Music Trade Review
Issue: 1924 Vol. 78 N. 2 - Page 14
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
14
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
Buffalo Music Merchants Find Demand
Increasing for the Quality Pianos
Buying Public Displaying Surprising Knowledge of Tonal Values Due Largely to Greater Attend-
ance at Concerts—Dealers Foresee Heavy Volume During First Half of the Year
D U F F A L O , N. Y., January 8.—The Buffalo
trade is in an optimistic frame of mind as
the year begins. Everything points to good
business in the first half of 1924, they believe.
There has been no serious unemployment in this
district for nearly a year, and the industries of
this region are looking forward to operation at
a high rate during the first half of 1924. The
demand now seems to be centered on instru-
ments of medium price.
"It is surprising the knowledge of tone qual-
ities that many of our prospective buyers have,"
said the manager of one of Buffalo's largest
piano stores. "I am convinced that this is the
result of concerts which our company and others
have given in Buffalo theatres and elsewhere.
Through these concerts the public has come to
differentiate between music and noise. The re-
sult is sales resistance, especially as applied
to medium and higher-priced pianos, has been
very materially reduced."
H. G. Weasner, head of the H. G. Weasner
Publishing Co., has organized the Radio Male
Quartet, and has arranged several programs for
WGR, broadcasting station of the Federal Tele-
phone & Telegraph Co. Judging from the
amount of applause in the nature of letters re-
ceived by this quartet, it is evident that not all
radio listeners are jazz fans. Mr. Weasner has
been featuring his own compositions, "Cradle
of Gold," "Lonesome," "Back in My Own Dixie
Home" and "Just a Faded Flower," lullabies
and sentimental ballads. Letters from radio fans
from all parts of the country, praising the pro-
grams, have been received by WGR.
Herman C. Ehlers, head of the H. C. Ehlers
Co., furniture and musical instrument dealer
in Dunkirk, N. Y., has purchased the adjoining
building to his property, which will be remod-
eled and used as an annex to his present estab-
lishment. A lot in the rear of his store was also
purchased with a view of further expansion.
A number of Buffalo music dealers took part
in the furniture dealers' dance on January 10 in
Elmwood Music Hall.
A radio department is a new departure in
the music store of Goold Bros., Inc.
J. Clayton Swackhamer, who for a number of
years conducted a piano store in Niagara street,
Niagara Falls, died at his home in Buffalo. His
death was a shock to his many friends in the
trade, he having shown no signs of ill health.
He was sick but a few hours preceding his
death. The widow survives.
Son of Former President of Nicaragua
to Record Shortly for the Baldwin
Alfonso deZelaya, Widely Known in Latin America as an Artist of Sterling Merit, Will Record
Series of Spanish Folk Songs, for Which He Is Noted, for That Instrument
A MONG those artists whose playing will
"^^ shortly be made available to owners of
Baldwin reproducing pianos is Alfonso deZelaya,
son of the late president of Nicaragua, who a
number of years ago turned to music as an out-
Liszt and Beethoven, is constructive, for it is
the expression
of
beautiful,
harmonious
thoughts."
Then he sat down to the piano and hammered
out a jazz tune that would have caused a riot
JANUARY 12,
1924
Knight-Campbell Holds
Annual Sales Meeting
Seventh Annual Gathering of Executives, Sales-
men and Branch Managers Is Held by Large
Denver House
DENVER, COLO., January 5.—One of the. outstand-
ing business events of the holiday season here
was the seventh annual sales convention of the
Knight-Campbell Music Co., at which members
of the sales force of the local store and also
from branches in Cheyenne, Colorado Springs
and Pueblo were present. The convention as-
sembled in the auditorium of the local store
at 1625-31 California street and began its two-
day session with a music program given by
members of the organization. The speakers,
following the program, and their subjects were
as follows: W. W. Bradford, "Knight-Camp-
bell Success"; H. E. Mitchell, "Going Out After
Business"; C. G. Campbell, "The Steinway
Aeolian"; T. P. Foote, "Profits—Good Paper
vs. Bad Paper," and F. D. Wooden, "The Ho-
bart M. Cable Player-piano."
One of the most helpful of the talks was that
of Mr. Wooten, who is assistant city sales man-
ager of the company. He illustrated various
features in his player-piano discussion by dem-
onstration at the instrument, often making
strikingly human interpretations of the roll.
The keynote of his speech was "not to sell the
mechanism of any machine, but to sell what
the mechanism can bring to the hearts and
minds of those who buy."
Social features of the convention included at-
tendance at the Orpheum Theatre in a body
the first night and a reception and dance the
second night for all Knight-Campbell employes
at the Denver Dancing Academy. Out-of-town
representatives of the company present at the
sessions follow:
District Managers H. A.
Baker, of La Junta; F. A. Black, Pueblo; H.
