Presto

24
PRESTO
December 27, 1924.
SHEET MUSIC AND RADIO
RADIO SALES THIS WEEK
Wonderful Possibility of Business in Sets of
Proven Merit Seen by Established
Music Houses.
The time is close when the home without a radio
receiver will be rare. Every day the number of
those who say they have "no interest in radio" is be-
coming less, and seemingly the majority of people
may be classed as radio fans. The part that radio
plays in business was shown this week in the radio
shops and the radio sections in music stores and until
the holiday rush is over the correct figures of the
Christmas radio business will not be forthcoming.
The radio receiving set as a Christmas gift was a
big factor in the business of the past few weeks. In
every city the newspapers were filled with radio ad-
vertising. Radio sets were featured in the show win-
dows and shown in actual use within the stores. In
every way dealers stimulated a spontaneous demand.
It was competition in a sellers' market.
One thing the Christmas sales made clear was that
the music store is essentially the most desirable place
in which to sell radio sets. It may be that radio has
a musical character it did not have at the beginning
of.the radio demand. Anyway the music stores all
over the country sold an enormous amount of radio
sets and impressed a great number of people with the
claims of radio, thereby creating a host of prospective
radio set buyers.
The radio customer is not confined to any one
strata of society. The artist and artisan, the miner
and millionaire, the soldier and sailor, every calling,
every phase of cultural rating and every degree of
financial standing is represented among the buyers.
The holiday business proves the general appeal of
radio, and the tangible result is the amazing output of
sets sold for Christmas gift purposes.
The people with the money to spare for cash pur-
chases were well represented among the radio buyers
this week. A great number of sets have gone into
homes during the week where already home enter-
tainment in music had been well provided for. The
greater number of sales to homes of this kind were
made by the established music stores.
DAMAGES WINNIPEG PLANT
Smoke and Water Injures Goldings', Following Fire
in Adjoining Store.
The Goldings Music Co., dealers in music goods
and publishers and dealers in sheet music, 294 Carl-
ton street, Winnipeg, Man., suffered recently from
a fire in an adjacent store. Smoke and water dam-
aged stock and premises and business had to be sus-
pended temporarily.
"However, everything is fully covered by insur-
ance and an early settlement assured us by the fire
adjusters," says a communication to the trade from
the company.
"In the meantime we are re-organizing and would
ask you to kindly instruct your shipping department
to give our orders the 'right-of-way'—and to grant
us your indulgence in matters generally until we are
again back in our location which will be at an early
date."
IN THE RADIO TRADE FIELD
Items of Interest to Dealers and Jobbers Gathered
from Many Sources.
Chinese schools and colleges have their own sta-
tions, and one Shanghai college includes a radio
course in its curriculum.
Widespread development of radio in China is ham-
pered by the government embargo on the importa-
tion of radio material, and much amateur work is
done under difficulty.
Free classes in radio instruction are given in the
radio department of Gimbel Brothers, Milwaukee, for
three hours every afternoon. The classes may be at-
tended by anyone who owns a set or who is inter-
ested in the operation of radio.
The set of chimes purchased from J. C. Deagan,
Inc., Chicago, for the Louisiana State Agricultural
College, is made up of eighteen bells and is equipped
with an automatic Westminster device that causes
the chimes to peal every fifteen minutes.
More than 3,000 manufacturers are now busy mak-
ing and selling radio sets Thirty radio magazines
are published, 20,000,000 listeners enjoy the programs
of 560 broadcasting stations, and 50,000 men and
women are making their livings out of this industry
that simply didn't exist five years ago.
Free demonstration by radio experts is provided
for customers of the Peyer Music Co., St. Paul,
Minn., who express a wish to examine receiving sets.
Appointments may be made by phone at the conveni-
ence of the prospective buyer. This company fea-
tures the DeForest reflex, Freed-Eisemann and Ware
receivers.
The Wilson Music Shop, Inc., which recently
opened at Gay and Monument streets, Baltimore,
has added a radio department.
SHEET MUSIC SALES
Modern Influences Governing Sheet Music
Trade and Motives of Buyers Discussed by-
Manager Who Says Neither Jazz Nor
Radio Has Injured Business.
One thing is clear to the observer who visits the .
sheet music department in any music house during
the period preceding Christmas is that neither jazz
nor radio has decreased the demand for sheet music.
The Christmas shoppers who thronged the stores
evidently considered new music a necessity for the
better observance of the holy and joyous time. V
Those who purposed making Christmas more holy ?
were interested in the new numbers of a sacred na-
Progress of Industry Seen in Amount of Sales in ture or in the old ones that are standard and per-
petual in their appeal. Organists, orchestra leaders,
1924 Compared with Last Year.
teachers and musical folk generally flocked to the
Leading radio manufacturers have conservatively sheet music counters and brought joy to the hearts
placed radio sales this year at $300,000,000 which is of the manager and the sales people who take seri-
more than double that of 1923. It was pointed out ously their work in the sheet music department.
recently that the growth of the industry had been so
Serious Music Sought.
rapid that it was impossible to keep an accurate rec-
ord.
