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The Music Trade Review
much healthier state than the piano business.
The credit for this condition is due entirely to
the activity of our Association.
"Fellow members, if there were ever an
urgent need for an organization it is now, dur-
ing this time of unsettled conditions in the
piano industry. We must strengthen our As-
sociation and present a solid front, for only
through a well-organized effort shall we have
the means at hand to shape conditions to our
best interests. Let us, therefore, every one of
us, put our shoulders to the wheel and assist
in every possible manner to build up the N. A.
of P. T. This is our duty as members. The
future of our Association is in our hands. What
shall it be?"
Secretary W. F. McClellan reported that dur-
ing the past year the Association treasury had
received total receipts, including the balance
carried over from last year, of approximately
$12,000, and that the balance in the treasury
at the present time is approximately $3,000.
H. E. Lane's Address
In his discussion of the advantages to the
tuner of the co-operative method, H. E. Lane,
of New York, stressed the necessity of the tun-
ers of the country to their organization and the
work through collective action to endeavor to
stamp out inefficiency in the craft. He declared
that in the East particularly where there was a
very substantial number of tuners, there were
also many who were no credit to the profes-
sion but that the able tuners showed an in-
difference to the situation and were not inclined
to engage actively in association work to the
end of improving their own condition and win-
ning public respect. He declared it was the
time for ironing out friction and working in
harmony.
A. W. Minifie, second vice-president of the
Association, in an address, urged the holding
of regional conventions during the year for the
benefit of members who resided at a distance
from the city where the annual gathering is
held and who thus are unable to attend those
meetings. He stated that such meetings could
accomplish much of local value and bring out
topics of discussions which could be handled
at the annual gatherings.
On Monday evening a council meeting was
held behind closed doors, where, among other
matters, the question of a commission form of
government for the Association was discussed.
Later in the evening V. H. Brown, of Spokane,
Wash., gave an interesting, illustrated talk on
the mechanical whys and wherefores of piano
tuning.
Tuesday Sessions
The first speaker was Chas. W. Beach, of
Springfield, Mo., who had for his subject: "The
Acquisition of an Efficient Tuning Technic."
Mr. Beach based his talk on the fact that upon
a personal desire for self-improvement de-
pended future progress, and emphasized that a
combination of scientific and technical knowl-
edge of the art, coupled with practical experi-
ence, was necessary for the tuner who sought
to get the most out of his profession and really
become efficient. He illustrated his talk with
a series of charts and cited a list of technical
books on piano tuning, temperament, etc., as
being particularly valuable for the studious
member of the craft. Much, he said, could be
learned by the tuner through systematic daily
reading, and he should in no case be content
with the simple understanding of the various
uses of the tools in his kit.
Alfred L. Smith, general manager of the
Music Industries Chamber of Commerce was
introduced to the convention by President
Deutschmann at this time.
Address by H. F. Curtiss
The address of H. F. Curtiss was read by T.
J. O'Meara; Its title was "Tact and Tactics"
and it explained in some detail why the tuner
must cultivate personality and sales ability, as
well as tuning efficiency, in order to hold the
business he builds up. Tact in handling cus-
tomers is one of the most important factors
in building up a large and satisfied follow-
ing for the tuner, he declared. Many piano
owners were entirely ignorant of the scien-
tific and mechanical features of their instru-
ments, and their demands are frequently ridi-
culous. But the tactful tuner can satisfy
them without calling attention to their igno-
rance. He will also let the customer do most
of the talking.
C. D. Bond's Address
C. D. Bond, superintendent of the Weaver
Piano Co. and president of the National Piano
Manufacturers' Association, York, Pa., was the
next speaker, and referred to the tuner as an
ambassador of music and told of the traits of
character that went into the making of a suc-
cessful tuner. He said that the time had passed
when a man who could scrape together a tuning
hammer, a few wedges, and a hundred calling
cards, could make a living in inefficient work
on pianos, and that this was due largely to the
work of the Tuners' Association who had suc-
ceeded in educating the public to demand com-
petent workmanship. In the course of his talk
Mr. Bond said:
"The tuner must have the ability to correct
the misconceptions which the usual owner of
a piano or player-piano has concerning his in-
strument. It is surprising the number of people
who buy a piano or a player-piano and expect
it to run forever and to give satisfactory results
without any attention or expert help. When
these same people buy an automobile they ex-
pect to take it back several times within the
first ninety days and to have it overhauled
thoroughly from time to time, and they pay
the bill without a murmur. They expect the
electrical appliances in the home to wear and
give trouble, and they cheerfully pay for the
service required to keep them in good shape;
but when it comes to the piano they expect it
to last forever without adjustment, and when
it needs adjustment they expect free service.
This condition is the fault of the manufacturer,
the salesman and the" tuner. The manufacturer
and the salesman we can leave alone for the
present, but it will be worth our while to dis-
cuss the tuner in this connection.
