Presto

PRESTO-TIMES
serves its stable character through the ebbs
and flows of periodic popular fancies and the
historic phonograph episode shows that the
The American Music Trade Weekly
distractions of other forms of music do not
permanently
affect it. The business in pianos
Published Every Saturday at 417 South Dearborn
Street, Chicago, Illinois.
will be destroyed only when the love of music
PRESTO P U B L I S H I N G CO., Publishers.
and the urge for its artistic expression are
Editor
F R A N K D. A B B O T T
- - - - - - - -
eradicated. The piano business has a close re-
(C. A. DANIELL—1904-1927.)
Managing Editor
J. FERGUS O'RYAN
lation to musical culture and on the basis of
Telephones, Local and Long Distance, Harrison 0234.
that
understanding the wise music dealers are
Private Phones to all Departments. Cable Address (Com-
mercial Cable Co.'s Code), " P R E S T O , " Chicago.
confirmed in their determination to continue
Entered as second-class matter Jan. 29, 1896, at the
activities for piano sales. The nation-wide re-
Post Office, Chicago, 111., under Act of March 3, 1879.
vival in piano music, encouraged by inducing
Subscription, $2 a year; 6 months, $1.25; Foreign, $4.
Payable in advance. No extra charge in United States
great numbers of children of school age to
possessions, Cuba and Mexico. Rates for advertising on
application.
take up piano study is an assurance of a con-
Items of news and other matter are solicited and if of tinuous increase in the favor for the piano,
general interest to the music trade will be paid for at
space rates. Usually piano merchants or salesmen in the which naturally will be expressed by piano
smaller cities are the best occasional correspondents, and
their assistance Is invited.
purchases. The school piano classes and group
Payment Is not accepted for matter printed in the edi- piano lessons encouraged by the trade may be
torial or news columns of Presto-Times.
Where half-tones are made the actual cost of produc- considered deposits in the Bank of Futurity
tion will be charged if of commercial character or 1 other
that will command satisfactory interest in the
than strictly news interest.
When electrotypes are sent for publication it is re-
quested that their subjects and senders be carefully indi- vears to come.
cated.
Forms close at noon on Thursday. Late news matter
should be in not later than 11 o'clock on that day. Ad-
vertising copy should be in hand before Tuesday, 5 p. m.,
to insure preferred position. Full page display copy
should be in hand by Tuesday noon preceding publication
day. Want advertisements for current week, to insure
classification, should be in by Wednesday noon.
MR. IRION ON ASSOCIATIONS
The able address of Mr. Hermann Irion.
president of the Music Industries Chamber of
Commerce at a dinner given in his honor by
Address all communications for the editorial or business the Federation of British Music Industries, re-
departments to PRESTO PUBLISHING CO., 417 South
Dearborn Street, Chicago, III.
ported in this issue, was a presentation of as-
sociation conditions here which he found sim-
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29. 1928.
ilar to those in England. Both evidence the
The last form of Presto-Times goes to press persistent effort for music advancement.
at 11 a. m. Thursday. Any news transpiring
Business is a succession of eras was the fact
after that hour cannot be expected in the cur- pointed out by Mr. Irion and each one has its
rent issue. Nothing received at the office that
is not strictly news of importance can have problems for the music trade. The machinery
attention after 9 a. m. on Thursday. If they for problem solutions is best provided by trade
concern the interests of manufacturers or associations, created for individual thought
dealers such items will appear the week follow- and united action. "1 am confident that at no
ing. Copy for advertising designed for the time in the history of our industry have the
current issue must reach the office not later
members thereof been so keenly alive to the
'han Wednesday noon of each week.
part which is theirs to play in musical life of
the nation. This confidence instills in one the
PIANO BUSINESS PERMANENT
greatest optimism for the future of the busi-
Mr. Theodore Steinway. president of Stein-
ness in which we are all so vitally interested,"
way & Sons, New York, said, in an interview
was Mr. Irion's closing words.
printed in last week's Presto-Times, that "de-
spite the inroad of radio and other forms of
mechanical music," he looked with great op-
ORDER PIANOS NOW
timism on the future of the piano industry.
One fact that piano travelers note in visits
He said he did not believe the public would be to music stores is that the piano stocks are
satisfied with these forms of music in the long so low in many lines that the condition makes
run, and in support of his belief pointed to the a certainty of a loss in profits when the holi-
large increase in the production of pianos.
day business livens up. This is, of course, if
The evidences of favor for radio by a large the owners do not snap out of their lethargy
number of people naturally suggests the pos- and sensibly place orders with the manufac-
sibility of numerous sales of radio sets. The turers for the needed requirements. Two ar-
circumstances, too, possess allurements for ticles by observant men in the piano industry
the piano- dealer. But the man who has printed several months ago, alluded to the
achieved a standing as a piano retailer would negligence of the dealers in letting their piano
be unwise to let the glamor of active radio stocks be depleted and, of course, the state-
interest in his community minimize his loyalty ment was accompanied with a warning to the
to the piano.
