25
PRESTO
November 7, 1925.
SHEET MUSIC AND RADIO
BROADCASTING POPULAR SONGS
The Effectiveness and Availability of Radio Advertis-
ing for Songs Still Discussed in Trade.
Radio was a topic considerably discussed in rela-
tion to song broadcasting at the convention of Michi-
gan dealers in Grand Rapids this week. Sheet music
dealers and publishers find it an all-the-year-round
topic. Songs and radio are so closely related that
one hardly thinks of one without a thought for the
other.
The possibilities of advertising a song by means of
radio were about the first considerations suggested
when radio came into use, but the abuse of the pur-
poses were condemned long before the convention this
week and the circumstances arising from the broad-
casting had given cause for complaint to the publish-
ers and composers.
But the publishers and sheet music dealers admitted
that radio broadcasting may be a valuable aid to
demonstrating a song in a wide manner. One can
conceive no quicker way of acquainting the public
w T ith the musical and lyrical merits of a composition
than radio.
All the same there is such a thing as killing a song
by too much radio plugging. If a song is sung over
and over, from one station to another, the effects of
the first hearing are nullified. People at the receiv-
ing end may continue to listen with pleasure to the
second and even the third performance of the song,
but their feelings change at the subsequent hearings,
listeners get bored, tired of the repetition and in the
end so disgusted that the very title of the song is
abhorrent.
The trade was presented with another view of the
matter that involved the limitations of radio. There
are times when the weather governs the radio send-
ing processes. At such a time the publisher's prized
song is at the mercy of electrical disturbances, his
audiences at the receiving end hear a muffled vocali-
zation of the song accompanied by derisive hoots and
other weird sounds. In fact, the weather man as
well as the broadcasting stations should be consulted
before a song is given to the radio audiences.
SHEET MUSIC TRADE NOTES
A Few Items Interesting to People in Sheet Music
Department Are Printed.
At least one composition of prominent Western
composers will be broadcasted by Marshall W. Gisel-
man, organist of the California Palace of the Legion
of Honor, San Francisco, in his regular Sunday
programs.
Walter J. Hearn, of the Outlet Piano Co., Provi-
dence, R. I., and well known in that section as a
singer and composer, died recently following an auto-
mobile accident.
The music library of Fortunato Santini, one of the
largest in the world, containing 5,275 volumes, ac-
quired by Bishop Miiller, of Minister, has been trans-
Manufacturers of
RADIO
Tables
Cabinets
Consoles
Elgin Phonograph & Novelty Co.
Elgin, 111.
ferred from the Munster Cathedral to the University
in the same town, and is open to the public, says
Musikalienhandel.
The Radio Sales Corporation has opened a new
store at 2802 East New York street, Indianapolis.
The McCrory store at Richmond, Va., has opened
a sheet music department with Larry Norrett, for-
merly of the Cleveland branch, as manager.
The Forster Music Co., Chicago, moved this week
from 235 South Wabash avenue, to the McClurg
building.
Jack Little, writer of "Jealous," "Because They All
Love You," "Where Is My Sweetie Hiding?" and
many other favorites, was one of the vocalists broad-
casting over WIBO this week.
Week & Winge is the name of a new music pub-
lishing house in Seattle, Wash. The partners are
Harold Weeks of the Brunswick Music Shop and
Carl Winge, a local composer.
WHO SELLS POPULARS?
A new York City sheet music dealer last week said
that his estimate was that between 60 and 75 per cent
of popular music is sold outside of the legitimate
trade. "This estimate is purely my own personal
opinion," he explained, "and the only way to get
accurate figures on the subject would be to take the
statistics of four or five of the popular houses and
average their figures. After this is done there is a
possibility of my having estimated a high percentage
of sales for the dealer. To start with, unless popular
music is sold in large quantities it is very unprofit-
able because of the fact that in meeting competition
the margin of profit is very small and its life very
short. All of this is 'old stuff' but it brings into the
subject our competitors. They are principally, as
we all know, the syndicate stores, department stores
and song shops."
NEW RADIO MANAGER.
George H. Bogart, Jr., head of the radio depart-
ment of the Robelen Piano Co., Wilmington, Del.,
has become a member of the firm of Alexander &
McDaniel, Inc., 825 Shipley street, electrical engi-
neers and radio dealers, in the same city. He will
have charge of the radio department there, handling
Zenith, Fada, Atwater Kent, Stewart Warner and the
products of the Radio Corporation of America.
