Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1927 Vol. 84 N. 19

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
REVIEW
THE
VOL. LXXXIV. No. 19 Published Every Saturday. Edward Lyman Bill, Inc., 420 Lexington Ave., New York, N.Y., May 7,1927
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AS ent "
New Advertising
of the Piano
How 0 . K. Houck Piano Co., Memphis, Tenn.,
Makes Appeal to the Great Child Market—The
Shortest Way to the Purchase by the Parent
T
HE day of the price-and-term appeal in
piano advertising has passed. There are,
and probably always will be, retailers who
will fail to see the light and who will continue
to sell or try to sell instruments on the dollars-
and-cents basis. But it reflects distinct credit
on the industry that there are so many live
merchants who are cognizant -of the value and
necessity of the new appeal and who stress
music and its value in child training as a direct
means of placing the piano in the home.
There are those retailers who have accepted
the line of least resistance in the cultivation
of this modern advertising copy for the piano,
and, in tying up with the sales-promotion cam-
paign of the National Piano Manufacturers'
Association, have used and are using the copy
prepared and issued by that organization. It
is good copy and unquestionably will have an
effect. There are other dealers, however, who
are and have been using copy of their own
origination, and this copy is particularly inter-
esting because of the distinctive and personal
quality that is so often reflected in it.
The use of standard mats is to be commended,
for it shows the proper spirit and often pro-
vides the small dealer with advertising material
that he would be unable to secure locally at
a cost within his means. But the publication
of advertisements along the same line as the
general publicity has the additional merit of
providing new and frequently better arguments
to be added to the large number that have al-
ready been developed as a means of breaking
down sales resistance on pianos through the
medium of the child.
In a recent advertisement of an unusually fine
series published by the O. K. Houck Piano Co.,
Memphis, Tenn., the text read: "Music is born
in them (children), but parents must bring it
out. When a mother plans correctly for the
future of her children she never overlooks the
importance of their musical education. Every
child should be taught to play the piano, the
basic instrument of all music, and the training
should start early—when minds are plastic and
hearts are responsive. But do not begin their
music lessons on an unworthy piano, for their
training in touch and tone is most important."
Here is a sermon in a
Your Home Should Contain
paragraph t h a t might
a Baby Grand
well be taken to heart
by the music industry
itself as a basis for the
preparation of the sort
of copy that will again
establish the piano in its
rightful place in the
home and family circle.
Select Your Piano
From This List of
It has a logical appeal
Worthy
and places the question
Instruments
squarely u p t o t h e
A N Y great musicians today whose talent first saw the
The Strinway
light in the parlor of the home trare their glorious
mother as to what she is
The Vose
successes back to parents who gave them thf advan-
The Ludwig;
going to do for her chil-
The
Brambach
tages of early musical training
The Krakauer
dren in the matter of
The Stick
While you may not especially want your children to become fa-
Th» Behr Bros
mous musicians, you want them to have the grace and accom-
musical training. Also,
The Weber
The Meissner
plishment and musical culture other children of their age have—
and most important, it
The Houck
you want them to have the opportunity in the future that the girl
The Kerahner
or boy who plays always has.
stresses the value of
The Norwood
starting at the outset
Start early—and by all means train them on a worthy piano,
Prices and Terms
for their first training is most important
to Suit Eoery.
with a good piano. This
Home.
sentence alone is worth
•>
r
elaboration in an adver-
tlsfted with lest.than )our monfty'l
tc* Mllsfartiou. Cone In and tnuk t
tisement all its own, for
without obligation.
the one idea in child
training on the piano
PIANO
that must be combated,
CO.
and combated strongly,
is that any old instru-
ment, new or second-
hand, is quite suitable for elementary training.
