Presto

15
PRESTO-TIMES
April 15, 1929
BIG YEAR AHEAD
FOR CONCERT BANDS
Booking by Fairs, Lyceums and Chautauquas
for Season of 1929 for That Form of Musical
Entertainment, Indicates Great Growth
Many of them, out of demand, passes out of existence.
They succumbed to the dictum of the hookers.
Gloriously Stood Pat.
A glorious few, however, remained to cherish hopes
of the inevitable comeback. Sousa, Kryl, Pryor,
Sweet, Conway, Creatore and others have remained
in the concert band field. They steadfastly believe the
time would come eventually when keen managers
would once again crowd them with contracts. Today
the concert band is again in an accepted standard in
the fair entertainment field.
Playing a band is playing a popular American in-
stitution—personified attraction that people will come
miles to hear and see. In St. Louis Sousa and his
band were recently booked into a big motion picture
theater and appeared only thirty or forty minutes
on the bill each day throughout the week. The big
auditorium was filled to capacity every performance
(four a day), and it was learned that many people
had driven from fifty to seventy-five miles to hear
these concerts. Baseball is certainly popular; yet
Sousa and his band drew a larger attendance for that
week than either ball team in St. Louis drew in any
week of the season. It was the same in Chicago and
Kansas City when he was booked in those cities.
Getting even closer to the subject, another example
is appropriate. Nearly every town of any conse-
consequencc in many states has a series of concerts
by their local bands. There, in those towns, four or
five thousand people have been seen standing around
a band-stand listening to fox-trots, waltzes and
marches and enjoying it immensely.
Certainly band music is popular and American
bands are American institutions. The concert band
traveling from city to city, park to park and fair to
fair is indispensable in giving the music-loving public
what it has missed for fifteen years. Now is the right
time to "play a concert band." Box-office receipts
will demonstrate the truth of this statement.
PAN-AMERICAN PRICES
Reduced Wholesale List Covering Band In-
strument Line Printed in Early April
Issue of "The Retailer."
A list of new reduced wholesale prices for all Pan-
American dealers was announced in conjunction with
the early April issue of "The Retailer," publication of
the Pan-American Band Instrument & Case Com-
pany of Elkhart, Indiana. The new, low prices, it
The most encouraging fact for music dealers, musi-
is said, are made possible through increased produc-
cians and lovers of music generally is that the concert
tion in nearly all makes of band instruments.
band is assured of a greater part than ever before in
the musical activities of 1929. It is the attitude of
A sure way to kill sales, says another article in the
the public that prompts the anticipation and you
little magazine, is for a dealer failing to carry a stock
have a gauge of great dependability when you learn
representative of the various instruments manufac-
what the so-called common people want. Band
tuded by Pan-American. When a customer is en-
music, always popular, will reach heights of great
thused over an instrument and wants it, then and
popularity this year. The expectation is based on
there is the time to clinch the sale by putting the
a consensus of opinion derived from a survey con-
instrument of his choice in his hands and letting him
ducted by the Conn Music Center, Elkhart, Ind., in
carry it out of the store, the Retailer states. Many
which many band leaders, secretaries of fairs, lyceums
dealers, however, have incomplete stock, with the re-
and Chautauqua officials were solicited for figures.
sult that by the time they order an instrument be-
lated delivery to the customer necessitates selling it
Interests Music Dealer.
over once again. It is pointed out that this method
For the music dealer, especially the condition is a
sometimes even causes the loss of sales, the customer
significant fact that suggests great opportunities.
having gone elsewhere in the meantime to fulfill his
Interest in the famous concert bands has its reaction
desires of possession.
in the formation of local bands and a consequent
Pan-American's salesmanager, R. C. Poyser, con-
activity in sales of band instruments. Concerts by
ducts an interesting page under the title of "Horning
the great band organizations appearing at fairs and
In" every month in The Retailer, in which in a
on lyceum and Chatauqua circuits will have the usual
chummy fashion he discusses topics of current in-
result of fostering the taste for band music, expressed
terest with the retailers. He wrote on "this new
in the promotion of local bands.
competition" in the April issue.
1929 a Band Year.
The Retailer urges dealers to clock the number of
pedestrians who pass their display windows daily, to
The year 1929 will witness a renaissance in con-
determine for their own information how much actual
cert band music. Great musical organizations will
value their window space may have. It states that a
once more hold the spotlight of popularity. Cele-
window in cities of about 2,000 passers-by per hour is
brated directors will again be familiar personages at
worth $500 per month at newspaper rates. With this
public concerts where band music will be glorified.
MAY USE GUARNERIUS VIOLIN.
in mind, dealers are urged to pay close attention to
During the past year the fair, lyceum and Chatau-
Sasha Culbertson, young New York violinist, whose how they decorate this space, to appeal best to the
qua officials have been making tests to discover what
form of entertainment has the most appeal. They ability has won him international recognition, is given pedestrians in visiting their stores.
The best way to sell more sousaphones is to carry
found by reliable tests that the concert band has the the life use of a violin, made in 1732 and valued at
lure of old; that it is a form of entertainment fair $100,000, under the will of his father, Almon Elias one as a "samp" right into the room where a band
audiences enjoy. It was a finding verified by box Culbertson, geologist, which was filed for probate re- or orchestra is having rehearsal, where it can be dem-
office receipts. A consensus of opinion among fair cently. Five of the ten pages of the will, and its onstrated, another Retailer article states. Every
secretaries expressed the belief "book a concert band codicil, are devoted to the instrument, which is de- school band, just before the national band contest, is
scribed as a "Guarnerius del Jesu of Cremona."
a potential sousaphone customer inasmuch as this
if you want to pack 'em in."
instrument enhances the appearance, balance, flash
The Comeback.
and tone of the ensemble. Two sousaphones to a
BAND
INSTRUMENT
EXPORTS
ACTIVE.
The comeback of the concert band signifies a turn-
band are not too many, it is emphasized.
Band instrument exports from the United States
ing point in the annals of fair and park history in a
Other Retailer articles discuss merchandising of in-
great many states. Where a traveling band of some reached a new level in 1928, being the culmination of
struments in other manners.
a
steadily
increasing
trade
over
a
period
of
seven
national importance or reputation in other years used
to be a part of every exceptional program, in recent years. Although exports to Canada declined, that
The Wolfe Music Co., Cleveland, Ohio, has pur-
theatrical seasons it has been conspicuous by its ab- country still remains our leading market. Germany,
a well-known producer of band instruments, continues chased the stock, fixtures, etc., of B. A. Emerson
sence. Attractions of greater variety, though of
Music Co., 44 East Mill street, Akron, Ohio.
lesser mass appeal were employed to supplant bands. to increase its purchases from this country.
WESSELL, NICKEL & GROSS
Manufacturers of
PIANO ACTIONS
HIGHEST GRADE
ONE GRADE ONLY
The Wessell t Nickel & Gross action is a
guarantee of the grade of the instrument
in which it is found.
45thSt.,10thAT«. &W46lh
NEW YORK
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Manufacture** of
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J BRECKWOLDT. Preo.
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PRESTO BUYERS' GUIDE
TELLS ALL ABOUT ALL PIANOS
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FINDLAY, OHIO
THE O. S. KELLY CO.
Manufacturers of* Mlffh Orad
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