Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
MARCH 29,
THE
1924
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
Dynamic Merchandising Real Need
Formidability of Competition Which the Music Industries Now Have to Meet in Their Struggle for Public
Favor Makes It Imperative to Develop a More Direct Contact With the Public—Piano and
Player-Piano Music Must Be Made More Attractive to the Prospect
DISTINGUISHED mid-West retailer of Benjamin Wise's saying, "What is home
has remarked with a somewhat pessi- without a piano?" That saying had large mean-
mistic tone upon the remarkable fact, ing in those days.
To-day, unfortunately, the motto has to be
well known to all trade statisticians, that the
number of the pianos sold each year tends to altered. We have to say rather, "What is home
remain almost stationary. He does not, indeed, without a car, a phonograph, a radio set—and—
even pretend to suggest that the player-piano a piano?" Which is quite a different sort of
has not shown a steady increase year by year thing.
A Delicate Example
in the number of its sales, but he reflects, not
It comes, then, to this, that the same condi-
without justice, upon the obvious discrepancy
between the vast increase in population and the tion exists governing the distribution of the
almost stationary condition as to sales of the family income among necessities and luxuries,
but that now the luxuries are more numerous,
piano industry, taken by and large.
This gentleman begs us to look at facts and while some of what used to be considered ex-
to face realities. He rightly tells us that we tremely luxurious articles are now considered to
have many and most formidable competitors to be necessities. To give one concrete example,
overcome. The development of the motor car twenty years ago a woman of the prosperous
has made this nation one of travelers who do classes could be well dressed as regards under-
not stay at home with the persistence and regu- wear and stockings with a set of garments for
larity of their fathers. He thinks, too, that which she had paid perhaps three dollars.
both the phonograph and the more recent radio To-day one change of similar garments costs
receiving set arc to be blamed for diminishing ten dollars, not because material has gone up
popular interest in the particular form of music- so much in price, but because material once
production which is represented by the piano thought good enough is now despised. Once
and the player-piano. He wonders what is" going women thought batiste the acme of good taste
to happen to the piano business during the next in these matters; to-day they must have silk
or one of its expensive products. And so on
few years.
We must not pretend that these feelings are ad infinitum.
The family income then has gone up, indeed,
wholly without foundation. On the contrary,
indeed, there can be not the least doubt as to but the number of the possessions now thought
the formidability of the competition which the to be indispensable has increased until in pro-
music industries now have to meet in their portion there is no more left than there was
battle for public favor. The only question is twenty years ago—if indeed quite so much—
how to meet it, and this is the most important for such matters as musical instruments of the
single question before the industry at this piano type.
Yet, Music Prospers Ever More
moment.
Yet, there is more money than ever spent
Choosing Between Amusements
At all times, of course, it has been true that on the cultivation and performance of music.
the average family has had to count its pennies More concerts are given, more symphony
more or less closely, and to choose between one orchestras exist, a greater number of men and
another competing prospect of enjoyment or of women, greater both absolutely and relatively,
possession. There is in the case of most fam- is to-day studying and teaching music. General
ilies just such and such a proportion of the public taste is manifestly improving, in fact is
joint income which can properly be spent in improving more rapidly than the music indus-
amusements (among which, of course, music tries seem to realize. In spite of all this sales
and musical instruments must be placed), and resistance to the piano and to the player-piano,
there always has been, and always is, a ques- too, does not appear to be decreasing. Why is
tion of choice. It nearly always must be this this?
or that, not this and that.
The Reason
Plainly because the music industries arc not
It may be objected that to-day the average
family has a great deal more to spend on amuse- succeeding in making the piano and the player-
ments. This is, of course, true, but the fact piano sufficiently attractive to the post-war gen-
remains that in proportion as the average in- eration. This generation is harder in a good
com'e has grown, so also have multiplied the many ways than was the generation which pre-
competitors for the family's favor. We may ceded it. For one thing, while it is as sus-
take the end of the nineteenth century as mark- ceptible as was its predecessor to mass-sugges-
ing the opening of the pre-war era, which lasted tion, it is superficially a good deal less naive, a
till 1914 and during which prosperity increased good deal harder to please, a good deal more
steadily but quite slowly. At the opening of restless and nervous. Never did a generation
that period the motor car was unknown save more need the soothing and calming influence
to a handful of millionaires. The cinema was of music. Never, therefore, has the music trade
unknown save to a handful .of inventors. The had a greater opportunity than it now has.
Superficially, in fact, all the signs are against
phonograph was crude, expensive and still al-
most unknown. The player-piano was very new, us. Basically, fundamentally, they are all with
very clumsy, very inefficient and very expensive. us.
Certainly, the player-piano industry has be-
In those days the straight piano had pretty
nearly a clear sweep of the market. During the fore it an opportunity such as has seldom come
year 1907 the output of pianos (including a very to any industry, to do a good work for the
few thousand players) was as great as, and nation and at the same time to reap great re-
ward for itself.
probably greater than, it has ever been since.
The Antinomies
What Is Home Without —?
It is said that the people prefer being out in
Twenty years ago, indeed, the family had
much less to spend; but it thought of a piano their cars to playing music at home? Then it
as something it must have. This was the epoch may also be said that music is more popular
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than it ever has been before in the history of
this country.
It is said that the people prefer lo listen to
music instead of making it for themselves. Then
we answer that we have the reproducing piano.
And we answer still more positively that, in
fact, the people are showing by their actions
that they love music as never before, and that
if any music-lover ever says that he or she
does not wish to perform music, then he or she
is no music lover. As-a matter of fact every
music lover sighs daily with regret over in-
ability to play. Is there not then a remedy?
If not, what is the player-piano and why does
it exist?
Facts, Not Fears
Suppose that instead of whining over fads
which look unfavorable and which perhaps are
manifesting themselves in an unfavorable man-
ner, we simply ask ourselves whether perhaps
the fault is in our own methods!
Have we merchandised the player-piano
wisely? Have we not rather told the people
that it was perfect and needed no skill to play?
Have we not sold thousands of player-pianos
on this lying statement, expressed or implied,
and is it not then our own fault if the masses
of people have failed to draw from the player-
piano what we promised them? Is it, then,
surprising that even the reproducing piano is
looked upon with suspicion? Who is to blame?
Surely not the people!
The Remedy
The remedy, then, for all this is plain. If,
and insofar as, we do not make good with the
masses the fault is ours. Let us start in from
this time onwards to sell the people the sov-
ereign remedy for restlessness and discontent,
the sovereign remedy, music. I-ct us, in a word,
advertise, talk and teach the playing of music
by means of the player-piano. There and there
alone is the remedy. There and there alone
shall we find ourselves able to wield an even
more potent charm over the imagination and
the purse of the American people.
Music Week Celebration
Held in Montreal, Can.
Music Merchants of That City Take Active
Part in Making the Event a Success—Other
Local Interests Participate in Program
MONTREAL, CANADA, March 24.—The second an-
nual music week was celebrated in this city last
week and was participated in by the local music
trade, practically all the prominent clubs and
societies, as well as the churches and schools.
It proved a tremendous success. The official
opening took place in the recital hall of the
Willis & Co. building, where several concerts
and recitals that were part of the celebration
were held each day. Other musicals and con-
certs were given at the Mt. Royal Hotel, the
Windsor Hotel, the Ritz-Carlton and in various
high schools and halls. Local music merchants
are particularly enthusiastic over the music
week idea and report having received very satis-
factory results from previous celebrations.
Consult the Universal Want Directory of
The Review. In it advertisements are inserted
free of charge for men who desire positions.
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