MUSICAL
TIMES
PRESTO
Established
1881
Established
1884
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
10 Cents a Copy
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, MARCH 31, 1928
WAYS TO PROMOTE THE PIANO
METHODS VARIOUS
BUT ALL ARE GOOD
Group Instruction by Special Systems Proves
Successful in Results and Increased Number
of Children Taking Lessons Augment In-
terest in Piano Playing Tournaments.
Faith in the system of group piano lessons is ex-
pressed in trade news from many sections. Groups
of dealers, individual dealers and teachers in several
cities are now conducting classes made up of enthusi-
astic children and a sprinkling of adults and the effect
in piano sales is satisfactory. The piano contests in
several, cities are being promoted with vigor and in
cities where successful tournaments were conducted
last year bigger ones are assured for this year.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION PLANS
In accordance with the vote of the Board of Con-
trol of the National Association of Music Merchants,
cash prizes totalling $200 will be offered for the best
plan submitted as showing the actual operation of
group piano instruction in piano warerooms, the ex-
hibit to take place at the annual convention at the
Hotel Commodore during the week of June 4. The
specifications for entering this exhibit of the National
Association of Music Merchants to be held in connec-
tion with Twenty-seventh Annual Convention, Hotel
Commodore, New York, the week beginning June 4,
are as follows:
Cash prizes totalling $200 will be offered as a result
of a vote by the Board of Control,-,.
Contest will be set up in two sections; one for mer-
chants operating as individuals where there is no city-
wide plan of operation; second section devoted to ex-
hibits where city-wide plans have been in operation.
Exhibits should include advertising matter used in
the daily papers, samples of letters used in corre-
spondence with those who enrolled.
Samples of follow-up letters. Number enrolled in
each wareroom. Number of percentage of sales made
to the homes of students enrolled in cases where
those homes were not previously supplied with pianos.
Award of prizes will be determined as a result of
popular vote of those visiting the exhibit, each visitor
being given one ballot. Total number of votes neces-
sary to effect award, 100. Total number of exhibits
necessary to hold contest not less than 10.
All material for exhibit in the contest must be in
the office of the National Association of Music Mer-
chants. 45 West 45th street, New York City, not
later than May 7, 1928.
Official count of ballots and award of prizes will
be made by the committee: B. B. Wilson, The Music
Trade Review; W. J. Dougherty, The Music Trades,
and F. A. Steele, The Music Trade Indicator.
THE DETROIT CONTEST
The Detroit piano playing contest for 1925 was
launched on March 18. For several weeks meetings
have been held to which members of the Common
Council, the Board of Education, music supervisors,
parochial school heads, prominent musicians and
teachers, officers of women's organizations, etc., have
attended. With this preparation a more comprehen-
sive organization has been developed and much enthu-
siasm exists for the 1928 or third annual event.
Thomas Boston Director.
Thomas Boston, well-known in musical circles, has
been secured as director, a man who commands the
confidence and respect of the community. An office
is being prepared in the Book Tower, which promises
to be a very busy place for the next three months.
The whole is under the supervision of Frank J. Bay-
ley, the originator of the piano promotion plan.
George W. Bourke, The Kimball Co.; Jay Grinnell of
Grinnell Bros., and Walter Jenkins of the Cable Piano
Co. are taking a very active part.
A society or association is being formed of the
Detroit Music Trades Association, the Bohemians (a
strong club of prominent musicians), the Federation
of Women's Clubs, Parent-Teachers clubs, etc., to
sponsor this civic movement so vital to the welfare of
the child, the home and the community.
Twenty Thousand Entries.
All contests will be held in parochial and public
schools under the management and direction of the
principal and music teacher of each. The 1926 con-
test was held in 285 schools, the 1927 in 420, and it
is expected that the 1928 contest will comprise at
least 500, with some 20,000 entries. All Detroit news-
papers made a bid for sponsorship this year, but it
was decided to stay with the eDtroit Times, whose
loyalty has been 100 per cent. The scope covers
not only the three large contiguous cities of Highland
Park, Hamtramck and Detroit, with a population of a
million and a half, but the whole metropolitan area for
a radius of twenty-five miles, which is made possible
because the burden of running so many contests has
been shouldered by the school systems with orders
and directions issued from the central offices.
THE CHICAGO TOURNAMENT
Piano promotion in Chicago is focused in the Sec-
ond Annual Piano Playing Tournament, which is now
being advertised along broad and effective lines.
Posters announcing the contest are seen in every
available place and the music stores and carry the
attractive posters prepared or promotion work.
The Rules.
The tournament is open to pupils enrolled in pub-
lic, parochial and private schools, and pupils of indi-
vidual teachers and music schools within a 40-mile
radius of Chicago.
There is no entry fee and no restrictions except
that you must not be a professional pianist. By pro-
fessional is meant anyone who has ever played the
piano for a consideration of money.
