Presto

SHEET MUSIC TRADE
FEATURING OLD MUSIC
Efforts of Sheet Music Dealers to Revive In-
terest in the Meritorious Standard Numbers
Also Stimulates Sales of Populars.
A marked condition in the sheet music trade is the
increasing interest of young and old in the older songs
of enduring charm. The feverish jazz fans may not
think so but there are countless songs that are per-
petually popular in the real sense of the term. Ob-
servant sheet music dealers attribute the reviving in-
terest in the fine old numbers listed as standards, to
the various schemes for the encouragement of music
which take the form of music weeks and special
events of a musical character.
The condition suggests an opportunity for the
music dealer who wishes to make his business more
interesting than the wrapping up of populars makes
it. The course of action called for should be under-
taken with pleasure by the man fitted by culture and
training to bring a sheet music department to its
best. The popular songs which are also dances sell
themselves, their term of so doing being regulated by
the intensity of the craze of the hit and its artificial
stimulation. The fine old standards also sell them-
selves when properly demonstrated at the psycho-
logical time. They are perpetual hits because of their
musical worth. The songs are charming to singers
and the old favorites generally are appreciated by
all lovers of music.
Many of the fans bound to the so-called populars
for their musical thrills have the erroneous idea that
the fine old songs are too highbrow in character. It
is the duty of the dealer who wishes to expand his
sheet music business, to dissuade the benighted fan
of this. Let him give frequent demonstrations to
show the charm of composition, the alluring melodies,
the lively measures that have all the fundamental re-
quirements of fine music and which mark their com-
posers as masters.
Perhaps the player music roll and the talking ma-
chine record should get their share of the credit for
the renaissance of taste for the line old music. Both
have played a big part in the renewal of favor for
the old music much of which existed only in the
memories of the older people. The sheet music dealer
REMICK SONG HITS
Where the Lazy Daisies Grow
Watchin' the Moonrise
I Wonder Who's Dancing With
You Tonight
If You'll Come Back
So I Took the Fifty Thousand
Dollars
Arizona Stars
Until Tomorrow
Somebody's Wrong
You Can't Make a Fool Out of Me
Twilight Rose
Nearer and Dearer
Land of Broken Dreams
Steppin' Out
You've Simply Got Me Cuckoo
Bring Back the Old Fashioned
Waltz
J. H. REMICK & CO.
New York
25
PRESTO
March 29, 1924.
Chicago
Detroit
can augment the pleasant demand for the songs and
music in both sheet and book form.
And it is not strange that the enterprising sheet
music dealers in featuring the old songs with merit
have in doing so caused further stimulation in the
sale of the popular numbers with the big spontaneous
call. One kind of business exhibiting liveliness in the
sheet music department has a desirable stimulative
effect on all the others.
MRS. HARRIET DANKS DIES
Widow of Composer of "Silver Threads Among the
Gold" Had Reached Age of 82.
Mrs. Harriet Danks, wife of Hart P. Danks, who
wrote "Silver Threads Among the Gold," and a
hundred other songs just as good, died last week in
Brooklyn, N. Y., aged 82 years. The song is one of a
thousand or more credited to Danks, who died in
1903.
Mrs. Danks died estranged from her children by the
very song she was said to have inspired, and had
lived obscurely in latter years. She was buried after
a simple funeral in a Brooklyn chapel.
When Danks died he was estranged from his wife,
to whom, in 1874, he had composed the famous song.
After his death, lawsuits over royalties from the
song brought the estrangement of Mrs. Danks from
her three children—Albert V. Danks, Gertrude Danks
and Mrs. Albertha Danks Builder, who since has
died.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN'S SONGS.
Research for the complete text of Benjamin Frank-
lin's songs recently led the Music Industries Cham-
ber of Commerce to the New York Public Library,
Library of Congress, University of Pennsylvania,
American Philosophical Society, Harvard Library and
Pennsylvania Historical Society. The complete words
of three songs were found: "My Plain Country
Joan," eight verses in honor of his wife; four verses
and chorus of "Fair Venus Calls," a dringing song
written and sung by Franklin at the Junto Club
rooms, and "The Mother Country," six verses in
genial protest against the methods used by England
to enforce obedience in the colonies. The latter was
furnished by William O. Miller, comptroller of the
University of Pennsylvania.
ATLANTA MANAGER RESIGNS.
Harry Pomar, head of the sheet music department
of the Cable Piano Co., Atlanta, Ga., for the past
four years, has resigned to direct the orchestra being
formed for the new Hotel Biltmore now in course of
construction. Mr. Pomar has more than local fame
as a composer. In addition to several songs he has
a number of musical sketches to his credit.
