Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
MAY 7, 1927
The Music Trade Review
Members of Wisconsin Melody Way Club
Range in Age From Three to Seventy-Five
Granddaughter and Grandfather Registered for Lessons Among the 10,000 Who Have
Already Joined State Organization—Many Dealers' Clubrooms
A/TILWAUKEE, WIS., May 3.—The first two
piano lessons in the Melody Way contest,
being sponsored here by the Milwaukee Jour-
nal in co-operation with the Wisconsin Asso-
ciation of Music Merchants, have appeared in
the newspaper and one of the lessons has been
who are extremely careful not to give them the
impression that the stunt is a selling proposi-
tion. The dealers plan to give Melody Way
members an opportunity to become thoroughly
sold on music first before attempting to sell
them a piano. After the first series of lessons
is over a large registration is expected for the
second series.
Milwaukee dealers who have established club
rooms include the Waltham Piano Co., Mil-
waukee Piano Co., Edmund Gram, Inc., Flan-
ner-Hafsoos Music House, Kreiter Piano Co.,
East Side Music Co., Luebtow Music Co., J. R.
Bradford Co., Noll Piano Co., Lyric Music Co.,
George Henkelman Back
From Visiting Dealers
Reports Conditions Generally Improved in East
and Middle West—Jarrett Also Visiting the
Trade
George Henkelman, president of the Henkel-
man Piano Manufacturing Corp., New York, ar-
rived home this week from a trip which car-
ried him to many of the largest Eastern and
Middle Western cities. Mr. Henkelman reported
that he found business in a much better con-
dition and that he had been successful in secur-
ing some very good orders as well as opening
up some new account*
In order to facilitate the showing of the
Henkelman line the Henkelman Corp. has issued
a photograph portfolio in which each page is
devoted to one style of the Henkelman line.
These include the studio model, three feet eight
inches, the upright grand, four feet six inches
high, the style K player, four feet four inches
high, style P player, four feet six inches high,
and the OG player or Jumbo model, four feet
nine inches high. These portfolios are proving
valuable to the dealer and salesmen who are
handling the Henkelman line, as they have the
exact reproduction of each instrument and show
in detail the various case designs.
Edwin Jarrett, the traveling representative for
this firm, recently made a trip through New
England, but for the last week or ten days has
been devoting his energies to the local New
York territory.
Cleveland Radio Association
Rosalie Jane Bretz, Age 3,
Youngest in Melody Way Club
broadcast over the radio. Dealers continue to
be extremely enthusiastic over the plan and
more club rooms are being opened each day for
the benefit of members of the newly organized
club.
That the contest will result in an increase in
the sale of pianos is indicated by the fact that
the Kesselman-O'Driscoll Co. has already had
four sales on the strength of Melody Way
alone. Other dealers also report an increase in
their piano sales which they attribute to the
Melody Way plan.
Latest reports on the Melody Way club in-
dicated that the membership had reached nearly
10,(X)0 and that inquiries were still coming in.
Members are beginning to take advantage of
the establishment of the Melody Way Club
Rooms. They find that they can come in to
practice without being disturbed by the dealers,
Amendment to Cleveland
Code Benefits Piano Trade
Calls for Greater Width in Stairs and Entrances
Permitting Pianos to Be Brought In—Maresh
Responsible for Change
CLKVKLANI>, ()., May 2.— A change in the building
code of Cleveland that is of great interest to
piano men is that in the future doors, windows
and turns on stairways will be wider than here-
tofore. This applies to apartment houses in
particular and also two-family houses. Many of
these buildings are so constructed that it is
impossible to get a piano into them, and as a
result piano sales have been lost. A. L. Maresh,
of the Maresh Piano Co., and president of the
Cleveland Music Trades Association, is re-
sponsible for the amendment to the building
code. He went in person to the city hall and
took the matter up with the authorities who had
M. N. Brooks, Age 75,
Oldest Member of Melody Way Club
the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co., Micssner Piano
Co., Chickering Ware Room Chapter, Mason &
Hamlin Studio Chapter and the Kesselman-
O'Driscoll Co.
Dealers in other Wisconsin cities who have
established clubrooms include the Radger Music
Co., Fond du Lac; Irving Zuelke, Appleton;
Vandenburgh Music Co., Green Ray; Ripon's
Very Own Music Store, Ripon; S. W. Millet
Piano Co., Sheboygan, and A. J. Schneider
Music Co., Kenosha.
the change made, so that the minimum width
of entrances and windows and landing turns are
such that a piano can be taken in or out.
The Mintz Piano Co. has just concluded a sale
<>f a Kranich & Bach grand piano to the fashion-
able Far East restaurant. This instrument will
be used in connection with the orchestra which
broadcasts regularly every evening over station
YVTAM. Mr. Mintz has also sold one of Cleve-
land's leading "legal lights," Mark L. Thomp-
son, a Kranich & Bach reproducing grand. Other
pianos sold include one to the Stork Theatre
on Lorain avenue and one to St. Emerich's
Church, which the sisters will use for giving in-
struction to pupils, of which they have a large
number. Mr. Mintz is featuring a large photo-
graph of a farm building in his window, on the
side of which is painted: "Ruy a piano and make
the home musical."
Consult the Universal Want
The Review.
Directory of
Preliminary steps towards the formation of
a radio trade association were taken on Mon-
day evening, April 25, at a meeting at which
practically every music store handling radio as
well as straight radio stores were represented.
The meeting was called by a committee which
has discussed with leaders in the trade the ad-
visability of forming such an organization.
Trade problems were discussed and the aims
of the organization were set forth. It was point-
ed out that Cleveland is the only large city that
has no organization of this type. H. J. Ruehler
was named acting chairman and G. 15. Roden-
hoff secretary. Another meeting has been
called for May 9, when a committee of five will
submit a constitution and by-laws. The meet-
ing was held at the Hollenden Hotel and was
preceded by dinner.
Visuola for Schools
The Yisuola Corp., New York, completed ar-
rangements last week for the installation of the
Visuola and the Yisuola method of piano in-
struction in the American Conservatory of
Music, Brooklyn. This institution selected a
type F Visuola, which embraces a multiple
equipment, having one dictating unit and five
claviers. The National Institute of Musical Art,
at Freeport, L. I., also selected a type R Visuola
recently. Mrs. Addye Yeargain Hall, who for
four years served as director of the Junior De-
partment <>f the National Federation of Music
Clubs, became associated with the Visuola
method this week.
Buys Wilmette Shop
Carleton Kaumeyer, proprietor of the Chick-
ering Studios, of Evanston, 111., has purchased
the business of the Wilmette Music Shop, Wil-
mette, 111., from Orian Galitz, proprietor of the
store for the past four years.
Peerless Go. Chartered
The Peerless Musical Instrument Co., Inc.,
Passaic, N. J., has been incorporated recently
with a capital stock of $75,000. Irving Simon, of
f'assaic, is the incorporator.