MUSICAL
TIMES
Established
1884
Established
1881
1 Year. . . .$1.00.
PRESTO
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE JOURNAL
6 Months . . .60 cents
CHICAGO, ILL., JULY-AUGUST, 1934
NATIONAL PIANO MANUFACTUR-
ERS' ASSOCIATION OF
AMERICA
AN IMPORTANT GATHERING OF
PROMINENT PEOPLE IDEN-
TIFIED WITH MUSIC
Officers
Herman Irion Calls a Meeting for the Formation of
an Association to Advance the Interests
of Music Everywhere.
and
Committees for 1934-'3S; President
Wulsin's Report.
FFICERS of the National Piano
Manufacturers'
Association
of
America for the year e n d i n g
May 31, 1934, were re-elected at
the annual meeting held in New
York. President, Lucien Wulsin:
vice-president, W. G. Heller; treas-
urer. C. Albert Jacob, Jr.; secretary, Harry Meixell.
The executive committee for the ensuing year is
as follows: W. H. Alfring. David \V. Kimball, Theo-
dore E. Steinway, Carl Ultes (of the O. S. Kelly Com-
pany, Springfield, Ohio) and the president and other
officers of the association.
The two new members of the committee are Mr,
Kimball and Mr. Ultes, who succeed C. D. Bond and
Farny R. Wurlitzer.
The re-appointed Code Authority of the association
is Eugene A. Schmidt of Hardman, Peck & Com-
pany, Charles H. Wood and, as named by the 1934
executive committee, Lucien Wulsin, Theodore Stein-
way and W. G. Heller.
The vigilance committee as already referred to con-
sists of three sections, one for unfair competition, one
for bad and misleading advertising sales methods, and
one to make effective provisions in the trade practice
supplements to the code. These committees are
(1) W. G. Heller, Harry Sohmer, F. P. Whitmore
(2) D. W. Kimball, Eugene A. Schmidt, C. D. Bond
(3) C. Albert Jacob, Jr., Cyril Farny, George C
See ley.
Speaking of the executive committee. President
Wulsin in his annual report said that it is "representa-
tive of the industry and it has during the past year
at its frequent meetings proved its ability to consider
and successfully dispose of many different kinds of
problems."'
Later on in his report, speaking of the work in con-
nection with the piano manufacturing industry and
with relation to the National Recovery Act, President
Wulsin referred to the careful attention given the sub-
ject by the association. In fact his report was largely
about various phases and conditions involved, deal-
ing as it does with specific matters in connection with
the NRA and the music industries.
Mr. Wulsin's report covered outstanding subjects
now paramount in the music industries in general and
the piano field in particular. It is a dissertation well
worth studying and Presto-Times suggests to those
who have not received a copy that they write to Harry
E. Meixell, secretary. 45 West 45th street. New York,
from whom perhaps one may be obtained, even at
this late day.
O
THE BUREAU FOR THE ADVANCE-
MENT OF MUSIC
Musical progress in America was advanced im-
mensely by the work of the Bureau for the Advance-
ment of Music, which organization has been obliged
to discontinue activities. This action on the part of
the directors was forced by withdrawal of important
support, notably that of the Carnegie Foundation.
In the circular letter announcing the action of the
directors, Chairman Herman Irion closes his report
with these words: "Many of the activities for which
the Bureau is best known, such as music memory
contests, considered by many as the basis of the
present school music courses in appreciation, develop-
ment of the school music contests, which have now
spread into nearly all the states of the Union, Christ-
mas caroling, piano classes in the schools and private
studios, will be carried on as established programs,
so that in this respect its work will have a lasting
value and the talent and the money expended upon it
will prove to be a national asset for some time to
come."
The Press Veterans of '93 are again guests of A
Century of T'rogress Exposition Saturday. August
18th. This has come to be an annual event highly
prized by the veterans of 1893.
Following the dissolution of the Bureau for the
Advancement of Music, as briefly referred to else-
where in this issue of Presto-Times, the calling of a
meeting, the formation of a society, in response to a
call by Herman Irion, is a move far-reaching in the
purposes and possibilities that may result. Speaking
of these, Mr. Irion at one of the meetings, said that
"if the untold energies that are being exerted in the
presentation of music could be vitalized and brought
into action and led into channels that will produce
among the great multitudes of our country a greater
appreciation not only of what is entertaining in music,
but also what is more beautiful, inspiring and elevat-
ing in this, the most noble of the fine arts, of our
civilization, very much will have been accomplished."
And further on Mr. Irion added, "Where is Amer-
ica going musically and what are the influences that
are charting its course? What can be done to change
its direction if, perchance, we find ourselves going
astray? This is an age of centralization and if we
would centralize our efforts on behalf of art, can we
not produce the same beneficent results for that art
which commerce and industry derive from the unify-
ing work of their various trade associations? You
hear, in other words, not the musician speaking, but
the industrial, the commercial man, at the present
time."
Mr. Irion has enlisted many individuals and soci-
eties prominent in music and many of the music in-
dustries in this movement. The following resolutions
were adopted:
RESOLVED, That it is the sense of this meeting
that mutual understanding and sympathetic interest
are highly desirable between the organizations and in-
dividuals engaged in advancing music in the United
States.
