Music Trade Review
Issue: 1920 Vol. 70 N. 5 - Page 9
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
JANUARY 31, 1920
9
Being Sundry and Various Observations, Some Unconventional, but Mostly
"Convention," Duly Set Forth in a Most Genial Vein by the Editor of This
Player Section, a Self-Confessed Optimist and Philosopher of Parts as Well
get and the ashes of its past doings would make "Illud s u n t ; e g o m e t dicam." O r in t h e r e m a r k -
so very large a pile if one were to be unkind ably similar p h r a s e of J e a n J a c q u e s R o u s s e a u ,
enough to rake them up. It is better to think "Moi, j e dirai qu'ils le s o n t . " Or, again, a s B . B .
"A sight for sore eyes" is how an earlier about the present than to shed tears over the W . would p h r a s e it, " I ' l l s a y t h e y a r e . " B u t
and simpler generation might have phrased it. past. The men who are assembling in New said h o r r o r s will n o t b e diminished in t h e least
We echo the sentiment without shame in ap- York at this moment have before them no great by t a l k i n g a b o u t t h e m . W h a t w e w a n t is n o t
plying it to the National Music Show, which problem of national distribution. The mer- c o n v e r s a t i o n , b u t c o n d u c t ; n o t w o r d s , b u t will;
will be on the point of opening its doors when chandising of the present needs no special in- not c o m p l a i n t s , but c o m m o n sense. T h e r e a s o n s
these words are first sent out to their readers. genuity. There is a demand considerably for the existence of a n industrial p r o b l e m are t o
It is going to be an interesting affair in all greater than the supply. No one can say what be found in causes far deeper t h a n t h e cussed-
sorts of ways, and in none more than in its the state of public demand will be this time next ness of w o r k m e n , o r the G o v e r n m e n t ' s adminis-
exhibits of the development and contemporary- year, but I cannot see any reason to anticipate t r a t i o n of t h e r a i l r o a d s . T h e y a r e t o b e found
attainments of the player-piano. We have not any revolutionary changes. We have come to in causes w h i c h sink deep i n t o t h e h i s t o r y of
had a show every year—worse luck—and so it a place in our progress where we may say con- the past fifty y e a r s and t h e r e is n o sense in t r y -
has not been possible to make comparison at fidently that the player-piano is established in ing to brush them aside. The boarders at the
regular intervals of the progress made by the public affection. There is for the player-piano Commodore for the week beginning February
trade as a whole, at least in any really conven- in all its forms a market just as definite as ever 2 must find some more cheerful topic for their
ient way. The first of the national shows (at has existed for any other musical instrument. evening talking-bee around the stove.
Richmond, Va., in 1910) came at a moment Our problem now is to clamp down that market
when the player-piano had just emerged from so firmly that nothing can ever wrench it loose
As Lenine Would Say
the swaddling clothes of sixty-five-note infancy from its fastenings in public affection. And I
Of course there is a good reason for the exist-
and had taken on the eighty-eight-note dress of have an idea that the very best minds of the
ence
of our industrial problem, and, of course,
trade
feel
the
problem
of
the
immediate
future
healthy childhood. To-day it has passed its
period of adolescence and may be said to be in to be more than just a material production-prob- it is the last one likely to be brought to the
young manhood. If we could have had a Music lem. I feel that they realize the problem of the surface. Lenine is perfectly right when he
Show each year since 1910 much valuable com- future to be a merchandising problem, one of says that you cannot blockade the flow of ideas.
parison might have been made. At it is, how- cementing the player-piano firmly in the affec- The idea which is expressed in the phrase "dic-
ever, there are one or two points that do stick tions of the people. There is only one cement tatorship of the proletariat" is a thoroughly un-
out, at that. Does anyone remember the noise adequate for this purpose. That is a cement sound idea, in itself nothing but the sweepings
of a few years ago over the electric drive which made from equal parts of honesty, sincerity, of old Marxism. It is no more significant or
was to supersede the foot-power? It is hard high standards of construction and absolute true than would be the phrase "the omnipotence
of 'bus conductors," as Chesterton once said.
to realize that five years ago that was still a cleanness of advertising.
