Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1953 Vol. 112 N. 7

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
AMC Committee Reviews Gains
At a recent meeting of the Public
Relations Committee of the American
Music Conference. Dr. John C. Kendel
announced that plans for the coopera-
tion of AMC with the International
Churchman's Exposition management
are being made and that a music clinic
will be offered in connection with this
activity. Thousands of church leaders
will attend.
In his report Dr. Kendel noted that
considerable interest is apparent among
manufacturers and wholesalers in the
proposed plan to hold string clinics,
though a definite decision on the advisa-
bility of holding the clinics awaits fur-
ther reports from the trade.
Philip Lesly, AMC public relations
counsel, told the committee that the
public opinion campaign during the
first quarter of 1953 "reached the high-
est point in AMC's history."
Lesly appointed to the increased em-
phasis on music among major publica-
tions, such. as Time, Good Housekeep-
ing, Coronet, American Business, the
New York Times and others resulting
from AMC publicity activity, asid
pointed to a number of stories scheduled
to appear in top publications to in-
dicate that the increase in musical in-
terest is continuing at a rapid rate.
Interest on "Music Clipping
Month"
According to present indications "Mu-
sic Clipping Month," April 15-May 15.
has proved a success in alerting people
affiliated with the music industry to note
the value of publicity in newspapers
and magazines and remind them that-
the country is becoming more music
minded all the time. Publicity aimed
at increasing the present high interest
in music is also beamed by AMC
through television, radio, business and
industrial publications and other media.
Eisenhower's Harmonica Pushes
Sales
An article in the American Maga-
zine, inspired by AMC publicity on the
President being an enthusiastic harmon-
ica player, mentioned that manufac-
18
turers said that "the revelation of Presi-
dent Eisenhower's hankering for making
music with the mouth has added such a
push that we're becoming the mouth-
organest-playing people on earth"
Field Workers Continue Successes
Group workshops and class reading
demonstrations throughout the country,
led by AMC field men. are reaching in-
creasing numbers of teachers. h\ Eay-
ettville. N. C. AMC field representative
Marion Egbert helped set up a recrea-
tion group workshop with the coopera-
tion of Selwyn Orcutt. superintendent
of recreation and parks. Egbert also
worked with a workshop for teachers
conducted by AMC at the College of St.
Rose. Albany. \ . Y. Field representa-
tive Ed Kalb conducted a similar work-
shop at Bastrop. La.
Public School Dep'f. Buys 96
Tru-Touch Practice Keyboards
Demand for the Tru-Touch Practice
Keyboards which were introduced by
Pratt. Read & Co.. Inc., Ivoryton, Conn,
in April has been steadily increasing.
The most recent order received by the
largest piano supply house, was for 96
units and was placed by the West Hart-
ford (Connecticut) Public School Dept.
It is believed that other school systems
will adopt these silent keyboards to
supplement their class piano activity as
soon as their new budgets are drawn up.
Before offering the Tru-Touch boards
to the public, Pratt, Read put them
through rigorous testing, first in their
own laboratories and then in the field.
Twelve of the units have been in steady
use for over six months at the Hale-
Ray School. Moodus, Conn., where class
piano instruction was started several
years ago under the direction of the
late Ray Burrows. The following is
quoted from a letter written by Mrs.
Charlotte W. Schonberg. Supervisor of
Music, to Pratt Read.
"They are very neat and attractive in
appearance and immediately became
"our little pianos'. The keyboard of
four octaves, with key action so like
that of a real piano made lessons so
much more interesting, and the teach-
ing and development of scales, arpeg-
gios and some finger techniques actual-
ly possible. Interest in the class lesson
increased from the first day we received
them, and has continued on a much
higher level than before. I only wish
each student might have one for home
use where no piano is available, until
such time as a piano might be deemed
necessary."
Pratt Read developed this training
aid at the insistence of musical educa-
tors and music dealers as a contribu-
tion to the piano teaching program. Be-
cause the main aim is to further music
education, and hence the sales of true
pianos, a unique selling program has
beeen adopted. The keyboards are
priced at $25.00 net. boxed and ready
for shipment, f.o.b. Ivoryton, Conn. No
dealer discounts are offered nor are
prices scaled for volume orders. This
fills the requirement of the dealers and
educators that as many of the boards
as possible be gotten into the hands of
students at a minimum cost. Some
dealers have used them as a source of
profit by applying their usual mark-ups
for this type of item, while others have
merely added the cost of freight and
handling to the original price in the
hope of making their profit from the
eventual piano sale to students who use
them in their training.
WuHitler Comptroller is Elected
to Controllers Institute of America
Roy W. Carlson, comptroller. The
Rudoph Wurlitzer Co.. Chicago, has
been elected to membership in the Con-
trollers Institute of America.
Established in 1931, the Institute is
a non-profit organization of controllers
and finance officers from all lines of
business—banking, manufacturing, dis-
tribution, utilities, transportation, etc.
The total membership exceeds 4.100.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, JULY,
1953
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
Indiana Tuner Technicians Visit
Wurlitzer Factory in DeKalb,
Several members of the Indiana Divi-
sion of the American Society of Piano
Technicians, and their wives, were re-
cent guests of the Rudolph Wurlitzer
for an informal meeting, and question-
and-answer period was conducted by
Joe Daurer. Wurlitzer Advertising
Manager.
