Classic Mode

Presto

Issue: 1927 2149

MUSICAL
TIMES
PRESTO
Established
1881
Established
1884
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
10 Cents a Copy
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1927
CONVENTION PLANS
OF INDIANA TRADE
Second Annual Meeting of the Indiana Asso-
ciation of Music Merchants at Indianap-
olis October 10 and 11 to Show
Strength of Organization.
i
AN ALLURING PROGRAM
In Addition to Business Sessions of Great Attractive-
ness, the Entertainment Committee Has Pro-
vided Several Joyful Events.
Everything is in readiness for the second annual
convention of the Indiana Association of Music Mer-
chants in Indianapolis, October 10 and 11, in the
Indianapolis Athletic Club, Indianapolis. The pro-
gram is forceful evidence of the instructive and ben-
eficial information that will be presented. And,
although attention will be centered on the business
of the convention, there will be just enough enter-
tainment to diversify the events of the convention.
"We want dealers from every city in Indiana, at
least 250, so that we can present a solid front in case
of needed legislation, to cooperate in the solving of
problems that present themselves from time to time,
and to bring about a closer relationship of those of
us in the music industry," is the plea to dealers in a
letter from Joel B. Ryde, chairman general conven-
tion committee.
Special Rates.
Special convention rates for rooms at the Indian-
apolis Athletic Club, $3, $3.50 and $4 per day, per
person have been mailed to the trade.
The completion of the details necessarily depends
upon the number of cards returned by dealers. A
number of men have already written that they will
attend the convention. Visiting members who will
be accompanied by their wives may find splendid
accommodations at the Spink-Arms Hotel across
from the club at very reasonable rates.
The Officers.
The following are the officers and directors of the
association elected at the convention of 1926:
!
President, Joel B. Ryde, Fuller-Ryde Music Co.,
27 East Ohio street, Indianapolis; first vice-president,
Wilbur Templin, Wilbur Templin Music Stores,
Elkhart; second vice-president, Albert S. Bond,
Packard Music House, Fort Wayne; treasurer,
J. Edwin Butler, Butler Music Co, Marion;
secretary, George E. Stewart, Wilson-Stewart Music
Co., 44 North Pennsylvania street, Indianapolis.
Directors (one year)—P. F. Schneider, Schneider
Music Co., Vincennes; Geo. Jacobs, Jacobs Music
House, Ft. Wayne; Frank O. Wilking, Wilking Music
C, Indianapolis.
Directors (two years)—A. T. Rapp, Rapp & Len-
nox Piano Co., Indianapolis; C. W. Copp, Copp Music
Shop, South Bend; M. L. Claypool, Claypool-Lacey
Music Co., Crawfordsvil'.e.
Directors (three years)—John S. Pearson, Pearson
Piano Co., Indianapolis; Will A. Young, music dealer,
Ft. Wayne; Fred L. Paige, W. H. Paige & Co., Terre
Haute.
Tentative program second annual convention Indi-
ana Association of Music Merchants, October 10-11,
1927, Indianapolis Athletic Club:
Luncheon on Monday.
Monday, October 10, from 9 a. m. to 12 m., regis-
tration and get-together period. At 12:15 p. m. there
will be an assembly luncheon in Parlor A, with music
and address of welcome, "Value of Associations," by
Dick Miller, president Indianapolis Chamber of Com-
merce.
At 2 p. m. the first business session will be opened
with the president's address, to be followed by the
reports of secretary and treasurer, appointment of
resolutions committee and appointment of nominating
committee.
•These addresses will be at 2:30 p m. "Interesting
Young Men in the Music Business," W. E. Guylee,
vice-president The Cable Co., Chicago; "Installment
Selling Today." Hy. Giessenbier, cashier Scruggs,
Vandervoort & Barney Bank, St. Louis; "Advantages
of the Carrying Charge," Chas. S. Onderdonk, vice-
president Chickering & Sons. There will follow a
general discussion of problems pertaining to the
music business.
At 10 p. m. on Monday there will be a smoker and
frolic.
Events on Tuesday.
At 9:30 a. m., "Helping the Dealer Sell More
Pianos," by Edw. C. Boykin, executive secretary
National Piano Manufacturers' Association. At 10 a. m.,
"Class Piano Instruction," George Cain, Miessner In-
stitute of Music, Milwaukee, Wis.; 10:30 a. m., "Music
in the Public Schools," Ernest G. Hesser, supervisor
of music, Indianapolis public schools: 11 a. m., "De-
veloping School Bands and Orchestras," Joseph E.
Maddy, Ann Arbor, Mich.