Well, when you have a war-weary world, ap-
live topic. To-day the player-piano is estab-
palled at the slaughter and ruin of five years,
lished as a foot-played instrument, and there is
Our Annual Talk-fest
looking with desperate eyes on a future black
nothing to indicate that its sway is in any
While the boys are sitting around the stove with terror and difficulty you have seed sown
slightest danger. To-day there is substantial
which must be reaped in a wild desire to com-
unanimity in respect of expression control, and at the Commodore, occasionally leaning for- plete the tearing down which has been begun
in many matters of design which once furnished ward to hit the spittoon accurately in the midst by war, that out from the wreck of what seems
ground for quite bitter controversy. The sec- thereof at six feet, they will, no doubt, have a hopelessly disorganized civilization may arise
ond show, for instance, was held in the midst time to swap hard-luck stories. I do not know a new world remolded "nearer to the heart's
of a hot fight over valve systems. As Hans in the least how player men in this year of desire." It is not difficult to lay the war to
Breitmann would have said, "Vere is dot barty grace can contrive to furbish up any hard- the capitalist system, for the masses are not
luck stories, but I am perfectly sure they will
now?"
be there with the usual cargo. There is no acute or profound thinkers. It is easy to argue
explanation for all this. Tt just happens, that is from this that the present horror can only be
Altera Tempora; Altera Mores
all. The burden of said h. 1. s. will doubtless remedied by total destruction of the existing
If the old controversies have sunk into ob- be the horrors of production and the wicked order. Thence it is but a step—and a short
livion; so, also, have the old methods of mer- ways of the American working man. Now I one—to the belief that the next stage is to be
the assumption of control by the masses; in a
chandising. It would be a hard task and not shall not pretend that there is nothing in all word, by those who have been cunningly as-
a very illuminating one, either, to rake over dead this plaint. The horrors of production are some sured that they alone are the producers of
ashes. The industry has so very much to for- horrors these days. As Tacitus used to say, wealth. And this sort of doctrine is just true
enough to be horribly dangerous, but not true
enough to do any good. You cannot seduce
the intelligent men and women in this way,
INTRODUCED
but, unhappily, intelligence—real intelligence—
is rare. Wealth is, indeed, produced by labor,
but labor alone will not produce anything
worth producing. Capital is an indispensable
element in production and distribution, but capi-
tal on a desert island is worth just nothing.
Have wonderful patented
Made by the pioneers and
The extremists on both sides are wrong. The
devices and exclusive
leaders in the playertpiano
problem is to make the worker over here in
features.
industry
this land see that whatever excuse his brethren
in Europe may have he has no real reason for
e WILCOX ® WHITE Co.
Busine** EstaUuhed 1877
going economically crazy.
M E R I D E N CONN.
Agencies all over the Vfcrid
The Big Show
sumo ^Players
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' •lIMIIIIIIIItlllllMIIIIIIIIlllllllll Illlilllllllmllia
i
STANDARD PLAYER ACTIONS
STANDARD
PNEUMATIC
AC
T I O YORK
N C CITY
O.
1?STREET
WEST
NEW
638 - 652
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SiiiiuiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiMUiMiiuiiiiiiiira
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
JANUARY 31, 1920
9
Being Sundry and Various Observations, Some Unconventional, but Mostly
"Convention," Duly Set Forth in a Most Genial Vein by the Editor of This
Player Section, a Self-Confessed Optimist and Philosopher of Parts as Well
get and the ashes of its past doings would make "Illud s u n t ; e g o m e t dicam." O r in t h e r e m a r k -
so very large a pile if one were to be unkind ably similar p h r a s e of J e a n J a c q u e s R o u s s e a u ,
enough to rake them up. It is better to think "Moi, j e dirai qu'ils le s o n t . " Or, again, a s B . B .
"A sight for sore eyes" is how an earlier about the present than to shed tears over the W . would p h r a s e it, " I ' l l s a y t h e y a r e . " B u t
and simpler generation might have phrased it. past. The men who are assembling in New said h o r r o r s will n o t b e diminished in t h e least
We echo the sentiment without shame in ap- York at this moment have before them no great by t a l k i n g a b o u t t h e m . W h a t w e w a n t is n o t
plying it to the National Music Show, which problem of national distribution. The mer- c o n v e r s a t i o n , b u t c o n d u c t ; n o t w o r d s , b u t will;
will be on the point of opening its doors when chandising of the present needs no special in- not c o m p l a i n t s , but c o m m o n sense. T h e r e a s o n s
these words are first sent out to their readers. genuity. There is a demand considerably for the existence of a n industrial p r o b l e m are t o
It is going to be an interesting affair in all greater than the supply. No one can say what be found in causes far deeper t h a n t h e cussed-
sorts of ways, and in none more than in its the state of public demand will be this time next ness of w o r k m e n , o r the G o v e r n m e n t ' s adminis-
exhibits of the development and contemporary- year, but I cannot see any reason to anticipate t r a t i o n of t h e r a i l r o a d s . T h e y a r e t o b e found
attainments of the player-piano. We have not any revolutionary changes. We have come to in causes w h i c h sink deep i n t o t h e h i s t o r y of
had a show every year—worse luck—and so it a place in our progress where we may say con- the past fifty y e a r s and t h e r e is n o sense in t r y -
has not been possible to make comparison at fidently that the player-piano is established in ing to brush them aside. The boarders at the
regular intervals of the progress made by the public affection. There is for the player-piano Commodore for the week beginning February
trade as a whole, at least in any really conven- in all its forms a market just as definite as ever 2 must find some more cheerful topic for their
ient way. The first of the national shows (at has existed for any other musical instrument. evening talking-bee around the stove.
