Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
flue Mttslclfrade
Review
$S3to
Published Monthly
Serving
Music
FEDERATED BUSINESS PUBLICATIONS, INC.
420 Lexington Ave.
New York
the Entire ^ ^ T
Vol. 89
August, 1930
Industry
No. 8
Single Copies
Twenty Cents
Annual Subscript!*!
Two Dollars
COMB A TING
PROPAGANDA
AGAINST THE PIANO
Business Writers Who Disparage the
Piano Find It Has Many Defenders
VIDENTLY the members of the piano trade do not agree
with the Broadway publicity man in his oft-repeated
statement that every knock is a boost, and the main thing
is to keep the public talking about a person or a plot
regardless of what is said. Certainly the flood of protests that has
been aroused by disparaging comments on the piano made by syn-
dicate writers of more or less prominence, recently, indicates that
piano men generally are not going to sit quietly and have their
favorite instrument criticized while they still have voice and the
strength to take pen in hand.
The Review naturally regrets that such writers as Haskin and
Mclntyre have seen fit to fall back upon the piano for material to
fill their daily columns, but there is still some sunshine back of the
cloud and it is found in the readiness of piano men to defend their
E
W. F. Merrill's Views
The following letter from William F. Merrill,
secretary-treasurer of the New England Music
Trades Association, presents some worth-while
thoughts. He says:
"Boston, Mass., June 24, 1930.
"Editor, Music Trade Review:
"Your 'fight' editorial in the Review of June,
1930, brings back to mind the premature rumor
of the death of Mark Twin and that humorist's
own comment to the effect that the story of
his death was greatly exaggerated.
"Some of the newspapers around the country
that are careless enough to print the articles
written by so-called business writers have found
out by this time, I hope, that there is a lot of
life, as well as fight, left in the great body of
manufacturers and dealers in pianos.
"Well might Mark Twain take lightly the false
rumor about his death. It was easy for him to
disprove it. Misrepresentations about the piano
trade coming from sources considered authentic
by the great reading public are not so easily
disproved. Not only must we fight to disabuse
the public of the false impressions they have
been given but we must also struggle to drive
out the devil of doubt from the minds of thou-
sands of men right in our own trade who have
been poisoned by this insidious propaganda.
"One of the most heartening things I have
trade and the instruments they make and sell. Where these two
writers supplied about a column of derogatory matter, the piano
men themselves, in their letters of protest and in editorial com-
ments, prompted by those protests, have succeeded in filling many
columns of space in the same newspapers. In other words, being
in controversy, the piano has been placed before the public through
the medium of type more prominently than for many years past.
It is significant, too, that men of the trade who among themselves
have been inclined to comment unfavorably upon the industry and
its prospects have been among the first to arise in defense of that
trade when it was attacked by outsiders, much as the entire family
piles upon the peacemaker who interferes in the family quarrels.
Appended herewith are comments by two prominent members of
the trade, both of which are in themselves interesting.
learned in a long time is the fact that piano
dealers in different parts of the country have
been quick to declare themselves and demon-
strate to you and through you to the trade that
there is a lot of vitality left in what some seem
to think is but the 'hollow shell of his former
self.'
"A word about business writers: They should
not be taken too seriously. At the present time
they could write reams and reams of somber
stuff about many lines of business as well as
pianos. Yes, and they would not have to omit
radios and automobiles. But they are more
concerned about playing safe than writing about
something of real business interest. Perhaps
they think it is safer to tell wild tales about
the piano trade than other branches of industry
because they think the piano has lost its power
to strike back. They see nothing favorable in
the outlook for pianos because they do not
take the trouble to find out anything about
them. The easy way is to knock.
"If a business writer worthy of his high pro-
fession would take the trouble to dig down
below the surface and find out what the piano
has meant to the American home, its influence
on many generations of American citizens and
the place it has always maintained in the edu-
cational and cultural life of the country, he
would put the piano and the piano trade in the
position to which it rightfully lays claim. He
would do something constructive—not destruc-
tive. He would not write the kind of decep-
tive, negative trash to which some of your
subscribers justly take offense.
"If, on the other hand, a frank, honest state-
ment were written to-day about the radio busi-
ness, recounting the cancellation of orders,
describing the rapid succession of style changes
resulting in devastating price-cutting wars, the
business public, as well as the masses of the
people, would be astounded at the waste that
has attended the most spontaneous universal
acceptance of a new commodity ever known
to mankind. I do not advocate this but I ask
why business writers, who are mum about
radios, should discriminate against the piano
business? Many dealers have seen some grief
in the radio business more poignant than pianos
ever brought to their doors. When pianos
were selling as freely as other lines are now
selling they were a clean and profitable line!
"Neither do I think it would be good business
to talk too much about the manner in which
automobile manufacturers failed to get their
figures during the first quarter of 1930. Reliable,
reports show that popular cars, the names of
which are familiar household words, dropped
anywhere from 20% to 60% and even more.
(Please turn to page 11)