Music Trade Review

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The Music Trade Review
100 Melody Way Classes
Are Formed in Cincinnati •
Besides Those in Cincinnati, Classes Have Been Organized in
Covington, Newport and Bellevue as Well as in Ken-
tucky Cities — Dealers Expecting Success
INCINNATI, February 11.—Heads of piano houses in this city express themselves as
being very much pleased with the manner in which the Melody Way teaching is making
progress and increasing in popularity. Already more than 100 classes have been formed
and more are being made up. In addition to these, classes are to be formed in Covington,
Newport and Bellevue, as well as in other suburbs across the Ohio River, in Kentucky. All of
the piano houses have Melody Way charts and advertising matter in their windows, and all are
:
doing as much as they can to boost the move-
;.hat we can ggt together and co-operate if we
ment.
In speaking of the Melody Way teaching, J. try, we should go farther in matters that will
Fred Van Court, secretary of the Otto Grau benefit the trade as a whole." said a prominent
Piano Co., expressed the opinion that ultimately member of the trade who does not choose that
it will do much good for the piano trade as a his name be made known at this time. "Take
whole. "We must not expect results too soon," the matter of piano tuning and the upkeep of
he explained, "for it is bound to take a little the instrument, for instance," he continued. "As
time for the seed to grow. But thousands of every piano dealer knows, or as all shouTd
children are learning to play the piano, and know, every piano should be tuned twice a
ultimately a large percentage of their parents year. But does the owner of the piano know
will buy instruments for them. And in addition this? Most assuredly he or she does not. We
to the children a large number of grown per- should start a publicity campaign with the slo-
sons are taking lessons, and this should mean gan, 'Have your piano tuned twice a year.' We
additional sales." In commenting on general lalk about 'the neglected piano,' but we do not
business conditions, Mr. Van Court stated that stop to think why it is neglected. It is neglected
there has been considerable increase in the de- by the owner because it finally gets out of tune
mand for pianos and also for talking machines and out of order and cannot be used. And that
since the first of the month. In the piano line, is our fault. We should teach the public that a
he said, the small grands are increasing in piano must be 'serviced' twice a year. If we
popularity and in the talking machine line the will get together and drive this matter home it
more expensive instruments and combinations will do much to bring the piano back into its
are moving best. A recent visitor at the Grau former popularity. Co-operative publicity will
store was Chester Anderson, of the Anderson turn the trick."
When a thing is advertised in Cincinnati
Piano Co., Columbus, O., who was on his way
to South America, where he will visit his newspapers the Better Business Bureau sends
somebody out to "shop" it. The facts are
brother.
"A feature of our business since the first of ascertained, and if there is any misrepresenta-
the year is the fact that a big portion of our tion in the advertisement something happens
sales have been for cash," said William Graul, right away. An attractive offer of a piano was
head of the W. R. Graul Piano Co. "One thing "shopped" recently. "The result," states the
I have found is that one does not get the weekly bulletin of the Bureau, "showed that the
money if he is afraid to ask for it. Another piano was a used one, but the advertisement did
thing that I have found is that when easy terms not state that fact and the salesman did not
are stressed too much it is apt to lead to the volunteer this information." The misleading
pushing of the cheaper instruments and get one advertisement was placed before the manage-
into the habit of neglecting the more expen- ment, it is stated, and it was promised that in
sive." Asked for his opinion in regard to the the future the word "used" will be employed
Melody Way classes, Mr. Graul stated that they when other than new pianos are offered.
Dealers in pianos and talking machines will
should ultimately be of more than a little bene-
fit to the entire piano trade. "The movement be glad to hear that through the efforts of the
has brought the trade together in a way, and Better Business Bureau the "stuffed flat" has
with this start at co-operation we should be practically disappeared from Cincinnati. While
the main object of "stuffing" the flat was to sell
able to get closer together."
The latest addition to the store of the Starr furniture, it frequently happened that a piano
Piano Co. is a department which sells art china- or a talking machine was included. Very often
ware and glassware, this being the stock of it happened that a legitimate dealer was de-
Bachman's, formerly at 117 West Fourth street. prived of a sale by the furniture "stufTers."
[n order to make room for this display, the
record and roll department has been moved to H. Royer Smith Takes
the third floor. "This is the last concession we
will rent to another business," explained G. E.
Additional Quarters
Hunt, retail manager. "We now have asso-
L
ciated with us the Art Center, the Gift Shop, Philadelphia Music Dealer Leases Building Ad-
Biddle's Brunswick and Small Goods Depart-
joining Present Headquarters to House Stock
ment and a circulating library, which take up
of Branch
all of our surplus room." The Art Center,
which includes musical affairs in its activities,
PHILADELPHIA, PA., February 13.—With a view
is sponsoring the Kedroff Russian Quartet, to extending his business and consolidating the
which is appearing here in the Emery Auditor- former branch store at Seventeenth and Wal-
ium this week. On the third floor of the Starr nut streets with the long-established head-
store there is now a large display of etchings, quarters at Tenth and Walnut streets, H. Royer
these being by J. William Kennedy. In speak- Smith has taken an adjoining property to the
ing of market conditions, Mr. Hunt stated that latter address. The H. Royer Smith store at
small grands are moving in a most satisfactory Tenth and Walnut streets has been established
way and that business in all lines is showing a for a score of years and devoted to the sale
marked improvement.
of musical merchandise and talking machines.
"Now that the Melody Way has shown us Two years ago the head of the firm purchased
C
FEBRUARY 18, 1928
the musical merchandise and talking machine
department of the F.stey Piano Co. With the
suspension of the local branch of the Estey
Co. under receivership proceedings, the store
maintained by H. Royer Smith was automati-
cally discontinued, as it was subleased from that
piano concern. With the leasing of the adjoin-
ing store property on Walnut street near Tenth
street, adequate quarters have been obtained to
accommodate the two businesses and to pro-
vide for extensions. The new quarters will be
given over to the display of radio and talking
machines, while the old home will be devoted
to other musical merchandise.
Jack Kapp Heads Vocalion
Division of Brunswick
Will Introduce a Number of New Features in
the Merchandising of That Line of Records—
Has Had Wide Experience
J. E. Henderson, record sales manager of the
Hrunswick-Balke-Collender Co., announced re-
cently that Jack Kapp had been placed in com-
plete charge of the sales and recording of
Vocalion records.
Mr. Kapp, who is well known in the industry,
has already inaugurated a number of new
Jack Kapp
moves, among them the plan for merchandising
Vocalion records in specific classes, as, for ex-
ample, Race Records, the Old-Time Tunes and
the popular records. Each of the classes will
be released separately and will be accompanied
by special dealer's helps and other merchandis-
ing material, so that the dealer can concentrate
on the particular type of record that sells best
in his territory. Under the plan, too, there will
be only one release monthly of an individual
group of records.
In contrast to Brunswick's method of
distributing records through branches, the
Vocalion records will be handled exclusively
through jobbers, an imposing list of whom
have been appointed in various sections of the
country.
Mr. Kapp, in addition to his qualifications as
a record executive, has a thorough knowledge
of music and has been responsible not only
for bringing a number of very successful artists
into the Vocalion ranks, but has also selected
a number of musical pieces for recording that
have proven distinct hits. He has associated
with him in his work Charles Biesel, whose
special job will be to maintain contact with
iohhers.
Lucas Opening Store
M. Lucas will open a general music store at
Delaware avenue and West Chippewa street,
Buffalo, toward the end of February. He will
specialize in the Victor line.