E. Frye, Fort Collins; A. E. Dorman, Raton,
N. M.; F. R. Edwards, Scottsbluff, Neb.; O. A.
May, Albuquerque, N.M., andC. E. Upp, Salida,
Colo.; Store Managers H. E. Mitchell, of
I'ueblo; Darius Allen, Colorado Springs, and
R. C. Hoffman, Cheyenne, and Miss Babette
Berger, of Fort Collins; F. N. Vose and O. M.
McKini, Pueblo, and C. H. Harris, Colorado
Springs.
Endorses Arbitration Bill
Before Senate and House
Alfred L. Smith, of the Music Industries
Chamber of Commerce, Sends Letter to
Washington Favoring Passage of Measure
let for his artistic tendencies and has appeared
before many audiences in the two Americas.
Don Alfonso is distinctly Latin in temperament,
and in describing his artistic tendencies said:
"Now I play the piano. Why, I thought, is
music more successful than I am. Then I
learned that to be in harmony with the beautiful
chords my thoughts must likewise be in har-
mony. Good music, that of Schumann, Mozart,
in any cabaret. He threw up his hands. "That's
jazz. Jazz means something easy, cheap, com-
mon, vulgar. It acts on the nerve centers of
the spine; sets the body rocking; it is sensuous
and scatters our energies. Beautiful music,
however, is one of the greatest powers for good
in the world."
He is specially noted for his playing of old
Spanish folk songs.
In accordance with the policy of the Music
Industries Chamber of Commerce to favor
every practical measure for the use of arbitra-
tion in settling commercial disputes, Alfred L.
Smith has written the following letter to the
House and Senate Judiciary committees favor-
ing a bill providing for that and recently in-
troduced:
"This Chamber, representating over 3,000
firms and individuals engaged in the promotion
of musical instruments of all kinds, wishes to
urge the favorable consideration of your com-
mittee to Bill S-105 H. R. 646, known as the
Arbitration Act.
"We believe that economy and efficiency re-
quire the elimination of all needless litigation
and that arbitration of business disputes is feasi-
ble and practical. We therefore believe that
this bill should become a law, and to this end
we hope your committee will report it favor-
ably at an early date."'
The Music Industries Chamber of Commerce
believes that the passage of this or some similar
legislation will facilitate, the creation of ma-
chinery for the arbitration of commercial dis-
putes and will be of benefit to every line of
industry by lowering the present heavy tax
litigation involves.
14
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
Buffalo Music Merchants Find Demand
Increasing for the Quality Pianos
Buying Public Displaying Surprising Knowledge of Tonal Values Due Largely to Greater Attend-
ance at Concerts—Dealers Foresee Heavy Volume During First Half of the Year
D U F F A L O , N. Y., January 8.—The Buffalo
trade is in an optimistic frame of mind as
the year begins. Everything points to good
business in the first half of 1924, they believe.
There has been no serious unemployment in this
district for nearly a year, and the industries of
this region are looking forward to operation at
a high rate during the first half of 1924. The
demand now seems to be centered on instru-
ments of medium price.
"It is surprising the knowledge of tone qual-
ities that many of our prospective buyers have,"
said the manager of one of Buffalo's largest
piano stores. "I am convinced that this is the
result of concerts which our company and others
have given in Buffalo theatres and elsewhere.
Through these concerts the public has come to
differentiate between music and noise. The re-
sult is sales resistance, especially as applied
to medium and higher-priced pianos, has been
very materially reduced."
H. G. Weasner, head of the H. G. Weasner
Publishing Co., has organized the Radio Male
Quartet, and has arranged several programs for
WGR, broadcasting station of the Federal Tele-
phone & Telegraph Co. Judging from the
amount of applause in the nature of letters re-
ceived by this quartet, it is evident that not all
radio listeners are jazz fans. Mr. Weasner has
been featuring his own compositions, "Cradle
of Gold," "Lonesome," "Back in My Own Dixie
Home" and "Just a Faded Flower," lullabies
and sentimental ballads. Letters from radio fans
from all parts of the country, praising the pro-
grams, have been received by WGR.
Herman C. Ehlers, head of the H. C. Ehlers
Co., furniture and musical instrument dealer
in Dunkirk, N. Y., has purchased the adjoining
building to his property, which will be remod-
eled and used as an annex to his present estab-
lishment. A lot in the rear of his store was also
purchased with a view of further expansion.
A number of Buffalo music dealers took part
in the furniture dealers' dance on January 10 in
Elmwood Music Hall.
A radio department is a new departure in
the music store of Goold Bros., Inc.
J. Clayton Swackhamer, who for a number of
years conducted a piano store in Niagara street,
Niagara Falls, died at his home in Buffalo. His
death was a shock to his many friends in the
trade, he having shown no signs of ill health.