to the fact that it is such training in the early
Where lack of funds forces the serious con- days that may lead to the development of a
sideration of price, it is of course better that
great musician in the future. For ambitious
the parent buy a cheap new piano or a second- parents such an argument should carry unques-
hand one rather than provide none at all, this tioned weight. Here, too, is stressed the point
in the expectation that as finances improve a thai proper early training requires a worthy
better instrument will be substituted. But for piano.
the benefit of the thousands who can afford a
Nor does the Houck Co. consider the
good piano, which ordinarily may be obtained music teacher as something entirely apart. On
at a price considerably less than even the cheap- the contrary, it has for years devoted occasional
est sedan, the point cannot be too strongly advertising copy to setting forth the importance
urged that not only is proper child training of the music teacher in the community, what
desirable and necessary, but that proper train- she does and what she can do for the child,
ing requires an instrument of proper worth.
and the high place she holds in the scheme
The O. K. Houck Co. does not limit its ad- of things educational and cultural.
vertising arguments to one set phrase, for, in
This devotion to new advertising forms in
addition to advertising the necessity of includ- the presentation of the piano is distinctly in
ing music in the educational program of the line with what the entire industry, individually
child, it takes the occasion to rail attention
(Continued on page 4)
Great Musicians from Little
Children Grow
M
3
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
The .Music Trade Review
Aeolian Dealers to
Hold New York Meeting
New Advertising for the Piano
(Continued from page 3)
and collectively, is doing to re-educate the pub-
lic as to what the piano actually means in the
home. The price appeal frankly places the
piano in the same class with the other furnish-
MAY 7, 1927
are presented herewith. The Review believes
that the advertiser who originates worth-while
copy should be protected in that advertising
idea, but the movement for the revival of public
H i * i jour P n n o
tnn»d »t tout twu*
i yur by t comp*
tont tuatr
Another
To Gather in New Aeolian Hall, New York,
on June 2, 3 and 4—Special Train to Go to
Convention
Preparations are being made by the Aeolian
Co., New York, for the reception and wel-
coming ceremonies of its retail representatives
to the new Aeolian Hall, at Fifth avenue and
Fifty-fourth street, on June 2, 3 and 4. Accord-
ing to the tentative program. Thursday, the
opening day, will be spent in a general tour of
the building. Business sessions will be held on
Friday, and in the evening Mrs. Katherine Tift
Jones will act as Aeolian hostess for the visit-
ing ladies at a dinner and theatre party, at which
. time there will be a special dinner and enter-
tainment for the men. Saturday will be devoted
to individual business conferences and sight-see-
ing. A special train will leave Sunday morning
for the Chicago convention via the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad, stopping at Washington,
D. C, for two hours.
Example
of the
Child Appeal
in Advertising
Music Is Born in Them But
Parents Must Bring itOut
W
Select Your Piano
From This List of
Worthy
Instruments:
HEN a mother plans correctly for the fu-
ture of her children, she never overlooks the
importance of their musical education.
Every child should be taught to play the piano,
the basic instrument of all music. And the train-
ing shauld start early—when minds are- plastic
and hearts are. responsive. But do not begin their
music lessons on an unworthy piano, for their first
training in touch and tone is most important.
O. K. Houck
Company
The St'inwiy
The VOM
The Ludwig
The Bnmbach
Th; Krakluer
The Steck
The Behr Broi.
The Weber
The Mriuntr
Th. Houck.
The Kenhner
The Norwood
Grand Pianos for as Little
a, $675
Upright Pianos fot as Little
a, $295
Used by the
Prices and Terms
To Suit Every
Home.
•>
f
ings of the home, necessary and ornamental.
In short, the instrument is then simply an-
other piece of furniture, and the question is
whether or not it can be afforded, whether
there is a vacant place in the home in which
it may be placed and whether, after all, it is
worth the expenditure. The appeal through
the child places the instrument in an entirely
new light as an educational and cultural neces-
sity, to be budgeted with other necessities and
not as an unnecessary luxury.