Every boy and girl will take part in various piano
tests at which time they will be required to play
two selections of music.
There will be ten cash awards to winners in the
finals of the Second Annual Greater Chicago Chil-
dren's Piano Playing Tournament.
IN SEATTLE
Ned Douglas, chairman of the piano division of
the Radio and Music Trades Association, Seattle,
Wash., recently called a meeting of all piano dealers
and their staff of salesmen^ and urged them all to
attend, whether or not'ffity were affiliated wath the
association. This meeting proved to be one of the
most constructive that this group has ever held. By
a few words Mr. Douglas characterized the meetnig
so clearly that everyone began to feel a deeper inter-
est in the problems that piano dealers have to meet,
the high-lights of which were:
"There are certain depressing things in the mer-
chandising of pianos today that need attention. Your
problem is entirely different from mine. Mine is en-
tirely different from yours. If you work and I work,
we are both selfish and egotistical, and quite satisfied
that we are about the best ni our line.
"The piano industry needs a jolt, but don't kid
yourself into believing, whether you are large or small,
that you are the one that is going to be able to supply
it alone. Co-operative action must be there.
"The whole world knows that the child is the im-
portant factor in American home life, and we are
not going to sell pianos until such time as we appeal
to the child, as well as the mother and father, and
convince them that the piano is still made to play on
and not an antique model of the seventeenth century."
The Plan.
The following plan was formulated and turned over
to a committee of three:
1. The Melody Way put over in an intensified
manner with the co-operation of some local paper.
2. An educational campaign to extend over a
period of months, culminated by a city-wide piano
playing contest, supervised by leading musicians of
$2 The Year
SIO F S N G IN
^ V ™ T p nB
Music Stores Which Give a Seasonable Char-
acter to Efforts in Show Windows and
Newspaper Advertisements Are Being
Rewarded with a Satisfactory
Increase in Sales.
JOHN J. GLYNN TALKS
Prominent New York Piano Man Voices His Own
and the Trade's Condemnation of the "Was and
Now" Form of Bait Advertising.
By HENRY AfAC MULLAX.
John J. Glynn, secretary of the James & Holmstrom
Piano Company, Inc., 37 West 37th street, New York,
is aggrieved over the hurtful methods of some in the
New York trade who make a business of cut-price
advertising under the "Was and Now" plan.
'"These men," he said to Presto-Times representa-
tive, "not only injure all others in the trade but actu-
ally hurt themselves very much. This 'was and now'
slashing creates distrust in the minds of the pros-
pects and buyers.
"If you had bought a piano for $1,400 on a sales-
man's representation that it was a very reasonable
price and a few weeks or months later saw an adver-
tisement of a similar-looking piano for $1,050 or some
such figure, what would you conclude? That you'd
been gypped, of course, on the price. And your rea-
soning would be that there must be a tremendous
profit in pianos to permit of such cuts.
Fighting "Was and Now" Pricing.
"The general public realizes that a good instrument
cannot be sold at a loss, and that an honest manufac-
turer or dealer will not chafge a gouging price—then
why resort to the trickery of marking up in order to
mark down? Such a method of marking and market-
ing can result in but one thing—the creation of dis-
trust, and a general injury to the business to all."
Mr. Glynn, who is always practical, then ordered
two pianos put into the window of No. 37—one an
old Mathushek, the number of which is 22,095, and
a new Mathushek beside it. On the old piano he
stuck up a sign, "A Mathushek: Was a great piano
when this was made—1878." On the new Mathushek
he put a sign reading, "Mathushek: Is a greater piano
in 1928."
R. C. Becker in Jury Service.
Rudolph C. Becker, secretary of Becker Bros., Inc.,
piano manufacturers at 767 Tenth avenue, was on
jury service last week. Mr. Becker is a patriotic citi-
zen who does not seek to evade jury service when the
state or the nation calls upon him. At the office
everybody was busy taking care of the orders that
had come in.
Lawrence to Head Club.
Richard W. Lawrence of New York City who was
for several years president of the Autopiano Com-
pany, is slated for president of the National Repub-
lican Club, an organization of which he w r as for many
years an active member. If elected he will succeed
former United States Senator William Calder.
Chat with a Welte Man.
W r . F. Webster was found in charge of the office of
the new Welte Piano Corporation at 297 East 133d
street, by Presto-Times man. He is a son of the
Webster mentioned in last week's Presto-Times in
connection with the taking over of the company under
new management. Mr. Webster, Junior, said that
(Continued on page 11)
the city, wherein a prize will be offered, such as a
scholarship to the University of Washington, to be
presented by some nationally known figure.
3. A piano exposition put on at the Hotel Olym-
pic tied in with a tremendous presentation of the
piano in its modern style.
A publicity campaign will be linked together with
these plans, which will be given more careful
thought and planning at the next meeting.
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