To this end, the chairman of this meeting is directed,
within thirty days, to appoint a committee of repre-
sentatives of organizations and individuals, here pres-
ent, of not less than five nor more than nine members.
The chairman of this meeting shall be chairman of
the committee.
The duties of this committee shall be as follows:
1. To gather from the organizations in the United
States engaged in whole or in part in advancing music
in this country, statements of their purposes, aims,
objectives, goals, and procedures for their activities
in the interest of music:
2. To reduce these statements, as far as possible,
to common terms in order to show clearly the sim-
ilarities and differences which they contain;
3. To distribute to the various organizations and
individuals, copies of their findings, without recom-
mendations, in order that there may be general en-
lightenment regarding the nature and extent of activ-
ities for advancing music throughout the country;
4. To call a meeting within a reasonable time after
the above report has been distributed, similar to the
present one, of representatives of various organiza-
tions and interested individuals for the purpose of dis-
cussing the advisability of any forms of cooperative
effort or reduction of overlapping of effort, or inter-
change of information between organizations which
the report of the committee may have shown to be
desirable.
And the following committee was appointed to fur-
ther the interests of this newly organized association:
Dr. George H. Gartlan, Osborne McConnathy, Lee
F. Hanmer, T. E. Rivers, Mrs. Elmer J. Ottaway,
Mrs. Harold V. Milligan. By the terms of the reso-
lution adopted. Mr. Irion is chairman of this com-
mittee.
Mr. D. L. Looniis, secretary of the Music Mer-
chants' National Association, was the secretary of the
meetings called by Mr. Irion.
This committee will probably not have a meeting
until early in August, when the plans will be fully
formulated and the work of this newly organized body
will be ready for action.
It goes without saying, in other words it is a cer-
Fifteenth of
Publication
Mofttti
tainty. that much good will be brought about by this
movement.
THE OFFICIAL PIANO OF A CEN-
TURY OF PROGRESS
EXPOSITION
Baldwin Again Honored; Made the Official Piano
at the 1934 Exposition.
Honoring the Baldwin as the official piano of A
Century of Progress Imposition again this year was
again something of a mutual incident, an event ad-
vantageous to all concerned. The exposition requires
just that service and dependability which Baldwin
can give: a piano to meet exacting demands from the
smallest upright to largest concert grand model.
Being able to fill this bill in every particular, to
meet every demand for musical, mechanical and dur-
ability qualifications, the Baldwin accepted the honor
and was named the official piano of the exposition
for 1934 as it had been for the 1933 exposition. The
letter addressed to the Baldwin Piano Company by
L. R. Lohr, general manager of the exposition, mak-
ing this announcement is reproduced in facsimile on
another page of this issue of Presto-Times.
Among notable distinctions of the Baldwin at the
exposition could be mentioned the symphony concerts,
band organization concerts, grand choruses and fes-
tival gatherings, concert hall and auditorium concerts,
studios and reception parlors, the broadcasting sta-
tions and its use at many recitals and functions where
a piano of quality and standing is required. In all
these things the Baldwin does its part in carrying on
music at the great Chicago World's Fair of 1934.
PIANOS AT A CENTURY OF PROG-
RESS EXPOSITION AND AT-
TRACTIVE DISPLAYS OUT-
SIDE THE EXPO-
SITION
The only regular piano exhibit at the exposition
this year is that of Charles Frederick Stein, who
makes an interesting and attractive display on the
second floor of General Exhibits Building No. 3, a
booth almost directly opposite the Baldwin Piano
Company exhibit last year. In this exhibit are two
grands, an upright and a model of the Charles Fred-
erick Stein sounding board and bridge showing the
application of Mr. Stein's invention, the Harmonic
Tone Chamber, in the Charles Frederick Stein pianos.
Mr. Stein's exhibit has attracted much attention
where afternoon musicales are given by various
artists. Several notable pianists have already ap-
peared at these matinees and among the listeners
have been discovered a good many valuable prospects
resulting in several sales already made.
Other than this one official exhibit several other in-
struments are on the grounds; Stein ways are used at
concerts and several grands are found at concessions
where orchestral music is given.
The Baldwin, appointed official piano at the expo-
sition again this year, as it was last year, is, of course,
much in evidence everywhere and a much used in-
strument for many and various occasions.
The Charles Frederick Stein grand is used at the
directors' parlors and reception studios where musical
events often take place.
Two Mathushek Spinet models are shown at the
Exposition; one in the Wakefield cottage located in
the Colonial Village; the other, a Spanish model in
the Horticultural building.
The Wakefield Cottage instrument has attracted
unusual attention and is used at musicales suitable for
the occasion. The Colonial Vil'age is an attractive
spot and the instrument conforms perfectly with the
interior decorations of this cottage, which is a replica
of the birthplace of George Washington. Mr. Strub,
general western representative of the Mathushek
Piano Company, has spent a good deal of time at the
Wakefield cottage and finds many visitors to greet
who are interested in the Spinet model shown there.
The well-known magazine "Good Housekeeping" in
its very interesting exhibit located across the avenue
from General Exhibits Building No. 2, contains among
other interesting displays appropriate for such an
exhibit a Model M ebony Steinway grand, size 5 ft. 7.
So appropriate is this instrument for the entire en-
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