Music Trade Review

JULY
7, 1923
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
5
Trade Endorses N a tiona! Competition
Review's Suggestion to Hold National Piano Competition in Connection With Next Convention and Limited
to Pupils in Schools Giving Credits for Music Study Receives Wide Endorsement- Letters
From Mark P. Campbell, Robert N. Watkin and Many Others Favor Suggestion
The suggest ion advanced by The Revi ew in
an editorial on June 23 to the effect th<)t a na­
tional cO!l1p e tition for student pianists from hi g h
and graded sc ho ol s throughout the country that
are grantin g nlll sic c r edit s be held in New York
next year in con nec tion with the national con ­
vention s ha s be e n r ece ived with enth~lsiasl1l b y
lllan y of the lead in g m e mbers of the trad e.
Without exception th ey a g ree wit h us that such
a move would be. lik e ly to develop increased
interest not only in th e piano as an instrument,
but in the study of piano music and the g rant­
ing of credits for music study by schools.
The plan was advanced by The R ev iew as it
result of the great success that attended the
band contest at th e co nventions in Chicago re­
cently when over thirt y bands from high sc hool s
and other in"litution s g athered in that city and
strov e for the va riou s cash prizes provided by
the band in s trumen t manufa c turers.
It is logical to assume that if cash prize s
agg regating $6,000 would s e rv e to bring to­
ge ther sOllie 1,500 youthful .bandsmen, prizes
aggregating a similar amount or perhaps less
s hould serve to attra c t in New York scores of
young pianists who have s uffi ciently ad\·anced
in their art to feel qualified to compete.
\Nithout exception , th e members of the in­
dustry who hav e be e n a pproa c hed 01) the s ub­
ject have endorsed th e id ea a nd agreed as to it s
feasibilit y, although ther e a r c seve ral who be ­
li ('\' , that the co nt es t s hould be mai:le ino~·~gen­
eral s o as to in c lud e s tud e nt s ir o nl aLl. ."
Sdloo ls throughout the co untr y, w h ether or not
the in sti tutions Illa y g rant mu s ic c redits.
Tt is, of course, naturar that the carrying out
of the plan would inv o lv e ·so me ex pense and
co nsiderable work so far as g· iving it proper
publicity throughout the co unt ry is conCC'rned,
but it has been prov e n th at this work of pub­
licity ca n he carried on succe,sfu lly if the trade
a s a whole co-operates and th e movelllent IS
started ear ly enough.
\Vit h nearly a yea r be for e th e m, mcmbers of
the trade, Or tho se whom th e y appo int to put
throu g h th ei r project s, s ho uld have no trouble
in gelt in g res ult s and th e tot a l exp e nse involved,
in c ludin g th e anlOunts set a s id (' [o r prizes, should
n o t exc eed $7,500, and thi s a l110unt co uld either
come direct frol11 the tr easury of the National
Pi a no Manufactnrrrs' .'\ ,soc iat ion or be raised
by s ub scription alllong it s m e nlber s hip, with a
pro-rata assessment that would be exceedingly
small in proportion to the r es ult s that Illa y b~
txpected.
The idea o f giving th e w inn e r a t wo or three
ye ar sc holar s hip in SOl11 e g oo d co nse rvator y of
mu s ic a nd th e rllnn e r-up a seco nd prize oi a
year 's sc ho lars hip see m s to b e mo s t fa vorable
as co mpar ed w ith the prese ntati o n of a piano
o r two pianos to the successful contes tants.
This, however, is a matter of d e tail that can
be eas il y decided lIpon at a lat er date.
In o rder to give some genera l id ea of the
man ncr in which the trad e m e mbers have ac­
cepted the plan, The Review prese nt s herewith
a group of letters frolll piano 11I e ll o f prominence
in both the manufacturin g and r e tail brallches
of the trade w hose opinion s ar c we ll wo rth y of
co nsid e ration.
Mark P. Campbell , pre s id ent of th e Na tional
Piano Manufacturers' Association a nd h ead of
th e Hral11baeh Piano Co., sa ys in a letter (0
The Review:
"Lei me complimcnl you on Ih e for es ighl
of lal~ing up Ihis subiecl which lvill mean
SD much 10 Ihe readers of your paper.
