Classic Mode

Presto

Issue: 1927 2150

MUSICAL
TIMES
PRESTO
Established
1881
Established
1884
ess
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
10 Cents a Copy
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1927
PIANO CLUB OPENS
WEEK IN CHICAGO
Luncheon at Noon Monday and Annual Din-
ner and Election at the Blackstone Hotel
in the Evening Are Joyous Events In-
augurating Memorial Week.
HARRY BIBB NEW PRESIDENT
Pleasant Fraternal Feeling in the Club Evokes Com-
ment of Retiring President Gordon Laughead
in Happy Speech.
This has been a gala week in the piano and gen-
eral music business at Chicago—a notable week
fraught with potentialities for bettering things gen-
erally through club and association effort, through
individual push and through the broadening of good-
will among fellow workers.
First there was a dual affair by the Piano Club of
Chicago, whose programs were on the tapis from
Monday noon until midnight, beginning with the
noonday luncheon at the Illinois Athletic Club and
ending with the annual meeting and feast at the
Blackstone Hotel that evening.
Then after a lull on Tuesday began the convention
of the Illinois Music Merchants' Association at the
Palmer House, a concomitant feature of which was
the conclave of the Ancient and Honorable Associa-
tion of Cheese Hounds.
Dinner at Blackstone Hotel.
There was not a big gathering Monday noon at
the luncheon of the club, but at the Blackstone in the
evening there was a crowd. The annual meeting was
unique. A big "eat" and entertainment for a little
money; never before as much for as little outlay, for
there was provided an extra good meal, refresh-
ments and entertainment. The only reflection that
could be cast was on the limitations of the room,
which was crowded by the good-sized assemblage.
More persons than were expected had come, and
many late comers had to be provided for.
Axel Christensen There.
The College Quartette and "Our own" Axel Chris-
tensen furnished the entertainment of the evening.
Comment was general to the effect that this was an
unique affair—small room, big crowd; small price,
big dinner; with more ''extras'' than the club has
been accustomed to for many moons.
The annual report of the retiring president, Gordon
1 .aughead, follows:
Retiring President's Report.
I desire to pay tribute to the loyalty of your other
officers, Harry Bibb, Roger O'Connor and Brownie
Brownell, to your President during the past year.
Never in my Piano Club experience have I known
such loyal, willing, sincere men. They have made
the work easier, co-operation a joy and have faithfully
served you and the trade in general efficiently. They
have always carried out the purpose of this club—
the promotion of music and the friendship of the
members. We have never had a disagreement on
any point this year These men also piloted the
activities of the 1927 music trades convention with
honor to themselves and satisfaction to the trade.
The work of the board of governors, too, is de-
serving of thanks.
Our past presidents always
jumped in and helped whenever needed_ and their
advice and counsel has been deeply appreciated.
Tribute to the Talent.
It is increasingly difficult to get good talent free,
mainly because the radio stations are paying the
artists. We are deerdy grateful to Axel Christensen,
Ted Benedict, Harold Dick and others who are pro-
fessionals, but who interest themselves in the Piano
Club because they like us.
Our year's social activities aside from our weekly
noon day meetings included: a stag party for Axel
Christensen. a stag party at the Il'inois Athletic
Club, a party for the ladies at the Chez Pierre. Pre-
convention dinner to our past president and true
friend Edward H. Uhl and the convention banquet
and dance which in reality was a Piano Club func-
tion.
The Club holds a unique position in the trade—
organized for the promotion of music and the friend-
ship of its members. We have been the big brother
and willing helper of the National Trade Bodies and
several State associations. This good will promoted
by Matt Kennedy, Jim Bristol, Harry Schoenwald,
John McKenna and Harry Hewitt, has certainly
made the music business a friendly business among
its workers.
Our serious work is the promotion of music. Dur-
ing the past year we broke all preceding years' rec-
ords in this work. We gave over $800 to the Chi-
cago Civic Opera Co.; $1,000 to the Chicago Piano
Playing Tournament, and other smaller sums to other
music promotion ideas. Our members made the
Piano Playing Tournament possible by giving count-
less days and nights to the actual operation of the
tournament. The Piano Club not only gives its
money but its time to promote music and I think-
that in the past year we have surpassed and left far
in the rear any similar organization engaged in this
work.
Your treasurer will report $4,000 on hand in Lib-
erty Bonds and several hundred dollars in the bank
and all bills paid. We believe this is also a record in
view of the fact that we promoted music on a larger
scale than ever before.
