January 8, 1927.
MOVIE AS A MUSIC USER
In Addition to Active Purchases the Motion
Picture Show Encourages Music Con-
stantly in Some Form.
The observant sheet music dealer, as well as the
publisher, has always seen in the motion picture
shows a means to greater uses of sheet music, orches-
tral scores and books. And, apart from the actual
purchases of music by the shows, all motion pictures
in one way or another encourage the production and
sale of printed music.
The types of motion picture houses vary consid-
erably, from the humble little show of the suburbs
to the great movie palaces costing one or more mil-
lions to erect and equip. In all it is computed that
there are over 20,000 motion picture houses in the
United States. In the large cities are many houses
which are distinguished by their splendid symphony
orchestras. Many more have big organs of the mod-
ern type and all, even the humblest, have orchestrions
or pianos. Music operations in every one of them
involve the use and purchase of music of one kind or
another.
Everybody who attends the movies knows the
important featuring the new popular songs receive at
the ten fingers of the organist. Popular song presen-
tation in the movie house is usually a staged affair
with special scenery and special lighting effects. How
much the movie featuring helps the sales of the
populars can easily be estimated.
The movie house orchestras use considerable mate-
rial from the publishers' catalogs of standard and
classical music. Specially written scores for use with
particular films are also in demand. Indeed the latter
created a new branch of music composition just as
the growth of organ uses created a new school of
organists.
JAZZ NOT FAVORED BY ENGLISH
Radio Broadcasters Oppose It and Government Col-
lects Tax from All Buyers of Receivers.
British broadcasters are opposed to American jazz
music, according to Paul Specht, internationally fa-
mous dance band leader, and very little jazz music
is heard by British radio listeners as a rule.
"The British have perfect control of radio, how-
ever," Mr. Specht said, "and I am'inclined to con-
sider their system of radio control better than ours.
"Every listener pays a fee to the broadcasting
companies, and every set buyer pays a further tax.
The money thus derived is devoted to paying artists
and providing programs of the highest class."
BANJO PROBLEM SOLVED
Slingerland Banjo Co., Chicago, Aids Music Dealer
in Pleasing Tenor Banjo Customers.
A problem confronting every dealer in musical mer-
chandise is to make the amateur as satisfied with his
purchase as he would be if he had bought the same
model of instrument used by the professional. The
bulk of sales of fretted instruments are made to ama-
teurs. Every music dealer is complimented by what-
ever professional patronage he receives, but he knows
that professional players are comparatively limited in
number and that his business could not exist on their
business alone.
The music dealer counts on building up a business
by sales to amateurs. Dealers have often found that
the difficulty is in the selection of tenor banjos. But
this has long since been removed by manufacturers
who study the retail situation. The Slingerland Banjo
Co., Chicago, by extending the line of tenor banjos to
Greater Beauty
69
PRESTO-TIMES
and Greater
Comfort
SCARFS,
GUSH-
IONS,
COVERS
Bench Cushions, Piano Throws, Bags
for Small Instruments, Upholstered
Bench Tops
Illustrated Folders On Request
Period Drapery and Mfg. Co.
NEW ALBANY, IND.
include a variety in prices to interest amateurs, while
at the same time turning out a high grade instrument,
has solved a problem that for a long time troubled
the dealers.
CONDITIONS IN AUSTRIA
New Taxes on Music, Rise in Duties on Gut
Strings and Other Things
MUSICIAN JOINS SALES FORCE.
Are Reported.
W. A. Bert Stevens, formerly of Albany, Ore., is
the latest addition to the sales force of the Conn Port-
land Co., Portland. Ore , according to an announce-
ment by Stanley Baylis, manager. Mr. Stevens is
not only an expert salesman, but a proficient musician
as well and formerly was leader of the Elks Band
of Albany.
PHONOGRAPHS IN JAPAN.
The export figures for 1924, issued by the Bureau
of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, show that sales
of American phonographs to Japan amounted to
$263,594 and phonograph records to $164,573. In
fact, Japan ranked third as a customer for phono-
graphs from the United States, being preceded by
Canada and Australia onlv.
PLAYS A RARE VIOLIN.
A Stradivarius, said to be 209 years old and valued
at $20,000, was played by Sascha Jacobsen, Russian
violinist at the Lyric Theater, Baltimore, when he gave
a joint recital with Gil Valeriano, Spanish tenor. "The
recital was a success, and showed conclusive evidence
that both artists have not lost any of their technique
in their various fields.
PIANO KEYS RECOVERED
Heaviest grade Pyralin Ivory, beveled
and polished to look like the finest ivory
keyboards built. Beautiful work, guaran-
teed. Sharps ebonized, bushings, etc.
We begin work on your keys the minute they
arrive. Write for New Price List.
McMACKIN PIANO SERVICE
The Deutsche Instrumentenbau Zeitung of Austria
says that the National Council has adopted certain
additions to the duties on musical instruments, par-
ticularly for records, etc., which have caused con-
siderable agitation amongst interested circles; for the
demand for talking- machines and records at the mo-
ment is so active that nobody troubles about any
increase in the cost. The home production cannot
satisfy the demand, so that orders are going to Ger-
many, Tcheckoslovakia and England. The demand is
mostly for pieces that are in fashion today, and out
tomorrow. An increase in the duty will make no dif-
ference to the demand. The buyer will have certain
compositions.
But a rise in the duty on spun gut strings has
caused some surprise, as these are made in one single
factory; it will mean eight per cent more on the price.
The demand, however, is weak, as the whole music
trade is very slack. The music business is not good,
only talking machine records are going off well, nor
are the prospects encouraging. The amusements tax
weighs heavily on it. If a band marches out to a
funeral it must pay amusement tax.
Poland is offering a field for small organs, and
the Salzburger St. Cecilia Co. has several orders for
organs for village churches. The concern has already
delivered an organ for the Church of the Holy Cross
in Warsaw, and is building an electrical organ now
for the St. Stanislaus Church of Warsaw. The cor-
respondent hopes that the Polish churches will pay
more promptly than the Polish business people. Aus-
trian churches must first get bells—then organs.
The Cullman Gut String Co., 1100 West Forty-
seventh street, Chicago, was recently incorporated by
William J. Cullman, Florence Anderson and William
H. Katts.
Factory: 1721-3 Mondamin Avenue
DES MOINES, IA.
Philip W. Oetting & Son, Inc.
213 East 19th Street, New York
HIGH GRADE
Sole Agents for
Folding Organs
School Organs
WEICKERT
Hammer
Practice Keyboards
Felts
Grand and Upright Ham-
mer M Made of Weickert Felt
Dealers' Attention Solicited
A. L. WHITE MFG. CO.
215 Englewood Av«., CHICAGO, ILL.
and Damper
Fine Action Bushing Cloths, etc
I
KEYS RECOVERED AND REBUSHED
FRIELD MILLER & COMPANY
Samples of Work on Request
Prompt and Efficient Service
3767 North Illinois Street, INDIANAPOLIS, IND.
THE CELEBRATED WICKHAM—
QUALITY FIRST
—PIANO PLATES
The Wickham Piano Plate Co.
Springfield, Ohio
LATES
F A I R B A N K S "£S°£
THE FAIRBANKS CO., Springfield, Ohio
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