Music Trade Review

DECEMBER
22, 1923
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
EXTENDING THE SCOPE OF NEXT YEAR'S BAND CONTEST
C, M. Tremaine, of the Bureau for the Advancement .of Music, Enlists Co-operation of Jay
Wharton Fay, Chairman of Instrumental Music Committee of Supervisors' Conference
C. M. Tremaine, director of the National
Bureau for the Advancement o~ Music, returned
from a s uccessful visit to Rochester last week,
where he arranged with Jay \Iv'harton Fay,
chairman of the Instrumental Music Comm ittee
of the Music Supervisors' National Conference,
for the co-operation of that organization with
the Bureau in the runn ing of the high school
band contests next year. Mr. Tremaine aim~ to
develop this work, initiated at the band co ntest
in Chicago last June, in such a way that it will
steadily bring in a large proportion of the high
school s in the country and will lead to the for·
mation o·f bands and orchestras in a very la rge
proportion of these ill~titutions where suc h
g- roups do not now exist. His object ill enli s t­
ing the co-operation of the supervisors wa" two ·
fold; first, to ha ve them Illap out the kind of
general plan which would best serve the inter­
ests of band music in the sc hools, and, second,
to win for it the whole-hearted reco·gnition and
support from the ed uc from the comm unity.
In addition to paving the way for a definite
agreement with the supervisors concerning band
contests, Mr. Tremaine v isited several of the
schools o f the city to observe the work of
their bands and orchestra s. Rochester has made
remarkable progress in the promotion of instru ­
m~ntal music among th e children of the upper
grades and high schools, the impetus to the
movement having been given by a donation
from George Eastman. Through his generosity
about 500 instruments have already been pur­
chased for the children of the city, in the play­
ing of which they receive free instruction un­
der the school system. The instruments them­
selves are in the custody of the Board of Edu­
ca tion but are loaned to the pupils, who are
responsible for their care and safe return. Be­
side the children playing the borrowed instru­
ments there are some 800 receiving the instruc­
tion the city offers upon instruments of their
own, the whole group together compflsmg
about 1,300 children, divided into twenty-six
bands and orchestras . These ensembles played
publicly 392 times last year and are already a
strong influence in the development of musical
life among the young people of Rochester.
Their potential value in the musical advance·
ment of the community as the players grad­
uate from school is even greater. The instruc­
tion is given only to those . selected as likely to
benefit and is continued only for those who ap·
ply themselves and make satisfactory progress.
I t is given almost entirely outside of school
hours, although re ce iving school credit . The
cost of in s truction to the city is $12 per capita
per annum, and the rules under which it is ad­
ministered guarantee results for the expenditure.
9
Player Piano
NOTES
FROM THE LAUTER-HUMANA
FACTORY, NEWARK, N. J.
LAUTER-HUMANA IS SOLD
IN AN INDIVIDUAL WAY
Let the Customer Sit Down and Feel the Thrill
of Creating Music-Highly Successful, Deal­
ers Say
The salesman who seeks to make a sale by
burying his customer under an avalanche of
arguments and technicalities is a thing of the
past-at least for Lauter-Humana dealers.
While it is understood that every salesman
should have an accurate knowledge of his prod­
uct so tha t he can answer questions intelligently,
the Lauter idea is to let the customer do his
own choosing.
'(I"
LAUTER·HUMANA
'Player-CPul1f1J
Q R S "PETER RABBIT ROLL" HAS -HOLIDAY POPULARITY
Lee S. Roberts' Jingles and Music to Be Staged During Christmas Week at the Capitol Theatre,
New York, and at the New Fox Theatre of Philadelphia
along ce'ftain lines that I have decided to be
correct, the psycholog'ical si de of song appeal.
"The question may arise as to whether the
words or the music make the song. Th e pro­
portions vary, though I may say that in a real
success it is rather a fifty-fifty proposition.
Many will pe rsistently hum and enjoy a tune
with nO" knowledge of the words other than
possibly the title. Nevertheless, the title means
something to the 'hummer.'
" 'There are smiles that make us happy, there
are smiles that make us' blue,' has a human ap­
peal that in itself is largely responsible for the
~u c ce~ s of my so ng 'Smiles.'
The wo·rds of
a song that goes over big must a ppeal not only
to th e imagination, but to the emotions.
