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The Music Trade Review
Toledo Melody Way Pupils to Appear
in Public Concert in Coliseum Next Week
All Pupils Who Have Thus Far Completed the Course Are Eligible—More Than 1,000
Expected to Participate—Picnic Also to Be Given
n p O L E D O , O., September 14.—With the pub-
•*• lication of the tenth piano lesson in the
series of twelve in the course of Melody Way
piano instruction, the announcement is made by
the Toledo Music Merchants' Association and the
Toledo Blade, which are sponsoring the course,
that a public recital will be held in the Coliseum
on Friday evening, September 23. All pupils
who will have completed the twelve lessons at
that time are eligible. It is expected that more
than 1,000 will participate. Ten pianos will be
upon the stage. The problem confronting the
association is how to take care of the partici-
pants and the crowd which will number several
thousand. Henry Stucke, manager Grinnell
Bros., is in charge of the recital arrangements.
On Saturday, September 24, the day following
the recital, a picnic at Walbridge Park for all
Melody Way students is planned by the Toledo
Blade in conjunction with music dealers. Fred
N. Goosman, president of the Goosman Piano
Co., is in charge of the picnic arrangements. W.
W. Smith, president of the J. W. Greene Co.,
is in charge of other arrangements and details
and is working with the recital and picnic com-
mittees.
Dealers holding daily lessons in their store
studios and cooperating in the events include
Frazelle Piano Co., Cable Piano Co., Whitney-
Blaine-Wildermuth Co., J. W. Greene Co., Goos-
man Piano Co., and Grinnell Bros., Toledo. Also
Crane-Halleck Music Store, Bowling Green, O.,
and Stilson's Music Store, Gibsonburg, O. The
outside dealers will send a goodly number of
pupils to the events. At the picnic a large num-
ber of prizes and awards will b& given.
Merchants state that the plan has stimulated
piano activity by bringing to the attention of
the family the value of a musical education, a
thing which was passing from the family stand-
ards. Not a few fathers and mothers have come
to realize that the ability to play the piano
will be of far more value to their boy or girl
in the years ahead than any cursory pleasure or
knowledge they may give them. Hence the in-
terest which is built upon solid foundation of
the family.
Representatives of the leading music houses
will attend the convention of the Ohio Music
Merchants' Association. The object in attending
as explained by a prominent member is twofold,
first of all, to further the interests of the asso-
ciation and second, to view new merchants and
gain a knowledge of what other dealers are
doing to meet present-day conditions.
Moreover, the local event which has the atten-
tion of dealers is the Toledo Radio Show which
will open at the Coliseum October 10. A major-
ity of the wholesalers and retailers will exhibit
radios, combinations and kindred merchandise.
'The display space has been contracted for in
full.
The J. W. Greene Co. is tying the Marshall
& Wendall piano, the Ampico and the Melody
Way club in an attractive window display. An
announcement stated Melody Way students may
obtain the instructions upon Ampico rolls, and
the Marshall & Wendall reproducing grand is
the ideal instrument for rendering these record-
ings. The Chickering Ampico also has a part
in the hookup. Piano sales here tend towards
the finer brands and players. The Florentine
model Marshall & Wendall has created much
favorable comment among customers. Many
patrons favor period models but are not alto-
gether sure of themselves, hence they are slow
in purchasing. These designs are, however, sell-
ing in greater numbers all the time. Conven-
tional designs are favored by the average buyer.
The house recently delivered three Kohler &
Campbell Juniors to the Board of Education for
use in the public schools. The pianos were of
the new colorings, Chinese red, Chinese green
and ivory. These small types are admirably
adapted to school use.
At Grinnell Bros., the Steinway miniature
grand ebony finish, the first of its type and finish
to be shown here, drew considerable attention
from passersby, several of whom made inquiries
regarding the instrument which is priced $100
lower than in the past. The house is taking an
active part in the Melody Way instruction and
has several hundred students enrolled. Henry C.
Stucke, manager, will attend the music mer-
chants' convention in Cleveland.
The Whitney-Blaine-Wildermuth Co. is ex-
SEPTEMBER 17, 1927
periencing some improvement in the call for
pianos. Period models are attracting the atten-
tion of customers. The Kimball piano was re-
cently introduced to the public here by means
of a window display in which the ebony finish
grand predominated. The line was taken on re-
cently by the house. Henry C. Wildermuth.
treasurer, is of the opinion that, on account of
the Melody Way classes, piano activity will be
more marked than for some time past.
David Blaine, president, and Mrs. Blaine and
Mr. and Mrs. Wildermuth will attend the music
merchants' convention in Cleveland.
