Presto

MUSICAL
TIMES
PRESTO
Established
1881
Established
1884
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
10 Cents a Copy
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1928
$2 The Year
JESSE FRENCH & SONS IN MEXICO
Through the Progressive Music House of J. F. Velazquez y Hno the Instruments Manufactured
by the Jesse French & Sons Piano Co., New Castle, Ind., Have Wide Use in Schools
Over a wide section of Mexico the music house of
J. F. Velazquez y Hno is known to the musicians,
both amateur and professional as well as school heads.
The principals are Jose F. and Ramon G. Velazquez,
both recognized as progressive business men. They
are young, active, well-educated and typical of the
polished, cosmopolitan Mexican. In addition to his
business abilities, Jose F. Velazquez is a musician of
(T)—Happy pupils of the Malinalxochitl School receiv-
ing with flowers and confetti their beautiful Baby Grand
Spanish Style L. Lagonda piano.
a high degree of ability. Ramon is a member of the
Mexican Rotary Club and recently attended at the
Rotary International in New York. He also attended
the music trade convention in New York last June.
Holds Music Contest.
The latest triumph of Velazquez y Hno, was a
gigantic music contest in which about everyone in
Mexico City seems to have taken part. The contest
them—were offered as prizes, and the interest in
the outcome of the contest reached a very high pitch.
Votes were earned by the score or more of schools
participating in many ways: Ballots were clipped
(3)—Ramon G. Velasquez at his desk in his private
office.
from newspapers, essays were written and, most
significant to the piano trade, the schools gave con-
certs and entertainments, in which piano music was
featured, and for which votes were given to the con-
testants in ratio to the attendance. It is indicative of
the scope of the contest that the total ballots counted
ran into the millions!
The publicity given the contest was excellent. Full
page ads were used in the daily and Sunday papers.
The front pages of two rotogravure sections were de-
voted to pictures of the winners and many news
stories reported the progress of the campaign. The
contest was an excellent thing for Mexican school
children and was recognized as such by the public and
the school authorities, who gave excellent coopera-
tion. It served a purpose both as an advertising fea-
ture for the dealers and as a public spirited project
in community building. The Velazquez brothers have
utilized a fact, long known to be such but too often
ignored by our own dealers: 'That the public will not
only encourage but will assist in any program that
has as its aim the spreading of propaganda for more
and better music."
Some inkling of the enthusiasm aroused may be
had from the accompanying cut which depicts the
incident at the awarding of the prizes. The audience
made the occasion one of carnival; flowers and con-
fetti were thrown at the contestants and at the donors
of the prizes and the same enthusiasm continued
(S)—Director and some of the pupils of the Gabriela
Mistral School, which won the Jesse French & Sons'
piano, Style 200, No. 1002983.
until the instruments had been delivered at the
schools of the winners.
Jesse French & Sons Pianos Awarded.
Jesse French & Sons pianos, internationally recog-
nized as among the finest instruments for school use,
were given as prizes. Grands and uprights, both of
the Lagonda and Jesse French lines, were joyously
received by the pupils of the schools winning them.
(10)—The Director and pupils of the School Cantro
Para Obreras, which won the Jesse French & Sons' piano,
Style 100, No. 1002986. This school is for working girls
of the poorer class.
(1))- -Director of tile .School Artcs y Orticio.- (seated),
surrounded by some of the pupils. The piano shown is
the Jesse French & Sons' piano, No. 1002975, which is one
of the prize instruments.
was designed to stimulate interest in inusic, with par-
ticular reference to the piano. Pianos—a dozen of
The instruments were all donated by J. F. Velazquez
y Hno. with the exception of the Jesse French and
Sons Grand, which was offered by the factory as one
of the capital prizes. The fact that Jesse French &
(2)—Jose F. and Ramon G. Velazquez, surrounded by
group of beautiful girls, representing schools which took
part in the contest soon after the prizes wer? awarded.
On the floor may be seen the flowers, confetti, etc.,
that was showered on them.
(4)—Ramon G. Velasquez giving a medal to Miss
Cecilia Dumaine of the School Gabriela Mistral for her
efforts in the campaign. Miss Dumaine is very popular
among the students in Mexico and was appointed "Prin-
cess of the Students."
(11)—Directors of the School Sor Juana Ines de la
Cruz a few minutes after receiving their Jesse French
& Sons' piano, Style 100, No. 1002976.
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