Group instruction of piano, school band contests
and piano playing tournaments are a reality. For
the next year I would like to see a group instruction
movement, instead of a Piano Playing Tournament.
To keep pace with the times we need new active
young members anxious to work. Let's get every
young fellow in the trade—not now in the club—inter-
ested. You will help him and he will help you.
To you all I am grateful for your help and a thou-
sand courtesies during the past year.
Retiring Secretary's Report.
The retiring secretary, Roger O'Connor, made the
following report for the fiscal year ending October
10, 1927:
During the past year, the total number attending
our luncheon and other functions reached 2,893. The
special social events other than the regular luncheons,
constituted a gathering of 88 at the testimonial Stag
Dinner to Axel Christensen on the evening of De-
cember 6, 1926—133 at a Dinner Dance, Chez Pierre,
on the evening of February 1, 1927, a stag in honor
of our four life members on March 21, 1927, at the
Il'inois Athletic Club, at which sixty were present;
lifty-two at the pre-convention "pep" party. Hotel
Stevens, on the evening of June 3, 1927, and the
large number of 801 at the noon luncheon, Hotel Ste-
vens, on June 6, 1927, which luncheon officially
opened the Music Merchants' Convention.
One of the outstanding events in the entire piano
industry was the first annual Greater Chicago Chil-
dren's Piano Playing Tournament, the finals of which
were held in the Grand Ballroom of the Hotel Ste-
vens on the evening of June 8, 1927. The Piano Club
contributed $1,000 in cash toward the financial sup-
port of this venture, and the Tournament Directing
Committee, numbering twenty, were all members of
the Piano Club, each of whom gave of their time
freely for a period of over six months prior to the
Grand Finals, in the great preparation of this gigantic
task, which was a huge publicity success, and the
entire membership of the Piano Club to a large
extent volunteered their services in acting on differ-
ent committees in the preliminary and district tests
of which there were several hundred held prior to the
Grand Finals.
Past President Henry D. Hewitt of 1926, was chair-
man of the project, Past President James T. Bristol
of the year 1923 was treasurer, Peter Meyers, execu-
tive secretary, and Chas. E. Byrne father of the Tour-
nament idea.
Eugene Whelan, Adam Schneider,
W'alter Kiehn, Henry E. Weisert, Chris. C. Steger,
Donald Steger, Gurney R. Brownell, Geo. S. Mc-
Laughlin, Gordon Laughead, Geo. K. Dowd, Harry
B. Bibb, Fred Ryder, E. C. Hill, C. E. Moist, H. H.
Fleer and Roger O'Connor, comprised the Master
Committee.
During the past year, the grim messenger of death
knocked at the portals of our Club on December 18,
1926. and called one of our members, JOHN M.
BARN HARD, to his last reward.
Forty-one new applications for membership were
received and accepted during the year. The total on
the roster of the Club to date is 235 city, 62 out of
town, making a membership all in good standing
of 297.
Election of Officers.
The election of officers unanimously placed in office
the entire slate as selected by the nominating com-
mittee and presented some six weeks ago. ft ap-
peared in Presto-Times in the issue of August 27.
The new president, Harry Bibb, was introduced
and gave an enthusiastic talk. He thanked the club
for the honor, said he realized the responsibility of
the office and asked the earnest help of every mem-
$2 The Year
AT THE FACTORY OF
THE STARR PIANO CO.
Evidences of Activity Visible in Every Depart-
ment and a Busy Shipping Room Tells
an Eloquent Tale.
The factory of the Starr Piano Co.. Richmond, Ind.,
enjoys distinction because of its size and completeness.
It is always a pleasure for the Presto-Times man to
visit it and observe its efficiency, but his recent
visit was particularly enjoyable from the plain evi-
dences of Starr activity in production. The Starr
Piano Co. manufactures every component part in
its comprehensive line of products—pianos, phono-
graphs and talking machine records. Richmond is
proud of the great Starr plant and points to the
Starr Piano Co. as the pioneer industrial institution
of the central states and that it now occupies a posi-
tion of prominence among the best known piano
factories.
Starr Capacity.
The capacity of the Starr Piano Co.'s factory is
plainly evident, not only from the extensive build-
ings and lumber yards but from modern character
of its machinery and tools and the efficiency of the
picked corps of craftsmen employed. It is a splen-
did showing of progress since the company was or-
ganized in 1872. The buildings are located in the
center of a plot of ground thirty-acres in extent,
which is devoted entirely to the purposes of the com-
pany. In this great plant every part of Starr pianos
and Starr-made pianos is completed from the basic
material, including the player mechanism in all its
entirety.