At 12:15 p. m., inspirational luncheon in Parlor A
with music and address by Merle Sidener, "Cash
Drawer Value of Good Will."
Other Addresses.
At 2 p. m., "Profitable Advertising," by Gordon
Laughead. At 2:30 p. m., "The Talking Machine a
Necessity in the Modern Home," Frances E. Clark,
director educational department Victor Talking Ma-
chine Co.. At 3 p. m., "Radio Merchandising for
Music Dealers," speaker to be selected; reports of
membership committee, resolutions committee and
nominating committee; election and adjournment.
At 7 p. m., the annual banquet (informal) will be
held; speaker to be selected.
E. PALMER TUCKER ENJOYS
VACATION IN THE SIERRAS
Vice-President of the Wiley B. Allen Co., Los An-
geles, Stores Up Energy for Fall Work.
The accompanying illustration shows some of the
elevated scenery of the High Sierras in California
where E. Palmer Tucker, vice-president of the Wiley
B. Allen Co., Los Angeles, spent a delightful vacation
recently. As may be judged by the turbulent stream
flowing in front of Mr. Tucker—seen in readiness at
the right—plump trout and other tasty fish appeared
with regularity in the camp menus. Mr. Tucker's
reliable mountain appetite always responded to the
savory invitation from the out-of-door kitchen, from
which large quantities of quality food was forthcom-
ing for every meal.
The sojourn in the mountains was a pleasant play-
ing interlude between working periods and Mr.
Tucker returned to work in Los Angeles with his
well known peppiness augmented in a way that
promises big results this fall.
$2 The Year
JOHN J. QLYNN ON THE
PIANO'S PERMANENCE
Prominent Man in New York Trade Sees No
Danger of Instrument Being Superceded
—Other New York News.
John J. Glynn, manager of the New York ware-
rooms of the Mathushek Piano Mfg. Co., and secre-
tary of the James & Holmstrom Piano Co., finds a
decided improvement has taken place during the
past month. Mr. Glynn is one of the leading exec-
utives in the local trade and his opinions and prog-
nostications are regarded with respect by the trade
at large. In a recent interview with a representative
of Presto-Times, Mr. Glynn expressed the greatest
confidence of the future of the piano in the United
States.
Scores Idle Talk.
"To say that the piano is in danger of being super-
seded by the radio or by any other musical instru-
ment is but idle talk. We all know that the piano
is the basic musical instrument, and as such, is
destined to live and flourish as long as there is any
desire for music in the hearts of the people.
"We are undergoing a subtle but definite change
in the United States. The people in general are
beginning to realize that there is something else in
life than the mad struggle to amass riches. There
is an awakening in all the arts, in painting, sculpture,
literature and particularly music."
The past week has witnessed a decided upward
trend in retail piano sales in New York city, accord-
ing to reports from leading piano houses throughout
the Metropolitan district. There is every indication
now of an active and profitable fall season.
New Ordinance Demanded.
New York city merchants from present indications,
are ready to back a movement to enact a city ordi-
nance to compel van owners to report on moving
jobs. Piano dealers in the city lose thousands of
dollars each year through removal of pianos by time-
payment customers who fail to apprise them of their
new addresses. In a city the size of New York, it
is most difficult to trace the purchaser who moves
from place to place, leaving a trail of unpaid ac-
counts in their wake. Ordinances of this kind are
in effect in other cities in various parts of the United
States and are proving a distinct aid to the piano
trade. In New York, however, previous efforts to
pass such an ordinance in the Board of Aldermen
have not proven successful.
The Aeolian Dividend.
Directors of the Aeolian Co. have declared the
sixty-sixth consecutive dividend of 1-}^ per cent on
the preferred stock, which is for the current quarter,
payable September 30 to stockholders of record Sep-
tember 20. Directors of the Aeolian, Weber and
Pianola companies have declared quarterly dividends
of 1)4 per cent on the preferred stock, also payable
on September 30 to stockholders of record Sep-
tember 20.
Herbert Simpson, president of Kohler & Camp-
bell, Inc., has returned from a trip extending to Texas
and Georgia.
Mr. Simpson came back feeling
optimistic in regard to the outlook for business in
the territory he covered.
Franklin Dunham, education director of the Aeo-
lian Co., New York, while abroad this last summer,
visited the foreign branches of the Aeolian Co. and
was the guest of Percy Scholes of London, music
director of the British Broadcasting Co. and advisor
to the Aeo'ian Co., Ltd. He attended the Beethoven
music festival in Vienna. The Aeolian educational
department has had a most successful season and a
busy fall season is anticipated.
