Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
13
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, FEBRUARY, 19A0
tention on it. A short time ago modern design
was a chip on an ocean of traditional work,
whereas today the reverse is becoming appar-
ent.
"However, with engineering developments af-
fecting almost every item in and about the
home it is to be expected that new forms,
new materials, colors and textures should come
about. It is hardly conceivable that forms and
detail that have reason to exist 100 years
ago, should be retained in these new deevlop-
ments, just to keep the flavor of hoop skirts
**bout them.
"Modern art has made us aware of new
beautiful lines, as in the airplane, in the com-
position of simple great blocks in our more
modern buildings, and has shown us beauty of
surface and texture rather than beauty in elab-
oration and detail. It is both conceivable and
to be hoped for, that the house of the future
will be so designed for charm of expression
and economy in living, that all units that enter
into its makeup, from the refrigerator to the
heating plant, and from the radio to the piano,
will submerge their identity to the harmony
of the whole. This I know will appeal to the
manufacturers, for in such a scheme his prod-
uct will be honored for identity, by only a
number or a letter of the alphabet. However,
this is still way up ahead, but it is'as an idea
whose trend is unmistakable and should tend
to loosen you up in your opinions, so that you
can meet tomorrow's developments.
"If we were to examine carefully, present
day design, that which is based on traditional
forms, we would find that carving has been
almost eliminated, that frets and elaborations
found in the old originals are being traded for
fine surfaces, flow and length of line, new color
in wood.
"To us today the egg and dart, the bead
and reel, even the acanthus leaf, have lost
their significance, and we regard them as pro-
jections which are impossible to finish cleanly
—and the housewife knows that they are dust
catchers.
"Thus the bridge is being made from one
epoch to another, the change being so gradual
that it is scarcely noticed. This is sound
procedure since it makes it possible for the
home owner to gradually adopt the new, and
it likewise tests each step in the new modern
movement.
"This brings me to the part that a designer
has to play is in serving an industry such
as this. He should have a very accurate idea
of his factory and its possibilities, next the
dealer, who is to be interested first in the
product and most important of all he should
know what the consumer expects to admire
and buy. He thus, becomes an important ele-
ment in turnover and a decided help to the
selling end of an organization.
"There is no doubt, I can assure you, that
the designer would like nothing better to de-
sign without restraint and would probably
bring about an instrument that would sell
only to the designers, and a few more people
living in the same advanced atmosphere of
thought. But, our common problem is not
that, fine as prophesying is.
"Rather it is the problem of designing for
the appreciation of many potential piano own-
ers. We must not travel too fast in design
so that we do not outrun our market. Like
most people the consumer would like to be led
to better taste than driven to it. So for our
good and theirs we must be tolerant and so
considerate of his opinion and our common
national progress.
New Pianos Will Be Small
"Now, to take a look at the future in styling
as it affects the piano. I believe the future
piano will be small in size and small in cost.
The first is necessary due to the smaller size
of homes and apartments. The second is im-
perative, to reach a broad market and compete
with the many other items that the average
family must have. This is in perfect accord
with many other products of the American
market. The greatest attention should be paid
to new materials which are coming from the
nation's laboratories. It is quite probable that
plastic piano cases are not so far away as
they seem to be. There are literally hundreds
of compounds available and some day soon
large objects will come from plastic moulds."
Then followed an address on Mer-
chandising 1940 Model", by Russell
Pierce, Vice-President of the J. Walter
Thompson advertising agency, who
pointed out the many new achievements
of science during the past decade which
has and still is changing and improving
merchandising methods and creating
greater opportunities for all lines of
business.
Melville Clark, President of the Clark
Music Co., Syracuse, N. Y., -who was
chosen to comment on Mr. Pierce's ad-
dress, stated:
Clark Urges More Glamour
"As I listened to the discussion this morn-
ing, I realized how lucky I am to be in the
music business, a business so beautiful and
lovely and with so many tremendous potential
possibilities. I realize what the manufacturer
has done for the dealer, and because of the
importance of the last point brought out by
our previous speaker, I am going to touch
upon that with a little special emphasis.
"It seems to me that the music merchant
himself has to measure up to the competition
which exists in other lines. Right across thf
road from our store is a very lovely woman's
apparel shop, and I realize the importance of
the appeal that these people are putting up
and the competition that we have therefrom.
