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The Jiusk
REVIEW
Established 1879
CARLETON CHACE, Editor
Alex H. Kolbe, Publisher
A. C. Osborne
Alexander Hart
Associate Editor
Technical Editor
V. T. Costello
Terry Ruffolo
Production Manager
Circulation Manager
Published monthly at 510 Americas Building, Radio
City, 1270 Sixth Avenue, New York 20. N. Y.
Telephone: Circle 7-5842-5843-5844
Vol. 1 1 3
APRIL, 1954
No. 4
Business-As We See It
T
HE National Piano Manufacturers Association
has appointed a committee to look into the
possibilities of some additional ways of pro-
moting piano sales. The president of the associa-
tion has very wisely appointed a man who has had
long experience in the piano bus-
iness, having been the vice-presi-
dent and general manager of one
of the largest companies in the
country and who is free at the
present time to go out and study
the situation, not only from the
dealers', but from the consumers'
standpoint. No man is more ca-
pable for this job than James \ .
Sill, who is now traveling through
the south and looking into possi-
CARLETON CHACE
bilities from the' retail standpoint
from which he can arrive at a decision as to what
to suggest at the wholesale level. We have a very
set opinion on piano promotion. Our readers have
probably realized that in the past, and our opinion
at the present time is that the one promotion which
is doing more for the piano business than any other
promotion which has ever been tried is the "key-
board experience" which is being so forcefully im-
pressed upon various institutions of learning as well
10
as throughout communities and industries. A lot
of money can be spent in endeavoring to get people
to read advertisements regarding the value of having
a piano in the home. Its force, however, cannot
compare with that which is manifested in getting
children to sit down to keyboards and learn notes
at their most impressionable age. Our opinion is the
same as it always has been, that if there is any addi-
tional promotion to be done in order to stimulate
piano sales, it should be done by continuing to ex-
pand keyboard experience throughout the public
and parochial schools and other institutions of learn-
ing, until finally practically all the schools, colleges
and even communities throughout the country are
found promoting this idea. The American Music
Conference is doing a splendid job along this line,
and any appropriation which has been made by the
National Piano Manufacturers Association has been
bearing splendid fruit. We believe, however, that
more dealers should become interested in this propo-
sition at the local level to help further the influence
which is needed to persuade Boards of Education,
music supervisors and others to inaugurate this sys-
tem of keyboard experience in the schools. There
can be no better use for any money that is to be
appropriated than to engage the services of a man
who could go and talk before Boards of Education.
Parent-Teachers Associations and any organizations
which can be interested in promoting music wher-
ever it may be, in order to make this splendid effort
universal.
The Excise Tax Situation
S spite of the superb efforts which were made by
both the manufacturing and the retail division?
of the business to have the 10% excise tax re-
moved from musical instruments, this did not seem
to be in the cards at this time. One of the reasons,
and perhaps the most important, was the fact that
most of the taxes which were reduced were reduced
down to 10%. In other words, some which were
25%, others 15%,, were all reduced down to 10%.
and as near as we can judge none were reduced be-
low that. So, the 10% manufacturers excise tax on
musical instruments still stands. This does not mean,
however, that in the future there is not a possibility
that it may be eliminated or at least reduced to 5%.
It is expected that the reduction of the excise taxes
which has already taken place will stimulate spend-
ing, which in many ways may prove beneficial to
the music industry. After all, we believe that the
general public does not realize that there really is
a tax on musical instruments, that is, a manufac-
turers excise tax. and the only tax that they hear
about is a sales tax which is levied in various states
by various cities in addition to the retail price. How-
ever, it will be wise for dealers to keep the matter of
the 10 r V excise tax repeal before their Congressmen.
I
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, APRIL, 1954