But apart from the sacred music associated with
Such data, however, has been assembled that veri- Christmas a great many customers considered sheet
fies the statement of unparalleled growth. It also music and music books desirable as Christmas pres-
indicates that against total sales of at about $2,000,- ents. Song-dance music if (he jazzy kind was sought
000 in 1920, $5,000,000 in 1921, $60,000,000 in 1922, by many young people who evidently thought such
$120,000,000 in 1923, the aggregate for 1924 will ex- music a gay greeting that would evoke a responsive
jazzy feeling in the recipient. But for the most part
ceed the $300,000,000 mark.
the sheet music bought for use at Christmas, either as
presents, or for use to make the occasion more joy-
ous, was of the meritorious kind of prolonged favor
or of the favor that never dies.
In Chicago a big call for opera music, full books
A Few Items Interesting to People in Sheet Music and selections, was a noticeable feature of the busi-
Department Are Printed.
ness in the weeks preceding Christmas. The interest
the buyers was in the old operas as well as in the
In the sheet music trade of Canada, the Nordhei- of
ones and teachers were numerous among the
mer Co. of Toronto has always been regarded as a newer
customers.
leader, carrying a very large stock of sheet music
What Manager Said.
of the most varied character. Every month the
Nordheimer sheet music department receives and
In discussing the supposed influence of jazz on the
fills orders for English and Continental music from high class music a Chicago manager said that "jazz
sheet music houses all over the United States.
is having its reaction just now. Not at Christmas
A big business in music suitable to the holiday only but at all seasons. Those who listen to jazz
season was accomplished in thes heet music depart- for any length of time are likely to feel, after a while,
ment of the Frederickson-Kroh Music Co., Okla- the desire to listen to music of a different kind. The
homa City, Okla., and cales were greater than in the adaptation of the classics by the jazz dance orches-
same period in previous years. Sacred music led in tras, which might cause the master composers to
throw a fit, have often aroused curiosity in the
volume of sheet music sold.
In the displays of sheet music in the windows of dancers as to what the classical originals are like.
"As to the effect of radio on sheet music sales this
of the Oliver Ditson Co., Boston, last week the
publications of Jerome H. Remick were prominent. is certain: There arc radio fans who never bought
The windows of the Ditson Co. are always open to music before they bought their receiving sets who
popular music publishers. This is characteristic of may become buyers some day. These people are lis-
the Ditson policy, which allows competitor publish- tening to music almost continuously for the first
time. Then there are radio fans who have been
ers to have a share of its display space.
made better sheet music buyers by listening to radio
George Mauck, assistant manager of the J. W. music. On radio they hear the good, the bad and the
Jenkins Sons' Music Co., Oklahoma City, Okla., says indifferent compositions. When the musical ones
the inclination of the sheet music trade is towards are pleased by a tune they want to hear it again and
music of a higher class. While popular numbers again. They know that the surest way to do this is
are free sellers, the standard songs of the balland to own the music, then to produce it on a piano or.
variety are bought in greater numbers every year.
some other instrument. You can guess the causes
The Richmond Music Supply Co., New York, will which also increases the sale of music rolls and
move to the Nathan Strauss Building at 119 Fifth talking machine records.
avenue about Jan. 1 from the old location, 133 West
"There is no doubt about the increase in the
Forty-first street. About 7,000 square feet of space numbers of people who enjoy jazz. But the enjoy-
ij available in the new quarters.
ment of this heady rhythm has not made its hearers
deaf to music of a more elevated character. This
has been the experience in other arts. The enjoy-
MAKE RECORDS FROM RADIO.
of music in its less pretentious phases has usu-
The British phonograph companies will introduce a ment
ally
had
the effect of creating a demand for some-
bill into parliament soon in an effort to punish the thing better.
See that crowd at the counter buying
pirating of phonograph records by radio. It is Christmas music.
Many of these are reformed jazz
claimed that listeners in are making phonograph rec- fields buying classical
correctives for themselves or
ords of the voices of well known artists as they sing their friends, possibly also
ex-jazzists."
over the radio. While radio records do not compare
with real records, there are many excellent results.
INVITATION TO STATION.
An Exeter engineer recently secured a remarkable
The Van de Walle Music & Radio Company, Sey-
record of the Savoy Hotel band broadcasting from
mour, Ind., attributes its success in sales to a spirited
London.
policy in advertising. In addition to pianos and
musical merchandise the company carries rolls, rec-
SOME RADIO FAVORITES.
ords, sheet music and radio. In advertising its radio
Letters and telephone messages to Station WLS, department the company extends a general invita-
Chicago, frequently request the broadcasting of the tion to the public to visit its broadcasting station.
old-time songs. Recently the station asked listeners-
in for their favorites and the vote evoked prefer-
RADIO FOR CHRISTMAS.
ences for "Silver Threads Among the Gold," "Old
Aside
from
radio outfits which are dominating the
Black Joe," "When You and I Were Young, Mag- Christmas markets
this year, Christmas gifts in Ber-
gie," "Carry Me Back to Old Virginy" and other lin,
Germany, will be mostly of the practical sort, in-
selections of the old days. "Silver Threads Among tended to restock homes with household articles that
the Gold" led as the most popular.
were not replenished during the inflation period.
RECORD RADIO SALES
SHEET MUSIC TRADE NOTES
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