23
PRESTO
October 28, 1922.
SHEET MUSIC TRADE
thing we're looking for. I have waded through five
thousand manuscripts without finding a single germ.
In other words, we run the business to make money.
iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiii
If we published 1 per cent of the stuff sent us from
outside we'd go broke in three months.
THE COMBINED CIRCULATION the "The
has very little chance in the song-
OF PRESTO (EST. 1884), AND MUS- writing outsider
business, and we do not encourage him to
ICAL TIMES (EST. 1881), IS BY FAR waste his time.
"There are dozens of fakers who take advantage of
THE LARGEST IN THE FIELD OF
this
situation to prey on the innocent. It is, indeed,
THE MUSIC TRADE. COMBINA- a fertile
field for men who are willing to do any-
TION RATES OF SPECIAL AT- thing to pick up a few dollars. The damage they
TRACTIVENESS FOR ADVERTIS- do is not limited to the pocket books of the un-
Their activities litter our place with use-
ING SPACE IN BOTH PAPERS fortunates.
less stuff not worth the paper it is written on, and
WILL BE MADE TO MUSIC PUB- they know it. But they have the money and we have
the trouble of answering the hundreds of letters
LISHERS.
of those who are ambitious and gullible.
"Repeatedly we send out a form letter to those who
This department is designed to advance the sales submit manuscripts, informing them that our own
of sheet music, and give any current information in special writers supply us with practically all the ma-
the Sheet Music Trade.
terial we can publish and that- we cannot consider ad-
This publication believes that Sheet Music will ditional numbers. Just the same they keep coming.
pay the dealer, just as any other commodity pays We advise people to try other publishers and as-
those who merchandise it properly.
i sure them that these publishers make no
The conductor of this department will review charges for the publication of numbers they accept;
any numbers that are sent in for the purpose. It is •that we do not recommend writers or arrangers. In
not the intent to criticise, but to review these offer- this letter we suggest that the writer consult the
ings, giving particular information of the theme and local music dealer.
a description of the musical setting of the number
"The profits from song writing and song publish-
discussed.
are not nearly so large as the public has been
Address all communications to Conductor Sheet ing
to believe by the fake advertisers. The cases of
Music Dept., Presto. 407 S. Dearborn, Chicago, 111. led
sudden fortune are exceptional. A song writer may
make ten thousand dollars a year, but he may not
average four thousand for the next five years. The
lean years are not brought to the attention of the
public.
"The chances are that I know every professional
; Saturday Evening Post Prints Article of Greajt song writer of any standing in New York—99 per
cent of them live in New York. In preparing this
Value—Campaign Against Song-Writing
article I have talked with a number of them, old
Swindle.
and young. We came to the conclusion that the av-
The methods of slick operators of the song writing erage income of song writers of standing is not more
swindle were described last week in an article in than five thousand dollars a year. I am referring
the Saturday Evening Post entitled. "The Song Build- to those who have written big successes at some
ers," by "One of Them." The Better Business Bureau time or other.
"Successful or well known song writers are paid
of the Music Industries Chamber of Commerce, has
offered to supply the magazine named with literature on a royalty basis. If we accept a manuscript from
for answering the flood of letters from amateur song- some outsider we usually pay a lump sum for all
writers which undoubtedly will result from the ap- rights and make what we can out of it. I paid fifty
dollars for the last song that I bought, and it has
pearance of the article.
President George Fischer of the Music Publish- done fairly well."
ers' Association of the U. S. A., is sending a re-
quest to several hundred religious publications to
STAR DANCE FOLIO.
print an exposure of the swindle, covering a special
May Shurr, manager of the Remick Song & Gift
field in which his firm is especially active. A number Shop, says that the Star Dance Folio, No. 23, is
of other publications are giving space to the campaign. having a big demand and is one of the most popular
The following paragraphs are clipped from the Sat- editions published recently.
urday Evening Post article:
"Pick up any magazine and you will notice that
most of the stories are written by a well known
group of authors. You'll notice the same things in
MAKE WAY
songs. It isn't that those fellows have any pull.
They have the stuff. If a new writer comes along with
FOR THE
a hit we jump on it like a terrier on a rat. It's the
TO PUBLISHERS
"THE SONG BUILDERS"
FORE!
Four Real Song Hits!
Four Foremost Sellers
"LOVE OF THE AGES"
"WISHING ALL THE TIME"
"DREAMING OF LOVE'S OLD DREAM"
An Alluring Fox Trot Ballad
The Song You Have Been Waiting For—
"LOVE ROSE"
Another Pretty Fox Trot Song
"DREAM MAN"
Fox Trot Ballad Supreme
"TEARS OF OUR LAST GOOD-BYE"
Endorsed and Sung by Cyrena Van Gordon
"You're the One Little Girl for Me"
A BaUad You Will Never Forget
"When I Dream that Auld Erin is Free"
A Tribute to Ireland's Independence
HENDERSON
166 W. JACKSON BLVD.
CHICAGO
OPPORTUNITY ANALYZED
A Review of the Circular of a Genius Who
Will Write Words to Music or Write
Music to Words on Demand.
By T. Rogers Lyons.
A subscriber to Presto has written me and asked
me to analyze a bunch of literature that has been
received from Ray Hibbeler, 4040 Dickens avenue,
Chicago. It seems my fate to be constantly asked
to review something (if nothing more than the
woes of a mis-spent life), and I might as well re-
view Mr. Hibbeler's literature as anything else in
the "song game." In fact, this literature has many in-
teresting points.
FIRST—It is proved that .Ray Hibbeler has been
a song writer of prominence and distinction. You
can put what emphasis on the words "has been"
you desire.
SECOND—It is safely inferrable that Mr. Hib-
beler can write words to your melody, or melody to
your words, and do either in a creditable manner.
THIRD—It is also plain that he charges a fee for
this service, which is customary, and priced reason-
ably, and without a doubt the service he will render
you will be worth all that you pay him.
The three conclusions given above are perfectly
fair to all concerned and appear plainly in all the
literature.
Going Into Particulars.
The reading matter starts out: "Do you realize
that the country is music mad?" (I do, and I also
realize that a large section of the country is mad
at the music.) "Why not get your share of con-
tracts and royalty checks that are being issued by
the large, reputable music publishers?" (I have often
wondered! And Roy L. McCardle, a humorist and
writer of national reputation, wanted to know why
he couldn't. He, with six of his own lyrics, in com-
pany with a nationally known composer, went per-
The Most Appealing Waltz Song in Years
"SOMETIME"
Order from your Jobber or direct
WALSH & WALSH, Pubs.
1512 N. Harrison St., Ft. Wayne, Ind.
REMICK SONG HITS
Nobody Lied
Sweet Indiana Home
My Buddy
California
Tomorrow Will Be Brighter
Than Today
Carolina in the Morning
Silver Swanee
Childhood Days
When Shall We Meet Again
Lovable Eyes
Out of the Shadows
Your Eyes Have Told Me So
Dixie Highway
Just a Little Blue
Polly
J. H. REMICK & CO.
Chicago
New York
Detroit
A Charming Waltz Ballad
BERARDI-COCCIA MUSIC PUB.
COMPANY
92 Grape St.,
ROCHESTER, NT Y.
NEW YORK OFFICE
1545 Broadway, New York City
CHICAGO OFFICE
1562 Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, 111.
RINTERS
N
gest /
Music Printers (
WestbfNewYorkV
ANY PUBLISHER X \ -
OUR REFERENCE >
^ ^
BAYNER DALHEIM & CO:
_
ate
- WORK DONE BY
ALL PROCESSES
.054-2060 W.Lake St,.Ch!cago,Ill.
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