MUSICAL
TIMES
PRESTO
Established
1881
Established
1884
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
10 Cents a Copy
$2 The Year
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1927
NEWS OF THE MUSIC
TRADE IN NEW YORK
Will T. Brinkerhoff of Chicago Made General
Manager of Ludwig & Co. and Assumes
His Duties at the Bronx Fac-
tory This Week.
NEW STEINWAY SECRETARY
Charles F. M. Steinway Called to Fill Office Made
Vacant by the Recent Election of F. M.
Steinway as President.
Piano men in all parts of tlie United States will be
interested in learning that William T. Brinkerhoff,
who for about seventeen years was president of the
Brinkerhoff Piano Co., Chicago, and who resigned at
the beginning of the year to accept a vice-presidency
with the P. A. Starck Piano Co. of Chicago, has been
named general manager of Ludwig & Co., New 7 York.
Mr. Brinkerhoff has already assumed his new duties
with the Ludwig concern. His headquarters will be
at the Bronx factory of Ludwig & Co. on Williow
avenue, from East 135th to East 136th street, New-
York city. Mr. Brinkerhoff is a practical piano man
of many years' experience and his association with
Ludwig & Co. will undoubtedly prove mutually ad-
vantageous.
Mr. Brinkerhoff is well known to the trade in gen-
eral, his travels for his house having taken him to
all sections of the country. While he admitted to a
representative of Presto-Times that he was formu-
lating some interesting plans for promoting the in-
terests of Ludwig & Co. and its products, Mr.
Brinkerhoff stated that he was not ready to go into
details.
Ludwig & Co. was established in 1890 and incor-
porated in 1892. The concern manufactures the well-
known Ludwig line of grands, uprights and player-
pianos. It has an extensive plant with all modern
equipment. With its recent additions, the plant is
regarded as one of the largest and best equipped
in the Bronx. Those at the head of the Ludwig
organization are practical and experienced piano men
and the line is well-known both in this country and
abroad.
D. L. Loomis Is Secretary.
C. J. Roberts of Baltimore, president of the Na-
tional Association of Music Merchants, has an-
nounced the appointment of Delbert L. Loomis, for-
merly associated with the Music Trades in a business
and editorial capacity, as secretary of that organiza-
tion to succeed C. L. Dennis, whose resignation was
announced recently. Mr. Loomis is well known to
the trade, having been engaged in the trade paper
field for twenty-five years. His office will be at 45
West 54th street. New York.
New Boykin Book.
In conjunction with the campaign for popularizing
the piano now in operation throughout the country,
Edward C. Boykin, executive secretary of the Na-
tional Piano Manufacturers' Association, has become
interested in the publication of a new piao book which
is aimed to increase interest in the piano among
adults who have not had the advantage of a musical
education in 'their youth.
The new method is called "Everybody's Look-and-
Play Piano Book." This book does not attempt to
teach piano playing in the conventional way. It does,
however, by an ingenious system of chords, enable
the musical tyro to accompany himself while he
sings. In other words, it enables the beginner to
play harmoniously and so arouses an interest in
music among those to whom the piano would other-
wise be a closed book. The system in no way com-
petes with or duplicates the work of the Melody
Way Plan, which aims to present conventional piano
instruction in a new and highly attractive manner.
The book has already been endorsed by C. Alfred
Wagner, president of the American Piano Co., Max
J. deRochemont, Mark P. Campbell, W. L. Bond,
W. E. Guylee and other trade leaders.
New Steinway Secretary.
At a meeting of the board of directors of Steinway
& Sons, held at new Steinway Hall, 109 West 57th
street, New York City, Charles F. M. Steinway was
elected secretary of the company. He succeeded
Theodore E. Steinway, who had served as secertary
before his election to the presidency last July, suc-
ceeding the late Frederick T. Steinway, who died
suddenly at North East Harbor, Me., on July 17.
A large and enthusiastic gethering of the members
of the musical merchandise trade of New York at-
tended a joint meeting of the tw^o local organizations
at the Beaux Arts, Sixth avenue and 40th street, last
week. The main object was to discuss a plan for the
consolidation of the two New York bodies—the Asso-
ciated Musical Instrument Dealers of New York and
turers, Eastern one. The consolidation was approved
by a large vote of those present.
Members of the music trades will learn with re-
gret of the death of A. O Grover, head of the well-
known musical instrument accessory manufacturing
concern of A. D. Grover & Son, Long Island
City, N. Y.
LATE TRADE NEWS OF
SOUTHERN INDIANA CITIES
Music Dealers of Progressive Section of State Exhibit
the Liveliness That Gets Results.
Music dealers in Evansville and many of the other
towns in southern Indiana report that the resump-
tion of the coal mines, following the signing of the
agreement between the coal operators and the offi-
cials of the United Mine Workers of America, has
greatly stimulated business in their lines, as well as
in other lines and they are looking for a brisk trade
the remainder of the year. Trade has increased won-
derfully during the past two weeks, or since the coal
mines resumed operationc. Music dealers say that
the families of miners, as a rule, are lovers of music
and that when they are working they buy liberally
of musical instruments of all kinds. Dealers at
Evansville say that indications point to a splendid
Christmas holiday trade.
