MUSICAL
TIMES
PRESTO
Established
1881
Established
1884
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
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$2 The Year
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 1927
DETROIT MEETING
IS HUGE SUCCESS
Third Annual Convention of Michigan Music
Merchants Brings the Michigan Metropolis
to the Fore as a Great Music Center.
INTERESTING PROGRAM
Piano Dealers, Manufacturers and Other Trade
Celebrities Join with Civil Leaders in Big Event.
By HENRY MAC MULLAN
The Michigan Music Merchants' Association opened
its third annual convention at Detroit on Monday
of this week and many of the most prominent leaders
in the industry were present. Governor Fred VV.
Green and Mayor John W. Smith extended the state
and city welcome to the visitors.
The Preliminaries.
Roy A. Maypole, general director of the Detroit
Music Carnival, room 1221, Book Tower building,
was the busiest man in Detroit on Monday morning
when a Presto-Times representative called on him.
With directing the greatest music carnival ever
seen in America or anywhere else, Mr. Maypole
was busy "and then some." He, with the aid
of his very able assistant, W. J. McKay, a Detroit
piano salesman, had superintended the construc-
tion of 1,500 feet of board walk on Washington
boulevard, had seen to the raising of tens of thou-
sands of banners of all colors and flags of all nations,
bespeaking the universal nature of music.
Four Thousand Performers.
On the great platform erected for the performance
the arrangements were made for 4,000 persons in the
cast of performers each night, all foreign groups to
be represented, eight bands each night, presenting
every phase of music.
The committee presented a silver sword to the
prince of music, John Lennie, and a crown to the
princess of music, Dolorosa Roulo.' These two young
people won their honors as champions among fifty
entrants in the piano playing contests held all last
week at the State Theater.
Monday's Luncheon.
The association luncheon on Monday at 12:30 p.
m. was a delicious repast, followed by instructive
addresses. Frank Bayley was at his best as toast-
master. Mr. Bayley at the outset spoke of some
propaganda he had received from the tuners' con-
vention in the East which announced that there were
200,000 pianos out of tune in the United States.
Mr. Bayley's Talk.
'The whole city knew what was being done in
piano contests at Detroit," said Mr. Bayley. While
there were only 316 schools in Detroit, 430 schools
took part in the contests, for the workers had enlisted
schools in Fordson, Gross Pointe, Ferndale and other
cities adjacent to Detroit in the good work.
Mr. Bayley referred to the tremendous amount of
commercialized recreation that had been going on at
Detroit, much of which ought to be turned toward
the piano, and that was just what the promoters of
piano contests were trying to do. For, he said, the
piano was a wonderful method of conserving and
preserving the home and its beneficial influences.
The carnival was nothing more nor less than a
public demonstration to show the people what chil-
dren could do in music. Some 25,000 persons had
seen Lindbergh light at Northwestern High School
grounds the other day, but he expected that at least
a quarter of a million would witness the street car-
' nival, which had enlisted the aid of every organization
of any progressive nature in Detroit this time.
Piano Playing Heroes.
"The public is very nervous." Mr. Bayley continued,
"and flock like sheep to anything like hero worship."
In two months Lindbergh had done more to promote
aeronautics than all others had done in years; there
are 1,067 airplanes planned for, all in the last two
months. So this piano-playing contest would enable
the people to worship their heroes in the same way
as Lindbergh drew plaudits from all crowds.
Rochester, N. Y., has 20,000 persons taking music
lessons at the present time. In the same proportion,
Detroit would have 70,000 taking music lessons,
which would mean a turnout of 35,000 graduates each
fall, and they would greatly enhance the dealers'
chances to sell them pianos. The glory of being
made queen of the great city of Detroit ought to be
stimulus sufficient to make any girl strive for that
distinguished honor.
President Guylee's Address.
W. E. Guylee of Chicago, president of the National
Piano Manufacturers' Association of America, as the
next speaker, said: 'T understand that every civic,
industrial, social, commercial or other organization
in Detroit had been contributory to the great demon-
stration about to be consummated here at Detroit,
and I am pleased to see them all interested in the
movement. Music had become a real essential. Music
is having a very rapid growth at present. Our nation
has become scientific, and music is keeping up with
this pace and in some senses taking long leaps ahead.
The inner urge of people is toward music, because it
satisfies the inmost longings of our nature. Hun-
dreds of thousands of children are now studying
music by the modern methods of promoting it.
"It has been discovered that the piano is the basic
instrument of music.
"One reason is that it is the instrument that permits
the study of music by all the members of the family.
Another is that it is the instrument of home adorn-
ment. Without the piano, music would perish."
C. J. Roberts Speaks.
C. J. Roberts, president of the National Music Mer-
chants' Association, who had come all the way from
Baltimore to address the convention, read a memorial
to the late Clayton A. Grinnell, a former president
of the association, and addressing Mrs. Grinnell, his
widow, said that a committee would present her with
a copy that afternoon. He told Mrs. Grinnell of the
high esteem in which her husband had been held by
each and every member of the association.
Resolution on the Death of C. A. Grinnell.
