Classic Mode

Presto

Issue: 1927 2112

MUSICAL
TIMES
PRESTO
Established
1881
Established
1884
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
10 Cents a Copy
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, JANUARY 22, 1927
AGITATING CAUDAL APPENDAGE
In Other Words, "Should the Tail Wag the
Dog, or Should the Dog Wag the Tail," Is
Subject of Frank J. Bayley's Speech
to Music Industries Committee.
DISCUSSION OF A FREAK
And He Styles It "A Philosophical Essay on the
Dog," with the Faithful Friend of Man Used
to Typify the Piano Industry and Trade.
Frank J. Bayley, of Detroit, came to Chicago this
week to attend the Music Industries Committees
meetings and to repeat his position on piano promo-
tion, and especially as regards the workings of the
Piano Manufacturers' National Association Com-
mittee. Presto-Times presents herewith Mr. Bayley's
speech made at the meeting of the Board of Gover-
nors, in which the Detroit gentleman made it clear
that he had no axe to grind and that he is not look-
ing for any office or job at the hands of the music
industries convention. All the job he wants, Mr.
FRANK J. BAYI.KY.
Bayley says, is his own business in his own town of
Detroit.
Comments on His Attitude.
Mr. Bayley's use of keen satire, which he uses as
his weapon to defend his principle, will be appreci-
ated. He admits that he may, and probably will,
have a lot of opposition, but if he is wrong he says
he would like to have some one "show him" how and
why. "At any rate, he says, "I am aiming at no
one in particular and my motive is purely construc-
tive." Mr Bayley styles his speech "a philosophical
essay on the dog," and its general caption is "Should
the Tail Wag the Dog, or the Dog Wag the Tail?"
Mr. Bayley's Essay.
The question might be answered very quickly
were this an ordinary dog and were it not for the
added complication that the dog, about which I shall
speak, appears to have several tails. Paleontologists
inform us that the dog has a remote ancestry, and
Xature has been striving for several million years to
produce for us an efficient dog. Evolution "has fol-
lowed the law of the survival and development of the
tittest and we now have a creature with one head
and one tail, the head governing the body and the
body wagging the tail. We can always learn from
.Nature, and our observation shows us that a normal,
healthy dog functions creditably with one bead and
wagging one tail.
However, the dog of which I speak, the Piano
Industry, is a sort of a freak. We can scarcely even
detect a head, and note several tails flopping inde-
pendently. We have a Chamber, or brain and nerve
center, but it has functioned as a sort of hump worn
on the back; thus the dog has floundered around
aimlessly and little has been accomplished for the
promotion of the Piano Industry. The tail is the
manifestation of the dog's activity, but it seems in
our great industry that everyone is hitching on a tail
and attempting to wag the dog. For instance; take
the case of stamps; we have Chamber stamps, Mer-
chants' Association stamps; Piano Promotion stamps,
Ohio Association stamps and someone has even
suggested that we have Cheese-hound stamps.
Tail Number One.
The first tail that comes to my mind is the fifty
activities of the Chamber of Commerce; the second
tail, that of the Merchants' Association, which has
seventeen activities; the third tail that of the Ohio
x\ssociation, with fifteen activities; and now we are
sprouting a fourth tail, that of the National Promo-
tion Plan, by a group of manufacturers which, if we
are to believe all its advance press-agency work,
promises to be of "stupendous magnitude," involving
some thirteen activities. Thus we shall have ninety-
live activities. Who is there that believes we can
efficiently carry on ninety-five activities? Is it not
obvious that two or three good activities, properly
handled, will produce greater and better results than
one hundred, poorly handled?
Personally, I have always thought the Chamber
should be the head of our dog in practice, but since
it is such only in name I am convinced the Merchants'
Association should promote and foster such activi-
ties as are purely merchants' work, such as depend
entirely upon the direct contact of the merchants in
their local communities. Let us not bother about the
fleas; all dogs have fleas. "The dog licks the hand
that feeds it." Therefore, the National Association
must provide activities that not alone appeal to the
merchants, but those that really depend upon mer-
chant organizations for their execution. Thus only
can we place the National Merchants' Association in
its "place in the sun." The one hundred activities are
undoubtedly all excellent, but let us choose from this
diversified list only those in which the mediants are
directly interested, with which we can weld a strong,
enthusiastic, united Merchants' Association.
Concentration Needed.