"In the first place, there are so many owners
of pianos and player-pianos who do not know
when the instrument is in bad condition, and
the only person who can really tell them is the
tuner. Often he fails to do this for fear the
customer will think that he is trying to make
a job for himself. You folks have recom-
mended that a piano be tuned at least twice a
year, but in order to convince piano owners
of the necessity of doing so you should tell
them why. For the piano in the ordinary home
perhaps tuning twice a year is enough, but for
the real musician it is not enough. We know
that when a great artist goes out on the road
he carries a piano with him and that the piano
is tuned before every concert and also before
every rehearsal; that a piano does not stay in
tune any more than a violin stays in tune and
that it should receive regular attention at fre-
quent intervals. We have all failed to educate
the public to the fact that a piano is more than
a piece of machinery, but a musical instrument
as delicately adjusted as a fine watch, that it
is subject to changes because of weather condi-
tions, that it should have regular and expert
attention in order to keep it in the most usable
condition and that it pays the customer well to
give the instrument the attention it deserves.
"On account of the small amount of capital
it requires to go into the tuning business on an
independent basis, the general public has the
idea that tuning is not a profession, but just
an ordinary job. It is up to the ambassadors
of music who are going into homes of the
customers to dispel this idea, and this brings
us to the discussion of co-operative effort."
To educate properly the public to the im-
portance of the tuner, said Mr. Bond, it was
necessary for the individual tuner to work with
his fellows, for it was through organization
that the most effective work could be done. He
AUGUST 18, 1928
declared, too, that both the manufacturers and
dealers could co-operate most effectively with
the tuners in building up public confidence, the
first by providing complete information regard-
ing their products and the latter by aiding in
the education of piano buyers and owners.
The Tuesday afternoon session opened with
an address by Mrs. John Hohner Kapp, presi-
dent of the Fortnightly Music Club, of Cleve-
land, on "The Kinship of the Musician and the
Tuner," which was listened to with keen in-
terest by the assembled tuners. The speaker
pointed out the mutual dependence of these
two groups in music, and stressed the impor-
tance of the tuners' function in musical work.
F. E. Lane responded with an address upon
"Tuner-Teacher Relationship" and a demon-
stration of the necessity of frequent tunings
was given.
The evening session was devoted to a general
question box, conducted by Nels C. Boe,
assisted by E. J. Disler and C. L. Mack. A
large attendance was on hand and many ques-
tions were asked and discussed during this
meeting.
Wednesday Sessions
The first session of Wednesday was called to
order at 9:30 a. m., and was devoted entirely
to an animated discussion of proposed amend-
ments to the constitution and bylaws of the
Association. The chief proposed amendment
consisted of the election of five directors, each
of them for a one-year term, one of these to
represent specifically the members residing in
the far West, and another those residing
in the Eastern section of the country. An-
other proposed amendment concerned the pro-
cedure necessary to amend the Association's
constitution, the amendment calling for such
action to be proposed at one annual meeting
for discussion, and that final action could not
be taken until the annual meeting of the fol-
lowing year. A great deal of time was used up
in this session in discussions regarding the
status of votes by certain delegates who had
come to the annual meeting with instructions
from their individual branches, and who had
voted contrary to such instructions. The ses-
sion lasted until well beyond the noon hour.
The greater part of the Wednesday after-
noon session was devoted to further discussion
of the proposed changes in the constitution of
the Association. Those which were adopted,
provide for a type of commission government
for the organization, the control resting in
the hands of the president, vice-president and
five directors, all of whom are elected and who
in turn will appoint the secretary-treasurer.
The main purpose of these changes in the con-
stitution would seem to be to exercise a greater
degree of control over the Association's
finances.
The annual election of officers resulted as
follows: President, Nels C. Boe, of Chicago;
vice-president, A. V. Minifie, of Pontiac, Mich.;
directors, F. E. Lane, of New York, for the
East; R. Shero, of Pasadena, Cal., for the
West; C. O'Harrow, Findlay, Ohio; C. T.
Backus, Minneapolis, Minn.; and E. L. Weise,
Chicago.
Charles A. Deutschmann, who had served
the Association as president for some twelve
consecutive years, refused the nomination to
succeed himself. It was decided to hold the
next convention in Chicago.
The annual banquet on Wednesday evening
was attended by over two hundred with Presi-
dent Deutschmann presiding. The speakers
were E. L. Maresh, president of the Cleve-
land Music Trade Association, and C. D. Bond,
president of the National Piano Manufac-
turers' Association. A cash prize was awarded
M. E. T. Jordan, for his slogan which was
adopted as the official one of the Association.
It is: "Tuning alone preserves the tone." The
banquet was marked with a number of enter-
tainment features and was followed by dancing.
Thursday Sessions
The formal program included an address by