Music Trade Review

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JUNE 11, 1921
THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
EDISON CARAVAN CONVENTION HELD IN NEW YORK CITY
Two-day Program, Filled to Overflowing With Valuable Ideas for Edison Retailers, Presented at
Knickerbocker Theatre on Thursday and Friday of This Week—Closes with Banquet
Conventions are common enough, in truth, and
to make them uncommon requires a genius of
high order. Perhaps not a working day ot
the year goes by without its business conven-
tions here and there in many places throughout
the country. But it is doubtful if there ever
was staged a more entertaining and original
convention than that given at a two-day session
at the Knickerbocker Theatre, in New York
City, on June 9 and 10. It was the Edison Deal-
ers' Caravan Convention of 1921. Last year was
given the first of the "Caravan" series and at
that time we remember thinking that the Edi-
son people had spared neither money, pains nor
talent, and that if they ever wished to repeat
the stunt they would be hard put to it if they
wanted to equal their program.
But this year they have not only equaled the
program of last year—they have excelled it, and
our hat is off to the guiding mind that evolved
and realized the details of this latest Edison
national convention.
Promptly at 10 o'clock a. m., on Thursday
morning, June 9, after a preliminary orchestra
concert, T. J. Leonard, general sales manager
of Thomas A. Edison, Inc., stepped forward on
the stage and read an inspiring message from the
great inventor to his followers:
Message From Mr. Edison
"At the Caravan convention last year Max-
well said that it would never again be necessary
for him to come before you with apologies for
non-performance on the part of the manufac-
turing laboratories. I feel that this prophecy is
being fulfilled.
"We have now completed a separate depart-
ment and process for quick action. A Re-crea-
tion has, as a test, been produced in six days.
The Re-creations produced in this department
will be known as 'Flashes From Broadway,'
and we believe we can place these in your hands
before the publishers' sheet music arrives in
your town.
"I have been through five depressions during
my business life. They all act alike. This latest
one acts exactly like all the rest. The men who,
if business fell off 66 per cent, increased their
selling effort 75 per cent managed to pull
through, as if there was no depression, and the
efforts of such men tend to shorten the periods
of depression."
Chairman Phillips Introduced
At the conclusion of his reading Mr. Leonard
introduced the chairman of the New York
meeting, S. A. Phillips, of Morgantown, W. Va.,
who made a graceful speech before taking
charge of events. Then, in turn, the chairman
introduced J. B. Gregg, advertising manager at
the Edison Laboratories, who spoke on "The
Advertising Service That Is at Your Service,"
and J. W. Scott, a veteran employe of the Edison
Co., who delivered himself on the subject of
"The Diamond Amberola."
Following Mr. Scott there was an overture,
"Eyes," which ushered in the first act of Wil-
liam Maxwell's four-act comedy, with music,
which he has called "School for Salesmen." We
append the characters, scenes and musical num-
bers of the play:
CHARACTERS
(In the order of their appearance)
Anne Falconer—A Studio Girl
Miss Kitty Arthur
Turn Tarleton—A Salesman
Mr. Gene Lockhart
Stephen Sevastopol—A Dramatic Impresario,
Mr. J. Sydney Macy
Students of Salesmanship: Miss Constance Cholmondeley,
Miss Patricia Fitzgerald and Messrs. DeVere, Arundel,
O'Brien, Macintosh and Mascagni.
SYNOPSIS
Act I—Studio of Stephen Sevastopol, Sevastopol Theatre,
New York City. Time—The present.
Act II—Following morning.
Act III—Ten days later.
Act IV—One day later.
MUSICAL PROGRAM
Act I—"Smiles" (Roberts)
Tom Tarleton
"Humming'' (Breau-Henderson),
Anne Falconer and Tom Tarleton
Act II—"Persia" (Young-Walsh-Wheeler)... .Tom Tarleton
"'Eyes" (Young-Walsh-Wheeler)
Anne Falconer
Act III—"A Modest Little Thing" (Lockhart),
Anne Falconer
Act IV—"Fifth Avenue" (Young-Walsh-Wheeler),
Anne Falconer and Tom Tarleton
Scenery by Bodine-Spanjer, New York.
Between the first and second acts an open
forum was held on the subject of "What My
hanker Thinks of My Edison Business and Me,"
ltd by Louis Luxenberg, of Barnesboro, Pa., and
John Dorn, of the Dorn Music Co., West New
York, N. J. Between the second and third acts
there was an address, given by E. C. Boykin, on
"Tie a Good Man's Name to Every Edison."
Mr. Boykin is vice-president and general man-
ager of the Phonograph Corp. o'f Manhattan
and has charge of the Edison Shop on Fifth
avenue. Mr. Boykin emphasized the need in
these days of every one "getting out and getting
the business." In spite of having one of the finest
locations for a store in the world, he had found
it a necessary measure to "go after business."
And, between the third and fourth acts there
was an address delivered by Id'en Payne, gen-
eral stage director of Chas. Frohman, Inc. Mr.
Payne's subject was "If Salesmen Were Actors."
Mr. Payne is an international figure in the
theatrical world and has made many noteworthy
productions of plays, both in England and
America. During the past four years Mr. Payne
produced all of the Frohman plays with two ex-
ceptions. With rare insight and observation he
emphasized the principal motif of the Maxwell
play, proving that if salesmen would only realize
the existence of a technique in connection with
their profession it would probably bring richer
and happier results to themselves.
