MUSICAL
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Established
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THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE JOURNAL
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NEW OUTLOOK IN
MUSIC TRADE
Music Industries Chamber of Commerce at
Its Meeting in New York Gives Outlines
and Surveys of the Music Industry—
Reports by Pres. Mark P. Campbell.
A meeting ct t. H .e .tsoaru uf Directors of the Music
Industries Chamber of Commerce was held in the
Chamber offices at 45 West 45th street, New York,
on January 21. The following members were in at-
tendance: F. P. Bassett, F. E. Lane, representing
Nels C. Boe; Mark P. Campbell, Hermann Irion, E.
R. Jacobson, Richard W. Lawrence, H. C. Lomb, W.
A. Mennie, C. J. Roberts, Max J. deRochemont, Her-
bert Simpson, C. Alfred Wagner, Parham Werlein,
Arthur L. Wessell, Chas. H. Vahrling, Alfred L.
Smith, Raymond E. Durham.
There were also present Harry Meixell, secretary
and general manager of the Chamber; Delbert E.
CHICAGO, ILL., FEBRUARY, 1930
Monthly—
Fifteenth of Each Month
SPECIAL AND PARTICULAR MENTION
PIANO TRADE IN THIRD ROUND
Iii the first round over two years ago the piano trade received some body blows, was
threatened with a cauliflower ear, got a jam or two in the ribs, had a punch in the nose, but
dodged back to avoid a swift uppercut to the chin from the enemy's brawny left.
The second round lasted all through 1929, and in it the trade made a few feints, false
passes that no amount of training at the punching bag could overcome, and in return re-
ceived three successive whacks in the right jaw — one of them counting for pessimistic
whining, one for deserting salesmen and the third for inertia on the part of the dealer himself.
Now that the bell has rung for entrance into the third round, watch the piano man's
cautious but vigorous approach to his antagonist, Hard Knocks, whose muscles are made up
of vigorous selling, whose nerves are real "nervy" ones, whose smile is the expression of
confidence, whose step betokens good health. The piano man is cautious because he has been
listing his neighbors carefully and knows just where to seek piano prospects; he is vigorous
because experience has taught him that the slacker is always a loser.
* * *
Piano trade has not been so bad, when compared with radio trade, its chief rival. In
fact, radio men have been having lots of trouble lately—some failures, some mergers, some
slashing of prices. Piano men, on the other hand, have had very few real failures. In pianos
there have been some mergers, a few have withdrawn temporarily, some shut down for part
of a month to take inventory.
In the changes that have taken place, the passing of the American Piano Co. into the hands
of a receiver caused the most comment, owing to its prominence and its widespread inter-
ests. However, changes are being worked out which will probably result to the best advan-
tage possible under the circumstances to the company and all of its creditors.
* * *
Diverging slightly from this strain, there is convincing evidence that some of the piano
men who got out of the game a few years ago expecting to get rich quick in radio are step-
ping back into the piano ring. Now, if only about half of those who left with that idea in
view would return to pianos, they could help very materially to bring the trade back to its
old-time vigor. Those who have already returned are willing to admit that they find the
old piano business functioning systematically and efficiently as well as profitably and that it
is like getting back home after a stormy trip in foreign lands. And the manufacturers who
have kept the light burning in the window for their return are welcoming them and offering
them opportunities to make good.
* * *
MARK 1'. CAMl'DKLL.
Loomis, secretary of the National Association of
Music Merchants; Dewey M. Dixon, assistant to the
general manager of the chamber; C. M. Tremaine,
director of the National Bureau for the Advancement
of Music, and Kenneth Clark of the National Bureau
for the Advancement of Music.
The president, Mark P. Campbell, submitted a re-
port of the condition of the chamber as well as an
outline of the activities of the National Bureau for
the Advancement of Music. A very comprehensive
report of the financial condition of the chamber was
submitted by the treasurer, C. Alfred Wagner. C.
M. Tremaine, director of the National Bureau, also
reported on the promotion program of the Bureau.
Dates of the Convention.
One of the matters taken up during the meeting
was the annual convention of the Music Industries,
and it was definitely decided that the convention this
year was to be held at the Commodore Hotel, New
York, beginning the second week in June and con-
tinuing for four days, i. e., the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th.
The piano men's convention thus comes the week
following the radio men's convention, which is to be
held at Atlantic City the week beginning June 2nd.
At the Music Industries Chamber of Commerce
meeting of the Board of Directors on January 21,
President Mark P. Campbell said: "The current fiscal
year of Music Industries Chamber of Commerce runs
from June 1, 1929, to May 31, 1930.
"The calendar year 1929 has just ended and we arc
(Continued on next page.)
The pipe organ line, too, has been hit by the changes that have come over the face of
the music field. Pipe organs are silent in many movie houses and the musicians who played
them are looking for other employment. Orchestras in theaters are being replaced by radio
reproductions with lyrical abandon, and hardly an old form of music leaves a vestige of it-
self. The piano found its field of usefulness circumscribed, but it is now emerging from the
Black Forest into the sunlight of a better piano year. Radio is finding hard sledding to get
its immense outputs marketed, for it has manufactured to a surfeiting quantity. In seeking
for a goat to roll the blame upon, the piano men have been accusing the radio of trespassing
upon its preserves, phonograph men have been accusing everybody, player-piano manufac-
turers have been howling at the moon, teachers of music in the public schools have been
decrying the apathy of parents about piano music as the scandal of American education. How-
ever, the cloud of gloom is being disspelled, common sense is again functioning and piano
men are awake to the method of managing a smaller horse with a larger whip.
* * *
To sum up, musical instruments—pianos, small goods, band instruments of all kinds—are
selling. Without any attempt to sugar things over, trade is gradually increasing.
RADIO STENCILING
Radio stenciling is prevailing more today than piano stenciling did a few years ago
when the public raised such a howl about the objectionable method. At present every promi-
nent dealer has radio stenciled under the name of his firm and practically every piano manu-
facturer is using the name of his company on radios. With the cabinets made in the piano
manufacturer's own plant, he is peculiarly justified in such use of the name, but no such justi-
fication can be adduced in favor of the various Tom, Dick and Harry dealers whose home-
name radios are flooding the retail market.
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