Music Trade Review

Issue: 1930 Vol. 89 N. 11

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC PUBLISHING
their own publications. He also thought that
their mailing lists should be radically revised
as he knew of numerous persons to whom cata-
logs had been sent who were long dead. In
Jay Witniark, formerly a member of the
conclusion Mr. Whittemore gave a graphic
music publishing house of M. Witmark & Sons
BOSTON, MASS.—The first fall meeting and 'din-
story of the summer music camp at Interlaken, and more recently connected with Warner
ner of the Boston Music Publishers' Associa- in Northern Michigan, which is winning a wide
liros., has been appointed general manager of
tion was held on October 14 at the Hotel Tour-
reputation; and of one that is forming in New
aine. There was an attendance of some twenty- England, located between Augusta and Water-
five members and the guests and speakers were ville in Maine, in which a number of wealthy
Walter H. Butterfield, director of music in the men have become interested and for which a
public schools of Providence, R. I.; and Henry
Boston architect is working out elaborate plans.
1-".. Whittemore, director of music in the Somer-
ville schools. The occasion was designated as
music supervisors' night. David C. King, who
was elected president of the association at the
meeting in the spring, presided.
Mr. Butterfield, whose subject was "the Pics
cut Trend of Vocal Music in the High Schools,"
Two brothers, Frank and John Schumanski,
spoke from the point of view of the instrument-
were sentenced to thirty days each in the work-
alist although he said lie was now functioning
house by Justices Direnzo, Kernochan and
on the vocal side of public school music. As
Raficl in Special Sessions in New York on Oc-
to teaching music in the high schools he said
tober 20, for violating 1 the State copyright law
that it was his opinion that many boys respond
relating to songs, recently signed by Governor
to music right after the adolescent period and
Roosevelt.
he was in favor of music as an elective rather
The men were trapped on August 6 through
than as compulsory. He did not approve of
private detectives employed by the American
using operas or oratorios in high school work; Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers,
they were for the more mature voices, not the when they offered to sell for ten dollars 500 print-
immature. Specifically addressing the publish- ed sheets containing about fifteen popular songs
ers Mr. Butterfield said that it was not easy to in which the copyrights were held by others.
find music that is in the right vocal range for
high school pupils. The music must be of a
Jay Witmark
sort that is not tiring and in accord with the
pupils' vocal stamina and should be of an edu-
the Red Star Music Co., Inc., New York, suc-
cational nature. With girls the situation is
ceeding Pat J. Flaherty, who resigned on Oc-
somewhat better, he affirmed. In the public
tober 1.
schools instrumental music already has come
int& its own; and vocal music is on the way. Carl Fisher, Inc., announce that by agree-
Arthur Hcliim, formerly connected with
ment with the Oxford University Press they
In fact a real vocal renaissance is not far in
J farms, Inc., as professional manager, has be-
are
now
the
sole
world
agents
for
the
music
the future.
come the general professional manager of Mills
publications of the Oxford University Press of
Music, Inc.
Mr. Whittemore took for his topic "Contacts," New York. The music publications of the Lon-
by which he meant a more intimate personal don house of the Oxford University Press, the
touch which was essential in getting the best
Paterson publications, the Arnold Octavo and
results. He mentioned the amount of material
Piano Series and the works of Arnold Bax,
lie often finds on his desk, from music publish- published by Murdoch and Murdoch, will also
ers, not any of which contains the personal
be controlled by Carl Fischer, Inc., in the
contact. He recommended after the personal
l"n:ted States of America.
touch is established there be follow-up work-
on I lie part of the publishers. Incidentally he
remarked that too often publishers do not know
Boston Publishers Hold
First Fall Meeting
J. Witmark With Red Star
Jail Sentences for
Pair of Song Pirates
Carl Fischer Agency for
Oxford University Press
J. J. Robbins on Lengthy
Visit to European Centers
BANK-NOTES
THE MONEY HITS
OF AMERICA
MOTHER
From "Love In the Rough"
1
JUST A L1TTL.E CLOSER
from "Remote Control"
SINGING A SONG XO THE
STARS
from "Way Out West 1 '
HERE COMES THE SUN
(Another Singin' in the Rain)
SING (A HAPPV LITTLE
THING)
from "Dough Boys"
ANCHORS AWEIGH
(The Song of the Navy)
Robbins Music Corporation
799 Seventh Ave.
New York
ROBERT TELLER SONS & DORNER
Music Engravers and Printers
SEND MANUSCRIPT AND IDEA OF
TITLE FOR ESTIMATE
311 West 43rd Street
New York City
J. J. Robbins, head of the Robbins Music
Corporation, exclusive publishers to Metro-
Goldwyn-Mayer, sailed for Europe recently for
an approximate six weeks' stay abroad. While
in Europe Mr. Robbins expects to enter into
new associations with music publishers in Eng-
land and the Continent in behalf of his firm's
catalog.
Most of the firm's current foreign affiliations
expiring shortly, it is Mr. Robbins' belief that
his present catalog will enable him to enter
into the most profitable arrangements with
foreign publishers.
Pat J. Flaherty to Form
Own Publishing Company
Pat J. Flaherty, who organized and became
vice-president and general manager of the Red
Star Music Co., Inc., a subsidiary of the Fox
Film Corp., about a year ago, resigned on Oc-
