P R E S T O-T I M E S
CHILD EDUCATION
BY PIANO ROUTE
The Future Business in Pianos Versus Child
Education Is the Subject of a Ringing
Appeal by a Lover of the Noblest
of Instruments.
By WILLIAM L. BUSH of Chicago
This is my fiftieth year in the piano business from
my first "job" as office boy for the long-since defunct
Geo. Woods Piano & Organ Co., Boston, Mass., to
a bench in their factory, then back again to the posi-
tion of bookkeeper, traveler, manager and utility man
of all work, in Chicago branches. Then came the
failure of that company in 1881, and I went on the
road as special salesman for W. W. Kimball Co.,
locating first at Sterling, 111., then to Dixon, Rochelle,
DeKalb, and finally at Aurora, 111., 1882, where I was
tuner, salesman, solicitor, porter, cashier, bookkeeper
and manager (in old Pa Greenwood's district).
Aurora had 10,000 inhabitants then; it now has
60,000. I had good business there for two years,
then sold out the store to a local farm machinery
man who owned the building and who took over the
merchandise and with two men then selling for me on
commission.
Loved the Piano.
I started in the piano business because I loved the
piano; I even ran away from college and also from
my father's packing house because I loved the piano,
and had learned from boyhood to play, and by the
time I was 18 played in many concerts in each of
these towns, and have continued to play piano right
up to the present moment, though I never had a
piano lesson in my life, because my beloved father
didn't believe in a boy learning to play piano, which,
according to his views, was "for girls only," and my
twin sister studied for hours to learn "a piece" that
I could play and then "embellish" from hearing it once
or twice.
At Philadelphia Centennial.
At the Philadelphia Centennial in 1876 I played at
numerous piano exhibits all the then popular operas,
musical comedies, and "spectaculars," Faust, Mignon,
Traviata, Bohemian Girl, II Trovatore, Leybach's
Transcriptions, Gottschalk's "Last Hope," Strauss
waltzes—also several of my own forty compositions,
which, as I could not read music, had to have them
arranged by professionals. Among the compositions
were "Pearl," "Sunshine," "Helter Skelter" and one
named "Amo Waltz" (I Love) and arranged by the
wife of Ed Smith, now general manager of retail
sales of the W. W. Kimball Co., of which the Old
Century Music Co bought the manuscript for $250
and made thousands of dollars out of it, in ten years
of publication up to 1892. Then they went out of
business, and I think the McKinley Music Co. has
the old plates yet! I still love the piano better than
ever and I believe that anyone who decries or
depreciates, or condoles, or mourns, over the fu-
ture destiny of that noble, basic, supreme instru-
ment of musical expression, composition, harmony,
technique, rhythm, the very soul and body of Music,
mortally wounds and offends every real musician,
every intelligent artist, every aspiring ambitious, seri-
ous student of any and all instruments. The instru-
ment that endures, rules and essentially governs every
form of composition, and dominates, contributes and
determines the fundamental structure of musical ex-
press : on. The instrument that satisfies and thrills
the most discriminating music lover or critic.
Who Dares Predict Piano Passing?
I could fill a book with ardent sentiment and appre-
ciation of the piano, the everlasting king of instru-
mentalization, a 7 l /$ octave creation of greatest musi-
cal scope, from the lowest richest tone of ponderous
balancing depth of its bass strings, to the clear mag-
nificent responsive tones of its unparalleled sympa-
thetic, brilliant middle and upper registers! Who
dares predict the passing of the radio's most dominant
contributor? The concert stage's most essential "first
aid"? The symphony's heart and soul? The child's
home companion and delight?—be it self played, hand
played, radioed, phonographed. or used as essential
accompaniment to song, chorus, symphony, or as a
complete medium for the supreme production of tonal
harmonies, under the expert fingers, the developed
technique of forty professional pianists, playing the
glorious march from Wagner's Tannhauser and
Lohengrin, on twenty great concert grand pianos,
such as I listened to, and helped to stage at the State
Fair Auditorium in Dallas, Tex., in 1923.
Must we listen to him who says that the piano has,
with its two, three or four legs, ever taken a backward
step, or receded one inch, or one iota from its posi-
tion of absolute command in music. Why will some
men take delight in declaring the piano out of the
running?
