Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
WWEW
PUBLISHED BY EDWARD LYMAN BILL, Inc.
President and Treasurer, C. L. Bill, 373 Fourth Ave., New York; Vice-President,
Raymond Bill, 373
B. Spillane, 373 Fourth Ave., New York; Second Vice-President,
{ . 'ourth
Ave., New York; Assistant Treasurer, Wm. A. Low.
J. B. SPILLANE, Editor
RAYMOND BILL, B. B. WILSON, Associate Editors
WILSON D. BUSH, Managing Editor
CARLETON CHACE, Business Manager
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P
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Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques-
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tions of a technical nature relating to the tuning,
regulating and repairing of pianos and player-pianos
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are dealt with, will be found in another section of
this paper. We also publish a number of reliable technical works, information concerning
which will be cheerfully given upon request.
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
Grand Prix
Paris Exposition, 1900 Silver Medal.. .Charleston Exposition, 1902
Diploma....Pan-American Exposition, 1901 Gold Medal
St Louis Exposition, 1904
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NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 14, 1920
No. 7
THE NATIONAL MUSIC SHOW
N ELABORATENESS and 1 general attractiveness in the char-
acter and calibre of the exhibits, and in the special features, the
National Music Show at the Grand Central Palace last week lived
up to every promise made for it by Director Charles H. Green and
those associated with him. Seldom, if ever, have those who make
a practice of attending various big shows in New York witnessed
a more impressive spectacle than that which was unfolded to their
gaze last week. The general arrangement of the spaces, the char-
acter of the booths, and the displays themselves were in keeping
with the high spirit of music.
In spite of all the attractive setting, of the vast amount of
musical entertainment of the highest sort, of an amount of pub-
licity such as has never been accorded any other musical event in
the past, and of the holding of the show in the middle of the enter-
tainment season and in the country's metropolis, the attendance of
the public proved disappointing. This cannot be accepted, however,
as a fair test of the show's pulling power. In the first place, there
was an influenza epidemic raging that may, or may not, have had
something to do with keeping people at home, though the crowded
condition of the theatres would indicate that the average person
was not much impressed with the danger to be met in crowds. The
real drawback, however, was the blizzard which descended upon
New York on Wednesday and tied up the transportation facilities
of the city almost completely. Not a surface car moved for the
balance of the week on Manhattan Island, and it would have taken
an entertainment of super-quality to have drawn any great number
of people several blocks through the snow from available elevated
and surface lines. It may be that public attendance would have
been unsatisfactory under any conditions, but certainly conditions
last week could not be accepted as permitting of a fair test.
There have been those who have complained of the fact that
there was not enough free entertainment offered by the show man-
agement proper and suggested the presence of noted opera stars
and concert organizations to give the show the needed 1 drawing
power. As a matter of fact, there were frequent concerts, but with
I
sufficient intervals in between that the exhibitors might attract the
crowd to their own booths without competing with some general
event. The thought was to let the Music Sliow stand on its own
legs as an exhibition, just as does the Automobile Show. It would
be possible to fill the Palace at fifty cents per person for a display
of prunes if the Metropolitan Opera Company was billed as the
free attraction, but this would not serve to prove the value of the
Prune Show as a show.
We have had music shows in mid-Summer and now one in
mid-Winter and it will be interesting to watch future developments
in the matter of shows as a result of these experiences.
THE PUBLISHERS AND THE ROLL MEN
V. D. WALSH, WM. BKAID WHITE (Technical Editor), E. B. MUNCH, L. M. ROBINSON,
C. A. LEONARD, EDWARD I.VMAN I'.II.I., SCOTT KINCWII.I., A. J. NICKI.IN, L. E, I'.OWKRS
Vol. LXX
FEBRUARY 14, 1920
LAYER-PIANO manufacturers are directly interested in the
situation regarding music rolls, and particularly those music
rolls with words, for upon the music roll supply depends in a large
measure the salability and popularity of the player-piano itself.
Recent developments in the music-roll field, therefore, are worth
more than casual consideration by player-piano men.
Music publishers and roll men have never reached an agree-
ment regarding royalties payable for the use of words that can
be said to have been satisfactory to both parties. The roll men
feel, and naturally, that a royalty of twelve cents on the great ma-
jority of the word rolls is too high, while the publishers for their
part feel that under certain circumstances they are entitled to more
than this amount.
The organization of a new corporation by several publishers,
as announced in The Review last week, for the purpose of
placing the control of their word rights in one central bureau, is
a move that, in music-roll circles, is deemed to have a significance
not apparent on the surface and it is very probable that the new
arrangement will tend to develop fresh dissension between the pub-
lishers and those who seek to use their word rights.
It is stated, almost openly, that certain roll manufacturers will
be inclined to include in their lists only certain publishers who are
inclined to be more or less generous in their attitude and ignore
as far as possible the works of those publishers who do not come
under that category. The usefulness of the player-piano to its
owner lies in his ability to secure for it all the desirable hits of the
day in roll form. If he is limited in his selection to the music of
only such publishers as are in the good graces of the roll men, then
that handicap is going to ha«e an effect upon his interest and upon
the interest of his friends in player-pianos generally. On the other
hand, if the demands of certain publishers are met in full by the
roll men, it will mean a retail price for word 1 rolls that would cause
the average player owner to stop and think before he attempts to
build up a sizable library and by that means keep his interest in
the player alive.
It is to be hoped that some definite means will be found for
bringing together the publishers and roll men. The mechanical roy-
alties, even as they exist at present, represent a most substantial
source of income to the publisher. His music, in turn, is essential
to the roll man. With two such interests in common, it would
seem that there should be some basis for a compromise satisfactory
to both parties.
MUSICAL MEMORIALS
W
HEN the war ended, and the question first arose as to suit-
able memorials for America's soldier dead, those directly in-
terested in the propaganda of music were quick to suggest the
erection of public music halls, or auditoriums, equipped with organs,
as a most lasting and at the same time most suitable memorial to
these heroes. The idea caught on in many sections and has con-
tinued to grow until in a number of cities people of prominence,
not in any way associated with the music industry, have seen in
the erection of some hall, or auditorium, a most practical memorial
that would be not simply an ornament, but also of practical use
to the public. Members of the trade should watch these movements
in order that they may lend their support to them. The money
that would go into the erection of a great monument of granite
would likewise provide for the erection of a most substantial public
auditorium dedicated to the soldier dead and offering a memorial
more impressive because of its practicability. The enforcement
of such a plan is a patriotic rather than a selfish move.