December 20, 1924.
PRESTO
C. M. TREMAINE ON
MUSIC PROMOTION
Director of National Bureau for the Advance-
ment of Music Gives Survey of Work for
1925 and Reviews Achievements Dur-
ing Year Just Closing.
EFFECTS ON PIANO SALES
every dealer
knew what
successful
SEEBURG
dealers know
about conduct-
ing and oper-
ating auto-
matic piano
businesses,
every dealer
would be en-
gaged in the
business!
J. P. SEEBURG
PIANO CO.
CHICAGO
"Leaders in the
Automatic Line"
General Offices: 1510 Dayton St.
Factory 1508-16 Dayton St.
Music Goods Generally Increase in Favor in Equal
Ratio with Interest Created
in Music.
The extent of the activities of the National Bureau
for the Advancement of Music is pointed out this
week in an interesting review of its work for 1924 by
C. M. Tremaine, director, who explains the difficulty
of giving even a summary of achievements in such a
broad field. In briefly enumerating the main per-
formances of the bureau's work for the year drawing
to a close Mr. Tremaine says:
The first activity of importance is of course Na-
tional Music Week, which gave the big impetus to
the city-wide music weeks which have been gradu-
ally spreading throughout the country from three in
1919 to 56 in 1923 and 523 in 1924. Add to the latter
figure 328 cities and towns which observed National
Music Week on a partial basis and we have a grand
total of 851 cities and towns in which Music Week
was observed to some extent.
W 7 hen it is realized that these Music Weeks mean
the direction of the attention of the entire city to
music during seven consecutive days, it is apparent
that it must have a very'direct eflfect upon the sale
of musical instruments.
Music Contest Spreads.
The Music Memory Contest has grown from four
cities and towns in 1917 to a total of 700 in 1924, in-
cluding 74 county contests and four state-wide con-
tests. The Bureau's record of outdoor Christmas
caroling shows an increase of from 30 cities and
towns six years ago to 1,280 last year. An active
campaign for Easter caroling was undertaken for the
first time this year with most gratifying results.
A survey is now being made of the money spent
by municipalities for local support of music, through
a questionnaire sent to the mayors of 1,500 cities. Re-
plies from nearly 81X3 cities- have thus far been re-
ceived, giving valuable information which will be put
in book form and distributed to mayors and other
interested parties with the idea of arousing the active
co-operation of music clubs, women's clubs, cham-
bers of commerce, Ro'ary and Kiwanis clubs, music
supervisors, etc., to stimulate further municipal appro-
priations for music.
Helps Piano Sales.
A 72-page book has been published on "The Utiliza-
tion of Music in Prisons and Mental Hospitals." Not
only has this work already resulted in the sale of
many pianos and other musical instruments for these
institutions, but, what is of more importance, this
book directs the attention of parents to the impor-
tance of music in the development of their children,
for the vast majority of the inmates of insane asylums
were considered normal by their parents in childhood.
The Bureau co-operates with a wide variety of
organizations, but has concentrated a great deal of
its efforts upon the National Federation of Music
Clubs, and has stimulated this powerful organization
to take up many lines of work and has helped them
in work the Bureau considers of special importance.
Chief among these is the development of junior clubs
throughout the country. These clubs have grown
from something less than 300 three years ago, when
the Bureau first gave assistance to them to 1,000
junior music clubs at the present time.
The Bureau has just published the third course of
study for these junior clubs. This is on the history
of the piano and piano music. It directs the attention
of these junior clubs to the study of the piano and
centers attention upon it for the entire year's work.
The Bureau specifically organized state high school
and grammar school band contests in Illinois, Ohio
and New York, and co-operated in band contests in
Wisconsin and Michigan.
Work for 1925.
The Bureau's plans for the coming year are many.
They include continued work along all the lines men-
tioned above and in addition it is planning a cam-
paign for the enlisting of the co-operation of many
chautauqua associations, and expects to prepare spe-
cial literature to make this co-operation especially
effective.
