Music Trade Review
Issue: 1921 Vol. 72 N. 9 - Page 9
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
FEBRUARY
9
i
Being the Random Remarks of the Review's Random Remarker, the Editor of
This Player Section, Who Herein Sets Forth His Observations and Opinions
on Men and Events Which Touch Upon or Appertain to the Player Industry
specialized industry. It needs a deal of skilled
help which can only be trained in the factories
and of which there is even now a distinct scar-
Slowly, though not too slowly, busmess is city. If merchants hold off too long from order-
coming back to something like a normal condi- ing in adequate quantities the personnel of the
lion. Not too slowly, for great movements factories will undoubtedly be depleted. This will
must not be hastened. The world is not yet mean that at the last moment, when the Winter
ready to start up at the pace of, say, 1913, but rush is on and pianos and player-pianos are
only the worst kind of blindness and selfishness badly wanted, the factories will not be in
can keep it lagging behind much longer. The position to fill all orders through lack of
piano trade—and that includes the player-piano trained men. All the supplies in the world are
—is unique. It usually shows an increase in, of very little value without trained personnel in
years which are distinguished for depression in the factories. During the war years there was
other industries. One of the principal reasons quite enough—in fact, there was a good deal too
for this state of affairs is to be found, of course, much—of poor workmanship. We don't want
in the fact that pianos and player-pianos are an any more of that. Nor do we want to have the
investment. Investments are popular in slack personnel of the industry affected any further,
years, While evanescent luxuries and extrava- if we can help it. Recovery may not be so fast
gances are the natural concomitants of periods ab some would hope, but it is going on, and
of easy money. Still we are not out of the there is no reason to suppose that there will not
woods and it is not quite time to .begin whis- be the usual run on the factories before the
tling. The truth of the matter is that we shall Winter trade sets in; before, indeed, but not
laid ourselves where we were before 1915 only long enough before to save all parties from a
by climbing down as far as we have climbed up. great deal of disappointment caused by unfilled
Business needs relief from excessive .taxation. and unlillable orders.
Business needs the release of frozen capital-
Business needs a fair adjustment of wage con-
Just a Bit of Brains!
ditions. Especially business needs resumption
There is quite a lot of talk just now about
of buying on the part of the people who are
new ways of getting business. Few merchants
staying out of the market in the expectation of
still lower prices. Piano men, though, are doing seem to realize that one of the reasons for the
business, and perhaps one of the most remark- difficulty they sometimes experience in popular-
able facts about the present condition of affairs izing the player piano beyond a certain point in
is found just here. It cannot be too much em- their communities lies in their neglect of all but
phasized that periods of depression are always a single section of the population. It is not
good periods for the piano merchant who really enough to sell the player-piano only to the
has the courage of his convictions., A worried musically uneducated or to the aesthetic bar-
world wants music very badly. A body of mer- barians who want nothing but noise, and lots
chants believing in the goods they sell would of it. Neglect of the musically educated classes
have little trouble in supplying that want at a is one of the principal sins of our business. But
there is still another side to it. There has been
profit.
a great deal of difficulty in getting merchants
to see that one of the weaknesses in the industry
Nota Bene, Please
is in respect of the supply of music rolls. Mer-
Merchants, one learns, are showing a disposi- chants do not attempt to sell better-class music,
tion to place orders again. It is about time. The nor to let the musically intelligent know that
piano and player-piano business, indeed, is in such music may be had. In consequence, the
vtry good condition generally in respect of the merchants, by their example, discourage the
ability to stay alive for a very long time. Piano manufacturers from arranging and cutting good
manufacturers have made a good deal of money music. That is just another reason why the new
during the last three or four years of the seller's experiment which Lyon & Healy are making in
market and most of them can afford to shut Chicago is so important. To open a department
down for the rest of the year if they feel like for giving free instruction in playing and appre-
it But this simply won't do. Our industry is a ciation to owners of player-pianos, no matter
"But Not Too Slowly!"
where they bought their instruments or of what
makes those instruments may happen to be, is to
do a fine piece of broad-minded advertising.