If j§|
'i
lit; l! ! *^
#i f
FIRST ROW LEFT TO RIGHT: JOE DAURER, WURLITZER ADV. MGR.; MRS. WALTER
BOSHART: JANET ACHOR; MRS. TED ACHOR; MRS. RONALD ACHOR; MRS. SETH
KNIFFIN: PERCY LUNDBERG, WURLITZER
TECHNICAL CONSULTANT. SECOND
ROW: DON ULERY, ADVERTISING DEPT.; WALTER BOSHART, GOSHEN, INDIANA;
ROY NEWSTEDT, WURLITZER PIANO TECHNICIAN; TED ACHOR AND RONALD
ACHOR, MARION, INDIANA, AND SETH KNIFFIN, ELKART. INDIANA. THIRD ROW:
JOHN FISCHER
AVILLA, INDIANA; JIM ROLFING. WURLITZER ASS'T. MANAGER,
DEKALB DIVISION; WALTER BENSON,WUR LITZER ASS'T. SALES MANAGER; AND
LEONARD STIGLIANI, HEAD OF ACTION REGULATION DEPARTMENT.
Co.. DeKalb. 111. where they had an
opportunity to witness first hand, the
complete precision methods employed
in manufacturing Wurlitzer Pianos.
The group was accompanied on their
tour of the factory by Roy Newstedt.
Wurlitzer Chief Piano Technician and
Bob Bell of the Sales Department.
At noon, the visitors and their wives
were driven to the Rice Hotel where the
group and various members of the
\K urlitzer Company enjoyed luncheon.
On completing the tour of the plant
later in the afternoon, they assembled
After brief talks had been given by
James Rolfing. Assistant Manager, De-
Kalb Division; Hugh Stewart. Vice
President and Sales Manager; and Wal-
ter Benson. Assistant Sales Manager,
the meeting was opened to technical
questions with Leonard Stigliani, head
of the Action Regulation Department,
Percy Lundberg. Technical Advisor,
and Roy Newstedt. answering questions
and discussing the matters and prob-
lems presented by the visiting Tech-
nicians.
Weslinghouse Had Extra Flight
For European Holiday Winners
The first group of winning dealers
left New York on March 28. Successive
trips left on March 31, April 13, 20
and 27. The four final trips will leave
on May 5. May 7. May 12. and May
20th.
Fred S. McCarthy. Sales Promotion
Manager, Westinghouse Radio-TV Di-
vision, has announced that an addition-
al "European Holiday" flight was
scheduled with Sabena Belgian Airlines
to accommodate '"an unexpectedly
large number of Westinghouse dealers
who qualified for "Holiday" trips in
our nation-wide TV sales contest."
The added flight, scheduled to leave
\ew York's International Airport on
May 2th. was the ninth to carry West-
inghouse dealers and their wives to
Europe for free, expense-paid 12-day
'"European Holidays."
"With the addition of this flight to
the original schedule. "McCarthy said.
"Westinghouse will have sent 502 con-
test winners, their wives, and in some
instances their families to Europe on
Holiday trips that included Paris, the
French Riviera and Rome.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW. JULY. 1953
Kansas Piano Dealer Uses
Unique Gulbransen Adv. Copy
Following is a copy of a large space
ad run by Carl Latenser of Atchinson.
Kansas, in the Atchinson Daily Globe.
Sunday. May 17, which contained a
number of similar ads extending con-
gratulations to the members of the
Atchinson Medical Societv.
Music is Patent Medicine
"Do you feel miserable, run down
and ostracized? Are you a wall flower,
a kill joy and a bore? Try a beautiful
Gulbransen piano. If. after a few weeks,
you don't feel socially inclined—call
your doctor quick . . . 'cause you're
really sick!!
Arthur Smith Music Co. Buys
Brown's Store in Lakeland
Sale of Brown's Music Store, Lake-
land. Fla.. to the Arthur Smith Music
Co.. of Tampa, one of the oldest music
firms in Florida, was announced recent-
ly by William E. Brown.
Arthur Smith. Jr., a son of the
founder of the Tampa firm, w ill be pres-
ident and manager of the new firm here,
to be known as the Arthur Smith Music
Company of Lakeland.
The Lakeland store will be affiliated
with the Smith stores at Tampa and
Sarasota.
Founded in 1920 by Arthur H. and
Ruth E. Smith, now retired, the Smith
Music Company operates with the slo-
gan "Florida's Music Center.' Now em-
ploying an average of 45 persons, the
firm is under management of Arthur
Smith. Jr.. and two brothers. Graham
and Jack Graham heads the firm's pi-
ano and organ division, with Jack
serving as comptroller. In addition to
operating the Lakeland store. Arthur is
head of the firm's band division.
Pianos to be stocked will include such
well-known lines as Steinway. Chicker-
ing. Wurlitzer, Musette and Winter. The
company will also handle Hammond
Organs. Smith said.
Brown, who sold pianos wholesale in
Cuba and 17 Southern states from 1922
to 1934. while living in Lakeland, said
he might wholesale them again in Cuba
and South America.
The South Florida store was Brown's
fifth Lakeland location.
K. G. Gillespie Honored by
Electrical Distributors Ass'n
Kenneth G. Gillespie, vice-president
and general manager of the Jenkins
Music Company in Kansas City, was
honored Wednesday. May 27, in Chi-
cago when he was presented a formal
certificate of honorary life member-
ship in the National Association of Elec-
trical Distributors.
A former member of the board of
governors of NAED, Gillespie became
ineligible for active membership last
year when Jenkins completed the liquid-
ation of its wholesale division.
Gillespie had been chairman of the
NAED major appliance committee
from 1948 to 1952, was chairman of
the store management committee from
1944 to 1947 and had served on the
sales booster and the membership com-
mittees.

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