May 16, 1925.
13
PRESTO
WAY TO SALES
BY ADVERTISING
Power of Printed Appeal Is Great but Main
Purpose of Music Merchant Should Be
Creation of Piano Desire by
Advertising.
MUSIC TEACHERS POTENT
Appreciation of Music Created and Stimulated by
Them Is Powerful Incentive for Purchase
of Pianos.
By CHARLES E. BYRNE,
Vice-Pres., Steger & Sons Piano Mfg. Co., Chicago.
(Delivered as address before the sixth annual con-
\ention of the Texas Music Merchants' Association,
at Austin, May 8.)
To be invited to address the music merchants of
the great state of Texas is an honor that I highly
esteem. But I doubt if there is anything about
"Piano Advertising" that you do not already know.
And speaking about advertising, it is worth noting
that Texas is not only one of the best states in the
Union, but since the recent election of Mrs. Ferguson
as Governor, it has become the best advertised state.
You have done wonders in developing a greater
love for music—and have established Texas as one
"Far better than music memory contests,
which are wonderfully beneficial, would be
a national competition in piano playing, with
recital contests to be held in every town
and city for children from eight years and
up, and national prizes to be awarded by the
President of the United States to the pupils
and their music teachers. On behalf of Ste-
ger & Sons Piano Mfg. Co., which I have
the honor to represent, I am authorized to
announce that it is willing to donate the
sum of five thousand dollars to be used in
promoting a National Piano Playing Con-
test for children and their teachers, to be
held under the supervision of the Music In-
dustries Chamber of Commerce, provided
that twenty-five other piano manufacturers
will each contribute a similar amount in
order to make it a success." Proposal by
C. E. Byrne at convention of the Texas
Music Merchants' Association in Austin,
May 8.
of the livest, most energetic and aggressive states in
fostering its advancement. You need no assurance
from me that the phenomenal growth of your musi-
cal activities has been watched with interest and sat-
isfaction by your fellow citizens in all parts of the
country, but I want you to know that because of your
good work, we have accredited you with maintaining
a standard of education, refinement and cultural de-
velopment that is unsurpassed anywhere.
The Higher Purpose.
Why are we engaged in the music business? To
make money? Yes! Because self-preservation is the
first law of nature. But there are other obligations
that we must accept. We would be too selfish to
live, unworthy of the blessings that we enjoy through
the bounty of Providence, if our only purpose in life
were the accumulation of material success. Next to
religion, the power of music is of inestimable value
in affording a better appreciation of the purpose of
our existence, in stimulating our hearts and minds to
follow those beautiful ideals, that have guided the
leaders of civilization for centuries. Therefore, we
should rejoice to think that our work is allied with an
art that is so potential in giving encouragement and
inspiration to the weary heart of mankind.
Educating the Public.
The success of the music industries rests on the
educational factor. We have been inclined to over-
look the importance of that truth, at least in our
A QUALITY PRODUCT
FOR OVER
QUARTER OFA CENTURY
advertising. If we should fail to encourage the study
of music, the music trade would dry up. The piano
industry has been developed not only by the manu-
facturers and merchants, but principally by the music
teachers. Think it over and the truth of that state-
ment will impress you.
One reason why we are not selling more upright
pianos is because we have concentrated our advertis-
ing on price. We have not advocated the study of
music in our advertisements as we should have. We
have been too short-sighted in that respect. We have
given considerable publicity to the playerpiano,
which is all right, but we have talked too much about
price and not enough about the cultural advantages
of studying music, that a playerpiano as well as an
upright affords.
If we do not sell more upright pianos, we will not
sell more grand pianos or playerpianos. If we want
to sell more pianos, we must do more advertising to
encourage the study of the piano. It is true that
playerpianos are bought by many who cannot play
the piano, but they would not buy unless they had a
love for music or had made a study of it.
A Means to An End.
Of course, I know that newspaper space is valu-
able and perhaps that is one reason why so much at-
tention is given to featuring price for quick
action instead of urging parents to teach their chil-
dren music. However, let me repeat, the future suc-
cess of the music industry in Texas or in any other
state is going to depend upon the efforts made to
foster the study of music through advertising, music
memory contests and in various other ways. Re-
member that the music teachers, by their influence in
creating a greater appreciation of music, are selling
our pianos for us. They stimulate the natural desire
for music that is born in all of us.
For National Contest.