Two examples of how the O. K. Houck Co.
have handled this idea of the piano's standing
interest in the piano through the medium of the
child and by other means is so important and
widespread that it is worthy of the pooling of
the ideas of the best minds of the industry. It
would not be ethical to take the Houck Co.
advertising verbatim for use by another music
house without direct permission, but the sub-
stance of the thought is so sound that its
general adaptation could be made without con-
flicting with the plans of this outstanding music
house. Certainly something has been con-
tributed and is being contributed toward the
future of the industry.
Upright Player Demand
Is Holding Up Well
sections, but we have not found that to be the
case, and our demand for players seems to keep
up consistently. We have also done very well
in the sale of reproducing pianos, and as far as
uprights are concerned we have had nothing to
worry about.
"We will admit that it takes a constant con-
tact with dealers and their prospective custom-
ers in order to move the dealers' stock, but I
find that by so doing we are able to keep up
better than normal production.
"We have also had a very gratifying demand
for the Newby & Evans pianos and player-
pianos which are being handled by a large num-
ber of dealers throughout the country who, hav-
ing handled them for years, know well their
reputation for tone quality and good workman-
ship."
Morris Dauber, of Schmidt-Dauber Co. Reports
Factory Behind on Deliveries to the Dealers
—Newby & Evans Also in Demand
That the player business is not on the wane
was demonstrated during the last few months at
the factory of the Schmidt-Dauber Co., New
York, where, according to President Morris
Dauber, it is at present considerably behind on
deliveries, the greater percentage of which are
on orders for upright players.
In talking to The Review this week Mr.
Dauber emphasized the fact that players are in
demand by pointing out the large percentage
of orders for this type of instrument which the
company has received since the first of the year.
"It is the consensus of opinion," he said, "that
most players are sold to the trade in foreign
Consult the Universal Want Directory of
The Review. In it advertisements are inserted
free of charge for men who desire positions.
Dunham Addresses the
National Federation
Principal Speaker at Public School Music Break-
fast Together With Duo-Art Celebration
Franklin Dunham, educational director of the
Aeolian Co., New York, gave an interesting ad-
dress at the Public School Music Breakfast of
the National Federation of Music Clubs, which
met recently in Chicago. Mr. Dunham discussed
the regulation of appropriate songs in motion
picture houses so as to conform with the public
school music ideal. Unique recitals were given
daily on the Duo-Art reproducing piano dur-
ing the week of the convention in the Floren-
tine Room of the Hotel Congress. Geoffrey
O'Hara, composer, and Rudolph Reuter, pianist,
played before the gathering alternating with
their Duo-Art recordings. The Duo-Art was also
used as accompanying instrument by Florence
Lucas, contralto, Marion Coryell and many
other artists during the convention.
Alford & Fryar Reorganize
CANTON, O., May 2.—Reorganization of the well-
known music firm of Alford & Fryar Piano Co.
is under way, according to C. M. Alford, head of
the concern. Fifteen years ago C. W. Fryar and
Mr. Alford formed a partnership and launched
in a small way a piano business which to-day is
the largest of its kind in this section of the
State. During the process of the reorganization
the entire building will undergo remodeling.
This company only recently moved into the new
quarters in Fourth street northwest.
Recent connections include Knabc, Marshall
& Wendell, Foster and Knabe Ampico, accord-
ing to Mr. Alford. When remodeling is com-
pleted this concern will have one of the most
distinctive piano salons in the eastern districts
of Ohio.
New Store in Bay City
BAY CITY, MICH.,
May 3.—William
Preston
has opened a new retail music store at 107
Fifth avenue, this city, featuring Bush & Lane
pianos, phonographs and radio. Mr. Preston
has been connected with the Mohr Hardware &
Furniture Co. for the past fourteen years and is
well known locally.
Piano Travelers to Meet
The annual meeting and dinner of the Na-
tional Piano Travelers' Association will be held
at the Drake Hotel, Chicago, on Monday eve-
ning, June 6.

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