P R E S T O - T 1 M E S
16
ENTERPRISING DEALER PROMOTES EN-
SEMBLE PLAYING AMONG CUSTOMERS
Carl Botefuhr. Wurlitzer dealer and owner of the
Botefuhr Music Store in Pittsburg, Kans., has been
taking an active part
in promoting t h e
cause of music in
Pittsburg. He has
been organizing his
customers into duets,
trios, small orches-
tras and bands. This
splendid activity of
Mr. Rotefuhr's lias
not only proved to be
of civic benefit, but
it has also served to
r e t a i n enthusiasm
among old customers
and to stimulate the
interest of prospec-
tive ones.
T h e photograph
reproduced herewith shows two of Mr. Botefuhr's
most enthusiastic young ensemble players, Page
Cavanaugh and Melba Baxter, both of them promis-
ing young musicians of Pittsburg.
MANY ASSURANCES OF SPLENDID PIANO
CONDITIONS
* * * Mr, E. P. Williams of the sales department
of Gulbransen Company, recently returned to Chicago
from a rapidly moving motor trip through parts of
the East and as far north as Montreal, Canada.
Traveling on through Indiana, Ohio and Pennsyl-
vania, Mr. Williams met J. C. Henderson, Eastern
Gulbransen representative, at his New Jersey home
and together they motored to various parts of the
East and through New England. Without going into
detail it is to be said that the trip resulted in some
excellent new dealer accounts, many new acquaint-
ances and greetings of old friends. Mr. Williams' chief
comment on this trip is that it was "decidedly satis-
factory." The Monday following Mr. Williams' re-
turn to Chicago there came in that morning's mail
orders aggregating 94 pianos. The Monday a week
later there were nearly as many orders in the mail
that morning and a good many of them from the
territory which he had recently visited. Mr. Williams
has been delightfully happy ever since his return home.
Substantiating Mr. Williams' prognostications on
continued improvement in the piano trade, a remark
made to him by Mr. Elbel of Elbel Brothers, South
Bend, Ind., that his friends nowadays do not greet
him as they once did with the inquiry, "Well, Mr.
Elbel, are you still in the piano business?" is apropos.
Also what Wilbur Templin of the Templin Music
House, Elkhart, Ind., said to him is highly significant
of rapidly improving conditions in the piano business.
Mr. Templin said: "We have had twice as many in-
quiries for pianos during the past thirty days as for
radios, and many of these piano inquiries have re-
sulted in sales."
Another big man in the trade who handles a varied
line of merchandise—refrigerating, electric goods,
radios, etc.—made the statement that in periods when
their piano department makes a good showing their
profits are materially increased. "When we do not
have a good piano showing," he added, "our profits
and general sales fall below normal."
Scpt.-Oct., 1936
GALLA-RINI HAD ENTHUSIASTIC ACCORDION CLASS AT NATIONAL
MUSIC CAMP
It was an enthusiastic group of young people from all over the country who studied accordion this summer un-
der the tutelage of the famous accordionist, Galla-Rini. The class numbered about fifty, despite the fact that it
did not get under way until two
weeks after the opening of the
camp and the publication of the
curriculum.
The majority of the students
were boys, although it proved
to be popular with the girls,
too. Among the latter, Jeanne
Maddy, daughter of Dr. Joseph
E. Maddy, director of the camp,
was one of the most enthusias-
tic of Galla-Rini's accordion
pupils.
At the close of the summer
term, some of Galla-Rini's stu-
dents accompanied him in play-
ing the accordion interpolation
into the finale (prison scene) of
"Faust." G e n e r a l comment
agreed that the effect was that
of a great pipe organ and that
the accordions supplied an un-
expectedly thrilling musical
climax to the scene.
Accordion instruction was of-
fered at the camp for the first
time during the past summer;
but it proved so popular that it
is highly probable that it will
hereafter have a permanent
place in the curriculum.
Galla-Rini, the camp's first
accordion instructor, is noted
not only as a teacher, but also
as a concert artist, composer,
and arranger of accordion
music. His book on accordion
instruction methods is accepted
WOULD R E N O W N E D ACCORDIONIST
as a standard textbook.
TWO NEW ADDITIONS TO WURLIT-
ZER ACCORDION DIVISION
State Teachers' College, received his bachelor of music
degree from Marquette University. His educational
and practical experience surely equips him for his new
position as salesman for the Wurlitzer Company, and
because of it he will surely be able to render valuable
practical assistance to the merchants whom he serves.
He will travel the following states: Iowa, Minnesota,
North Dakota, Montana, Nebraska, Wisconsin, South
Dakota, Wyoming and the northern peninsula of
Michigan."