Who Dares Impugn Its Essentiality?
What rank commercial spirit poisons the mind of
a poor, misguided, befuddled, short-sighted, cross-
eyed pervert of jazzy mind and rag-time limitations?
Has the greed of a Shylock inspired him to impugn
the essentiality of the piano in this modern age of
progressive harmony? The piano has not receded or
gone back one inch toward oblivion, except it be the
noise-making, soul-racking, toneless, non-endurable,
nerve-distressing thump box, christened by that name
in the days that I spent "oodles" of money and over-
time fighting the stencil, and trying hard to manu-
facture better pianos than even those that have already
withstood and endured twenty-six years of constant
service, in the studios of the Bush Conservatory, Chi-
cago and Bush Temple School, Dallas, that have been
used and taught upon in the piano department alone
and which were manufactured under the name of Bush
& Gerts, Bush & Lane, or W. L. Bush.
How can any individual write about the piano in
this age of mass production and not even mention
that great modern progressive boon and economical
educational innovation, that is gradually getting a
permanent foothold on the future intelligent educa-
tion of growing children in piano playing, harmony,
composition and proper technique, which not one out
of five old teachers of piano, either studied or mas-
tered; I refer to the class or group form, of econom-
ical fundamental piano lessons at 25 cents the hour
on which a capable, intelligent music teacher can
double or treble his or her meager income of former
years by trying to drag one poor, willing submissive
child through a torture-chamber of solitary confine-
ment to most pupils and many teachers. I say that
piano men, not pianos, are the submissive victims of
the progressive competition of a driving, cranking,
self-starting, gassy, jazzy, gin-toting, fox-trotting, cab-
aretting, joy-riding, necking, money-mad community,
where the former homeseeker has become a prospec-
tor for oil, sulphur, gypsum, clay, graphite, pig lead,
iron tonic, or corn juice! His children are, many of
them, thoughtless joy-riding, fun-loving, pleasure-
seeking products of a homeless life, and a fireless
cooker, with the available delicatessen, hot dogs and
cold drinks.
Piano's Relationship to Life.
The great noble, aspiring, thrilling possibilities of a
good piano will soon absorb both the slack and the
slacker, or I miss my prediction; I feel the inevitable
approach of a new musical era, and hear the prophetic
tones of the ever dominating king of all instruments
which is taking a significant position and reaching a
higher exposition in American home life and estab-
lishing its rightful place in our public, parochial and
music schools, as a primary medium of child educa-
tion, thereby placing it in its logical relationship to life
itself and lending itself as a medium for mind, mem-
ory, sight, hearing, moral and social betterment
I could write a volume on the increased serious
artistic vital interest of young students of piano music,
of whom there are 2,000 out of a total of 5,000 stu-
dents in the two schools I founded over a quarter of
a century ago, and well may the people of this coun-
try, the parents of our country's children and the
children of the civilized world thank the inventor, the
modern maker and the music man that the piano
exists and that the piano business is on the way to
its most glorious attainment and unprecedented vol-
ume because of child education and economical, effec-
tive, practical class piano lessons.
VICTOR ELECTROLA RADIOLA.
The Victor Talking Machine Co., Camden. N. J.,
advertises in the New York Times the new Victor
Electrola Radiola, Model 76. The Electrola, which
reproduces and amplifies record music electrically,
combined with the all-electric Radiola 18 in a beautiful
cabinet of early English design, finished in walnut
veneers. Both Electrola and Radiola operate from
the light socket. No batteries required. A twist of
the wrist changes from radio to records instantly, or
back again. Radiola has single-dial tuning and there
is a convenient little electric light over the station-
selector.
CINCINNATI CONN DEALER.
The Milner Music Company. 40 West Sixth street,
Cincinnati. Ohio, is known far and wide as a reliable
house. This firm is Cincinnati dealer for the famous
C. G. Conn line of band instruments, and in addiMon
handles a full line of radios, orthophonic Victrolas,
Melville Clark pianos, Milner pianos, Bacon banjos
and Leedy drums.