Richmond, Va., in 1910) came at a moment Our problem now is to clamp down that market
when the player-piano had just emerged from so firmly that nothing can ever wrench it loose
As Lenine Would Say
the swaddling clothes of sixty-five-note infancy from its fastenings in public affection. And I
Of course there is a good reason for the exist-
and had taken on the eighty-eight-note dress of have an idea that the very best minds of the
ence
of our industrial problem, and, of course,
trade
feel
the
problem
of
the
immediate
future
healthy childhood. To-day it has passed its
period of adolescence and may be said to be in to be more than just a material production-prob- it is the last one likely to be brought to the
young manhood. If we could have had a Music lem. I feel that they realize the problem of the surface. Lenine is perfectly right when he
Show each year since 1910 much valuable com- future to be a merchandising problem, one of says that you cannot blockade the flow of ideas.
parison might have been made. At it is, how- cementing the player-piano firmly in the affec- The idea which is expressed in the phrase "dic-
ever, there are one or two points that do stick tions of the people. There is only one cement tatorship of the proletariat" is a thoroughly un-
out, at that. Does anyone remember the noise adequate for this purpose. That is a cement sound idea, in itself nothing but the sweepings
of a few years ago over the electric drive which made from equal parts of honesty, sincerity, of old Marxism. It is no more significant or
was to supersede the foot-power? It is hard high standards of construction and absolute true than would be the phrase "the omnipotence
of 'bus conductors," as Chesterton once said.
to realize that five years ago that was still a cleanness of advertising.
Well, when you have a war-weary world, ap-
live topic. To-day the player-piano is estab-
palled at the slaughter and ruin of five years,
lished as a foot-played instrument, and there is
Our Annual Talk-fest
looking with desperate eyes on a future black
nothing to indicate that its sway is in any
While the boys are sitting around the stove with terror and difficulty you have seed sown
slightest danger. To-day there is substantial
which must be reaped in a wild desire to com-
unanimity in respect of expression control, and at the Commodore, occasionally leaning for- plete the tearing down which has been begun
in many matters of design which once furnished ward to hit the spittoon accurately in the midst by war, that out from the wreck of what seems
ground for quite bitter controversy. The sec- thereof at six feet, they will, no doubt, have a hopelessly disorganized civilization may arise
ond show, for instance, was held in the midst time to swap hard-luck stories. I do not know a new world remolded "nearer to the heart's
of a hot fight over valve systems. As Hans in the least how player men in this year of desire." It is not difficult to lay the war to
Breitmann would have said, "Vere is dot barty grace can contrive to furbish up any hard- the capitalist system, for the masses are not
luck stories, but I am perfectly sure they will
now?"
be there with the usual cargo. There is no acute or profound thinkers. It is easy to argue
explanation for all this. Tt just happens, that is from this that the present horror can only be
Altera Tempora; Altera Mores
all. The burden of said h. 1. s. will doubtless remedied by total destruction of the existing
If the old controversies have sunk into ob- be the horrors of production and the wicked order. Thence it is but a step—and a short
livion; so, also, have the old methods of mer- ways of the American working man. Now I one—to the belief that the next stage is to be
the assumption of control by the masses; in a
chandising. It would be a hard task and not shall not pretend that there is nothing in all word, by those who have been cunningly as-
a very illuminating one, either, to rake over dead this plaint. The horrors of production are some sured that they alone are the producers of
ashes. The industry has so very much to for- horrors these days. As Tacitus used to say, wealth. And this sort of doctrine is just true
enough to be horribly dangerous, but not true
enough to do any good. You cannot seduce
the intelligent men and women in this way,
INTRODUCED
but, unhappily, intelligence—real intelligence—
is rare. Wealth is, indeed, produced by labor,
but labor alone will not produce anything
worth producing. Capital is an indispensable
element in production and distribution, but capi-
tal on a desert island is worth just nothing.
Have wonderful patented
Made by the pioneers and
The extremists on both sides are wrong. The
devices and exclusive
leaders in the playertpiano
problem is to make the worker over here in
features.
industry
this land see that whatever excuse his brethren
in Europe may have he has no real reason for
e WILCOX ® WHITE Co.
Busine** EstaUuhed 1877
going economically crazy.
M E R I D E N CONN.
Agencies all over the Vfcrid
The Big Show
sumo ^Players
•iiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiniiriiiiiiiiiiiw
' •lIMIIIIIIIItlllllMIIIIIIIIlllllllll Illlilllllllmllia
i
STANDARD PLAYER ACTIONS
STANDARD
PNEUMATIC
AC
T I O YORK
N C CITY
O.
1?STREET
WEST
NEW
638 - 652
iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiininai
SiiiiuiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiMUiMiiuiiiiiiiira
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