ON THE RETURN TRIP.
Joseph Skilton of G. Schirmer, Inc., New York,
Nicholas Lang of B. F. Wood Music Company, and
Carl Jager of the John Church Company, stopped
off for a few days in Chicago on their return trip
from the Pacific Coast, where they were representing
the sheet music interests of the mentioned firms.
PRIZE PIECE BROADCASTED.
Mrs. Dubbs, wife of John Dubbs, head of Lyon &
Healy's retail small instruments department, who
recently took second prize in the Daily News contest
for the best musical composition, will have her piece
broadcasted from the Chicago Musical College.
CHICAGO COMPOSER WINS PRIZE.
"What Care I," last week won the prize in the
annual song contest for composers by the Chicago
Madrigal Club at Kimball Hall. The winner was
Frances McCollin, who composed the air to the poem
by George Withers.
OUR NATIONAL SONG
Discussion Over Adoption of "Star Spangled Ban-
ner" Once More Stirs Nation's Lawmakers.
The Linthicum bill designating "The Star Spangled
Banner" as the national anthem formed the subject
of a spirited hearing before the House Committee on
the Judiciary in Washington last Saturday.
Thomas P. Tuite of New York, Secretary of the
Memorial Committee of the Grand Army of the Re-
public; Gerald J. O'Keefe of New Yofk, a Spanish-
American War veteran, and John Martin, who said
that he spoke for the Bureau of American Ideals of
New York, strongly urged the adoption of the Linthi-
cum bill. They stated that "The Star Spangled Ban-
ner" was accepted by the people generally as the na-
tional anthem, and that it should be officially pro-
claimed as such by Congress.
Mr. Tuite took occasion to denounce Mrs. Augusta
Stetson, who at a previous hearing of the committee
testified that the air of "The Star Spangled Banner"
had been derived from an old British barroom song,
and that Francis Scott Key's work was otherwise un-
worthy of being accepted as the national anthem.
Mr. Tuite de'nounced Mrs. Stetson's criticism in terms
that evoked a rebuke from Representative Graham of
Pennsylvania, Chairman of the committee.
Mr. O'Keefe spoke of "an underground plea to cor-
rupt the school children of the country" by the omis-
sion of the third stanza of the song in most of the
copies available.
Mr. Martin stated that Congress should no longer
withhold its endorsement of "The Star Spangled
Banner" as the national anthem. He said that every-
where it was recognized as the ideal musical expres-
sion of national feeling. "People stand when this air
is played, and in some communities if they fail to do
so they are yanked to their feet and then knocked
down," he concluded.
THE LOST OPPORTUNITIES
The Possible Profits in Selling Standard Music and
Books Disregarded by Many Dealers.
It has often been stated that too many sheet music
dealers are satisfied with the spontaneous demand
for popular songs and do not make an ambitious effort
to stimulate interest in music of less temporary favor.
The charge has been made at sheet music dealers'
conventions and the sheet music publishers have fre-
quently rubbed it in at their annual gatherings.
In discussing the subject of lost opportunities of
the sheet music dealers this week Mr. Bunning of
Lyon & Healy's wholesale sheet music department,
said:
"Dividends are paid from earnings, not from sales.
If the trade would remember this they would make
a constant effort to impress upon the public the wis-
dom of buying standard high-class books and sheet
music. As far as possible every patron of the music
store who comes in to buy the latest popular hit
should be shown the better class of merchandise.
"'There are lots of profitable things and very sale-
able, too, but they wont demonstrate themselves. We
are glad to send selections of various collections which
move readily, and we specialize on assisting those
music dealers who are determined to have their
music departments help to pay dividends."
Don Falber is proprietor of the Indiana Song &
Gift Shop opened recently at 712 Wabash avenue,
Terre Haute, Ind.
SONGS THAT SELL
"I Ain't No Sheik, Just Sweet Papa,
That's All."
"I've Got a Man of My Own."
"Houston Blues." "The Fives."
"Muscle Shoals Blues." "The Rocks."
"You Have a Home Somewhere."
"Up the Country Blues."
"Shorty George Blues."
"I've Found a Sweetheart."
"Mammy's Little Brown Rose."
and the Sensational Waltz Success
"AT SUNDOWN"
Order From Your Jobber or Direct.
Geo. W. Thomas Music Co.
428 Bowen Ave.
Chicago, U. S. A.
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