The Hayes Music Co. is stressing Wurlitzer
pianos and Edison phonographs in its Fall cam-
paign to the housewife. Miss May Hayes stated
collections recently had improved and general
activity was such as to inspire confidence in the
future. The long playing Edison records, as the
public becomes better acquainted with their
merits, are gaining in sales momentum. The
house recently renewed its lease on the present
location.
San Francisco Dealer Declares Radio
Important Factor in Making Piano Sales
Finds in His Experience that People Who Buy Radio Eventually Buy Pianos
Through Greater Interest That Is Created in Music
CAN FRANCISCO, Cal., September 8.—Radio,
in the long run, is not a detriment to piano
merchandising, in the opinion of G. B. L. Braun,
manager of the piano department of Chimes Inc.,
1180 Market street. He thinks of course that
radio lines have cut out a certain number of
piano sales, but after careful observation he has
arrived at the conclusion that people who buy
ladios buy pianos eventually. People who own
pianos and become interested in radio are apt to
neglect their pianos for a time, but they grow
tired of radio and generally take up with the
piano again.
Radio has interested a lot of people who never
owned pianos and who looked on music as a
luxury, and with these people radio has done
fine promotional work. In listening over the
radio they develop a taste for music and in very
many cases they begin to want some music of
their own in the home. They are very apt to
select the piano as the most satisfying instru-
ment they can possess. Particularly is this true
if owners of radio sets who are converts to a
love of music have children of an age to learn
to play the piano. Mr. Braun believes that the
time is at hand when piano merchants will real-
ize that radio has done a great deal of good by
interesting people in music who were never
interested before.
Chimes Handles Starr Pianos
The piano department of Chimes, of which Mr.
Braun is manager, is handling all types of the
Starr piano for San Francisco and the Peninsula.
It also carries the Hazelton Bros, pianos, Mr.
Braun stated. Mr. Braun, who has had a very
wide experience both in leading piano factories
and in selling pianos, writes all his own adver-
tising.
Times Are Noticeably Better
Times are distinctly better. This opinion was
expressed by Lawrence Lindsey, of the Wiley B.
Allen Co., who, however, preferred not to ex-
press an opinion as to why. As a rule people
do not really know why times pick up, he said.
Speaking of instalment selling, Mr. Lindsey ex-
pressed satisfaction with a recent editorial in the
San Francisco Chronicle endorsing instalment-
selling as one of the aids to business. This
marks a change since the time when piano men
were among the few who advocated selling on
instalment. From a musical standpoint, he
pointed out, there are many people who would
never have had a piano if it had been necessary
to pay the full price down. In many families
the children became good musicians before the
parents would have been able to supply them
with a piano, if it had not been for instalment
selling.
Rydeen Finds Optimism in the Valleys
O. F. Rydeen, Pacific Coast representative of
the American Piano Co., has just returned from
visiting the San Joaquin and the Sacramento
Valleys. He found dealers very optimistic re-
garding the Fall outlook. Fruit crops are good,
both in the Joaquin and the Sacramento. Mr.
Rydeen is leaving next week for Salt Lake City.
Two Black Crows in Person
Moran and Mack, in person, autographed their
Columbia records of "Two Black Crows" yester-
day at the Quarg Music Co.'s store, 206 Powell
street. This was made possible through the
co-operation of the Pantages Theatre, where they
are appearing and the Columbia Phonograph Co.
They were clothed like business men and wore
their own complexions. A number of people
bought records, in spite of previous large sales.
Song Publisher Leaves for East
Charles N. Daniels (Villa Moret), president of
Villa Moret, Inc., has just left for the East on
his annual business trip. He plans to stop at
Denver and Chicago en route for New York.
This publishing company seems to have a hit
in "Moonlit Waters" by Cliff Friend with music
by Nacio Herb Brown.
Don Jose Mojica, of the Chicago Civic Opera
Company, is about to make a Red Seal Victor
record of "Sarita," a Spanish serenade, published,
by Coast City Music Co. Words are by Jesse
M. Glick, author of "Pale Moon," and music by
Lucille Burton. Demand for this song was
created by a few radio performances.
Expect to Open Music Counters
The Music Supply Corp., successor to Reece
& Fuhrman, Inc., and the Music Supply Co., ex-
pects to open counters in several department
stores for the sale of sheet music and records.
Le Roy W. Page, secretary of the corporation,
said that it has arranged for several sheet music
counters in department stores here and in Oak-
land, as a beginning of a chain of such counters.
The Music Supply Corp. has taken on Messrs
Reece and Fuhrman as directors and they will
continue to manage the store at 19 Stocktoa
street.
New Anamosa Warerooms
J. E. McKillip, of Bellevue, la., has opened a
piano store in the Gillen Hotel, Anamosa, la.
Following the introduction of the line Mr. Mc-
Killip has announced his intention of securing
a permanent showroom.