The large and steady demand for Starr grands is
an evidence of merit of the instruments as well as
the favor for the grand models at this time. Starr
grands come in three sizes from the famous small
grand, the "Minum," to the largest concert style.
The Starr Glissando.
The new Starr Chromatic Glissando pianos are
notable innovations in the extensive line of the com-
pany. The Giissando piano is a new and novel means
of expression which interests the artist and the stu-
dent. Starr Chromatic Glissando pianos offer the
player an opportunity for performing either ascend-
ing or descending chromatic glissandos through the
entire keyboard with a perfection of rhythm and
evenness of touch unobtainable on flat keys. The
Starr Chromatic Glissando piano not only provides
a means to greater versatility to the proficient pianist,
but is an inspiration to youthful students in taking
the monotony out of daily practice.
Henry Gennett, president of the company, is at
present in California, from which he sends very sat-
isfactory reports of Starr Piano Co.'s business on the
Pacific Coast.
W. S. LANZ TO GO EAST.
W. S. Lanz, traveler for the Schiller Piano Com-
pany, who recently covered the Northwest in a sell-
ing trip, intends to cover the East and South in his
coming trip. He expects to find a livelier trade this
trip than before for some time, as he says financial
conditions are improving in the East, and are better
in the South, too.
her to aid him in making a success of the organiza-
tion; to help him to increase the membership and
in every way boost with him. He expressed his
pleasure at seeing the hold-over members of the
Executive Committee taking such keen interest, for
their work would count for much.
At the noonday luncheon of the Piano Club two
prominent guests from out-of town were R. K. May-
nard, general Pacific Coast representative of the M.
Schulz Company, and George Bliss, eastern represen-
tative of the Q R S Music Company. Both of these
men were called upon for talks and obligingly pleased
their auditors.
Gordon Laughead had to make a quick getaway
from the meeting in order to catch a train for In-
dianapolis, where he was due on Tuesday forenoon to
deliver an address before the convention of the In-
diana Association of Music Merchants, his topic
being ''Profitable Advertising."
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
ILLINOIS MUSIC MERCHANTS
ASSOCIATION IN CONVENTION
Large Attendance and Well Expressed Enthusiasm Show Vitality of State
Organization of Music Trade Men at Palmer House, Chicago,This Week
The Illinois Music Merchants' Association opened
its annual convention at the Palmer House, Chicago,
on Wednesday of this week with a luncheon spon-
sored by the Piano Club of Chicago. It was a two-
days' convention, which while following the sched-
uled program, also conducted inquiries into several
side issues of more than cursory interest to the deal-
ers in pianos in Illinois.
Treasurer's Report.
The report of the treasurer showed that there was
at the beginning of the year $202.18 cash on hand;
receipts from members during the year, $441.35; dis-
bursements, $522.42; cash on hand this month,
$121.11.
The Replevin Subject.
Henry Weisert spoke of the benefit of state organ-
ization in cases of replevin. Formerly a New York
law or ruling required a five days' notice if a shipper
wanted to foreclose on a piano. "Why, the piano
might be as far away as California in that time," said
Mr. Weisert. The New York association has suc-
ceeded in getting that ruling or law rescinded or
repealed.
Class Teaching
A member referred to the recent remarks of Shir-
ley Walker when Mr. Walker was in Chicago. Mr.
Walker, who is president of the Northern California
Music Merchants' Association, has said in Chicago
that it would have been impossible for an individual
to haveg roup instruction in music put into the
schools, but the association had succeeded in doing
so out there with the aid and backing of the super-
visor of music.
President Hanger said that he is a member of the
Board of Education of the city of Lincoln, 111., as
well as a piano dealer there. In Lincoln the music
teacher of the public schools gives the group instruc-
tion in music before and after the regular school
hours, thereby not infringing on the regular school
day. Lincoln now has 68 music pupils taking group
instruction. "If you haven't group instruction in
your schools," said Mr. Hanger, "institute it at once,
but be sure that you do not make your piano dealer
too prominent in the enterprise."
The Wednesday Luncheon.
The noonday luncheon Wednesday was started by
honoring Harry Bibb, president- elect of the Chicago
Piano Club, which sponsored this session, the whole
assemblage of nearly one hundred bursting into song
with the following line, "He's a Jully Good Fellow."