Cheer for Dealers.
In spite of the popularity of the radio, which
seems to be increasing, music dealers at Evansville,
Ind., say they are selling a great many talking ma-
chines. Dealers last year broke all records in the
sales of the talking machines and it looks like this
year has brought in as good volume of business as
did the year previous. Both talking machine and
record sales have been good during the whole of
this year.
W T . B. Miller, head of the Harding & Mi'.ler Music
Company at Evansville, Ind., with his w r ife, has
returned from a trip to W r est Baden, Ind.
Henry Hudson, head of the Hudson Music House
at Boonville, Ind., with his wife and son, has returned
from Princeton, Ind., where he visited his mother.
Mr. Hudson, who owns the only music house in
Boonville, is assisted in his work by his wife.
Start Mueller, of the Harding & Miller Music Com-
pany, Evansville, Ind., reports that the demand for
band instruments has been extremely good all sum-
mer and fall. Mr. Mueller has been with the Hard-
ing & Miller Music Company for a number of years
and is well known in southern Indiana, southern Illi-
nois and western and northern Kentucky.
The Biggs Music Shop at Petersburg, nld., which
recently moved to a Main street location from the
Fleming Hotel in that city, has been doing a very
nice volume of business during the past month.
W. C. HEATON VISITS CHICAGO.
W. C. Heaton, president of the Auto Pneumatic
Action Company, New York, was in Chicago on the
21st of this month. He said to a Presto representa-
tive: "Retail business is actually fine in New York at
the present time. And there is piano business enough
for every one who hustles. The trouble with the
piano business heretofore has been that too many
trouser-seats were being worn out in store and office
chairs. There is always business to be had by the
man who goes out among the people and hustles
for it."
INDIANA ASS'N GETS
CONVENTION REPORT
Executive Committee Also Discuss Complete
Plans for Association Work for the Com-
ing Year at Special Meeting This
Week in Indianapolis.
CARRYING CHARGE SPREADS
Practically Every Music Dealer in Indianapolis Has
Discarded the Old Interest Method for New
System—Other News.
On Wednesday, Oct. 26, the executive committee
of the Indiana Music Merchants' Association, with
the new' president, R. C. Moores of the Packard Piano
Company of Fort Wayne, Ind., held its first meeting
at the Columbia Club. The purpose of the meeting
was to make a complete report on the convention
and discuss complete plans for the association work
for the coming year.
Christena-Teague Piano Company have just re-
cently placed a beautifully lacquered Haines Bros.
Studio style with the Ampico in one of the most
select tea rooms in Greenfield, Ind. The place is not
only visited by the best that the town affords, but
motorists from all parts of the middle west are
attracted to the unique establishment.
Mr. Christena reports a big improvement in busi-
ness, and is well pleased with the new studio style
Chickering & Sons' piano with the Ampico, that has
the roll box in the top of the instrument, giving it
the appearance of a straight upright piano.
Adop's Carrying Charge.
Practically ever}' piano dealer in the city has
adopted the carrying charge instead of the old method
of interest. The new method has met with unex-
pected success, and up to this time there are no
reports of any objections being raised by purchasers
of pianos or high-priced talking machines. Several
dealers were dubious at first when the matter was
discussed at the local meetings of the Indianapolis
Music Merchants' Association, and feared the plan
might offer sales resistance, but the reports are very
much opposite of what was anticipated on the part
of the dealers.
Starr Grands for University.
The Starr Piano Company has placed two more
Starr grand styles "B" and 39 at the fraternity houses
of the Indiana University at Bloomington, Ind. On
Wednesday evening, October 26, in conjunction with
the Richmond warerooms of the Starr Piano Com-
pany there was a demonstration concert, for the citi-
zens of Richmond for the purpose of demonstrating
the Chromatic Glissando keyboard. In addition to
the concert Dr. Foley of the Indiana University will
make a rather extensive acoustical demonstration.
The managers of the stores at Cincinnati, Dayton and
Indianapolis have been invited to attend. The con-
cert was held at the Washington Theater.
Jesse French a Visitor.
Jesse French, Jr., stopped off at Indianapolis on
his way east, and spent a little time between trains
with Frank Wilking of the Wilking Music Company.
Mr. French reports the factories at New Castle run-
ning full capacity.
Another visitor at the store of the Wilking Music
Company was Mr. Metzel of the House of Wur-
litzer at North Tonawanda, X. Y.
The Wilking Music Company reports business
holding up in good shape, with the sales of grand
and reproducing instruments leading in sales.
MRS.
GRIFFITH A SINGER.
Mrs. Griffith, the daughter of the late George
Schleiffarth, pianist, poet and one of the most widely
known retail piano salesmen of his time, is now a
prominent singer in Chicago. Xo man in the piano
trade had more friends or was better beloved than
Geo. Schleiffarth, of Kimball's. Mrs. Griffith is a
member of a leading church choir.
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