Ernest L. Weir, prominent musician and business
man of the west coast, has joined the Wurlitzer sales
organization. Ernie, as known to his friends in the
trade, has a really portentious background of musical
and sales experience, one of which he may well be
proud.
Mr. Weir attended Drury College at Springfield, Mo.,
his home town. Being exceedingly fond of music he
studied this art assiduously and as a professional trom-
HOW CHARLES E. WELLS PUSHED ON
bonist and accordionist he has directed and taught
As
mentioned in another part of this issue of Presto-
bands for man}' years. For the past several years he
has been assistant director of the California Boys' Times, Mr. Charles E. Wells, president-elect National
Music Merchants' Association, from Chicago went to
Band and orchestra director both at the fashionable
Denver to join up with his good Scotch friend, George
Marlborough School for Girls in Los Angeles and the
Campbell, who had just started with Frank Knight
Romona Convent in Alhambra, Calif. He became
the Knight-Campbell Music Co. Mr. Campbell soon
known in Los Angeles, too, as an organizer and di-
discovered
that Wells was too good a music man for
rector of accordion bands.
bookkeeper, and after about a month he hailed him,
Aside from Mr. Weir's professional activities he lias
saying: "Charley, give up bookkeeping; I want to
WORTH PUBLISHING
been in the musical instrument and accordion sales
make a salesman of you. Here are a few prospects.
Presto-Times is not given to publishing correspon- field for many years, having specialized in accordion
You get out and make these calls and from now on
dence and names of writers, notwithstanding how com- selling for the past ten years. His most recent con-
stay out; don't hang around the store. Mr. Wells said
plimentary they may be. fnasmuch as there are ex- nection was with the Southern California Music Com-
there was no alternative; his path was clear. He said
ceptions to all rules, we want to reproduce this letter: pany, whom he served as manager of the band in-
he "saw the washing on the line Monday morning;
Toronto, Ont., Sept. 25, 1936.
strument department. He is a member of the Band-
two kids going to school, sometimes with dirty faces,
Dear Presto:
masters' Association, and he has for two years served
so I was forced to get in my best licks. I rode a
Please send me copy of your paper. I lived in
as a member of the board of directors of the Na- bicycle, ate cheese and crackers at the grocery store,
Chicago and read your paper for 25 years regular-
tional Retail Music Dealers' Association.
and remembered all the time that I had the wife and
ly. Enclosed is nickel for paper.
children who had to have bread and butter, clothes
The territory to be served by "Ernie" includes the
Yours truly,
and shelter. I met with rather good success and even
states of Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Okla-
J O H N CAROLAN.
homa, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and New Mexico. occasionally sold a Steinway grand. So the command
250 Queen St., East.
of George Campbell was always the goal and urging
That his territory will be well served is evidenced by
me on to make a living."
his
wide
practical
and
theoretical
experience,
which
STILL PLUGGING AWAY
he himself <-o modestly summed up as, "Oh, it isn't
A "men wanted" classified adv. in the Chicago Daily
Mr. Wells, in speaking of various aids and assets of
News requiring grand action and upright action men, much."
the association, refers to the trade press as one of
Another prominent accordion expert who has been
and to apply to 2525 West Madison street, Chicago,
them, and believes that great credit should be given
has attracted a little attention when it is found that added to the Wurlitzer sales organization by Clark
traveling representatives of music houses. "Through
them," he says, "we are not only in touch with each
this is the present headquarters of Farrell, "notorious" Fortner, sales manager of the Wurlitzer accordion
division, is Oscar Kluck of Milwaukee. Mr. Kluck
other, dealer to dealer, manufacturer to dealer, and
and known to most piano men of the Chicago area of
was for several years supervisor of music in several
vice-versa, but we learn more of the new and up-to-
piano activity.
public schools in the state of Wisconsin. In making
date ways of doing things than by any other means;
WANTS STUDIO PLAYER PIANOS
The Blaylock Music Company, Konawa, Okla. (Box this announcement the Wurlitzer publicity depart- a co-informative system is maintained constantly be-
states:
tween Museum
music (www.arcade-museum.com).
houses from coast to coast that is very
Enhanced
content © studio
2008-2009
and presented
MBSI 3 - The ment
Musical
Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade
314) wants
to purchase
player
pianos by
about
valuable to all of them.
Kluck.
who - The
is a International
graduate Music
of Products
the Wisconsin
support
from NAMM
Association (www.namm.org).
ft 8 m. to All 4 Rights
ft. Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with "Mr.
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/