Presto

18
March 28, 1925.
P R £ S TC
U. S. MUSIC CO.'S RECORDING STAFF
The artists who make records for the United States
Music Co., Chicago, are widely known by name to
buyers of U. S. Music rolls and many are familiar
with the personal facts about the artists. In the fol-
lowing the standing of each of the artists in the
musical world is told, the preparation of each for the
important role now filled in the U. S. Music Co.,
given and other intimate facts about the clever men
and women in the notable group of recording artists.
An appropriate beginning is the story of Mary E.
Brown, recording manager for U. S. Music Co. She
was a mere child when she joined the organization in
1909. Before coming to the company she had at-
tained prominence as an organist and pianist. She
MARY E. BROWN.
Music Co. and records for the Auto-Art and Library
Editions.
Robert Billings' Versatility.
Robert Billings, a very versatile performer, does
classical, popular and ballad stuff, records and edits
for the Library and Auto-Art editions, and special-
izes on ballads. He is the youngest son of Frederick
C. Billings, one of the noted inventors in the piano
industry. He has been with the United States Music
Co. for two years and is the composer of "Summer
Verses," "Melody Waltz" and "My Vigil."
McNair Ugenfritz, one of the best known recording
pianists, is now on the concert stage in Europe, but
I VAX PETRIKOFF.
HORACE O. PflELL..
Earl Billings, one of the most popular recording
pianists in the United States, is not only a pianist,
but an extraordinary piano salesman, composer and
organist. Mr. Billings has recorded for the player-
piano and the reproducing piano; has done concert
tours all over the country in connection with repro-
ducing instruments; is the composer of "Spring
Whispers" and other hits, and as a recording artist,
he is the best known of any among the music dealers
of the country.
Orchestration His Specialty.
Horace O. Prell has arranged popular music for
fifteen years or more for leading bands and orchestras
CORA MEL, HATTON.
WANSBOROI'GH.
LEE SIMS.
is a graduate of the Chicago Musical College and
also studied the advance course in music at St.
Xavier academy. She taught the piano at this acad-
emy for two years and is also the composer of several
well known songs. Miss Brown is organist at one
of the most prominent churches in Chicago. She is
the only woman in the world employed as manager
of a recording department by a music roll company.
Her biggest job consists of locating suitable artists
for the U. S. recording department and developing
them so that they can conform with the requirements
of that organization.
Walter A. Sifielski studied piano under Rudolph
Ganz and Mary Wood Chase. For fifteen years he
has engaged professionally in nearly every line of
musical endeavor, including concert work, teaching
and theatrical playing. He takes care of many of
the foreign rolls and catalogs for the United States
will return in June to specialize on Auto-Art rolls for
the U. S. Music Company. Starting in September,
he will do all his recording exclusively for U. S.
Lee Sims, considered one of the best recording
pianists, records popular music for the U. S. Music
Co. For many mouths he has been musical director
of Station WTAS at Elgin, 111., and is now a mem-
ber of the recording staff for KYW in Chicago.
A Marimba Specialist.
Harold Wansborough specializes for the U. S.
Music Co. in marimba waltzes and the marimba
type of rolls. He was born in South Bend, Ind.;
studied harmony, orchestration and composition with
Felix Borowski, of the Chicago Musical College.
Mr. Wansborough has written a number of composi-
tions, among which are a Symphony Prelude for full
orchestra, quartet in F minor, also many songs, violin
and piano pieces, etc.
in the country and also has orchestrated numbers for
musical productions, the vaudeville stage, motion pic-
ture theaters and the larger dance orchestras such
as the Edgewater Beach Oriole Orchestra. He has
been associated with Harry L. Alford for nine years
and for quite a time made special arrangements for
the orchestras of the Balaban & Katz theaters. Mr.
Prell has been with the United States Music Co. for
the last six years.
Ivan Petrikoff, a concert pianist who acquired most
of his fame abroad and whose specialty is player roll
transportations of heavy classics, was educated in
Europe and made quite a reputation in foreign coun-
tries as a pianistic artist.
Miss Cora Mel Hatton plays the lighter type of
classics. She is a young musician of talent, was edu-
cated in Europe, and is engaged in concert work
both in this country and abroad.
ENTHUSIASTIC PIANO
DEALERS IN CALIFORNIA
This instrument was installed by Mr. Pomeroy, of
the Sonoma Valley Music Co., of Santa Rosa.
The McMahon Furniture Co., of Bakersfield, Cal.,
has installed the complete Baldwin line in its beauti-
ful new building in Bakersfield. The brothers Mc-
Mahon, who started in business only a few years
ago, are to be congratulated on their success. They
have now what is probably the largest furniture and
piano business in the San Joaquin valley.
SOME LATE DOINGS IN
THE RETAIL TRADE
W. F. Phillips, Observant Baldwin Traveler on Pa-
cific Coast, Reports the Cheerful Facts.
Harry Allen, who has been connected with the
Humboldt Music Co. for the past two years, has
purchased the business from Mr. Smith, the former
owner. Mr. Allen will continue to handle the Bald-
win line exclusively.
W. L. Brown, proprietor of Brown Music Co.,
Merced, California, is holding a closing out sale of
pianos and has arranged to handle the Baldwin line
exclusively.
Ray Smith, who, for a number of years, was trav-
eling salesman for the George P. Bent Piano Com-
pany, is making extensive alterations in his store-
room at Modesto, Cal. Mr. Smith has added sound-
proof rooms to his storeroom where he will demon-
strate Baldwin grands and reproducing pianos.
Every evening between the hours of 6 and 7:30,
the radio fans of the entire west are treated to a
radio concert by a Baldwin reproducing piano played
from the broadcasting station at Santa Rosa, Cal.
USES MELODY WAY.
Miss Cora Dumbauld, music teacher, Denver, Colo.,
uses the Miessner "Melody Way" method of piano
instruction in her studio in the Woman's Club Build-
ing. She was the first teacher to introduce this
method in that city and achieved immediate success.
Miss Bumbauld was previously associated with the
Knight-Campbell Music Co.
ACTIVE IN CIVIC AFFAIRS.
Elmer D. Luhring, of the Stahlschmidt Piano Co.,
Evansville, Ind., has returned from Indianapolis,
where he worked in the interest of a bill in the In-
diana State Legislature that would give Evansville
the right to establish proper terminal facilities on the
Ohio River in that city. Mr. Luhring is president of
the Chamber of Commerce.
Items of General News Value from the Field
Throughout the Country.
The Galion, O., branch of the W. E. Jones Piano
House, of Mansfield, has been bought by R. G. Bell,
a prominent merchant of that place. Mr. Bell was
formerly engaged in the music business in Columbus,
Ohio.
The record, sheet music and talking machine de-
partment of the Moyer Bros. Department Store, East
Liverpool, Ohio, was recently destroyed by fire
which wiped out the Lewis Bros. Co.'s store. The
sheet music department of the Woolworth 5 and 10
cent store was also damaged by smoke and water.
Mr. Ludwig, of Ludwig & Ludwig, the great drum
manufacturing house of Chicago, was a New York
visitor last week. The Ludwig drums are very popu-
lar everywhere and have a great sale in and about
New York City.
Phil Henderson, of Chicago, recently opened a new
music store in Beardstown, 111. The quarters have
been remodeled to serve as appropriate showrooms
for a general line of music goods.
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