As
I sa id in Chicago, music has advan ced more
during lile lasl len years Ihan il had ill I/le
preceding Ihirly years, bul Hoi alollg Ihe lin cs
of Ihe use and sale of pianos_ Our Chambe r
J . ...
es ling and submils a suggeslion lVorlh y of
carefu l Ihoughl on Ihe pari of Ihe M er­
of Commerce is doin g a llJondcrful )]Jor~ in
chanls' and Malll1fac/urers' Associalions, 1
Th e l al~ing
lile advancemenf of music.
should li~ e 10 be apprised of Mr . Tremain e's
machine induslries are going inlo Ihe schoo ls
reae/ion on Ihe proposilion .. he has had an
in an educalional !Vay, sendin g Ih e ir rcpre­
exlensive experience and perhaps would b e
se nlalives 10 lal~ 10 Ih e children, and il
besl qualified 10 express all opinion as 10
1vo,,[d seem Ihal 1uo, lI, e piano manufaclUJ
As 10 ils value from Ih e
ils fea sibility ,
crs Qnd distributors, are not doing as much
sla ndpoinl of propaganda fur 0111· Ira de,
as We mighl 10 encourage Ih e grealer use of
Ihere call be no queslion. If properly ad­
Ih e piano, lllhich is Ih e fundam eliial of all
verlise d and promo lcd, Ihe idea weuld grow
music, Ihe imlrum enl on )]Jhich Ih e greatesl
and surely bring our induslry more promi­
music 11.01 Ihe world ~n o )]Js )]Jas compose d,
n enlly inlo Ihe limelighl. There is n a lhing
alld of all of Ih e grea l arlisis, musically, Ive
selfish about Ihe suggeslion.. Ihe conlesl
loo l? up 10 Ihose who are paramounl ill Ih e
!Vould be free and open 10 any boy and
art of piano play;,, !.!. A Ild so , therefo re,
girl who could qualify and Ihe anllounc e­
Ivilh Ihis greal possibilily, I be lieve Ihaf Ihe
m enl 11,0 1 valuable prizes (such as you ha~ e
lvurl! you have slarled here should be car­
sugges led) lll ou id be a)]Jarded 10 Ih e suc­
ried on and cOlllrib"led 10 by el)ery piullo
ce.ssful conies/all is rvollid arouse a se rious
mallu/aelurer ill lllis country.
and 1videspread illieres t in Ihe art of playiflg
'·0" my recenl visil 10 Dallas 10 allend
Ihe piallo. II would fo sler and encourage
Ih e T exus Siale Conv"nlioll, which was held
house lalenl and )]J/1O ~no)]Js how ·many
Ih e same llJeC~ 11.01 Dallas held ils Music
firs I-class arlisls il mighl produce)"
Week, il Was my greal pleasure to alle"d a
W. V. Sword s, v ic e-j)resident of the .\ eo lian
co ncerl 01 )]Jhich /en cOllcerl grand pianos
Co., in approving· of the suggestion, sa id:
lI)ere pla!Jed by le~/ of Ih e leadi'lg, piallisls
"The more educalional wor~ dOlle ill
of Dallas. They !Vcre dir ected by aile of
Ih e direclioll oullilled Ihe more our Irade
Dallas' lea (Ji~1{ directors . There lVere quar­
)]Jill be benefiled. C onsequenlly, llJe cor­
iel lIum he rs " ~ ,~d dud ullmb (' (s, 110 so los.
dially appro~e of ally movemelll which you
I/Olv e ver, and Ihey Were pla!Jed 10 aii (wdi­
may laullch or help promo Ie in Ihe illdi­
cafed direciion."
ence of <~ eJl lhu s iaslic lislCll ers, and il
Was ca lalllly lVonderful. It )]Jus my under­
Cro. lvlill e r, tr eaS l1rCr o f the Lester l'iitllO Co.,
standing, bul nol my privilege, of hearing,
and a dir ector of the Mu s ic Indu s tri es C hamb er
/10 lli CVCf. thai Q similar concert UJos giv en ;/1
of COlll1n erce, w rit es:
Carnegie Hall and Was )]Jell allellded.
