Classic Mode

Presto

Issue: 1924 1984

24
PRESTO
EASTMAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC
How George Eastman, Its Founder, Conceived the
Idea Told by Himself.
George Eastman, millionaire industrialist and
philanthropist, and founder of the Rochester School
of Music, reached his seventieth birthday July 12.
As well as can be ascertained he celebrated the event
in Alaska, far from the little town of Waterville,
N. Y., where he was born, and from the city of
Rochester, where he won his business triumphs.
The wide world is a playground now for the man
who entered that city as a six-year-old boy, the son
of poor folk, long years ago.
The Eastman kodak and the kodak film owe their
parentage to the boy who got his first job in an
insurance office at $3 a week.
The School of Music he founded at Rochester
cost him $9,500,000. His great fondness for music
led him to build it. But apart from his personal in-
terest in the art, there was a human interest that
prompted the gift. He believes a people are formed
by the things they do in their leisure.
"It is necessary foe people to have an interest in
life outside of their occupations," he said, in speaking
of this project. "A very great deal of work is
drudgery. Leisure is unfruitful because it is not
used productively. We do not know how to use it
fruitfully. Do not imagine I am a reformer—far
from that. I am interested in music personally.
And I am led thereby merely to want to share my
pleasure with others."
Out of this grew the Rochester School of Music.
But he did not for a moment let himself be fooled
by the idea that all he had to do was to give the
people good music, and they would flock to hear it.
Hardly.
He did what the wise physician does. He sugar-
coated his pill. The Rochester School of Music
made its appeal to the people of that city because the
best motion pictures were shown there. To them
it was a new type of "movie" house, beautiful,
strangely and satisfactorily different, yet a "movie"
house. The music they got with the program was
better than that of the old rickety pianos. That
much they understood, but how much better the
new music was they didn't know at first. Before
long, however, they came to the theatre and waited
for the musical numbers with as great interest as
they waited for the feature on the screen. More,
they even stood in line to get tickets on those days
of the week when only musical programs were
given.
It was the desire to give his workers something
fine and constructive for their leisure hours that
primarily prompted the idea, but from it has grown
a temple of art for the City of Rochester.
NEW BOOK FOR STUDENTS.
A new handbook covering music theory for piano
students has been issued by the Oliver Ditson Co.,
Boston, and is described as a manual of fundamentals
and keyboard harmony. "The Music Student's Piano
Course" is the title and Book I just out covers the
years one and two of music study. It has been pre-
pared by Clarence G. Hamilton, Dr. Percy Goet-
schius, John P. Marshall and Will Earhart. The
manual opens with an introduction covering the pur-
poses of the series which, in complete form, covers
the first four years of "The Music Students Piano
Course." These manuals, however, are not confined
to the course, as they will be found equally available
for use with any other type of piano instruction. The
contents are brief, clear and well illustrated.
NO JAZZ FOR SWEDES.
Jazz music has a limited popularity in Sweden,
and dealers state that they are afraid to purchase
any quantities of this type of music, because it may
very quickly lose its demand. In that country jazz
music has a limited degree of popularity, the well-
expressed preference being for the classical kind,
according to U. S. Consul Walter A. Leonard, at
Stockholm, who says: "The average Swede is of
artistic temperament, and hence classical music and
selections, in general, from operas are popular. Al-
though most of these artists' records are supplied
from Europe, a small number come from America."
New York has a Jewish population of consider-
ably more than three million. The subway cars con-
tain Jewish advertising signs, and a fair proportion of
the people who ride in the subway trains are reading
newspapers printed in Hebrew text.
But there are few Jews in the piano business.
Why?
August 2, 1924.
IN SMALL GOODS DEPARTMENT
Growth of the Musical Merchandise Business Shown
by New Stores and Extensions.
Ehrenfried & Staff, pioneer music merchants of
Buffalo, N. Y., moved recently from 1645 Broadway
to 1070 Broadway.
J. R. Drake, of Rushville, Ind., took charge of the
Starr Piano Store on West Seventh street, Conners-
ville, Ind., June 1.
The Richard Spaniard Piano Company, of Mays-
ville, Ky., has opened a branch store at West Union,
in the same state.
The Bland Piano Co., Winston-Salem, N. C, has
opened a branch store in the Huntley-Hill-Stockton
Co.'s building on West Fifth street.
The Bungalow Music Co. has leased a room in
Taylorville, 111., and has opened a music store, sell-
ing pianos, talking machines, etc.
GOOD TENANTS.
It pays landlords to have music stores for their
tenants. There is a quaintly fine old building on
West Fourth street, near Vine, in Cincinnati, which
bears the fourth or fifth "For Rent" sign within as
many years. And yet that same building was at one
time occupied by a music house for at least twenty
consecutive years. It was the place where the late
John Church and his partner John B. Trevor made
their fortunes and built up the great business of John
Church & Co. And the great music house began to
decline when it moved away from the familiar place.
H O T E L SERVICE.