dealers to make arrangements with the man-
ufacturers
to provide pianos of the required
In a way, history is repeating itself in the
makes
for
immediate
and future delivery. A
music trade. The time is not so remote when
similar
condition
was
noted
at this season last
the phonograph favor was agitating the music
year
and
the
warning
that
the
condition called
trade and dealers everywhere were adding
forth
was
disregarded
by
too
many dealers,
phonographs to their lines. But those who
who
later
regretted
their
action.
had preserved their piano standing above
everything else had an asset of assured value
The holiday season begins on no particular
when the phonograph fever had subsided.
date for the piano dealer; active pursuit of
On the other hand, music dealers who had the holiday buyer is a September and October
lost their heads and improperly gauged the activity and the forehanded ones are provid-
character of the phonograph favor or fever, ing for the pianos to fill the orders. They let
who had neglected the interests of the piano no marked favor for other commodities in
for a prolonged period, found they had lost their stocks, at this time, distract their minds
their standing as piano representatives when from the certainties of holiday piano sales. The
their business in phonographs had dwindled wise ones know that it is poor policy to de-
away. Today radio is the temptation.
pend on telegraphed orders at a time of
The piano business is something that pre- urgency. The dealer need not put in a big-
September 29, 1928
stock in the expectation of needing them this
month, but he should plav fair to the manufac-
turer and safe to himself in a manner to en-
able him to handle the improved business, the
signs ol which are certain.
TOWN BANDS
The growth of the favor for band music is
expressed in the promotion of bands in schools
and by groups in communities in many places.
Numerous items in this issue record the ac-
tivities of band promoters and a storv from
Marion, Ya., in an interesting account of one
citizen's special activity in promoting a town
band—Sherwood Anderson, the writer, who
uses his writing talents to boost the baud
movement.
In an interesting article in this issue, repro-
duced from Musical Truth, published by C. (i.
Conn, Ltd.. Elkhart. Ind., the success of Sher-
wood Anderson, the writer, in forming the
Marion, Ya., town band is told. Of course, the
Marion band is equipped with Conn instru-
ments, a fact which the promoter is convinced
conduces to its efficiency.
THIRTY YEARS AGO
(From Presto of September 22, 1898.)
The Export Edition of P R E S T O was received by
the trade with generous expressions of approval.
The big issue has brought many friendly letters, to
the writers of which we return thanks.
The number of bogus tuners wandering over the
country ruining good instruments suggests the
advisability of the Piano Manufacturers' Association
giving attention to the matter. The reputation and
fame of the pianos themselves are at stake.
Have you see the new Vose catalogue? There's
elegance, condensation of ideas, and all the hand-
marks of a generous enterprise. It is, in some
respects, the most splendid catalogue in years.
The A. B. Chase Company recently received an
order from the Board of Education of Chicago for a
piano for the Frances E. Willard school.
The Breckwcldt sounding board factory at Dolge-
ville, N. Y., which was closed for a few days on
account of the damages sustained by fire and water,
has resumed operations with an increased force.
Linton Floyd-Jones, son of Thomas Floyd-Jones,
has accepted a position with the old house of Decker
& Sen. Mr. Jones will go on the road for them, and
has started on his initial trip through Pennsylvania
and New York State.
Frield Miller, cf Danville, 111., has an excellent
exhibit at the local fair. The celebrated Kimball
pianos and organs form a great part of the exhibit.
Much time and pains were evidently given to the
arrangement cf the booth. The side walls are cov-
ered with strips of pale blue and pink.
Blasius & Sons, of Philadelphia, have been greatly
annoyed of late by scores of complaints, for which
they are in no way responsible. It seems that a num-
ber of men, who profess to be able to tune pianos,
have been going through the city and many adjoin-
ing towns, professing to be skilled tuners in the
employ of that house. In many instances they are
reported to have seriously damaged valuable instru-
ments.
"Night's Dusky Shadows" is a "nocturnal serenade"
from the new opera, "King Bacchus," by Carl Bron-
son. Mr. Bronson is a well-known member of the
p'ano trade associated with the Chicago Cottage
Organ Co. And he is an ornament to the trade, too.
His versatility amounts to genius, and he is as facile
in the role of poet as he is skillful in composition and
expert with the pencil.
"Most of the large music houses in Pittsburgh now
find themselves in a peculiar predicament as regards
popular sheet music," says the Pittsburgh "Leader."
They have all of them a great lot of it on hand and
there is no market wherein they can dispose of it.
It is not the whole class of popular music that is thus
so little in demand, but only in a single class of it,
namely, patriotic songs. There is, in fact, a surfeit
of patriotic music. The people are tired of it. The
war is over and popular enthusiasm has died out.
The great demand for this sort of music that
clamored so insistently at the beginning of hostilities
was the natural result of the public excitement and
the ardent patriotism of the whole nation.
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