A resolution in the death of C. A. Grinnell was
read by C. J. Roberts, president of the National As-
sociation of Music Merchants. The resolution in
part follows:
Whereas, Clayton A. Grinnell was a thorough, un-
selfish and devoted worker in music trade association
activities, local, state and national; and
Whereas, Mr. Grinnell gave of his time and energy
to serve as president of the National Association of
Music Merchants and as president of the Music In-
dustries Chamber of Commerce; therefore be it
Resolved, That the National Association of Music
Merchants hereby vainly attempt to express, in mere
words, the great loss which it knows the music
trade in America has suffered through the death of
one of its most loyal supporters, Clayton A. Grin-
nell; and be it further
Resolved, That two copies of these resolutions be
properly engrossed and presented, one to the be-
reaved family of the deceased, and the other to the
loyal and devoted business associates of Clayton A.
Grinnell,
18TH ANNUAL MEET,
MUSIC ASS'N OF OHIO
September 12th, 13th and 14th, 1927, Winton
Hotel, Prospect Avenue, East of East
Ninth Street, Cleveland, Ohio.
Program.
Other Speakers.
Addresses were given by Herman Irion, New
York, president National Music Chamber of Com-
merce; O. H. Boyd, Marion, president, Ohio State
Music Merchants' Association; A. L. Maresch, Cleve-
land, president, Cleveland Music Merchants' Associa-
tion; Fred Wardell, president, Eureka Vacuum
Cleaner Company; A. K. Gutsohn, New York, presi-
dent, National Technicians' Association, and Edward
C. Boykin, executive secretary, National Manufac-
turers' promotion committee.
All meetings held in Parlor K, mezzanine floor,
Winton Hotel, and on Cleveland time.
Monday, September 12th, 1927, Morning.
9:00 a. m. (Cleveland time)—Registration, mezza-
nine floor, Winton Hotel.
Visit the exhibits on the mezzanine and second
floors of Winton Hotel.
Coupon book ticket saves $2.00.
The Cleveland dealers, jobbers and manufacturers
have provided a fund to cover the expense of enter-
tainment at the various social functions during the
convention.
Monday, September 12th—Boat ride on Lake Erie
on palatial steamer "City of St. Ignace"; dancing.
Tickets, $1.00 per person.
Tuesday, September 13th—Noonday luncheon, Ball
Room of Winton Hotel; entertainment. Tickets,
$2.00 per person.
Wednesday, September 14th—Informal dinner,
Rainbow Room of Winton Hotel; speaker, entertain-
ment and dancing. Tickets, $5.00 per person.
Total cost of above, if coupon book is purchased,
$6.00 (saving $2.00).
Special notice! The ladies are invited and are most
welcome at all social functions and meetings.
Afternoon.
1:00 p. m. (Cleveland time)—Open session, Parlor
K, mezzanine floor, Winton Hotel.
1—Roll call (dispensed with because of registra-
tion).
2—Reading of minutes of previous meetings.
3—Report of president (dispensed with because
printed elsewhere in this issue).
4—Report of treasurer (dispensed with because
printed elsewhere in this issue).
5—Report of secretary (dispensed with because
printed elsewhere in this issue).
6—Report of council.
7—"Profitable Advertising." A discussion to be
led by Erwin R. Mihm of Cleveland and Robert
Jones of Cleveland.
8—Report of Advertising Advisory Committee,
W. E. Summers, Washington Court House, chair-
man.
9—Appointment of Resolutions Committee.
5:00 p. m. ( C l e v e l a n d time)—Adjournment,
promptly at this hour, all unfinished business going
over until the next session.
For the Ladies.
During the afternoon, while the meeting is on, the
ladies will meet at the secretary's desk on the mezza-
nine floor of the Winton Hotel at 2:00 o'clock for a
social hour, to get acquainted. Those desiring will
be conducted on a shopping tour of Cleveland's
stores. Cards for others wishing to play bridge.
8:15 p. m. (Cleveland time)—Moonlight boat ride,
"City of St. Ignace." Promptly at 8:15 p. m., the
"City of St. Ignace," one of Lake Erie's large and
palatial steamers, will leave the East Ninth Street
dock on the shore of Lake Erie for a two and one-
half hour boat ride, viewing the skyline of Cleveland.
The cool ride on Lake Erie will give everyone a
chance to get acquainted. A fine orchestra will pro-
vide dancing on the boat. The East Ninth Street
pier (where all the passenger boats in and out of
Cleveland dock) is about six city blocks from the
Winton Hotel. It is a nice walk, or easily reached
by street car direct to the dock.
In his talk Tuesday afternoon after the piano trade
luncheon in the Book-Cadillac Hotel, Chas. L.
Deutschmann, president of the National Piano
Tuners' Association, referred pointedly to the replace-
ment value of the piano. He combatted the idea
that "a piano improves with age" or that "a piano
lasts a lifetime." "We have got to contradict that
(Continued on page 4)
Tuesday, September 13th, 1927, Morning.
The mornings during the convention are given over
to the exhibitors. The most profitable way to spend
one's idle time at a convention is to visit the exhibits,
on the second and mezzanine floors of the Winton
Hotel.
11:30 a. m. (Cleveland time)—Luncheon, Ball
Room, mezzanine floor, Winton Hotel; chairman,
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