Music Trade Review

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IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC PUBLISHING
Conducted By V. D. Walsh
Progress of the Public in Musical
Interest and the Publishing Industry
New Conditions Created by the Great Publicity and Propaganda Behind Music Being
Faced in the Industry and a Way Out Found
"VTEVER before in the history of music has
the art been so generally appreciated.
Never before has music been so widely adver-
tised and exploited. Nor is all this mere sur-
face propaganda. It is of the most intensive
character covering most activities of life and,
in many phases, includes a systematized educa-
tional program. Why then should it be that the
"publishers and some other branches of the music
industries are not able to capitalize commer-
cially these activities?
A summation of some of the outstanding fea-
iures of musical exploitation, both from gen-
eral and educational standpoints, will quickly
indicate the tremendous influence music has on
the life of the nation. This phase of music
acceptance can be traced to the activity follow-
ing our entry into the World War. This
brought on a new music era. The Government,
the Army, the Navy, hard-headed manufacturers,
bankers and those heading all other activities,
as well as the rank and file, quickly saw the
power and influence of music.
This started, it was closely followed by the
general public with the advent of the new type
of photoplay house, where large orchestras ca-
tered to the musical needs and desires of
tremendous weekly audiences. In such theatres
music often became the predominant factor in
the entertainment program. In any case, it is
conceded that the musical part of the photoplay
program runs well over 60 per cent of the ap-
peal. Some of this is directly, and that portion
which is played with the exhibition of the pic-
ture proper as a musical theme, supplies the in-
direct influence.
Then, too, following the discharge of our
millions of troops, thousands of boys returned
home with new musical desires influenced by
army life. Clubs, civic societies and many other
organizations, took up community singing. This
too was an after-war effect. Even to-day
gatherings of Rotary and Kiwanis clubs and
many other organizations open with a sing.
Of wider importance have, in recent years,
been the musical programs of radio. Radio cer-
tainly could not take up so many hours of the
set owners' time, if it were not for the diversi-
fied musical programs. These appeal to every
Now Ready
Rudy WiedoeCt's
Modern Saxophone
Method
Includes the Rudy Wiedoeft Photo-
graphic Saxophone Chart, the most
practical device ever invented for
teaching the fingering of the instru-
ment,, and four original saxophone
solos.
The Wiedoeft Method is considered by
all to be the most up-to-date school
for the modern saxophone player.
List price
$3.00
Regular Dealer Discounts
ROBBINS Music CORPORATION •
799 Seventh Avenue,New York
taste and to-day under a program arranged by
Walter Damrosch will, through a great chain of
broadcasting stations, carry on a student edu-
cational campaign.
Some word, too, should be said for the great
work of the National Bureau for the Advance-
ment of Music. This organization has been in-
strumental in encouraging school music, in hav-
ing the daily press give more and more space
to music, and in some instances, issuing a
weekly music page. Of all of the weekly cele-
brations Music Week is probably the only one
that is a permanent annual affair and probably
the only one that does not now border upon
nausea.
Music in the public schools has made de-
cided advances. Credits to pupils for music
studies are winning acceptance everywhere. In
higher branches schools and conservatories and
individual instructors are turning out hosts of
vocalists, instrumentalists and ambitious com-
posers. The musical development and the edu-
cation of the nation have proceeded along rapid
lines.
These are only some of the outstanding fac-
tors working in the cause of music. From these
foundations proceed many other activities, all
making for musical advancement. With all of
this, however, there seem to be only two group
factors of the industry that have succeeded in
developing this enlarged market into sales.
Probably the outstanding of these groups is the
millions of harmonicas that have been sold
which has set a pace for quantity sales that
will hardly be duplicated by other branches.
Primarily, of course, the harmonica's possibili-
ties were, and are, larger, due to the fact of the
small cost. The other group factor that has
been able to cash in on the possibilities of this
new music era are the other small instrument
manufacturers,, including those who produce
saxophones, banjos and other solo and ensemble
instruments.
The publisher of standard music just held his
own throughout the later part of this new musi-
cal era period, but more recently he has even
felt the pinch of lessened demand. As his prod-
ucts are really the basis of all commercial music
activities, this should not ordinarily be the
case. He is undoubtedly going through a period
of readjustment. During such a period to take
no losses in business volume is in itself an
achievement. Following such a period of read-
justment, new gains in the music publication
field will undoubtedly be made. The market has
undoubtedly been enlarged and to arrange
means and plans of capitalizing it is the present-
day problem.
While popular music publishers, too, have
suffered some losses in demand they have, from
the evidence at hand, been able to take ad-
vantage of the present situation in a greater
measure than have the standard contemporaries.
With all of this, however, the volume of sales
is not as large as heretofore.
So from this resume of the situation now
faced by the music industry it would appear
that music is being sufficiently exploited and is
getting a tremendous volume of publicity.
Whether all of this publicity is of the proper
kind and the most beneficial may be open to
question. Possibly some of it should be di-
rected to entirely different channels, but hav-
103
Songs that Sell
Russian Lullaby
by Irving Berlin
What Does It Matter
by Irving Berlin
Blue Skies
by Irving Berlin
Sweet Marie
Where the Wild Wild
Flowers Grow
Rosy Cheeks
Me and My Shadow
Put Your Arms Where
They Belong
Love and Kisses
Yankee Rose
My Sunday Girl
That's My Hap-Hap-Happiness
That's My Idea of Heaven
1 Never See Maggie Alone
C'est Vous
Because I Love You
BOOKS THAT SELL
New Universal Dance Folio No. 13
Irving Berlin's Saxophone Folio No. 1
Paul Ash Novelty Piano Folio
Al Jolson's Song Hit Folio
Petersen's Ukulele Method
World's Favorite Songs
Tiddle De Ukes
Strum It With Crumit (Comic Uku-
lele Song Book)
IRVING BERLIN I,
1607 Broadway New York City
ing it and not finding means to corral the vol-
ume of sales that should legitimately result
therefrom is a weakness that almost borders
upon the mysterious. Possibly we need a spe-
cial appropriation to unravel the mystery, or
better yet, the industry might find it advisable
to hire a modern "Sherlock Holmes." More
seriously, the problem is really being faced.
These new conditions are being met. While it
is impossible to make any overnight plans to
meet the new order of things, those who have
built up great business structures can and are
being depended upon to bring order out of
things that now border on the chaotic.