tober 1. Tt is stated that Mr. Flaherty is at
present organizing his own music publishing
company and will launch the new venture about
December 1.
30
Now Running
Are you prepared to take advantage
of our great 1930 advertising cam-
paign?
Cooperative hook-ups will be sup-
plied you free for the asking.
Boost for Century while Century
ads are boosting for you.
CENTURY MUSIC
PUBLISHING CO.
West 4Oth Street
NEW YORK
Music Playing Cards
HARRIET R. BELLMAN
Invvntor-Ownvr
31;> West 97th Street, New York City
Free Demonstration of These Cards by Appointment
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
ORGANIZING
roups
US1C
TO STIMULATE SALES
W
HEN every American community rec-
ognizes music- as one of the funda-
mental necessities of human life—and
when every American community
realizes that it must educate its citizens to self-
expression in music—and when every American
community undertakes, on its own initiative, to
provide every individual with ample opportunity
to use and enjoy the musical talent that it has
developed in him—then, and not until then—
we manufacturers, publishers, wholesalers and
retailers of music and musical instruments can
all sit back and enjoy life. It will be glorious!
lust picture the public thronging into music
stores! Listen to the pleasant tune the cash
registers play, as an enlightened community, of
its own accord, hunts up the music merchant
to demand instruments, music and a little serv-
ice, please.
But, alas! there is something wrong with this
picture. It is not a photograph of present con-
ditions in the music industry. And the average
person, tar trom any thought of expressing
himself in music, is busily engaged in defending
himself and his dollar from the determined as-
saults of salesmen of automobiles, asbestos,
roofing", books, trips to the Mediterranean and
electric refrigerators.
A myriad of new commodities and services,
bricked by selling campaigns of keen aggres-
siveness, are after the consumer's dollar. And
the successful music merchant nowadays isn't
staying in his store waiting for the public to
come to him. He is going' out after business—
and getting it!
The big job is to reach the average person
with the thought that it would be pleasant and
entirely practical for him to learn a musical
instrument—and to convince him that he would
have a chance to use it, if he did learn to play.
There's no difficulty with youngsters. They
take to music eagerly, lint even if every young
person in the country played a musical instru-
By MERTON THRNEY
ment, still the selling job would be only half
done. There would still remain their elders
to be converted.
Grown-ups are more diffident than children;
slower to try a new idea; and as people grow
older their natural desire to take part in a
new activity is often overshadowed by a self-
conscious reluctance to appear at a disadvan-
tage while they are learning. The successful
formula then is to sell them in groups. And
Every local
Lodge,
Club and Society of-
fers possibilities
for
the organization of a
band, an orchestra or
a drum corps — How
one successful dealer
does it.
J
there arc wide-awake dealers all over the United
States today who arc reaping big profits from
this rather neglected market.
Every lodge, fraternal society or other social
organization in your town that now hasn't a
band, orchestra or drum corps is a potential
market for you. Tt doesn't take genius to de-
velop this market— just initiative enough to
start it, and then common sense to sec it
through. There's no fixed rule of procedure, but
one man whom I know to be particularly sue
cessful in starting new bands and orchestras
31
operates generally along these lines:
His first step is to select some one active
member of the organization and sell him on the
idea. Then, with this member as sponsor, he
mails to the entire membership list an invita-
tion to attend an informal, unofficial meeting to
discuss the formation of the proposed band or
drum corps. A self-addressed postal accom-
panies the letter to make it easy for the mem-
bers to commit themselves to attend.
At the first meeting, the dealer is introduced
as the principal speaker. He outlines his plan
under which he undertakes full responsibility
to turn out a complete band or drum corps,
fully equipped and trained to play acceptably as
a unit, within a definite time. His selling talk
stresses the practicability of group instruction,
and the stimulating advantage of companionship
and friendly competition; he particularly em-
phasizes, all through his talk, that it's easy to
learn to play an instrument and that it's fun
to play in an organization.
The financial proposition he offers them is
simple and clean-cut. He deals directly with
the individual—each member buys his own in-
strument for cash or on time-payment, and
each member pays a weekly fee for instruction.
Those who already own instruments are wel-
come to use them. The purchase of the large,
more expensive instruments such as the basses
or sousaphones, etc., is often subsidized by the
society.
He tells me that his policy of selling the indi-
vidual rather than attempting to sell the outfit
of instruments as a whole to the lodge itself is
distinctly advantageous. Dealing with the in-
dividual in a series of smaller, isolated deals, he
avoids the competitive bidding that is almost
inevitable when a big order is in the air. When
you add up the price of a complete band or
drum corps outfit, it runs into interesting
l'-oney; everybody in the next six counties gets
(I'lease
I urn In ptnjc 34)

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