The vast improvement in hotel management and
service has made it difficult for some of the best of
them to keep up. A piano man who went straight
from the Pennsylvania, New York, to the Sinton, in
Cincinnati, barely escaped a Dempsy-Firpo argument
in the latter hotel last week.
The traveler had been used to pushing the knob
for ice water and watching the limpid flow at the
Pennsylvania, whereas at the Sinton he had sounded
the gong four times and received nothing but the
meek voice of the "operator."
He was finally pacified by the information that the
manager is somewhere in Ireland.
T
HE commonest challenge by many advertisers concerns
the paper's circulation.
It is with them a question
altogether of quantity. But the best things about piano
advertising, from the manufacturer's point of view, have other
arguments besides quantity.
In a trade paper quality circulation is more important than
quantity circulation, for bulk of circulation is not what sells pianos
at wholesale. Nevertheless, Presto is certain that in quantity, as
well as quality circulation, it will compare favorably with any of
the piano trade papers.
Presto produces results for its advertisers. It does not ask the advertisers to
pay for waste paper or mere bulk. It covers the field, and its advertising rates are
as low as any trade paper, with anything like the same circulation, can accept.
PRESTO
The American Music Trade Weekly
417 So. Dearborn St.
CHICAGO
Carries Advertising For More Live Piano Manufacturers Than Any Other Trade Paper
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/
25
PRESTO
August 2, 1924.
SHEET MUSIC TRADE
THE "YANKEE DOODLE" SHRINE
House Where Army Surgeon R. Shuckberg Wrote
Jingle, Taken Over by State.
Fort Crailo, formerly the Van Renselaer manor
house, near Albany, N. Y., where "Yankee Doodle"
was written in 1758, is to be set aside as one of the
country's historic monuments, the gift recently hav-
ing been accepted by the State of New York. It
was here that an army surgeon attached to the forces
of General Abercrombie wrote the popular song when
British troops were waiting to attack Fort Ticon-
deroga.
Authentic records show that the name "Fort
Crailo" first occurs under date of 1663 in connection
with the digging of a well. It was on the edge of this
well that the author of "Yankee Doodle," Army Sur-
geon R. Shuckberg, was supposed to have sat while
inscribing the well-known jingle about our early
American recruits.
The old building has been the scene of much hos-
pitality, and its distinguished guests include the names
of Washington, Lafayette, Hamilton, General Philip
Schuyler, Daniel Webster and Harrison Grey Otis.
Tradition connects many interesting events with the
Fort Crailo neighborhood, and in presenting the prop-
erty to the state Mrs. Alan Hartwell Strong, herself
a Van Rensselaer, makes possible the preservation
of a national monument with a particularly warm
appeal—the appeal of "Yankee Doodle's" merry
strains.
JAZZ MUSICIANS IN FRANCE
How They Are Razzed by Police Learned in Letter
to Ferdinand A. Buescher.
Police in France are carefully watching the activi-
ties of American jazz musicians in Paris, according
to a letter received today by Paul Specht, the well-
known director of the Alamac Hotel Orchestra, New
York. The letter, which was received from the Sec-
retary of State by Ferdinand A. Buescher, noted
band instrument manufacturer of Elkhart, Ind., and
turned over to Mr. Specht, reads:
"Sir: The Department is informed by the em-
bassy at Paris that on June 4, 1924, it received from
you a cabled request to intercede in behalf of
American musicians in France who, it was reported,
were about, to be expelled from the country, and stat-
ing that you added your protest to that of Mr. Paul
Specht, who also had sent a cablegram of similar
tenor, which was received by the embassy at Paris
on the same date.
"You are informed that the Department is in re-
ceipt of a report from the embassy at Paris stating
that it has been informed by the French Foreign
Office that the papers of nine American musicians
were examined by the police, and that, while in seven
cases the papers were in order, in two cases they
were not. These two last, however, were to be given
REMICK SONG HITS
Where the Lazy Daisies Grow
I Wonder Who's Dancing with You
Tonight
There's Yes Yes in Your Eyes
Hula Hula Dream Girl
It Had to Be You
Mandalay
Bring Back the Old Fashioned Waltz
Until Tomorrow
Twilight Rose
Watchin' the Moonrise
Counting the Days
Not Yet Susette
Arizona Stars
If You'll Come Back
Land of Broken Dreams
an opportunity to regularize their situation, and the
Foreign Office appeared to feel that no action would
be taken against them.
"Inasmuch as the Department has no knowledge
of Mr. Specht's address, it would be pleased if, in
case you are cognizant thereof, you would transmit
the foregoing information to him."
MUSIC SALES IMPROVING
Chicago Branch of Carl Fischer, Inc., New York,
Reports Sheet Music Trade Improving.
The conditions of the sheet music trade is not
alarming to Chicago dealers, and particularly the Carl
Fischer, Inc., 430 South Wabash avenue, who reports
that sheet music conditions have improved to the
extent that all worries of future sales have been elim-
inated.
"The sale of sheet music, both popular and stand-
ard, has been ascending since the beginning of the
summer months," said Harry Ruppel, manager of the
Chicago Carl Fischer store, this week. "The sheet
music sale is better than it was at this time last
year and I believe with the coining of the school
months this year's business will be better," con-
tinued Mr. Ruppel.