I suggest we concentrate all our energy upon three:
three that DO promote the sale of pianos and are of
inestimable benefit to the merchants—ones that DO
produce business and profits that we can actually
count. I refer to:
1—Group Instruction;
2—Piano Playing Contests;
3—Tie-up local advertising.
Each one of these would be incomplete without the
other and, taken together, constitutes a complete
promotion plan for the merchants of any community.
Group instruction on the piano for school children
is a promotion movement for the piano in that it
provides the facility for starting the child in a knowl-
edge of the piano. The piano playing contest focuses
widespread attention and excites public interest in the
child playing the piano.
Thus, one depends upon the other, the facility with-
out the interest, or the interest without the facility
is each ineffective. Likewise, if the merchants, then,
do not cash-in on the promotion by means of adver-
tising their merchandise in a hook-up campaign, the
results for them fall far short of the possibilities thus
created. Is it not obvious that the merchants have
the local contacts and knowledge of their own pecu-
liar political and civic conditions, without which it is
impossible to get anywhere?
Commendably Liberal.
The group of piano manufacturers who are gener-
ous and loyal enough to subscribe $200,000 for a
national advertising campaign, for the benefit of
the whole industry, cannot be too highly commended,
and it would be most ungracious in the merchants
not to demonstrate their deep appreciation by extend-
ing complete and enthusiastic cooperation.
However, do we merchants require the services of
an advertising employe to do our work for us? Is
the National Association so incompetent to organize
its own members into local and state associations that
it requires the services of an outside advertising
agency to do its work at $30,000 per?
T do not believe it; nor do you. I refer to the
fact that the man placed in charge of this advertising
plan has recently announced his intention, not only
of executing his carefully prepared advertising cam-
paign, but of actually going outside his professional
$2 The Year
experience to engage in work of which he boasts he
has no knowledge. Why?
This man recently announced before the Chicago
Piano Club that "he is a stranger to the piano busi-
ness"; then, proving it to the satisfaction of all, by
stating that, in using his head the past year, he has,
unassisted, evolved the startling plan of "giving free
music lessons with the sale of each piano," I can
imagine him working another year and producing the
novel idea of adding a piano-lamp. True, he is learn-
ing fast, but, I am not yet convinced that he has
progressed far enough, at this stage, to run the
whole industry.
Ideas Needed.
The Chamber has compiled an incomplete booklet
on the Piano Playing Contest. It adds one new idea,
that of recommending the restriction of the pieces
of music to be played by the children. This fact,
alone, demonstrates its total lack of grasp of the
whole idea, since, being publicity, the success depends
upon the number of entries, and any rule tending
to lessen the number cuts down public interest and
defeats its own purpose.
Mr. Boykin, in his laudable enthusiasm, announces
that he, also, will issue a booklet. This gentleman
may be a good advertising man, but publicity and
advertising are as different as medicine and law, and
I do not think he is.as well fitted for this service
as the Chamber, which, at least, is presumed to know
the piano business.
Does it not occur to you that our dog needs organ-
izing? Why do we have the Chamber, the National
Association, the Ohio Association and now the
"gigantic" Promotion plan, all with separate funds
and organizations for doing the same work? Why
do we require four booklets describing the piano
playing contest and four fountain-heads for group
instruction? Why one hundred activities? Why this
seeming jealousy and lack of mutual confidence?
Why is there only forty per cent of the manufacturers
in the Chamber? Why does a group find it neces-
sary to go to an advertising agency for assistance?
Did Mr. DeRochemont discover Mr. Boykin, or did
Mr. Boykin discover Mr. DeRochemont? Mr. Boy-
kin informs us that, in his estimation, $200,000 is a
most unusually fat contract, thus we cannot help but
admire him in wishing to make good and making a
"trans-continental tour to get suggestions from the
dealers."
The Playing Contest.
The piano playing contest is acknowledged to be
the best available promotion plan. It was invented,
put in operation and brought to a successful working
model by merchants. It is copyrighted and con-
trolled by the National Association for the use and
benefit of the merchants and thus far, some twenty-
odd cities have utilized this service and are well
advanced in their plans for the approaching season.
The group instruction was first taken up and fos-
tered by the National Association, beginning early in
last year's administration, through President Henry
Weisert, with great success.
