Music Trade Review
Issue: 1916 Vol. 62 N. 22 - Page 11
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
HE approaching conventions bring some of the most im-
T
portant questions that have ever confronted us. There is the
question of adopting the so-called Klugh plan for the organiza-
tion of a Chamber of Commerce for the entire music trades in all
their branches. There is the newly organized Music Roll Associa-
tion with the many possibilities dependent upon its coming
actions, and there is the still more important committee appointed
by the piano manufacturers to study the general situation of the
trade as to the player, to recommend ways and means for its
better exploitation and to put the pneumatic industry generally
on a firm basis. Indeed, wherever one turns, one sees room for
reforms, for improvements and for new ideas. The piano trade
cries aloud for new minds, for courageous action; and still more
for clear thought. It is incapacity for clear thought" that is at
the bottom of all our troubles. We are always in such a hurry to
"get results," or to be "doing something," that we almost always
omit to think first what we propose to do or how we propose to
do it. The coming conventions are to bring many topics on which
clear thought will be absolutely necessary, and we may piously
hope that whatever is done .will be done in the light of clear
understanding and definite knowledge on the part of all.
HE organization of the music roll men was to be expected
T
and, indeed, followed logically upon the current of events. We
may be excused for pointing out that we have been advocating
a step of this sort for a long time and that what has now been
done might as easily, and even more easily, have been done two
years ago. Now that the music roll men have got together, how-
ever, we may ask ourselves what they propose to accomplish.
That they are fairly entitled to an increase in wholesale prices no
one who knows the facts can deny. That they should settle the
dubbing question is equally desirable. Still more important for
their own future, however, is the question of the relation between
music of the permanent sort and that which is purely ephemeral.
Equally important is the question of the hand-played versus the
straight-cut roll and the policy which is to guide in the handling
of these before the public in the future. Then the purely tech-
nical questions involved in the resolutions adopted five years ago
need sharply to be re-read, re-discussed and re-adopted, with
modifications to suit them to present conditions. Standardiza-
tion of expressive perforation positions for motor driven players,
as first advocated by F. W. Teeple in these columns, is of the
first importance to us all. Let us hope that the opportunity will
not be neglected to put into effect some needed reforms.
another place in this section we have drawn attention to the
I N committee
appointed by the Piano Manufacturers' Association
and charged with the duty of devising means for the better ex-
ploitation and promotion of the player, both in an internal trade
sense, and externally to the people. Whatever the committee
finally report, it is certain that their appointment has come at an
opportune time and that the subjects before them are immensely
important. It is only to be regretted that no representative of
the retail trades could have been asked to serve also. We are in
a state just now that is decidedly mixed and where all the clear
thought we have at our command or can get, is needed and
needed badly. It is not that any crisis impends, but that we
have been drifting along until it has come time to call a halt and
to make up our minds what really we are trying to do and what
our future is to be, whether we are to keep on drifting or to start
out on a new tack towards a definite goal. Let us hope there-
fore that the trade will come to the conventions prepared to con-
sider these matters, and act on them courageously.
weeks ago the Editor of the Player Section had the
S OME
pleasure of talking before an assemblage of musicians and
music students about the player-piano, and of illustrating his
ideas by practical demonstration. The lecture recital, for such
it was, took for its topic the music of a great American com-
poser, but a good deal of the talk inevitably had to do with the
player-piano which was used for playing the music, although
the name of the instrument was not once mentioned, nor its
talking points ever referred to, any more than a pianist in like
case would name his piano. But the point is that this was the
first opportunity that any of the cultured audience had had in
their lives to hear the player-piano treated as a musical instru-
ment. The comments made afterwards were almost pathetic
in revealing the hopelessly wrong ideas these people have had.
When musicians are in utter ignorance over such things, what
can one expect of the general public?
THE SALTER LINE
and
Have stood
the test
Salter
Mfg. Co.
11
A
We have made
cabinets for over
40 years.
All our goods are
guaranteed.
You t a k e no
chances when
you have the old
reliable line in
your show rooms.
S e n d for our
latest catalog to-
day, showing our
complete line.
339 N. Oakley Blvd., Chicago I
TO FEATURE AUTOPIANO CONTEST
That the window dressing contest which was
recently held by the Autopiano Co., Fifty-first
street and Twelfth avenue, New York, has cre-
ated more than common interest is manifested
in a letter which was just received by the com-
pany from C. J. Potter, St. Louis, one of the
leading executives of the International Associ-
ation of Display Men. Mr. Potter requested
full details of the contest with a view to fea-
turing it in an address at the annual convention
of the display men. The address will be given
by J. H. Hobleman, of St. Louis, who is the
display specialist of B. Nugent & Bros. Dry
Goods Co. In his letter Mr. Potter says: "Your
window trimming contest will not only show
us what the different manufacturers are doing,
but will also show some thousand or more dis-
play men what you are doing to help them."
EXPRESSION CONTROL PATENTED
WASHINGTON, D. C, May 22.—Patent No. 1,-
183,168 was last week granted to Melville Clark,
Chicago, 111., for a governing device for pneu-
matic piano player action, which has been as-
signed to the Melville Clark Piano Co., same
place.