W. N. VAN MATRE'S PLANS.
W. C. WISWELL IN CHICAGO.
W. N. Van Matre, who admits he is a "retired
piano manufacturer," is again to go West for the
winter about November 1. He leaves his fine home
at Lake Bluff, 111., for the Pacific Coast, stopping
at Phoenix, Ariz., en route, where he plays golf
with the golf master of the Phoenix course in winter,
as he does with him on Mr. Van Matre's favorite
course at Lake Bluff in summer. He intended to go
to Honolulu, but became fascinated with his sur-
roundings in California and decided not to go.
W. C. Wiswell, Joliet, 111., secretary of the Illinois
Music Merchants' Association, was a Chicago visitor
on Monday of this week and attended the Piano Club
luncheon on that day. He gave a short talk in which
he urged all Chicago members of the state association
to attend the convention meetings at the Palmer
House next week. Mr. Wiswell said he believed a
good attendance from down state was expected and
he believed the gathering would be the best one so
far in the history of the Illinois association.
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
WISCONSIN MUSIC
TRADE ASS'N MEETS
Second Convention of Wisconsin Association
of Music Merchants in Attendance and
Enthusiasm Shows Prominence in
Roster of State Organizations.
OFFICER^REELECTED
W. Otto Miessner and Associates in the Official
Groups Again Chosen to Direct Its Affairs
for Another Term.
The Wisconsin Association of Music Merchants
met in -its second annual convention on Tuesday and
Wednesday of this week at the Hotel Wisconsin,
Milwaukee, The convention was remarkable for the
great number of representative music dealers who
attended, nearly every town and city in the state
being represented,.
W. Otto Miessner, president of the association,
who presided, made . an opening address which
briefly told of the achievements of the association
in its -first' year of effort. It was a record of which
the association should be proud, he said.
Mr. Miessner gave in the opening address an out-
line of the progress made by the Melody Way plan
of piano teaching, designed by Mr. Miessner and
The Luncheon.
Matt J. Kennedy, Chicago, former president of the
Piano Club, addressed the delegates and their wives
at luncheon on the recreation of the American home.
It was a talk filled with facts that fittingly illustrated
his subject. The promoters of the Radio Show being
held in Milwaukee presented tickets to the music
trade folk present att the luncheon.
Mr. Kennedy also explained the "Kennedy Way" of
creating interest in the piano in the home and told
in detail about the Miller-Kennedy service.
There were fifty guests at the Tuesday luncheon,
with a considerable number from out of town poitns,
including Madison, Kenosha, Racine, Oshkosh, La
Crosse and other cities.
The Radio Topic.
The talks on radio and its effects on the music
business were good and reasonable, the theory in
general being that radio, which is only a reproducing
of the music of musical instruments ought to help
their sale.
"Radio will not supplant the study of music for
self-expression and enjoyment but will encourage it.
With the widespread use of the radio we can expect
a great revival in the study of piano, violin and other
instruments used in the home."
That is the opinion of Mr. Dennis, who expressed
his views on the influence of radio.
"I believe that radio will effect a rehabilitation of
the home. It has been decried as partly responsible
for the jazz age, but it will nevertheless bring about
a reaction, and creative music in the home will be
stimulated," said Mr. Dennis.
"Unless we are a nation of morons we cannot hear
the remarkable music that radio now affords without
feeling an incentive to emulate the artists.
"The simplified methods now available for music
study will join with the interest aroused by radio
to advance the study. The piano is the basic home
instrument, and through recent advances made in
the group study method widespread results are
already in evidence."
Mr. Dennis told of the bureau for the development
of music, organized by the national association. It
plans to hold state and national piano playing con-
tests to stimu'ate interest in music, he said.
The Closing Day.
The convention closed at 12 o'clock Wednesday,
after the addresses of T. M. Pletcher and Henry
Weisert, both of which brought out separate con-
victions. Mr. Pletcher at state conventions hereto-
fore has brought out the same proposition as his
talk here, but he always has new suggestions and
different angles of presenting his plea to dealers to
bring up-to-date methods into piano dealing. If the
legitimate, the straight piano business lags, he says,
sugar it up with some other closely allied line—the
radio .being the one best adapted to his needs today,
as the phonograph was in the palmy days of that
iilstrument.
Important Resolution.
"Ill advised" and so-called "fake" advertising occu-
pied a good deal of attention, the subject having
been brought up by Mr. Forbes of Madison. A reso-
\V. OTTO MIESSNER.
lution was adopted which will be sent to all Wis-
sponsored by the Journal. Since the Journal's use consin dealers, whether members of the association
of the plan, it has been adopted by 33 daily news- or not and to many other dealers throughout the
papers in the United States and three in Canada, Mr. country denouncing this kind of piano advertising.