National Music Week for 1925 will of course con-
sume a great deal of attention. A 200-page history
of last year's observances will be published and with
this irrefutable record of the results already obtained
we believe that National Music Week can be more
securely established as a permanent institution of the
American people.
Great emphasis will also be placed upon the cam-
paign for increasing the local municipal support for
music. The National Band Contests for 1925 give
promise of arousing widespread interest, and it is be-
lieved that many more s.tate contests will be
organized.
The Bureau plans to undertake active work toward
securing the passage of state laws permitting the sup-
port" and encouragement of bands by municipal and
town appropriations. Laws along this line have al-
ready been passed in a number of states and there
is every reason why they should be passed by all the
states. The Iowa law is being used as a desirable
model.
E. R. JACOBSON SEES
GREAT YEAR AHEAD
President of Straube Piano Co., Hammond,
Ind., Discusses Plans for Bigger Business
on Return from West.
Just back from a business trip to the Pacific Coast,
during which he called on the trade in most of the
major coast cities, E. R. Jacobson, president of the
S.raube Piano Company, Hammond, Indiana, is of
the belief that his company is approaching the great-
est year in its history. The Straube Piano Company
now has excellent representation in Los Angeles, San
Francisco, Portland, and Seattle, with representation
in dozens of surrounding towns through branches of
the big city institutions. Mr. Jacobson reports the
most enthusiastic reception of the Straube line and
is especially gratified with the caliber of the represen-
tation which has been secured.
In discussing plans of the Straube Company for
next year, Mr. Jacobson stated to the Presto repre-
sentative that he expects to pay particular attention
to co-operative efforts in the company's relationship
with its dealers. He has long believed that the prob-
lems of the dealers are, in a very real sense, likewise
the problems of the manufacturer.
"We never for an instant lose sight of the fact that
our own welfare depends absolutely upon the in-
dividual successes of the dealers who sell our instru-
ments," Mr. Jacobson said. "For that reason we
offer pur dealers every assistance we know how to
render; we advertise extensively in national publica-
tions for the express purpose of inducing the public
to call on our dealers in quest of Straube instruments.
We have no right to expect co-operation from our
dealers unless we are willing to meet them halfway."
Mr. Jacobson is especially enthusiastic about the
prospects for grand pianos, stating that Straube deal-
ers are sensing a greater demand for that type of in-
strument right along.
EXPORT BUREAU SERVICE
HIGHLY VALUED BY USERS
Varied Aids to Piano Manufacturers Engaged in
Building Up a Foreign Trade.
The Export Bureau of the Music Industries Cham-
ber of Commerce is used by about one hundred
members of the musical industry interested in for-
eign trade, that maintains a monthly service of re-
ports based on information received from the United
States Department of Commerce showing shipments
of pianos, phonographs and parts to practically all
of the countries in the world. The Bureau also issues
special bulletins from time to time whenever it re-
ceives information on foreign conditions or on mar-
kets for musical instruments in foreign countries.
"An additional feature of the work of the Export
Bureau which has proved of value to its users is the
Foreign Credit Service, operated on a system similar
to that of the Chamber's regular Credit Service, but
restricted to members of the industry who do busi-
ness with foreign dealers, and who would have in-
formation bearing on their credit standing," said Mr.
Barrett this week. Up to the present date this service
has issued nearly 500 reports, and it is anticipated
that it will become more valuable to its users with
the expected increase in activity in the export field
during the coming year.
NEW CHARLOTTE DEPARTMENT.
The J. B. Ivey Co., Charlotte, N. C, opened a
music goods section under the management of C. W.
Spencer. One of the features of the formal opening
was that of a completely fitted up model home in the
furniture department of the store. A piano and
phonograph were displayed in an attractive way, and
a music program was given by the Troubadours
Society Orchestra.
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