Therefore, I propose that the Merchants Associa-
tion use the Piano Playing Contest and Group
Instruction as exclusive and primary activities, fos-
tered and coordinated from the office of the executive
secretary, which is now supported by the Association
stamps. I should increase and extend the service
and provide for the expense by licensing each contest,
charging a nominal fee, thus working with the local
and state associations, extending assistance and utiliz-
ing the experience of all for the benefit of each,
organizing state contests with finals at state conven-
tions and with a grand final for the Child Champion-
ship Piano Player of America at the National Con-
vention each year, utilizing the tremendous oppor-
tunities for national publicity for the piano that
thus becomes possible.
Here is a concrete, workable merchants plan of
promotion that will organize the whole country into
strong local and state units and weld the whole into a
grand National Music Merchants' Association of
America, with tremendous power and influence for
the benefit of the whole industry.
WM. H. MANN IN EGYPT.
President Wm. H. Mann, of the Chase-Hackley
Piano Co., whose residence is in Pasadena, Cal., is
enjoying a tour of the ancient lands. When last
heard from he was in Cairo, Egypt. Mr. Mann gives
very little attention to the piano business, his interests
being largely in western mines. Meanwhile Secretary
Atherton looks after the piano industry at Muskegon,
Mich.
MUSIC HOUSE DESTROYED.
The Fisher Piano House, Valparaiso, Ind., was
among the retail stores destroyed recently when a
fire destroyed a business block in the heart of the
town, causing damage estimated at $150,000.
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/
PRESTO-TIMES
ACTIVE IN PIANO
PLAYING CONTEST
Personnel of Supervising Committee Pub-
lished Gives Strong Assurance That Chil-
dren's Piano Playing Tournament Will
Be a Success and Stimulative to Trade.
eleventh and twelfth grades, inclusive). No profes-
sionals eligible.
Preliminary tests will be held during the months
of March and April. District tests will be held the
first two weeks in May. Semi-finals will be held
the last two weeks in May. The grand finals will
be staged as a feature of the annual convention of the
national music industries, which will be held in Chi-
cago the week of June 6. All preliminary and dis-
trict tests will be held in Chicago's school halls and
auditoriums. The dates given here for the district
and semi-final tests are subject to revision.
January 22, 1927.
ERNEST URCHS APPEARS
IN CLASSICAL CONCERT
Prominent Representative of Steinway & Sons
Takes Part in MacDowell Memorial As-
sociation Benefit in New York.
How many among his intimate friends in the
trade know that Ernest Urchs is a pianist of rare
ability? Perhaps it would be better to ask how many
do not know it. Anyway, he is, and he is one of
the three amateur pianists who, with John Frskine.
professor of English a* Columbia University and
author of "The Private Life of Helen of Troy" and
Many Music Houses of Chicago Comprised in First
"Gallahad"; and Olin Downes, music critic of The
Roll of Contributors to Necessary Fund for
Times, New York, who gave a concert in Steinway
New Purchase Includes Control of Wegman Hall on the afternoon of Jan. 21 and the evening of
Prizes and Expenses.
Jan. 22 for the benefit of the MacDowell Memorial
Piano Co. and Six Piano Names with
The Annual Greater Chicago Children's Piano Play-
Association of Peterboro, N. H.
Honorable
Records
in
Industry.
ing Tournament is the official title of the new move-
Mr. Downs and Professor Erskine were announced
ment in that city, the announcement of which was
The Estey Piano Co., New York, has bought out
to play the Brahms-Haydn Variations for two
made in Presto-Times last week. This week the list the Wegman Corporation of New Jersey, which con- pianos. Professor Erskine, accompanied by a sec-
of supervisors is added to that of sponsors already trolled the Wegman Piano Co., New York. This ond piano, played the Mozart Concerto in D major.
printed.. The supervising committee consists of the new deal accomplished, by George W. Gittens, direct- The final number was the Bach triple concerto in D
following;
ing head of the Estey Piano Co., results in five new minor, played by all three, accompanied by a small
piano units for the purchasers in addition to the string orchestra of students of the Institute of Musi-
List of Supervisors.
Emil Garber, of the Chicago Herald and Examiner, Wegman piano: The Chase & Baker, Malcolm Love, cal Art, conducted by Frank Damrosch.
director; Peter F. Meyer, Chicago, executive secre- Vough, Alexander and LeRoy pianos, all long iden-
tary; C. E. Austin, of the Chicago Herald and tified in a prominent way in the piano industry, and
Examiner, exploitation director; Jas. T. Bristol, presi- widely known 'to the public in all sections of the
dent James T. Bristol Co., treasurer; Henry E. Wei- country.