MANAGER LITTLE PLEASED.
Ed. Little, sheet music manager of the sheet music
department of Sherman, Clay & Co.'s headquarters in
San Francisco, spent several days in Portland, Ore.,
en route home from the Sheet Music Dealers' con-
vention in New York. Mr. Little expressed himself
as greatly pleased with the progress made by the
Portland sheet music department of the firm since
it was opened just one year ago, June 25. Mr. Little
was present at the first anniversary of the opening.
He said that the installation of their complete classi-
cal department filled a long felt want in Portland
and attributed the success of the department to the
untiring efforts of Wm. Purdy, who was sent from
San Francisco to organize and install the Portland
department.
SHEET MUSIC IN CHINA.
There is a good demand for sheet music in Hong-
kong, U. S. Consul Leroy Webber reports. Dealers
report a marked improvement in this line during the
past few years. The 1923 sales were valued at ap-
proximately $5,000 gold, of which amount it is esti-
mated that 30 per cent represented dance music and
popular songs and the balance classical, semi-classi-
cal and band music. Practically all of the sales are
confined to the foreign residents of the colony and
the more prosperous class of Chinese. Jazz music is
increasing in popularity among the latter, which is
attributed to the return to this district of large num-
bers of Chinese who have been educated in the
United States and Europe.
REMICK SONGS WINNERS.
"It Had to Be You" and "Mandalay," two Remick
songs, are the biggest sellers in Portland, Ore., ac-
cording to Maybelle Elliott, manager of the sheet
music department of Seiberling-Lucas Music Store,
who has one of the largest clienteles in Portland.
Mrs. Elliott says: "All local orchestras are playing
these numbers and this has stimulated interest to a
great extent. Besides, they are all good numbers to
start with."
"BIG INJUN" WINDOW.
The Francis Piano Company of Galesburg, 111.,
put on a unique advertisement recently in the shape
of "A Heap Big Injun Chief," with feathers, blanket
and other paraphanalia. The musical red man at-
tracted groups on the streets to which he described
the merits of the pianos and phonographs displayed.
Mr. Francis has won a widespread reputation for his
novelty display with which to attract prospects.
SHEET MUSIC TRADE NOTES
A Few Items Interesting to People in Sheet Musk
Department Are Printed.
Six entertaining and instructive compositions for
the piano, melodious and easy to play, by J. S.
Unger, have been published by the J. S. Unger
Music House, Reading, Pa.
The University of Pennsylvania prize fox-trot,
"Dreary Weather," written by Clay Boland and
Frank Winegar, is being played by Waring's Penn-
sylvanians at the Stanley Theater, Philadelphia.
The popular favor for the old songs is expressed
at the concerts in Chicago parks this summer. The
old ones like "Old Black Joe," "My Old Kentucky
Home," "Mother Machree," "Annie Laurie," and
other famous old time songs are greeted with great
enthusiasm by the public when included in the band
programs.
Hayden H. Whitney, who wrote numerous hymns
which were featured by Homer Rodeheaver, the
evangelist, died recently in the hospital of The Good
Shepherd, Syracuse, N. Y.
The Kiwanis, Portland, Ore., have organized a
male chorus of 60 members, and it is the purpose of
the organization to give concerts and to engage the
leading artists of the country as visiting soloists.
RUN ON HYMNS.
"A-hymn-a-day" is the slogan of the youthful con-
testants in the National Hymn Contest of the After-
noon Musical Club of Wichita, Kans. Pupils in the
Vacation Bible Schools are learning a hymn each
day and this fact, together with the action of the local
churches in agreeing to feature one of the twelve
hymns each Sunday, has given quite a boost to the
sale of sacred music, according to Mrs. Nina Baird,
head of the sheet music department of the Adams
Music Co., Wichita.
HEARST HITS
You Can Take Me Away From Dixie
Forget Me Not
(Means Remember Me)
Bringin' Home the Bacon
My Dream Moon
Waiting for the Rainbow
Only a Butterfly
June
Broken Dreams
Lovers Lane Is a Lonesome Trail
If I Had You
I'm Falling in Love With a Shadow
Just a Lullaby
In a Wonderful World of Our Own
Someone Else
(Took Your Place In My Heart)
Boost Your Sheet Music Sales. Record Releases Announced.
Victor, Columbia, Brunswick, Vocation, Okeh, Paramount
and other records played by the famous orchestras, Including
Vincent Lopez, Paul Specht, Ben Selvln, Jack Chapman,
Don Bestor, Carl Fenton, Ray Miller, etc.
Q. R. S., U. S., COLUMBIA, ETC. PLAYER PIANO ROLLS
HEARST MUSIC PUBLISHERS
of Canada, Limited
HEAD OFFICE—WINNIPEG, Canada
New York
-
Chicago
-
Vancouver
-
Toronto
J. H. REMICK & CO.
N e w York
Chicago
Dwfarvit
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/

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