"Children's songs must of ne cessity have this
c lem ent in even greater proporti011. Most chil­
dren are very susceptible to mus ic and it is the
rule rather than the exception that child lips
will often si ng words that th ey a re unable to
rep eat. The Mother Goose Nursery Rh ym es
that I set to music SOIl1(' years ago, as well as
the present Peter Rabbit contribution to the
nursery, ha ve proven sati sfacto·rily, at least to
m e, that my efforts in thi s direction are not
Lee S. Roberts
without resu lts . The moral in the Peter Rabbit
the story of Peter Rabbit, rhymed it in delight­
story is a splendid one and one that by constant
ful jingle and set it to music of his own creation. repetition which is brou ght about in the rhymed
The happy combination thus effected ca ught th e version of the tale, cannot fail in its impress
attention of Mr. Rothafel, music director of the upon the juvenile mind. To me childhood is
Capito) Theatre of New York, as well as that a ver~' interesting and wonderful thing and I
of Mr. Erno Rappe, o·f the Fox Theatre of take keen delight in contributing to it s happi ­
Philadelphia, with the result that Mr. Roberts' ness as well as in feeling that in these contribu­
version of Peter Rabbit's mishap, together with
tions there is embodied the germ that makes
the musical accompaniment, will be staged ill
for happier develo.pment and ultimately a better
ballet form durin g Christmas week at both theatres
Roth Mr, Roberts and Peter are to "this may sound theor etical , nevertheless it is
be congratulated, as ~. re also those who will see' " part of my hobby and as such, if combaJed;
this elaborate stage production of it.
would have my vigorous defense."
That a business man's hobby may be turned
to financial credit and dist inct ion is well ex­
PLAYS FOR ITALIAN EMBASSY
emplified by Mr. Roberts' case, because with
him his music is but a runner-up to the main
"I-nton Bilotti, the talented young pianist, who
issue, which is the manufacture of player ro1ls. Inade hi s concert debut with the Hardman piano
When Mr. Ro'berts was asked as to the in­
in New York this Fall, gave a formal concert
spiration that prompted his musical treatment program Friday o·f last week at the home of
of Peter Rabbit he replied: "There was no in­
Prince Caeta ni, a member 0'( the Italian em­
spiration in\'olved, just the further working ba ssy in \lv'ashingtol1, D. C.
A particularly popular feature of the Q R S
catalog during the holid ay bu ying season has
been L ee Rob erts' Peter Rabbit Roll, which
has been strongly featured in newspaper adver­
tisements and by othe r means of publ ic ity.
Because of th e splendid publicity being given
the Christmas specialties offered this year by
th e Q R S Mu sic Co., it is reasonable to assume
the tr ade is a ware that Mr. Roberts ha s taken
~
There
IS
Nothing Quite Like Playing
the Lauter-Humana
would you like to Sit down" In your liVing
room chiS eve ning ;md pht} "At Dawning,"
chac charming ballad by C2dman ~ With the
:.­ Lauter-Human:!. you have only to feel the
•
urge of musIc . The roll IS put InCO plaC'C. and the soft,
bC3uufui musIc 6115 the room
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.
You play-now softl y, now loudl)'-all the whil(' ex;
yOUI own personality!
The last bar famtly diltS away and you emerge from
a delightful rf!:vt:nt , You have' enJo),td yourself mort'
than you ('\er (Quid have by merel y Iistcning to music
You have bten a part of "A t Oawning"--· you hav(
felt all the t hrill that Cadman must have ielt when hr
romposed this ballad PI:l)'mg thc Lauter - Humana
possesses a faSCina tion of whICh you will never rire.
p;'c~smg )'our own feelings,
LAUTER PIANO CO.
59"593 BROAD ST REET
A RECENT LAUTER ADVERTISEMENT
Instead of the salesman doinll' all the demon­
strating, which is generall y the procedure, the
customer himself is a's ked to sit down and play
the Lauter-Humana. Expression comes so
easily and so naturally that he is immediately
in'teres ted to. an unusua l degree. After having
pumped other player-pianos the soft beautiful
n~ usic of the Lauter-Humana-produced with
hardly an effort on his part-is a revelation.
He knows instinctively that the Lauter-Humana
is different from any other instrument he has
e:ve~. played. _There is 'an if'stant desire to
own it!
While this plan works ve ry successfully 111
. selling the Lauter-Humana, we do not advocate
its use with cheap players that do not pump
easily.
If the Lauter-Humana agency is open in your
territory, it will be worth your while to investi­
gate it at once. Write to The Lauter Co.,
591-593 Broad street, Newark, N. ].