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The Music Trade Review
10
Colber and Duo-Art Score Success in
Concert and Over Radio in St. Louis
J. A. Jacober, of the Aeolian Co. of Mo., Tells of the Remarkable Reaction From Series
of Appearances in Person and Over Radio in That City
C T . LOUIS, MO., July 18.—Despite the
prevalent wave of jazz that has swept the
country, there still is a great appreciation
among the American people for music as an
art, which can be aroused by an appeal on the
basis of its beneficial influence on the home.
This is the opinion of officials of the Aeolian
Co. of Missouri, predicated upon the results
of tests made in St. Louis during the past
week by Fred C. Colber, exclusive Duo-Art
artist, during the course of a series of concerts
and lecture recitals here.
Both the radio and personal contact were
used by Mr. Colber during his visit to the city
for the purpose of stimulating and uncovering
a better understanding and appreciation of
music. The success of his efforts are attested
by an overwhelming response on the part of
the public, which has engendered in Aeolian
officials an optimistic outlook for the future of
the music business.
His first appearance was before Webster
College of the Sisters of Loretto, in Webster
Groves, a suburb of St. Louis. Over 150 nuns
gathered from all parts of the country were
present and witnessed the exhibition.
"They were simply astonished to learn the
remarkable powers of the reproducing piano
as exemplified in the Duo-Art," declared J.
A. Jacober, advertising manager for Aeolian.
"They sat in amazement, and I mean this, as
they listened first to the playing of Mr. Colber
and then to a representation of his perform-
ance as given by the Duo-Art reproducing
piano. All expressed their interest for the
instrument as a wonderful medium for the dis-
semination of interest in music. Through the
Duo-Art performance they were enabled to
visualize the wonderful influence of the repro-
ducing piano in stimulating understanding and
appreciation of music.
"In the last analysis music means many
things to many people. No two people get
the same impression from music, just as no
two people read alike. Take the emotional
influence of the jazz. Compare this with the
sublime influence of Chopin and Sousa. Who
can listen to a Sousa march without uncon-
sciously keeping in step or tapping out the
rhythm?
"It is this potential phase of music upon
which Mr. Colber elaborated in his three lec-
tures over radio station KMOX, the 'Voice
of St. Louis.' His first lecture was for chil-
dren, the second for adults and the third for
musicians. The deep impression made on the
thousands of listeners-in on this lecture, in the
course of which the Duo-Art was used to illus-
trate the gist of Mr. Colber's talk, may be
best imagined by enthusiastic response received
by Mr. Colber and the Aeolian Co. of Mis-
souri from those who enjoyed it.
"Just by way of illustration, let me read
what one person wrote: "It is so seldom that
one has the chance to hear a piano playing
classical music really well over the radio that
I am going to tune in on all the rest of the
recitals.' That came immediately after the
first lecture and is typical of the thousands of
others we have received, which indicates to
us there is a consciousness on the part of the
American people for real music.
"To add zest to Mr. Colber's lecture, how-
ever, the Aeolian Co. of Missouri offered three
radio loud speakers, one to be given away at
each of the concerts, to the first person writ-
ing in to the station, giving the correct answer
to the following question:
" 'How many times did Mr. Colber play
manually and how many times did the Duo-Art
play in the course of the lecture recital?'
"It will be of considerable interest to every
dealer to know that thousands of answers were
received to these queries, although no one
guessed the number of times Mr. Colber or
the Duo-Art played with any degree of ac-
curacy. Incidentally, it proved conclusively
that the performance of the Duo-Art and the
artist playing is so nearly similar that it is a
virtual impossibility to distinguish between
them.
"For instance, one listener wrote: 'I listened
especially carefully and your playing and that
of the Duo-Art is so much the same that it is
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exceedingly difficult to tell one from the other.
I cannot decide whether you have a mechanical
touch or the Duo-Art has a human touch.'
And this from one who says he is an accom-
plished young St. Louis musician.
"The enthusiasm created by Mr. Colbert
visit to St. Louis, despite the warm weather,
proves conclusively that the general public is
open and receptive to music. Their interest
can easily be aroused and appealed to from
the standard that music is a beneficial influence
to the home.
"Mr. Colber's appearance also has evidenced
anew that music through the medium of piano
playing or the reproducing piano will receive
serious and intense consideration from the pub-
lic. The fallacy of the attempt to exploit the
piano with a purely price appeal has been
demonstrated as one that will get a dealer
nowhere these days. Therein lies the real rea-
son for the apparent apathy on the part of the
public to the piano."
Cincinnati Dealers Report
Increase in Past Six Months
General Business Conditions Better Now Than
at Same Period Last Year, and Sales for Sea-
son Are Reported Normal
CINCINNATI, OHIO, July 16.—Practically all
concerns in the music trade report that the
sales of the past six months have shown an
increase over the corresponding period of last
year. It is also stated that the business tone
is now better than it was ,at this time last
year and that conditions are normal for the
season.
The past week's business was stimulated to
an appreciable extent by the annual National
Conclave of the Elks, which lasted six days
and which brought scores of thousands of
visitors.
"We have had lots of visits from brothei
Elks and their ladies during the past week,
most of whom came to look, but many of
whom made purchases," said Otto Grau, head
of the Otto Grau Piano Co. "During the
Summer lull we will keep our men at work
as usual, and although they cannot make a
large number of sales they can develop pros-
pects to close later on."
"At this season it takes hard and persistent
work to move the goods, it is true," said George
P. Gross, head of the George P. Gross Co.,
"but there aways is some reward in the way
of orders and prospect developed. Business is
now decidedly better than it was at this time
last year and there is every indication that
we will make a better showing this Summer
than we did last."
C. H. DeVine, head of the C. H. DeVine
Co., which recently moved its business to the
second floor of the Starr Piano Co.'s building,
has just returned from a business trip to New
York. In Mr. DeVine's opinion a thing that
is hurting the piano business more, perhaps,
than anything else is the all too-frequent an-
nouncement of "mark-down" sales. For one
thing, he asserts, customers do not buy until
a "sale" is announced, and therefore the dealer
seldom can make a sale at a normal price.
For another thing, he points out, the public
never knows when the bottom has been
reached, and for this reason purchases are
postponed indefinitely, waiting for prices to
go still lower.
"While business is not at all brisk, it is
better than it was at this time last year," said
William R. Graul, head of the William R. Graul
Piano Co. Mr. Graul's place of business is
located on Government Square, directly oppo-
site the large reviewing stand that had been
erected for the Elks' parade, which took place
on Thursday afternoon, and for this reason
his windows were in great demand as a point
from which to see the procession." This is the
general tone of the entire trade.