But it is also to rebuke every stupid and blind
member of the trade who has insisted on clos-
ing his eyes to the facts. The player-piano is,
on its merits, the most fascinating product of
human ingenuity within the entire range of the
arts. Yet it is sneered at by the musicians and
by those who really most need its ministry of
music. Its wonderful capacities are not under-
stood. No player-piano save the foot-pumped
instrument will ever serve to popularize the idea
of pneumatic music, for no other is both uni-
versally available and capable of response to
personal control. It is this element of personal
control which is decisive for the foot-pumped
player. It is plain foolishness to neglect it.
Lea-Bar-Jan!
Which reminds us. There is a gap in the
player business, a gap which has only just been
bridged. That gap is in the roll branch of the
business. There is a great demand for special
music, for music which cannot be had from the
great manufacturers because there is not enough
sale for it. Piano accompaniments for voice and
violin, or other instruments, are asked for by
hundreds of owners of player-pianos who sing
or play another instrument and want to have
always available the advantages of correctly
played accompaniments. Singers are especially
badly off in this respect, and if a complete sup-
ply of voice accompaniments could be had!
singers by the hundreds would want player-
pianos. Of course, such music cannot profitably
be published in a commercial way. But what
about the Leabarjan music perforator? We are
the proud possessor of two of these wonderful
machines and we could not get along without
them. They are invaluable to everybody who
can read music, and those who cannot now can
soon learn from the machine. Any kind of
music roll can be rapidly and correctly made
from any music. We have arranged almost
everything, from simple nursery rhyme songs
to orchestral accompaniments for solo instru-
ments, on music rolls by means of the practical
and ingenious Leabarjan. Here is a wide gap
well bridged. It won't hurt the sale of other
rolls. But it will bring into the player business
a lot of intelligent interest which just now is
staying outside.
Music Publishers—Composers
Have you heard a player-piano roll that w a s made on the
It will pay you to investigate the superior quality of Leabarjan reproduc-
tions. You can make player rolls of your compositions on the Leabarjan.
Style No. 3
Style No. 5
FOUR MODELS
$35.00
Style No. 8
75.00
Style No. 8-B (Electric)
$150.00
295.00
THE LEABARJAN MFG. COMPANY
Eastern Sales Office: 256 Broadway, New York, N. Y.
STYLE No. 8-B LEABARJAN MUSIC ROLL PERFORATOR
Factory: Hamilton, Ohio
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
FEBRUARY
9
i
Being the Random Remarks of the Review's Random Remarker, the Editor of
This Player Section, Who Herein Sets Forth His Observations and Opinions
on Men and Events Which Touch Upon or Appertain to the Player Industry
specialized industry. It needs a deal of skilled
help which can only be trained in the factories
and of which there is even now a distinct scar-
Slowly, though not too slowly, busmess is city. If merchants hold off too long from order-
coming back to something like a normal condi- ing in adequate quantities the personnel of the
lion. Not too slowly, for great movements factories will undoubtedly be depleted. This will
must not be hastened. The world is not yet mean that at the last moment, when the Winter
ready to start up at the pace of, say, 1913, but rush is on and pianos and player-pianos are
only the worst kind of blindness and selfishness badly wanted, the factories will not be in
can keep it lagging behind much longer. The position to fill all orders through lack of
piano trade—and that includes the player-piano trained men. All the supplies in the world are
—is unique. It usually shows an increase in, of very little value without trained personnel in
years which are distinguished for depression in the factories. During the war years there was
other industries. One of the principal reasons quite enough—in fact, there was a good deal too
for this state of affairs is to be found, of course, much—of poor workmanship. We don't want
in the fact that pianos and player-pianos are an any more of that. Nor do we want to have the
investment. Investments are popular in slack personnel of the industry affected any further,
years, While evanescent luxuries and extrava- if we can help it. Recovery may not be so fast
gances are the natural concomitants of periods ab some would hope, but it is going on, and
of easy money. Still we are not out of the there is no reason to suppose that there will not
woods and it is not quite time to .begin whis- be the usual run on the factories before the
tling. The truth of the matter is that we shall Winter trade sets in; before, indeed, but not
laid ourselves where we were before 1915 only long enough before to save all parties from a
by climbing down as far as we have climbed up. great deal of disappointment caused by unfilled
Business needs relief from excessive .taxation. and unlillable orders.