The hero of Mr. Maxwell's play, Tom Tarle-
ton, is a young man from the Middle West, who
comes East to attend the Edison School for
Salesmen, which is being directed by Stephen
Sevastopol, a fatnous theatrical impresario,
whose theory is like Shakespeare's, that "all the
world's a stage, and all the men and women
merely players," and that he can teach them to
play any parts they wish to assume. In the
course of conversation Tarleton says: "As I
understand it, Mr. Sevastopol, you have never
sold goods?"
"Certainly not," replies Sevastopol.
"Then how do you figure you can teach any-
body how to sell goods?" persists Tarleton.
"I have never been an actor, yet I have taught
hundreds of men how to be actors," Sevasto-
pol points out.
"But acting is very different from selling,"
insists Tarleton.
"Everything is like acting!" exclaims Sevasto-
pol.
Again, Sevastopol gives his idea of the true
Edison salesman in these words: "My dear boy,
a true Edison salesman sells vision and ideals—
not merchandise. It is easier to be an Edison
salesman than to be an actor, yet both have the
same problems. The actor must get across the
footlights to his audience the vision and ideals
which the author has given him. The Edison
salesman merely has to sell the vision and ideals
which human desire for progress, comfort, hap-
piness and culture has planted in every heart."
On June 10, at 9.15 a. m., Ernest Cutting's Or-
chestra opened the doings of the second day with
selections of popular music. The first speaker on
63
the program was Professor Charles H. Farns-
worth, of the department of music, Teachers'
College, Columbia University, who lately has
taken charge of the Edison school research de-
partment. Professor Farnsworth is considered
one of the foremost specialists on music educa-
tion in America, having devoted most of his life
to that branch of knowledge. He has been
president of the Music Teachers' National As-
sociation for a number of years and is chairman
of the Education Council of the National Con-
ference of Music Supervisors. Besides teaching,
Professor Farnsworth has written books on the
subject of music. His remarks were listened to
intently by the Edison crowd and some of his
ideas in connection with their business evoked
general commendation and applause.
Some Interesting Addresses
The chairman next introduced Mario Laurenti,
of the Metropolitan Opera, who told "What It
Means to an Artist to Have His Art Truly Per-
petuated for All Time by Edison's Genius," and
then sang.
Mr. Laurenti was succeeded by Edward R.
Dunning, of the Crowell Publishing Co., of New
York City, who spoke on "How Magazines and
Farm Papers Interlock With Edison Newspaper
Advertising." An open forum followed his re-
marks, the subject being "Mood Change
Parties," the talk being led by Louis E. Gesh-
leider, of The Edison Shop, Newark, N. J., and
R. V. Manson, of The Edison Shop, New
Haven, Conn.
When the air was cleared of debate and opin-
ion an act was introduced as "A Tone-test That
Is Slightly Different," Miss Cecil Arden, of the
Metropolitan Opera Co., enacting the principal
role. Miss Arden looked and sang like an
angel. Another open forum was next on the pro-
gram. Its subject was "The Turn-table and
How to Find Space for It." The chief speakers
on_ this topic were Nelson W. Russler, of the
Russler-Chadwick Co., Cumberland, Md.; Frank
A. French, The Studio Shop, Manchester, N. H.;
Harry S. Somers, of Starr & Moss, Philadel-
phia, Pa., and Miss F. A. Jensen, of the Edison
Phonograph Shop, Springfield, Mass.
A Cornet Re-creation Test
The next act was entitled "My Cornet Proves
What Fibbers They Are," and it proved to be a
cornet comparison with an Edison Re-creation,
which demonstrated that there was not the
slightest shade of difference between the music
of the cornet itself and its Re-creation played on
the new Edison and that any claim to the effect
that Edison artists imitate their Re-creations in
tone tests is utterly absurd. Miss Felice Dann
was the artist, and she was a beautiful picture
on the stage with her golden hair and glittering
cornet. Following Miss Dann, there was an
open forum on "How to Increase the Sale of
Re-creations," and the chief speakers on the sub-
ject were Clifford Handel, of Hardman, Peck &
Co., New York City; Thomas Boehm, Jr., of
the Palace Furniture Co., Clarksburg, W. Va.;
W. C. Stiver, of W. C. Stiver Co., Germantown,
Philadelphia, Pa., and Miss E. Sims, of the
Edison Shop, New Haven, Conn.
F. E. Nixon, general manager, Federal Adver-
tising Agency, New York, followed the open
forum with an address lecture on "The Inter-
locking Newspaper Copy—How an Idea Grows,"
which was illustrated with stereopticon views.
When he had finished his interesting discourse
there were two open forums, one on "Sitting
and Waiting or Going and Getting," and the
other on "Does Sales Aid Service Really Pay?"
The principal speakers on these subjects were
0. Simmons, Piedmont Phonograph Co., Hick-
ory, N. C.; B. Guy Warner, Brooklyn, N. Y.;
1. C. Trask, of Trask Bros., Milford, Mass.; J.
J. Menton, the Quackenbush Co., Paterson, N.
J.; J. M. Stewart, Clymer Furniture Co., Cly-
(Continncd on page 64)