Far better than music memory contests, which are
wondrously beneficial, would be a national competi-
tion in piano playing, with recital contests to be held
in every town and city for children from eight years
and up, and national prizes to be awarded by the
President of the United States to the pupils and
their music teachers. On behalf of Steger & Sons
Piano Mfg. Co., which I have the honor to repre-
sent, I am authorized to announce that it is willing to
donate the sum of $5,000 to be used in promoting a
National Piano Playing Contest for children and
their teachers, to be held under the supervision of
the Music Industries Chamber of Commerce, pro-
vided that twenty-five other piano manufacturers will
each contribute a similar amount in order to make it
a success.
Instead of so much price advertising, it would be
better if we gave a thought to music. "Make Amer-
ica Musical" is the excellent slogan of the Music In-
dustries Chamber of Commerce, but I only wish it
were more complete. America needs music. Every
American child needs music. Let us "Make every
American child musical," but it is going to require
more than a slogan; plenty of hard intensive work to
achieve that lofty purpose, and the first place to begin
is in your newspaper advertising.
Make Truth Foremost.
The orator who is not sincere will not have the re-
spect of his audience. The advertiser who relies
upon hishonest publicity will not remain in business
long. There should be no place in the music industry
for a fakir or dishonest advertising, because that
which undermines the confidence of the public injures
the entire trade.
Some years ago, many dealers decided to get away
from price advertising and featured only quality an-
nauncements. The growing pressure of price adver-
tising, however, forced them to return to it, but it is
my believ that if the entire piano industry would
feature only pianos and music in its advertising and
eliminate all reference to prices for a period of a year,
the trade would not only enjoy greater re&pect on the
part of the public, but be more profitable.
The Playerpiano Customer.
We desire to sell more playerpianos. But in order
to do so, we must make it possible for those who
purchase playerpianos to get the utmost satisfaction
from their instruments. In other words, we must
teach our playerpiano customers how to play the
playerpiano correctly.
Although good work has been done by many music
merchants in that direction there is still room for
improvement. It is quite likely that not over fifty
per cent of all playerpiano owners know how to play
with expression. If every piano salesman would
(Continued on page 22.)
POOLE
WELTE-MIGNON (LICENSEE)
PIANIST GIVES RECITAL
Betty Brown, in Alternate Playing, Astonishes Music
Lovers with Performance at La Crosse, Wis.
Miss Betty Brown, a concert pianist attached to
the Welte-Mignon (Licensee) Reproducing piano de-
partment of the Baldwin Piano Company, was re-
cently accorded a great ovation at a recital given in
the Rivoli Theater, La Crosse, Wisconsin. The
famous Welte-Mignon
(Licensee)
reproducing
mechanism which played an important part in her
recital was received with great enthusiasm.
The concert, conducted under the auspices of the
Erickson Music Company, of La Crosse, was the
biggest musical event of the season. Four successive
nights saw Miss Brown play at capacity houses. The
feature of the program was the alternate playing of
Seeboeck's Minuet of L'Antico. A special roll with
blank passages was used for this number. Miss
Brown played a few bars. The Baldwin Welte-
Mignon (Licensee) reproducing piano took up the
theme for a short passage. Then Miss Brown re-
sumed playing. And so on through the entire num-
ber.
Hundreds of dealers throughout the Middle W T est
have requested this program for their towns. Sixty-
five recitals have already been given this season and
many more are scheduled. The Welte-Mignon
(Licensee) reproducing mechanism is receiving a great
deal of publicity through the medium of these con-
certs. Day by day its popularity is increasing among
people who are qualified by their good position in life
to fully appreciate its wonderful capabilities.
DECKER
mJ
EST. 1856
51 SON
Grand, Upright
and
Welte-Mignon
(Licensee)
Reproducing
{Electric)
Pianos and Players
of Recognized
Artistic Character
Made by a Decker Since 1856
699-703 East 135th Street
New York
Builders or Incomparable
(PIAN05, PLAYERS^REPRODUCING PIANOS
THE BALDWIN
CO-OPERATIVE
PLAN
will increase your sales and
solve your financing problems.
Write to the nearest office
for prices.
CINCINNATI
INDIANAPOLIS
LOUISVILLE
INCORPORATED
CHICAGO
DALLAS
ST. LOCIS
I>ENVEB
NEW YORK
SAN FRANCISCO
GRAND AND UPRIGHT PIANOS
AND
PLAYER PIANOS
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