We have to meet that competition and attract
attention for our merchandise, and it seems
to me that the music dealer, especially, has
a lot to do. I don't refer to these large stores
in New York, Chicago and Boston, and so forth,
but the average dealer throughout the country.
"When we had this clinic last year there was
brought out very clearly the need of dolling
up our music stores to make them bright and
happy and joyful places, to have the salesmen
such that they meet the customer with a smile
and with pleasant manners, and to know his
merchandise. It seems to me that is one of the
most important things that the average retail
dealer has to consider at the present time.
"Does he come up to the average in com-
petition in meeting automobile competition and
competition of these lovely attractive places
for women to go to buy their wearing apparel,
and the other things that we have to meet to-
day ? It certainly seems to me that that is
our greaest opportunity at the present time.
"Then, again, I think there are great names
in the music business, and I will give you a
little illustration of what happened in our city
last week. Upon these names, great benefit
can endow to us.
"We had a visit from William R. Steinway
last week, and in thinking about the visit, it
occurred to me that this name was so great
that I would invite the mayor to come and
meet him at the train, and the mayor, who
had just purchased a Steinway and just was
learning to play the piano, was very happy
to do it, and he did. Following that, he was
invited to speak to the Rotary Club, to tell
the story of the Steinway. Following that,
he was invited to broadcast to about six hun-
dred thousand persons. A Concert happened
the next night and he was called upon to take
a bow before that concert before two thousand
persons, and when he left after two or three
days' visit several people said, "Clark, that
man could be elected mayor of Syracuse now."
"I realized that we don't seize upon the
opportunity of publicity as much as we ought
to. These different things that are appearing
in the magazines, for example, are marvelous
in their purport and their power.
"This man Selz is doing a great job for us,
and I think you manufacturers are doing a
great job for us, and I express publicly my
thanks to you for the styling of the pianos
and the beautiful instruments that you are
delivering to us. And yet I feel that the
dealer, perhaps, isn't doing his job in bringing
about this third point which Mr. Pierce illus-
trated to us just a few moments ago."
Dealers Broadcast From Lobby
The meeting then adjourned for
luncheon and at 1:30, in the lobby of
the hotel, a sidewalk interview program
was broadcast over WMCA, in which Mr.
Selz, Jerome F. Murphy, president of
M. Steinert & Sons Co., of Boston, and
Edwin C. Weeks, of Weeks & Dickinson,
Binghamton, N. Y., were interviewed.
Each in turn gave the piano a boost, and
told the world what the meetings being
held at the New Yorker signified.
Afternoon Session
The guests convened again at 2:00 P. M.
for a general discussion of trade problems.
J. A. McClanahan, Manager of the Arthur Jor-
dan Piano Co., presided over the first half of
the meeting and the first subject to be dis-
cussed was "The Piano Teacher."
Mr. McClanahan's Speech
In opening his part of the meeting,
J. A. McClanahan stated that he be-
lieved that the teacher could be of con-
siderable help if properly handled. He
also dwelt upon the fact that they had
a great deal of influence over the chil-
dren becoming interested in the piano,
which, of course, is quite necessary to
the life of the piano business. In con-
cluding his speech, he said:
"Some of you gentlemen no doubt were in
this business back in the gay nineties, im-
mediately after the turn of the century,' dur-
ing the war period of 1917-18, and no doubt
many of you have had some rather disastrous
encounters in your dealings with the music
teachers. But as you all know, we are in
changing times—conditions of today are not
what they were several years ago. I believe
the music teacher of today is more versatile in
her thoughts and that she is more than willing
to sit down to a friendly discussion of ways and
means to increase the musical education of the
people in her community and in that way be
of mutual benefit to both.
"The public of today is likewise much wiser
than a few years ago and in most instances
when they spend their money they want to
know what they get in return. They are not
as easily stampeded into a sale by bargain
advertising, bait advertising-, or extra high
pressure methods, and in my opinion the music
teacher in the various communities can render
us an invaluable service in not only telling us
who should have a piano now but in her work
to further the study of music and in that way
produce prospects for the future.
"There is quite a bit of talk, as well as
thought, as to what the industry can do to
either increase the sale of grand pianos or
increase the unit sales. I believe that the music
teacher can be invaluable to us in obtaining
the desired results. This, would, of course,
take some education from the dealer in order
that the teacher might become somewhat sales-
minded, inasmuch as they would not want the