The Wegman and the other instruments acquired
sert, vice-president Bissell-Weisert Piano Co., chair-
man finance committee; Henry Hewitt, sales man- by the Estey Piano Co. will be included in the ambi-
ager M. Schulz Co., chairman committee on tious plans for sales this year, according to Mr. Git-
arrangements; Herman Fleer, manager, Lyon & tions and J. Harry Shale, vice-president and sales Entertainment and Lecture Features Meeting
H.ealy piano division; Roger O'Connor, manager manager. It is a sterling group of instruments, each
at Union League Club on Thursday with
Kranich & Bach Chicago branch; C. R. Brownell. one with an inviting background for a publicity
Many Guests in Attendance.
campaign.
The
pianos
bearing
the
name
of
the
late
manager Lyon & Healy tuning and repair depart-
Henry
Wegman,
founder
of
the
Wegman
Piano
Co.,
The
Chicago
Piano & Organ Association held its
ments.
were acknowledged to be instruments of high quality
Charles E. Byrne, vice-president Steger & Sons and were recognized in the awards at the World's twenty-eighth annual dinner at the Union League
Piano Mfg. Co., chairman ways and means commit- Fair in Chicago in 1893. They have for several years Club on Thursday of this week. The meeting was
tee; C. G. Steger, president Steger & Sons Piano been manufactured by the Wegman Piano Company, characterized by a variety of good entertainment and
Mfg. Co.; Eugene Whelan, W. W. Kimball Com- whose factory has been on Tenth avenue, near Thir- a lecture by J. Paul Goode, of the University of
Chicago, who was the principal speaker of the eve-
pany, chairman speakers' committee; Walter Kiehn, teenth street, New York.
ning.
advertising manager, the Gulbransen Co.; Eugene
The executive officers of the Music Industries
E. Farny, manager Chicago division, Rudolph Wur-
Chamber of Commerce, New York, who were in Chi-
litzer Co.; Gordon Laughead, Chicago division
cago at the meeting of that organization, were guests
Rudolph Wurlitzer Co., and president Piano Club of
of the evening.
Chicago; Roy Cook, retail manager The Cable Piano
Subjects pertaining to the music trade were dis-
Co.; Adam Schneider, treasurer Julius Bauer & Co.;
cussed informally and ideas exchanged. A one hun-
E. C. Hill, retail manager, Baldwin Piano Company's
Chicago division; Harry Bibb, phonograph division, Backing a Music Contest; the "Guiro" At- dred per cent attendance at the dinner was predicted
by Eugene Whelan, of the W. W. Kimball Co., Chi-
Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co.; Matt J. Kennedy, of
tracts Fat Men; a New Music Supervisor
cago, chairman of the entertainment committee. The
Matt J. Kennedy, Chicago, and president National
guests in attendance included practically all of the
and Decline of the Sax.
Piano Travelers' Association.
members of the auxiliary board of the Music Indus-
By J. B. DILLON.
On General Committee.
tries Chamber whose names appear in connection
During Music Week, May 1-8, a musical contest, with the report of this week's meeting of the board
All of the above, with the following, comprise the
general committee: H. C. Dickinson, vice-president between high school students, is to be held. Last of control of the national organization in another
Frank M. column.
Baldwin Piano Co.; Raymond E. Durham, vice-presi- year there were eighty-three entries.
dent and general manager Lyon & Healy; Otto Beach, director of music at the Kansas State
Schulz, president M. Schulz Co.; Frank Hood, vice- Teachers college, Emporia, Kans., will be invited to
president Schiller Piano Co.; Kenneth W. Curtis, supervise the contest.
The Tipoca orchestra from Mexico City performed
Chicago representative for The Koehler Industries;
M. O. Meige, publisher Chicago Herald and Exam- in Denver recently. In lieu of the saxophone they
iner: Hays McFarland, assistant publisher Chicago used the Guiro. It is made from a gourd. Ameri-
Herald and Examiner; John Pratt, advertising direc- canos have often used the gourd for a dipper. A fat
tor Chicago Herald and Examiner; W. E. Guylee, man in the crowd after hearing the performance said H. Hauschildt Music Co. Vacates O'Farrell
vice-president The Cable Co.; Sam Moist, Moist it was great, but he was of the opinion that the Guiro
Street Premises to in Future Concentrate
Piano Co.; George J. Dowling, president The Cable was used as a symbol of "How Dry I am!"
Business in Oakland.
