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MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, PIANOS ONLY, DECEMBER, 1U1
so
As I See It
President, National Association
OME day. somewhere in the hazy future.
America will shake its figurative head in
wonder at the phenomina that neatly tied
up in one great bundle every activity,
social, industrial, commercial and economic factor
of this current age and labeled it DEFENSE.
And just how much room in this mammoth
package has been occupied by the business of
music, and I use the word Business advisedly?
What contribution has been made by the manu-
facturers, the dealers and the artists whose
economic existance depends almost wholly upon
the planned cultivation of love for music by
the American people? Pontifical declamation
S
of Music
Merchants
Nor do they become too serious over shadow-
boxing.
Recreation centers have been planned in the
encampments and in some instances they are
functioning extremely well, but to date we have
had little that approached the entertainment pro-
gram carried on in the years of the first World
War. Few of the agencies that operated in those
days have swung into action; the Y. M. C. A..
Knights of Columbus, the Salvation Army and
others are following a different course at this
writing.
It was the never-to-be forgotten privilege of
the writer to spend many months on the Army
circuit during the last war. And the roll of vol-
unteers from the worlds of music and drama lists
the names of the great entertainers of those
days.
• •Despite a rather turgid start, music is begin-
ning to function as a medium of morale building
in the 1941 defense program. More than 500
Hammond organs have been placed in the vari-
ous training camps and a large crew of in-
structors are teaching the boys in Khaki how to
make these instruments live.
And it is only the beginning for as the re-
armament program works its way out the forma-
tive stage, musicians, manufacturers and dealers
will be called upon more and more for greater
contributions of their time, their money and their
talents.
But, to use a common parlance—"they'd better
be good" and they'd better be careful in their
efforts to hold the boys of '41. The new Ameri-
can army is a critical audience; raido broadcast-
ing has seen to that. And the modern music
merchant has survived only because he has car-
ried on an unceasing educational program, mak-
ing musicians grow great in every village and
hamlet of the land.
However, music has made and will continue
to make its contribution when the need arises.
Call it "NATIONAL DEFENSE" or by any other
name, the sacrifice will be made, cheerfully and
enthusiastically despite the realization that our
group as a whole will face hardships and prob-
lems that require a greater and straighter degree
of objective planning than perhaps any other
trade and professional bodies in the country.
If we are to survive the cataclysmic era that
will surely follow there must continue the un-
tiring and united effort of all of us who are
engaged in the merchandising of music. For-
tunate, for all of us is the machinery that has
been wisely constructed, in the working pro-
gram of our own organization.
To the entire music industry—A Merry Christ-
mas and may 1942 bring greater happiness and
success to you all.
New York Dealers
Attention
A booklet containing suggested stand-
ard forms which comply "with the Install-
ment Laws of the State of New York with
a summary of changes in the law which
go into effect on January 1st 1942 is now
ready for distribution. Dealers may pro-
cure one of these important booklets by
writing to the New York Conference on
Installment Selling. 45 East 17th Street,
New York and enclosing 25^ to cover cost
of mailing.
C. S. Andrews Elected Chairman of
New North Carolina Chapter of NAMM
MELVILLE CLARK
President of the NAMM
"that music is a universal language," or that a
"victorious army is a singing army" holds small
comfort for men and women who are faced for
the second time in twenty years with the loss
of their livelihood because of priorities or re-
strictions in their relations with potential cus-
tomers. Yes, here is a definite contribution to
the "defense program."
We can, all of us, too well remember the critical
days following the World War when our contri-
bution to the rebuilding of American business
was not altogether a job of making the Nation
"music conscious." Some walked the last mile
and others more fortunate survived because of
an ability to adapt our merchandising practices
to the trend of the times. All of which, say you,
is part and parcel of a rather weird scheme of
life, but if you are, as are most of us to-day,
imbued with the spirit of patriotism and do you
possess a sincere desire to be of constructive
help to a harrassed government, you will brush
aside the cobwebs of doubt as to your ultimate
place in the picture and you'll thrill with the
knowledge that your chosen business is still
taking a vital part in the march of the Nation's
war-time program.
True there is a different situation now than
existed in the days of 1918. Modern warfare is
a grim, drab business and most of us haven't
realized it as yet. Building army centers, re-
cruiting and transporting hundreds of thousands
of men from all walks of life, many of whom are
resentful is at its best unproductive of spon-
taneous enthusiasm. Americans will fight but
they don't like the routine of the training camp.
The North Carolina Chapter of the
National Association of Music Merchants
held its first regular meeting on Novem-
ber 18th after an organization meeting
was held on October 28th at the O'Henry
The following have been appointed to
committees as named: Membership Com-
mittee: Jesse G. Bowen, Chairman; L. L.
Moore, Baldwin, Piano Co., Greensboro;
D. D. Lewis, W. R. Murray Co., Durham;
Organization Meeting of the North Carolina Chapter of the NAMM
Hotel, Greensboro, N. C. At the latter
meeting J. L. M. Smith of the Greensboro
Music Co. acted as temporary chairman
and Judge W. M. York of Greensboro was
the principle speaker. At the November
18th meeting, a motion was made and
carried to adopt by-laws similar to those
adopted by other chapters. The follow-
ing officers were then elected. C. S. An-
drews, Andrews Music Co., Charlotte, N.
C Chairman; Jesse G. Bowen, Jesse G.
Bowen Music Co., Winston-Salem, N. C,
Vice-Chairman; J. L. M. Smith, Greensboro
Music Co., Greensboro, N .C, Secretary
and L. E. O'Briant, O'Briant Music Store,
Durham, N. C Treasurer.
H. A. Dunham, Dunham's Music House,
Ashville; J. W. Currie, McFayden Music
Store, Fayettesville; C. H. Stephenson, Jr.,
Stephenson Music CcRaleigh, N. C. and
H. E. Gaffney Music Co., Charlotte.
Trade Practice Committee: L. E. O'-
Briant, Chairman, C. W. Parker, Parker-
Gardner Co., Charlotte and C. H. Steph-
enson, Jr., in addition to the elected
officers.
Mrs. Violet G. Webber reprsented W.
A. Mennie, secretary of the National Asso-
ciation of Music Merchants, at these meet-
ings as she has at the organizing of other
chapters. The North Carolina Chapter will
include all music merchants in that state.