A HARP MUSIC COMPETITION.
The National Assaciation of Harpists, Inc., which
by propaganda of various forms, recitals, encourage-
ment of harp instruction in schools and articles in
magazines and music journals, has done much to pro-
mote interest in harp music, and incidentally the sale
of harps, now offers a prize of $1,000 for a com-
position for that instrument. The competition will
be international, and the latest date on which manu-
scripts will be received is December 15, 1926.
CANTON RADIO SHOW.
The Canton, O., Daily News Radio Show opened
in the City Auditorium November 2. Practically
every music store in the city had a booth at the
show. Retail music firms represented include Wil-
liam R. Zollinger Co., George C. Willie Co., Custer
Music House, Rhines Edison Shop, Home Music Co.,
D. W. Lerch Co., as well as a number of exclusive
radio houses.
To Piano Makers
and Dealers/
For best advertising Song Books for Grand
Openings, Special Occasions, Holidays, Quanti-
ties for Country Schools, Societies, etc., write
to the Illinois State Register, Dept. P, Spring-
field, Illinois.
s AND PRINTERS
Qest
ANY PUBLISHER x
OUR REFERENCE
^ \ Estimates
^
'
- WORK DONE B Y
ALL PROCESSES
054^2060 W.Lake St., Chicago, III
RADIO CONFERENCE NOV. 9
Difficulties of Broadcasters and Problems of Wave
Length Allotment to Be Considered.
The Fourth Annual Radio conference will get
under way on November 9 at Washington, D, C,
at the call of Secretary Hoover. Its purpose is to
iron out, if possible, all the difficulties which now
confront the broadcasters and the listeners. There
are many of these difficulties but the fireworks un-
doubtedly will come when the question of regulating
the number of broadcasting stations is brought up.
The American listener has been fortunate in that
Congress has kept its hand out of radio. There has
been no legislation to hamper the broadcaster; the
radio set owner does not have to pay any license fee
for the privilege of listening in; and Mr. Hoover has
been opposed to congress taking a hand in the situa-
tion, preferring to let the radio industry work out
its own problem.
But radio experts now say that the department of
commerce is confronted with a problem
which is
giving it considerable worry and w r ill probably take
legislation to correct. Tbat question is the matter
of broadcasting stations. Under the present system
the department is compelled to issue a license to any
individual or corporation to operate a broadcasting
station after certain rules are complied with. The
issuing of a license doesn't mean that the company
can broadcast, however, for in addition to having a
the license a wave length or band is necessary and
all the wave lengths are now gone.
RADIO BY TELEPHONE.
The Hague has the distinction of being tbc first
European city to offer its citizens radio by telephone.
As a result of a new discovery which makes it pos-
sible to hook the telephone system in with the broad-
casting station, the municipal telephone system will
put at the disposal of its subscribers the entire pro-
gram of the local and other broadcasting stations.
THE REDTOP FOLDER.
The Q R S Music Co., Chicago, with branches in
New York, San Francisco and Toronto, reports ex-
cellent results from the distribution of a new folder
devoted to the Q R S Redtop Radio Tube. Why the
Redtop excels is convincingly told in clear, non-
technical language, illustrated with line drawings.
NEW REMICK MANAGER.
The new manager of the Jerome H. Remick &
Co.'s branch in Chicago is William Thompson, who
succeeds William Cripps, who joins the professional
force in New York. Harry Werthan, the oldest in
point of service in the Remick forces, continues as
general manager of the Chicago offices.
COMPOSER MADE MAYOR.
The popular song beat the fountain pen by 400,000
votes on Tuesday of this week when Jimmy Walker,
the song writer, beat Frank D. Waterman, fountain
pen manufacturer at the election for mayor of New
York.
REMICK SONG HITS
Sometime
By the Light of the Stars
Sweet Georgia Brown
If I Had a Girl Like You
Got No Time
You Told Me To Go
Mother Me Tennessee
Oh Lovey Be Mine
On the Bam Bam Bamy Shore
Good Mornin'
I'm Going to Charleston, Back to
Charleston
Let's Wander Away
When Eyes of Blue Are Fooling You
J. H. REMICK & CO.
New York
Chicago
Detroit
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