Business needs the release of frozen capital-
Business needs a fair adjustment of wage con-
Just a Bit of Brains!
ditions. Especially business needs resumption
There is quite a lot of talk just now about
of buying on the part of the people who are
new ways of getting business. Few merchants
staying out of the market in the expectation of
still lower prices. Piano men, though, are doing seem to realize that one of the reasons for the
business, and perhaps one of the most remark- difficulty they sometimes experience in popular-
able facts about the present condition of affairs izing the player piano beyond a certain point in
is found just here. It cannot be too much em- their communities lies in their neglect of all but
phasized that periods of depression are always a single section of the population. It is not
good periods for the piano merchant who really enough to sell the player-piano only to the
has the courage of his convictions., A worried musically uneducated or to the aesthetic bar-
world wants music very badly. A body of mer- barians who want nothing but noise, and lots
chants believing in the goods they sell would of it. Neglect of the musically educated classes
have little trouble in supplying that want at a is one of the principal sins of our business. But
there is still another side to it. There has been
profit.
a great deal of difficulty in getting merchants
to see that one of the weaknesses in the industry
Nota Bene, Please
is in respect of the supply of music rolls. Mer-
Merchants, one learns, are showing a disposi- chants do not attempt to sell better-class music,
tion to place orders again. It is about time. The nor to let the musically intelligent know that
piano and player-piano business, indeed, is in such music may be had. In consequence, the
vtry good condition generally in respect of the merchants, by their example, discourage the
ability to stay alive for a very long time. Piano manufacturers from arranging and cutting good
manufacturers have made a good deal of money music. That is just another reason why the new
during the last three or four years of the seller's experiment which Lyon & Healy are making in
market and most of them can afford to shut Chicago is so important. To open a department
down for the rest of the year if they feel like for giving free instruction in playing and appre-
it But this simply won't do. Our industry is a ciation to owners of player-pianos, no matter
"But Not Too Slowly!"
where they bought their instruments or of what
makes those instruments may happen to be, is to
do a fine piece of broad-minded advertising.
But it is also to rebuke every stupid and blind
member of the trade who has insisted on clos-
ing his eyes to the facts. The player-piano is,
on its merits, the most fascinating product of
human ingenuity within the entire range of the
arts. Yet it is sneered at by the musicians and
by those who really most need its ministry of
music. Its wonderful capacities are not under-
stood. No player-piano save the foot-pumped
instrument will ever serve to popularize the idea
of pneumatic music, for no other is both uni-
versally available and capable of response to
personal control. It is this element of personal
control which is decisive for the foot-pumped
player. It is plain foolishness to neglect it.
Lea-Bar-Jan!
Which reminds us. There is a gap in the
player business, a gap which has only just been
bridged. That gap is in the roll branch of the
business. There is a great demand for special
music, for music which cannot be had from the
great manufacturers because there is not enough
sale for it. Piano accompaniments for voice and
violin, or other instruments, are asked for by
hundreds of owners of player-pianos who sing
or play another instrument and want to have
always available the advantages of correctly
played accompaniments. Singers are especially
badly off in this respect, and if a complete sup-
ply of voice accompaniments could be had!
singers by the hundreds would want player-
pianos. Of course, such music cannot profitably
be published in a commercial way. But what
about the Leabarjan music perforator? We are
the proud possessor of two of these wonderful
machines and we could not get along without
them. They are invaluable to everybody who
can read music, and those who cannot now can
soon learn from the machine. Any kind of
music roll can be rapidly and correctly made
from any music. We have arranged almost
everything, from simple nursery rhyme songs
to orchestral accompaniments for solo instru-
ments, on music rolls by means of the practical
and ingenious Leabarjan. Here is a wide gap
well bridged. It won't hurt the sale of other
rolls. But it will bring into the player business
a lot of intelligent interest which just now is
staying outside.
Music Publishers—Composers
Have you heard a player-piano roll that w a s made on the
It will pay you to investigate the superior quality of Leabarjan reproduc-
tions. You can make player rolls of your compositions on the Leabarjan.
Style No. 3
Style No. 5
FOUR MODELS
$35.00
Style No. 8
75.00
Style No. 8-B (Electric)
$150.00
295.00
THE LEABARJAN MFG. COMPANY
Eastern Sales Office: 256 Broadway, New York, N. Y.
STYLE No. 8-B LEABARJAN MUSIC ROLL PERFORATOR
Factory: Hamilton, Ohio
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