Welcomes Association to Chicago.
Mr. Bibb welcomed the association to the city,
complimented it on its fair start and introduced its
president, E. E. Hanger, piano dealer of Lincoln,
111., who responded by thanking the Chicago people
for helping to make the association a success. They
had aided in putting to rout any jealous feeling as
between Chicago dealers and the dealers throughout
the state, and all sections could now work harmo-
niously.
Joliet Receives Praise.
Dealer Wiswell of Joliet was called upon and
said that Joliet had a lot of fine piano men and was
proudly the home of this year's "Miss America." In-
deed, his city was famous for many other things
beside being the location of a bog penitentiary. He
alluded to its place on the map as a great manu-
facturing center.
C. E. Byrne on Contests.
Charles E. Byrne, vice-president Steger & Sons
Piano Mfg. Co., Chicago, spoke on piano playing
tournaments and presented some facts that should
serve to increase the sale of pianos.
Piano playing tournament is the best means of
creating future sales. If such tournaments had been
conducted for many years instead of recently, their
cumulative effect would have produced a greater in-
terest in the piano and created a larger volume of
piano sales," he said. The most effective way to
show a mother or father that a piano is a necessity
is by making them realize how ability to play the
piano will serve to insure the social and commercial
advancement of their children. The piano industry
owes its progress to the love of the parent for the
child, the natural ambition to promote its welfare
through education. And the educational factor is the
foundation of the piano trade.
What suggestion does the tournament hold for
the piano merchant? It would be impossible for one
man to conduct so large an undertaking, but several
October 15, 1927
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
C. L. DENNIS RESIGNS
Fact Conveyed in Letter This Week to Presi-
dent Roberts of the National Association
of Music Merchants.
The resignation of C. L. Dennis as executive sec-
retary of the National Association of Music Mer-
chants was conveyed in the following letter to its
competitors might hold a tournament on a small president. C. J. Roberts, Baltimore, this week:
scale
and the results in increased musical interest
Indianapolis, Ind., October 9, 1927.
w r ould be well worth while.
Dear Mr. Roberts:
The average piano merchant is very busy with
It is with a sense of regret that 1 feel compelled
many problems of his own and he is inclined to bury to offer to you my resignation as executive secretary
himself in his store. However, it is important that of the National Association of Music Merchants, to
he widen his activities, participate in various musical take effect November 1. An opportunity has come
affairs and promote such educational movements as to me for service which I feel is well suited to my
group instruction and piano playing tournaments. experience and qualifications, which will maintain
The only way to work for a good harvest of piano my contacts in the music trade, and which 1 hope
sales is to plant the right kind of seeds where they will serve their interests and mine to our mutual
will do the most good.
benefit.
Your personal knowledge of my plans will confirm
Guylee Favors Music Promotion.
my viewpoint of the matter. In no way do I wish
W. E. Guylee, president of the National Piano you to feel that my interest and assistance in your
Manufacturers' Association, spoke, assuring his hear- plans will cease abruptly, although I find it necessary
ers that he was continuing the fight, now nation-wide, to take up my new work at an early date. 1 hope
of promoting the cause of music.
to be in a position to help you carry on in the asso-
ciation work, and I will be glad to do so.
How the Tuners Help.
I do regret the change, however, to the extent
Chas. Deutschman, president of the National that our personal contacts will not be as frequent
Tuners' Association, gave the tuners' side of the and we cannot carry out in official relationship the
story, telling how this class of useful geniuses aided plans which we had developed for the remainder of
indirectly in the sale of many pianos, and of their your administration. I wish also to thank you for
your keen understanding and sympathetic consider-
services to the trade generally.
ation of the association problems, which have made
Roberts Sends Regrets.
it a pleasure to work with you.
With cordial good wishes to you personally, and
Others who spoke briefly included E. C. Boykin,
secretary of the piano manufacturers executive com- for the success of the association work you have
mittee; C. L. Dennis, one of the regular promoters undertaken, I am,
Sincerely yours,
of the cause of music, who presented the regrets of
C. L. DENNIS.
Mr. Roberts of Baltimore, president of the National
Executive Secretary.
