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DECEMBER 15, 1928
Photographs the Touch
of Prominent Pianists
Win. Braid White on Behalf of American Steel
& Wire Co. Opens Temporary Laboratory
for That Purpose in New York Last Week
Win. Braid White, Acoustic Engineer of the
American Steel & Wire Co., and technical editor
of The Review, maintained a special laboratory
in the Steinway Hall Building, New York, last
week, for the purpose of making phonographic
records of the touch of various prominent
pianists in order to secure data of value in the
manufacture of suitable strings, actions and
other piano parts. The touch of the various
pianists was recorded on a film by means of the
Westinghouse Osiso, each artist being required
to strike a note with a heavy blow, then again
more softly and finally distinctly pianissimo.
Among the pianists who appeared at the
laboratory during the week were Ernest Schel-
ling, Vladimir Horowitz, Alexander Siloti, Sig-
ismund Stojowski, Gustave L. Becker, Yolanda
Mero, Carolyn Beebe, John Erskine, Olga
Samaroff and Muriel Kerr.
Much interest is being evinced in scientific
circles regarding this analysis of piano touch
and, through the efforts of Ernest Hutcheson
and John Erskine, the Juilliard Foundation
plans to hold a conference in February for a
discussion of the subject. While in New York
Mr. White attended the annual session of the
American Society of Mechanical Engineers, be-
ing chairman of the Wood Industries Division.
New Starr Baby Grand
Popular in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA, PA., December 10.—Ben Witlin,
Eastern district sales manager for the Starr
Piano Co., was in town last week and reported
a strong demand for the new style 40 Starr
Baby Grand, which is being featured by a num-
ber of dealers. He has also been showing the
trade the Starr radio cabinet equipped with
Peerless speaker and designed to accommo-
date various popular types of radio receivers.
One style of cabinet is equipped with a dynamic
speaker.
No Change in Lit Bros.
Music Department Managers
Following the taking over of Lit Bros, de
partment store of Philadelphia by the City
Stores Co. it was announced that the manage-
ment of the music department of Lit Bros, will
remain unchanged. Bernard J. Munchweiler is
the buyer for the department, and Milton Cohen
is in charge of the piano department. Bram-
bach and Behr Bros, pianos will be featured as
in the past.
John A. Krumme Resigns
John A. Krumme, for a number of years a
member of the wholesale traveling staff of
Hardman, Peck & Co., New York, has resigned
from this company, effective on December 31
next. Mr. Krumme, who makes his home in
La Crosse, Wis., announces he has formed no
definite plans for the future, but will spend a
few weeks at his home enjoying a much-needed
rest.
Gives Piano to Church
The Music Trade
13
Review
Sonora Phonograph Co, Contracts for
Record Radio Broadcasting Hook-up
Popularity of Sonora Hour With Public and Trade Encourages Company to Enlist
Services of Entire Columbia Chain of Forty-three Stations
D L. DEUTSCH, president of the Acoustics
'Products Co and the Sonora Phonograph
Co., New York, announced this week that those
organizations had just signed a contract for
what is believed to be the largest regular com-
mercial radio hook-up on record, which will em-
brace some forty-three stations of the Colum-
bia chain located in all sections of the country,
and will on occasion take in also several sup-
plementary stations.
"The Sonora Hour has proved so popular
among lovers of the better music," said Mr.
Deutsch, "and our dealers have been so en-
thusiastic about the broadcast that we have de-
cided to extend is so as to cover the entire
country.
Commencing with our program of
Thursday, December 27, we shall use the com-
plete Columbia chain of forty-three stations.
While there have been as extensive hook-ups
as this for the broadcasting of national events,
we are informed that this new Sonora contract
calls for the largest hook-up ever used by a
commercial organization.
"We are glad to have the opportunity of
presenting the Sonora programs to radio fans
throughout the United States. We believe that
Sonora's offering will now be within the'reach
of every radio set in the country, which means
that every music-lover will now be able to re-
ceive this outstanding musical presentation
every Thursday
evening at 9.30 Eastern
Standard Time.
"One item of unusual interest deserves special
mention. In the course of the Sonora program
the announcer invites all listeners-in to visit
their Sonora dealers on Thursday evenings
while this program is being broadcast, and on
Friday afternoons. We are suggesting to deal-
ers that they arrange special demonstrations on
those occasions, thus creating a very effective
tie-up with the broadcast. A large number of
our dealers have adopted this suggestion, and
are picking up the Sonora programs on one or
other of the new Sonora radios—with excellent
results both as to the reception of the programs
and as to sales."
It is understood that the artists who appear
on the Sonora broadcasts are those artists
whose music will shortly be available in per-
manent form on Sonora records.
It has been estimated that the original Sonora
contract, which provided for a weekly broadcast
over a period of three years, represented a prob-
able expenditure of more than a million dollars
for time and talent, and this new contract will
nearly double the expenditure for time alone.
As hitherto, the Sonora program will orig-
inate in the Sonora recording laboratories in
New York City, and be carried by remote con-
trol to the key stations of the Columbia chain
for transmission.
There follows the list of stations included in
the new Sonora hook-up which will give sonic
idea of its scope:
Eastern Group: WOR, Newark, N. J.;.
WABC, New York; WNAC, Boston, Mass.;
WCAO, Baltimore, Md.; WBKW, Buffalo, N.
Y.; WJAS, Pittsburgh, Pa.; WICC, Bridgeport,
Conn.; WEAN, Providence, R. I.; WFAN,
Philadelphia, Pa.; WFBL, Syracuse, N. Y.;
WLBYV, Oil City, Pa.; WMAL, Washington,
I). C.
Middle West Group: WHK, Cleveland, O.;
VVSPD, Toledo, O.; WHHP, Detroit, Mich.;
WBBM, Chicago, 111.; KMBC, Kansas City
Kan.; WADC, Akron, O; WKRC, Cincinnati,
().; WOWO, Fort Wayne, lnd.; KMOX, St.
Louis, Mo.
Southern Group No. 1: KRVA, Richmond,
Va.; WWNC, Asheville, N. C; WTAR, Nor-
folk, Va.
Southern Group No. 2: WLAC
Nashville, Tenn.; WBRC, Birmingham, Ala.;
VVDOD, Chattanooga, Tenn.; WREC, Mem-
phis, Tenn., Southern Group No. 3: KTHS,
Hot Springs, Ark.; KFH, Wichita, Kan.; KFJF,
Oklahoma City, Okla.; KRLD, Dallas-Fort
Worth; KTSA, San Antonio, Tex.
Far West Group: KMTR, Los Angles, Cal.;
KYA, San Francisco, Cal.; KEX, Portland,
Ore.; KLZ, Denver, Col.; KJR, Seattle, Wash.;
KGA, Spokane, Wash.; KDYL, Salt Lake City,
Utah.
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ALTOOIYA, PA., December 10.—The Broad Ave-
nue Presbyterian Church was given a surprise
last Sunday morning by the gift of a grand
piano from Mr. and Mrs. Arthur E. Winter,
in the memory of Mr. and Mrs. F. A. Winter,
parents of Mr. Winter, who is owner of the
Winter Music House, Steinway dealers.
G. D- ERNEST & CO., Ltd., 5 Duke Street
Adelphi, London, England
Proprietors of the "MUSIC TRADE REVIEW" the Most Influential
Music Trade Journal in Great Britain
.3/-