"II would seem 10 tiS Ihal a conlesl based
"/1 is such )]Jork as Ihis alld Ihe co -opera­
on school credils as ou llined in your edilorial
lion of all concerned Ihal is going 10 enco ur ­
of Jun e 23 mighl be a ~ery good Ihing.
age a greater inleresl ill piano p1a~~ng, )]Jhich
T/lere are a good many delails 10 be
llJill be f ollo1ved by grealer piano sales ."
lvor~ed ou l, bul il cou ld be done Success­
Robert N. W a tR;il, president of th e Nat iona l
fully and lve sha ll be glad 10 join· in il."
Associat ion of Mu s ic .Merchants, sai d, re ga rdin g
t he plan:
"I
Ihill ~ Ihe
idea is a splendid · one and
E. Paul Hamilton, president of the Chickering
\Varerooms, Baltimore, and ex-president of the
Na tional Asso c iat ion of .Piano Merchants, wrot e
111 part as follows:
could be made a mailer of Nalional inleres l
and imp arlance. In'TnY o,oillion, Ihe COfl ­
"I nvled lllilh greal inleresl Ihe edilorial
les·1 ne ed nol be limiled 10 cOllleslanls from
suggesling a ,rValional Piano COlllesl based
schoo ls gra nlillg music credils, bul could be
on school cred ils, The idea is a splendid
Ihro1.»11 ope n 10 all Ihe high schools of Ih e
one Qnd Ih ere is no reason why Ihe whole­
hearled . '·Th e United Slates Commission er of Edu ­
and merchanl co uld /lol be eslablished 10
calion al Washingloll- A1r. Tigert- is quoled
furlh er such a conslructive alld far-reaching
as desiring Q piano ill every sc hool ro'Om ill
efforl 10 popularize piano music.
Ihe (.' nil ed Slalcs. This conlesl )]Jould slim­
"Therefore, I sincerely Irllsl immediale slcps
ulale and ass isl in carrying oul Mr. Tig ert's
n,i/l be la~en 10 bring Ihis mailer before Ihe
ambi tion along 11.01 linc_"
ell lire piano induslry , in which case I ain
sure Ihal prop er cons ideralion )]Jill resull in
E. H. Oroo p, of E. F. Droop & Sons Co., who
is it s tan c h advoca te O[ anvthing that will P I-O­
Ihe firs I Naliona l Piano Conlesl 01 New
YorlC' lllhell olir n exl con~e lliion meels. In
Illote th e llltl.sic tracie, writes:
"Th e edilorial appearing on Ihe fronl
Ihis anlicipalion, alld )]Jishing you the besl
page of Th e RClJiCllJ, June 23, is very inler-
of success, believ e me- "
( "niled Siaies.
WANT SPECIAL MUSIC WEEK STAMP
Texans Conceive Id ea of Special Postage Stamp
to Mark National Music Week
"\thou g h t~l e dat e fo r the holdin g of th e Na ­
tion a l :Mu , ic Week celeb ration in 1924 is sO l11 e­
w hat di s tant a mo ve ment has been s tart e d in
Dallas, Te x , under the allspices of M am ie F o l­
som \Vynne, mu s ic edito r of the Dallas Dis
patch, to have the pos'tl11aster-general sa nc tion
tile lis e of a spec ial postage stamp thr oug h o ut
the country in h o nor of the celebl-ation, as has
been (he practi ce in connection with various
nalional and int e rn a tion past.
Tt is s u g.[(es t ed that th e s pecial s tamp bear
I he portr:! it o f E \1l1crican compose r, or perhaps a portrait of
Francis Scott Key, compose r of " The Star­
spangled Dann e r." Te xas mu s ic merchants are
s trongly in fa vor of th e s uggestion, alllong them
be in g Robert N. "vVatkin, pre s ident of the Na­
tional\.ssociation o f Music Merchants.
PREMIER USED IN RECITAL
,\ Premier baby grand p iano was used at a
recital held in New York several days ago at
the studio of Jascha G. Sal11oos, a noted Russian
pianist, a graduate of th e St. P e tersburg Ru ssia
Conservatory, and d eco rated b y the late czar
for hi s extraordinar y piani s tic ab ilit y_ Pupil s
of :v1r. Samoos w e r e th e principal performers
a nd they were assi s ted by Mrs. A. Resnikoff,
vio lini st, and G. Katilansk y, baritone.
' If.
cfJ"
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