Merchants' Association, that he could not be in at-
Mr. Dennis has been identified with the associa-
tendance at this convention.
tion work for ten years. Prior to that he was a
Chicago Offers Glad Hand.
newspaper man in Milwaukee and other cities, doing
Fred P. Watson, expresident of the association, a both editorial and advertising work. He was con-
Mount Vernon, 111., dealer, spoke briefly and Frank ducting his own advertising office when he estab-
T. Whitmore, president of the Chicago Piano & lished the Better Business Bureau of the Associa-
Organ Association, extended greetings to all to come tion under Mr. Gram's administration and took up
to Chicago at any time and welcome. Matt J. Ken- the problems of evils in music trade advertising. It
nedy, president of the National Travelers' Associa- was through this connection that he became ac-
tion, and E. R. Jacobson, ex-president of the Music quainted with the association work. He was elected
Industries Chamber of Commerce gave short inter- secretary of the association at the 1918 convention
esting talks ( and Harry Bibb thanked the club for and was identified with all the activities of the organ-
ization developments, having collected the Music
his election and said he expected many forms of
support trom the members during his term of office. Industries Preservation Fund in 1918, developed the
Merchants' Official tSamp Plan to finance the deal-
Matt J. Kennedy Speaks.
ers' share of association work in 1919, and upon
"Direct mail advertising, properly illustrated and merging of the offices in 1920 extended the stamp
with the right kind of reader appeal, is one of the plan to the piano manufacturers in its present com-
greatest means at the merchants disposal for cre- bination form. He also has had the handling of
ating sales contact that I can possibly think of," the new Merchants' Promotion Stamp, an additional
said Matt J. Kennedy, "and while the promotion means of financing for the special work which the
of such a plan must of necessity be somewhat com- Merchants' Association wishes to carry on, and
mercial, it is the only way it can be put over. The already in the first year has raised about one-third
trade press has given this campaign considerable of what the old stamp produced as the merchants'
space, thereby again proving that it is to the best share.
interests of the retail merchant to use this sort of
Mr. Dennis' new connections will be with the W.
copy in promoting the sale of pianos. I am thor-
oughly convinced it has the punch, and will do a Otto Miessner interests in Milwaukee, but the exact
great deal towards bringing a real message right into nature of his activities have not yet been outlined
the homes, which, in the final analysis, is where we for publication.
deliver our pianos."
Mr. Kennedy, alluding to the work in piano pro- CHEESE HOUNDS HOLD
motion performed by W. Otto Miessner, said:
ANNUAL MEETING IN CHICAGO
"W'hen you stop to consider what he has accom-
plished, with very meager means, it seems almost
impossible. His proposition has had a real human
Many Participators in Cheeseries from Hotel Kitchen
appeal, and there has never, for one moment, been
Get Thrill on Listening to Fans.
any question as to what his purpose has been. He
The Ancient and Honorable Order of Cheese
has, through his Melody Way, and various other
activities, proven the necessity for pianos in the Hounds, in annual session in the Palmer House,
Chicago, Wednesday evening, celebrated by eating
home. Think of the thousands upon thousands of
cheese sandwiches and other delicacies and drinking
dollars' worth of publicity he has secured for the
music dealers all over the country where the Melody half a dozen different decoctions persuaded into ex-
istence in the tee-total years of the world's history.
Way has been used."
The Cheese Hounds told sedate stories (none so very
risque) and adjourned at a late hour for another
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON'S SESSION.
year. Head Cheese Charles Burtzloff was chairman
James T. Bristol dealt with "Financial Problems of and, incidentally, Axel Christensen, who had another
the Music Dealers." His discourse gave rise to a engagement in the same hotel at the same hours,
furnished professional entertainment by performing
discussion as to who should pay the carrying charge
on pianos—the dealer or the purchaser? The discus- on the piano and reciting a poem by James Whit-
sion brought to the surface most of the vexing fea- comb Riley.
The eatables included the latest works of art of
tures of the age-old problems, touching upon a divi-
sion of the carrying charges, evoking some questions the most skillful chef in the great hotel in which
deep enough for a jurist to ponder over. Henry dainty preparations of cheese was the principal in-
Weisert, who lias a judicial mind, made a suggestion gredient. The stories brought out of the cobwebs,
some antique yarns of the road, some experiences
for a split in the charges, which seemed logical.
with "tough guys in de big cities,' an Irish tale or
Association Is Chartered
two, one on a German, a Swede imitated inimitably
President E. E. Hanger (the retiring president)
by Axel Christensen, some stories of the animal
said that the association just reached the necessary world, and one about a patented device put to use
number—twenty—early in summer and secured its by a railroad. The Cheese hounds intend to hold
charter on June 7.
another meeting next year and do some more "lis-
(Continued on page 9)
tening in."
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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