He was sick but a few hours preceding his
death. The widow survives.
Son of Former President of Nicaragua
to Record Shortly for the Baldwin
Alfonso deZelaya, Widely Known in Latin America as an Artist of Sterling Merit, Will Record
Series of Spanish Folk Songs, for Which He Is Noted, for That Instrument
A MONG those artists whose playing will
"^^ shortly be made available to owners of
Baldwin reproducing pianos is Alfonso deZelaya,
son of the late president of Nicaragua, who a
number of years ago turned to music as an out-
Liszt and Beethoven, is constructive, for it is
the expression
of
beautiful,
harmonious
thoughts."
Then he sat down to the piano and hammered
out a jazz tune that would have caused a riot
JANUARY 12,
1924
Knight-Campbell Holds
Annual Sales Meeting
Seventh Annual Gathering of Executives, Sales-
men and Branch Managers Is Held by Large
Denver House
DENVER, COLO., January 5.—One of the. outstand-
ing business events of the holiday season here
was the seventh annual sales convention of the
Knight-Campbell Music Co., at which members
of the sales force of the local store and also
from branches in Cheyenne, Colorado Springs
and Pueblo were present. The convention as-
sembled in the auditorium of the local store
at 1625-31 California street and began its two-
day session with a music program given by
members of the organization. The speakers,
following the program, and their subjects were
as follows: W. W. Bradford, "Knight-Camp-
bell Success"; H. E. Mitchell, "Going Out After
Business"; C. G. Campbell, "The Steinway
Aeolian"; T. P. Foote, "Profits—Good Paper
vs. Bad Paper," and F. D. Wooden, "The Ho-
bart M. Cable Player-piano."
One of the most helpful of the talks was that
of Mr. Wooten, who is assistant city sales man-
ager of the company. He illustrated various
features in his player-piano discussion by dem-
onstration at the instrument, often making
strikingly human interpretations of the roll.
The keynote of his speech was "not to sell the
mechanism of any machine, but to sell what
the mechanism can bring to the hearts and
minds of those who buy."
Social features of the convention included at-
tendance at the Orpheum Theatre in a body
the first night and a reception and dance the
second night for all Knight-Campbell employes
at the Denver Dancing Academy. Out-of-town
representatives of the company present at the
sessions follow:
District Managers H. A.
Baker, of La Junta; F. A. Black, Pueblo; H.
E. Frye, Fort Collins; A. E. Dorman, Raton,
N. M.; F. R. Edwards, Scottsbluff, Neb.; O. A.
May, Albuquerque, N.M., andC. E. Upp, Salida,
Colo.; Store Managers H. E. Mitchell, of
I'ueblo; Darius Allen, Colorado Springs, and
R. C. Hoffman, Cheyenne, and Miss Babette
Berger, of Fort Collins; F. N. Vose and O. M.
McKini, Pueblo, and C. H. Harris, Colorado
Springs.
Endorses Arbitration Bill
Before Senate and House
Alfred L. Smith, of the Music Industries
Chamber of Commerce, Sends Letter to
Washington Favoring Passage of Measure
let for his artistic tendencies and has appeared
before many audiences in the two Americas.
Don Alfonso is distinctly Latin in temperament,
and in describing his artistic tendencies said:
"Now I play the piano. Why, I thought, is
music more successful than I am. Then I
learned that to be in harmony with the beautiful
chords my thoughts must likewise be in har-
mony. Good music, that of Schumann, Mozart,
in any cabaret. He threw up his hands. "That's
jazz. Jazz means something easy, cheap, com-
mon, vulgar. It acts on the nerve centers of
the spine; sets the body rocking; it is sensuous
and scatters our energies. Beautiful music,
however, is one of the greatest powers for good
in the world."
He is specially noted for his playing of old
Spanish folk songs.
In accordance with the policy of the Music
Industries Chamber of Commerce to favor
every practical measure for the use of arbitra-
tion in settling commercial disputes, Alfred L.
Smith has written the following letter to the
House and Senate Judiciary committees favor-
ing a bill providing for that and recently in-
troduced:
"This Chamber, representating over 3,000
firms and individuals engaged in the promotion
of musical instruments of all kinds, wishes to
urge the favorable consideration of your com-
mittee to Bill S-105 H. R. 646, known as the
Arbitration Act.
"We believe that economy and efficiency re-
quire the elimination of all needless litigation
and that arbitration of business disputes is feasi-
ble and practical. We therefore believe that
this bill should become a law, and to this end
we hope your committee will report it favor-
ably at an early date."'
The Music Industries Chamber of Commerce
believes that the passage of this or some similar
legislation will facilitate, the creation of ma-
chinery for the arbitration of commercial dis-
putes and will be of benefit to every line of
industry by lowering the present heavy tax
litigation involves.
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