Chickering & Sons. 27 West 57th street, New York,
ran a half-page ad in the New York Times on August
17 announcing "24 last chances before Chickering
removal sale ends." This was the sale of 24 repro-
ducing grands.
August 25, 1928
ELMON ARMSTRONG GOES
TO TEXAS FOR TRADE
Representing the Mehlin Pianos and the Wolf Manu-
facturing Industries of Kokomo, Ind.
Elmon Armstrong, famous as a piano ambassador
for years and later prominent in the phonograph trade,
left Chicago on Monday of this week for Dallas, Tex.,
as representative throughout the Southwest of the
Wolf Industries of Kokomo, Ind., manufacturers of
phonographs on a large scale, and he is also repre-
senting the Mehlin pianos, made at West New York,
N. J., on this trip.
Mr. Armstrong foresees a shortage of pianos at
factories when trade gets into full swing this fall. He
says the manufacturers have not been manufacturing
very many in advance, therefore when trade takes the
upward swing that is coming they will be caught
short. For this reason, Mr. Armstrong predicts a
very active season at all of the factories very soon.
He bases his prediction of big trade upon the good
crops that have been harvested and upon conditions
in general. Politics, so far as the presidential cam-
paigning is concerned, he says have nothing to do
with this return of trade. The necessities of the sit-
uation and flushness of income are the real stimulants
of the new trade that is on its way.
Wherever he goes Mr. Armstrong is welcome, for
he always is a bringer of good tidings, and he backs
up his views by citing facts.
MIDWEST MARKET WEEK
AND WISCONSIN FAIR
Lively Methods Agog in the Badger State for Pro-
moting Fall Piano Sales..
Many Milwaukee musical instrument dealers, job-
bers and manufacturers are cooperating with the Mil-
waukee Association of Commerce in promoting a
Mid-West Market Week which will be held August 27
to September 1, in connection with the annual Wis-
consin State Fair. During Market Week all jobbers
and those participating will show retailers new mer-
chandise, etc., as well as give elaborate entertainment
programs for the event.
The Staffnote Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis., has
been formed with a capitalization of $3,000. The
firm will deal in pianos and organs. Incorporators
are E. Hersh, C. Zivney and Dena G. Bonis.
The Forbes Meagher Music Company, 27 West
Main street, Madison, Wis., is building an addition to
its place of business. The alterations include a new
copper front. The remodeling will make the store one
of the finest retail establishments in the city.
The Hoel Music Store, Janesville, Wis., is doing a
lot of special advertising these days in business men's
reviews in that section of the state. The plan is said
to be bringing in excellent results.
A number of musical dealers in Oregon, Wis., spon-
sored an open air concert which was held in that city
on August 9. More than 10,000 people attended.
Emmet W. Miller, well-known in retail music store
circles in the state, has opened a music store at Plym-
outh, Wis. His new firm is capitalized at $25,000.
Incorporators of his firm include Fred Goelzer, E.
Alley and E. Miller.
EXCHANGE THAT OLD PIANO.
Mentioning the old piano in its advertising, Wm.
Knabe & Co . 584 Fifth avenue, at 47th street, New
York, says: "Exchange it. No use side-stepping
That old piano that has been hanging about the house
for so many years is probably just a plain, ordinary
nuisance now. Antiquated looking with all the 'doo-
dobs' and gim-cracks in decoration of a vanished age.
Tin-panny in tone, annoying to the family and ob-
jected to by your neighbors. Dusty, dirty, actually
unhealthy because it's probably been gathering mi-
crobes of every description for years and years."
GOLF FOR THE PIANO CLUB.
On September 20 the Piano Club of Chicago is
offered the privileges of the Wilmette Country Club
for an entire day to leave the dull cares of business
and partake in a golf tournament. This day imme-
diately follows the Illinois Music Merchants' Con-
vention, which will be held in Chicago on Wednesday,
September 19, and the club in asking for "yes" or "no"
expects that many of the state members will join them
for the occasion.
NEW OWNER AT RAYMOND, WASH.
Ralph Strumpski has purchased and taken over
the Melody Music Shop at Raymond, Wash., and will
sell pianos and phonographs, small instruments and
supplies. Monte & Holdeman, former owners of the
Melody Music Shop, will go into business in South
Bend, Wash, it was announced.
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