Co.; A. E. Owen, general manager P. A. Starck Piano
J. E. Hardy, a pioneer of the Cripple Creek dis-
The H. Hauschildt Music Co., 140 O'Farrell street,
Co.; Marquette A. Healy, president Lyon & Healy; trict of Colorado, and who conducted a music store at
E. M. Love, treasurer Story & Clark Piano Co.; A. Victor for twenty years, died January 11. He was San Francisco, has retired from the local field and
for the future will confine its activities to the Oakland
G. Gulbransen, president The Gulbransen Co.; Carl seventy-two.
Kinsey, Chicago Musical College, and Fred Forster,
Miss Effie Smith, of Loveland, Colorado, has been .store, to which the stock of the San Francisco store
Forster Music Publishing Co.
appointed music supervisor of the Longmont, Colo- has been removed. The Sacramento branch was dis-
rado, schools. Miss Smith has been teaching music continued last September.
Subscribe to Fund.
Following the death of Henry Hauschildt, in the
at Grand Island, Nebraska.
Up to this week the Chicago music trade has sub-
A prominent Denver pawnbroker says that vio- early part of last year, the executors decided on con-
scribed upwards of $15,000, the subscriptions ranging lins, guitars, mandolins and saxophones are fre- centrating the business in Oakland, where a large
from ten dollars to two thousand dollars each. The quently offered for pawn, but they side-step the store was occupied and a desirable business had been
following are the donors to this, fund:
Sax as it takes up too much room, there seeming to developed.
The premises vacated by the II. Hauschildt Music
Baldwin Piano Company, Menson's Music Shop, be less call for second hand saxes than the others
Co., were on the same day occupied by the Union
Bissell-Weisert Piano Company, James T. Bristol named.
Music Co., which also has a store in the Mission.
Co., Inc., Cable Piano Company, Chicago Piano &
The lease acquired by the latter company is only of
Organ Association, Chicago Piano Club, Central Gul-
A. M. SWEETLAND OF THE STARR.
two years' duration but before the expiration of the
bransen Store, The Gulbransen Company, Will A.
Not many piano travelers can lay claim to popu-
period the management hopes to acquire a good
Gross, Grosvenor Music House, Hassmer Bros., Jus- larity in the trade equal to that of A. M. Sweetland, of
tin Brothers (Cicero), Matt J. Kennedy, W. W. the Starr Piano Co. traveling force. Mr. Sweetland permanent San Francisco location. The company will
specialize on pianos in its new store and give con-
Kimball Company, Kranich & Bach, George Lestina, was in Chicago last week, and no one who had not
cessions for the operation of other departments. J.
Lyon & Healy. Mid-West Piano Company, Frank seen him since he lived in 'that city could say that
Naese & Co., Albert F. Price, L. A. Reichardt, Reich- he has grown a day older than when he moved to Hart has taken space for radio, D. Melander for talk-
ing machines and records, and John P. Broder for
ardt Piano Co., Roseland Music Shop, Rosenberg South Bend to live the peaceful life when at home,
sheet music.
Bros., C. Schulz & Sons, Simonson Piano Company, which is seldom. He is an enthusiast on the Starr
Steger & Sons Piano Mfg. Co., Vacca & Sons, Wade- instruments and he's popular with Starr dealers
Twichell Co., Ralph B. Waite Piano Co., Weiser & everywhere.
$20,000 FOR INJURED PIANIST.
Son's, Witzel Music Co., The Rudolph Wurlitzer Co.,
Miss
Sophinc Lobell, 7018 Sheridan Road, Chicago,
Moist Piano Company.
MANAGER RESIGNS.
pianist, whose right leg was injured in an automobile
Plans for Contest.
Fred Sheely, manager of the Templiu music store. accident so that she could not operate the pedals of
The contestants are to be divided into three divi- South Bend, Ind., has resigned. He is succeeded by a piano, was awarded $20,000 damages by a jury in
sions—elementary (up to sixth grade); intermediate Herman Marker, who has been connected with the Judge Walter Brewer's court last week. She was
(seventh to ninth grades, inclusive), and high (tenth. concern for eleven vears.
run down in February, 1925.
LIST OF DONORS GROWS
ESTEY PIANO CO. BUYS
OUT THE WEQMAN CORP.
ANNUAL DINNER OF
CHICAGO P. & 0 . ASS'N
DENVER TRADE AND
WHAT IT IS DOING
OLD HOUSE RETIRES
FROM SAN FRANCISCO
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/

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