Miessner said, and by 300 public schools. Charts
A Joint Affair.
and pages from newspapers were shown to the dele-
The
music
merchants'
convention was somewhat of
gates illustrating the progress of the movement.
a joint affair with the Wisconsin State Radio Expo-
C. L. Dennis of New York, executive secretary of
the National Association of Music Merchants, and sition. In fact, the program book called the "Broad-
formerly of Milwaukee, praised the Wisconsin asso- caster" and used by both associations, was headed
ciation as the first and leading state organization of "Radio Music Exposition." One of the board of
directors of the Radio Association was H. M. Steussy,
music merchants.
"Before the Wisconsin association was started one an officer of the Kessellman-O'Driscoll Music House,
year ago, we had only a loosely connected national who is also the secretary-treasurer-elect of the mer-
organization. Now we have completely reorganized chants' association of Wisconsin. Mr. Steussy was
in state units and the association is accomplishing also chairman of the entertainment committee of the
Radio Show which put on, as the piano men well
something toward its purpose—to protect the interests
good entertainment, a special
of retail music retailers and to promote an interest know, a "cracking"
feature of which w r as the Chicago Piano Club mem-
in music in the home," he said.
ber, Axel Christensen. In fact, as a Milwaukee
NEW OFFICERS.
daily paper says:
The election resulted in the re-election of the pres-
"The monster entertainment program lived up to
ident and all the vice-presidents, as follows:
all
advance notices and gave a little more for good
President, W. Otto Miessner; 1st vice-president,
Hugh Randall; 2nd vice-president, F. B. Hook; 3rd measure.
"Broadcasting from the crystal studio in the center
vice-president, Fred Leithall; 4th vice-president, Carl
Seeger; 5th vice-president, Mr. Wilson; secretary- of the main arena practically was continuous, with
popular radio artists passing in review before the
treasurer, H. M. Steussy.
microphone.
All of the executive committee were re-elected ex-
"Axel Christensen, prominent W H T artist and the
cept Mr. Steussy, whose place as director was taken
man
who plays the piano like a duet, headlined the
by Mr. Reinwald of the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co.
An incident of the election was the attempt of Mr. opening performance of the show. He occupied the
Miessner to avoid renomination. He said he could position of honor on the program until the middle
not accept as he was so little in Milwaukee or even of the week, when the Salerno brothers of WGN
in the state of Wisconsin. But he finally accepted, took his place."
The Exhibits.
his decision evoking prolonged applause.
The exposition of the radio show itself took on
Members of the board of directors are: Erich
Hafsoos, Edward Herzog, Paul F. Netzow, Herman the appearance, in a great measure, of a music trade
Noll, Joseph Roussellot and H. C. Reinwald, all of exposition. Pianos, nearly all of them grands, were
Milwaukee.
(Continued on page 9)
October 8, 1927
Hardman, Feck & Co.
make
a Fine Piano
for every pocketbook
All exquisite instruments
offering unique tone beauty
and durability. All made
and g u a r a n t e e d by t h e
makers of the Hardman, the
world's most durable piano.
Your choice of models priced
to consumers from $375 to
$5000.
85 Years of Fine Piano Making
^ or c a t a ' ° 8
of pianos
anc
'
Made and guaranteed by
Hardman, Fec
433 Fifth Avenue, New York
Fine Pianos
Makers oj the world's most
durable piano—the Hardman
Schumann
PIANOS and PLAYER PIANOS
GRANDS and UPRIGHTS
Have no superiors in appearance, tone
power or other essentials of strictly
leaders in the trade.
Warning to Infringers
J
o -Piano, Q
33EE3
Thla Trade Mark la caat
In the plat* and alao ap-
pear* upon the fall board
of all genuine Schumann
Planoa. and all Infrlngera
will be proaeouted. Beware
of Imitation* auch aa Schu-
mann & Company, Schu-
mann 4k Son, and alao
Shuman, aa all atencll
ahopa, dealera and uaera of
planoa bearing a name In
Imitation of the name
Schumann with the Inten-
tion of deceiving the public
will be prosecuted to the
fulleat extent of the law.
New UfttAiocue on Beqneat.
Schumann Piano Co.
W. N. VAN MATRE, President
Rockford, 111.
W. P. Haines & Co.
Manufacturers of
BRADBURY. WEBSTER
and
W. P. HAINES & CO.
Grand, Upright and Reproducing
Pianos
138th Street and Walton Avenue
NEW YORK
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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