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IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC PUBLISHING
Conducted by Fred B. Diehl
The Elements That Make a Profitable
Business in Selling Sheet Music
Career of Louis Mack, of Portland, Ore., who Recently Opened a New Retail Sheet
Music Store at 363 Morrison Street, that City
D O R T L A N D , OKK., June 22.—T.ouis Mack,
Portland's "pioneer" sheet music dealer,
lias set up his own music establishment at 363
Morrison street, realizing an ambition of sev :
i-nteen .years. During this period, Mr. Mack
has been moving hither and thither, setting
up his sheet music department in most of the
leading music stores in the city, including the
Wiley B. Allen Co., Bush & Lane Piano Co.,
Kohler & Chase, Soule Bros., the MacDougall
Music Co., the McCormick Music Co., and
others. In spite of the leases and contracts
and no matter how well his department was
prospering, Mr. Mack never knew from one
day to another when his space would be needed.
At last he decided that this had gone on long
enough, so he took the bit in his mouth and
looked around for a location suitable for open-
ing his own store under his personal direction,
and a neat, attractive and completely equipped
exclusive sheet music store at 363 Morrison
street, on one of Portland's main thorough-
fares, is the result.
During all the years of prosperity and those
of depression, Mr. Mack has never deviated
from his path or his ideal, and he has carried
We Are The
Exclusive Distributors of
RUDY WIEDOEFT'S
Saxophone Method and Solos
and
HARRY RESER'S
Banjo Method and Solos
THE OUTSTANDING VIRTUOSI
OF THEIR INSTRUMENTS
ROBBINS Music CORPORATION
f
799 Seventh Avenue,New York
Dealers say —
It's the easiest thing
in the world to sell.
WORLD-FAMOUS
Me KIN LEY
MUSIC
•
on many times in spite of black clouds. In
doing so he has built up a wonderful musical
library and a knowledge of the sheet music
business which is unsurpassed.
The musical fraternity of this section of the
country looks to Mr. Mack for much help when
it comes to building up their repertories and in
fact he is their "Vade Mecum." He has built
up this reputation through his willingness to
help, and the most prominent teachers down to
the person just starting on a musical career,
come to Mr. Mack with their problems. This
young man docs not believe that all knowledge
is obtained at school or college, but is a great
believer in "knowledge by observation," and all
these years he has been storing up information
applicable to the sheet music business in this
manner.
When Mr. Mack locks up his place of busi-
ness at night he does not put his sheet music-
business out of his mind, but spends much of
his leisure time digesting the contents of the
scores of sheet music catalogs which he has
gathered from all parts of the world. He knows
them forward and backward, and for relaxation
memorizes the opuses of every budding com-
poser that comes on the musical horizon. By
this method he is not only familiar with the
standard works, but is up to date and familiar
with the newer publications.
That the training of the hands, instead of the
ears, of the nation is essential to the life and
growth of the music business is the belief of
Mr. Mack, and the music teachers and music
pupils are the backbone of the trade is the
theory upon which he works. They are to be
catered to, says Mr. Mack, for it is from them
that the business comes and they are the only
source from which the music dealer and the
music publisher can expect it to come. One of
Mr. Mack's pet slogans, and one which he ad-
vises all sheet music dealers to adopt is "En-
courage the amateur, the professional can take
care of himself."
It has not all been rosy during the seventeen
years of business, but through perseverance and
sticking to it through thick and thin, Mr. Mack-
landed on his feet with his head up ten years
ago, and since that time his business has been
steadily going up-grade.
With the Wonderful Catalog,
Fine Cabinet, Graded
Counter Portfolios,
Display Signs,
etc.,
IT SELLS
ITSELF!
Numbers of "George White's
Scandals" Announced
Music for Production Written by De Sylva,
Brown & Henderson and Published by That
Firm
Announcement was made this week by De
Sylva, Brown & Henderson, Inc., New York, of
the titles of the leading songs in the score of
the new "George White's Scandals," which will
have its premiere in Atlantic City shortly. The
music for this year's "Scandals" is written, as
in the past two years, by B. G. De Sylva, Lew
Brown and Ray Henderson, and will be pub-
lished by their own firm for the first time.
With a string of hits credited to these writers
both individually and as a team, one is not
apt to be far wrong in predicting at least seven
best sellers out of the fourteen songs in the pro-
duction.
During the rehearsals in New York, the pub-
lishers, who are a trifle more modest, have
selected five numbers out of the list as standing
out above the others. The titles of these songs
are as follows: "I'm on the Crest of a Wave,"
"American Tune," "Pickin' Cotton," "Alone
With Only Dreams" and "What D'Ya Say."
The first of these is a happy-go-lucky tune; the
second is on the order of the "Birth of the
Blues," from one of the earlier "Scandals,"
"Pickin' Cotton" shows promise of being an-
other dance sensation; "Alone With Only
Dreams" has a winning melody, and "What
D'Ya Say" is expected to run away with indi-
vidual honors.
Weymann & Son Feature
"Speedy Boy" Display
PHII .AUKI IMI I A, PA., June 23.—Capitalizing on
the popularity of Harold Lloyd, motion picture
comedian, the music store or H. A. Weymann
& Son, of this city, devoted its entire show
window not long ago to a display of "Speedy
Boy," the theme song of the comedy film,
"Speedy." This effective window display was
appropriately dressed with snapshots of the
popular fi'm comedian and "stills" from his
latest picture.
"Speedy Boy" is published by the Robbins
Music Corp., New York, and was effectively
lied iiT> here with the Paramount release of the
Harold Lloyd celluloid feature. As with the
instance of the Victor records being released in
advance of the film comedy, in order to enable
music dealers to stock up in anticipation of the
rush, the enterprising Weymann store came in
•or its share of profit by the timely hook-up.
Outstanding Numbers in
Berlin Summer Catalog
The Summer catalog of Irving Berlin, Inc.,
New York, is in full swing and as usual several
"dark horses" have made their appearances as
unexpected hits. One of these is "Lonely Little
l>luebird" which has a wide professional follow-
ing already, and is selling well on sheet music
counters. "Hello Montreal," "What of It, We
Love I t " and Gene Austin's number, "Old Pals
Are the Best Pals After All," are likewise doing
well. "Get Out and Get Under the Moon," of
course, is close to the top of the list and is
gaining every day in sales and general popu-
larity. In addition, "Ups and Downs," "Be-
loved," "Sunshine," "I Can't Do Without You"
are among the best sellers.
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