
sell readily simply have never tried to sell it in-
telligently.
Now the player-piano naturally should share
in the benefit of the campaign about to begin.
If this is to happen the men who are under-
taking to sell it must get behind it upon the
understanding that it is a musical instrument,
and to be sold as such. Which probably means
that most of them will have to begin to learn
to play it. And that, after all, would be worth
while even if no other result should become
presently apparent.
Whatever is collectively said and done to tell
the story of the pianoforte once more to the
American people will benefit the player-piano.
Display of Q R S Products by the
F. A. North Co. of Philadelphia, Pa.

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