The purpose of this invention is to provide
an improved construction on auto-pneumatic
piano players for controlling the expression, or
loudness and softness of the playing.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
HE approaching conventions bring some of the most im-
T
portant questions that have ever confronted us. There is the
question of adopting the so-called Klugh plan for the organiza-
tion of a Chamber of Commerce for the entire music trades in all
their branches. There is the newly organized Music Roll Associa-
tion with the many possibilities dependent upon its coming
actions, and there is the still more important committee appointed
by the piano manufacturers to study the general situation of the
trade as to the player, to recommend ways and means for its
better exploitation and to put the pneumatic industry generally
on a firm basis. Indeed, wherever one turns, one sees room for
reforms, for improvements and for new ideas. The piano trade
cries aloud for new minds, for courageous action; and still more
for clear thought. It is incapacity for clear thought" that is at
the bottom of all our troubles. We are always in such a hurry to
"get results," or to be "doing something," that we almost always
omit to think first what we propose to do or how we propose to
do it. The coming conventions are to bring many topics on which
clear thought will be absolutely necessary, and we may piously
hope that whatever is done .will be done in the light of clear
understanding and definite knowledge on the part of all.
HE organization of the music roll men was to be expected
T
and, indeed, followed logically upon the current of events. We
may be excused for pointing out that we have been advocating
a step of this sort for a long time and that what has now been
done might as easily, and even more easily, have been done two
years ago. Now that the music roll men have got together, how-
ever, we may ask ourselves what they propose to accomplish.
That they are fairly entitled to an increase in wholesale prices no
one who knows the facts can deny. That they should settle the
dubbing question is equally desirable. Still more important for
their own future, however, is the question of the relation between
music of the permanent sort and that which is purely ephemeral.
Equally important is the question of the hand-played versus the
straight-cut roll and the policy which is to guide in the handling
of these before the public in the future. Then the purely tech-
nical questions involved in the resolutions adopted five years ago
need sharply to be re-read, re-discussed and re-adopted, with
modifications to suit them to present conditions. Standardiza-
tion of expressive perforation positions for motor driven players,
as first advocated by F. W. Teeple in these columns, is of the
first importance to us all. Let us hope that the opportunity will
not be neglected to put into effect some needed reforms.
another place in this section we have drawn attention to the
I N committee
appointed by the Piano Manufacturers' Association
and charged with the duty of devising means for the better ex-
ploitation and promotion of the player, both in an internal trade
sense, and externally to the people. Whatever the committee
finally report, it is certain that their appointment has come at an
opportune time and that the subjects before them are immensely
important. It is only to be regretted that no representative of
the retail trades could have been asked to serve also. We are in
a state just now that is decidedly mixed and where all the clear
thought we have at our command or can get, is needed and
needed badly. It is not that any crisis impends, but that we
have been drifting along until it has come time to call a halt and
to make up our minds what really we are trying to do and what
our future is to be, whether we are to keep on drifting or to start
out on a new tack towards a definite goal. Let us hope there-
fore that the trade will come to the conventions prepared to con-
sider these matters, and act on them courageously.
weeks ago the Editor of the Player Section had the
S OME
pleasure of talking before an assemblage of musicians and
music students about the player-piano, and of illustrating his
ideas by practical demonstration. The lecture recital, for such
it was, took for its topic the music of a great American com-
poser, but a good deal of the talk inevitably had to do with the
player-piano which was used for playing the music, although
the name of the instrument was not once mentioned, nor its
talking points ever referred to, any more than a pianist in like
case would name his piano. But the point is that this was the
first opportunity that any of the cultured audience had had in
their lives to hear the player-piano treated as a musical instru-
ment. The comments made afterwards were almost pathetic
in revealing the hopelessly wrong ideas these people have had.
When musicians are in utter ignorance over such things, what
can one expect of the general public?
THE SALTER LINE
and
Have stood
the test
Salter
Mfg. Co.
11
A
We have made
cabinets for over
40 years.
All our goods are
guaranteed.
You t a k e no
chances when
you have the old
reliable line in
your show rooms.
S e n d for our
latest catalog to-
day, showing our
complete line.
339 N. Oakley Blvd., Chicago I
TO FEATURE AUTOPIANO CONTEST
That the window dressing contest which was
recently held by the Autopiano Co., Fifty-first
street and Twelfth avenue, New York, has cre-
ated more than common interest is manifested
in a letter which was just received by the com-
pany from C. J. Potter, St. Louis, one of the
leading executives of the International Associ-
ation of Display Men. Mr. Potter requested
full details of the contest with a view to fea-
turing it in an address at the annual convention
of the display men. The address will be given
by J. H. Hobleman, of St. Louis, who is the
display specialist of B. Nugent & Bros. Dry
Goods Co. In his letter Mr. Potter says: "Your
window trimming contest will not only show
us what the different manufacturers are doing,
but will also show some thousand or more dis-
play men what you are doing to help them."
EXPRESSION CONTROL PATENTED
WASHINGTON, D. C, May 22.—Patent No. 1,-
183,168 was last week granted to Melville Clark,
Chicago, 111., for a governing device for pneu-
matic piano player action, which has been as-
signed to the Melville Clark Piano Co., same
place.
The purpose of this invention is to provide
an improved construction on auto-pneumatic
piano players for controlling the expression, or
loudness and softness of the playing.
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).