Music Trade Review

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The Music Trade Review
likely, too, that this attitude will serve to arouse the interest of
dealers and bring about a larger attendance of those who feel that,
although the attendance at the business sessions is of importance,
they can also receive benefit by inspecting the new products that
have been put on the market during the year.
Advertising
Exhibit
The Chamber itself has arranged for the regular displays of
musical instrument advertising and of window arrangements for
which suitable awards will be made at the time of the convention.
This feature has been offered for several years and has aroused
much favorable comment in all branches of the industry. It may
be said right here that the advertising that has been entered in the
competition this year is of a most admirable character and should
offer a real inspiration to those who seek to supplement their direct
selling campaigns through the medium of the printed message.
The Outstanding Problem
The outstanding problem before the trade to-day is that of
creating a future market for the piano. It has been realized that
the industry has been going along in a more or less haphazard man-
ner, developing such sales as were found available through ordinary
channels, but giving little thought to the development of an interest
in and a demand for pianos that would serve to bring about a larger
turnover.
Music appreciation throughout the nation has never been
at so high a level as it is to-day, the widespread observance of the
National Music Week celebration recently offering proof positive
of this fact. Likewise, the population of the country is showing a
steady annual growth, and various other industries are expanding
not abnormally but in proper ratio to the growth of the country and
its resources.
Facts Are Facts
Leaders of the industry have come to a realization of the
fact that the piano trade is one of the few that has seen a de-
creasing annual unit output in relation to increasing population,
musical interest and prosperity. There are still those in the trade,
however, who lament the fact that the true condition is being
brought out into the light, declaring that the proper attitude should
be to emphasize the fact that business is good for the purpose of
maintaining the confidence of those retailers who are inclined to
give up when they undergo a pessimistic streak.
As a matter of fact, there has been too much of this ostrich-
like dodging of the issue in the industry which is largely responsible
for the situation in which the piano trade finds itself to-day. The
fact that the annual turnover in dollars and cents may equal that
of many previous years, due to the tendency of the public to buy
higher-priced grands, players and reproducers, does not in any
sense offset the argument that this high-class business should repre-
sent so much gained for the trade rather than a balancing factor
and that the output of the ordinary class of pianos should show
an annual increase if only large enough to keep step with the
growth in population and the potential market.
MAY 29, 1926
It is likely that the question of amending the constitution and
by-laws of the National Association of Music Merchants in order
to provide for the affiliation of local trade organizations with the
national body on an equitable basis will occupy much attention in
the sessions of the National Association of Music Merchants, for
there are a number of points in the proposed amendments that
have already been discussed to a considerable extent throughout
the entire trade.
There is no question but that, properly handled and explained,
these amendments should be passed without many very radical
changes, though it would be well for the national officers to listen
to such criticisms as may be forthcoming and offer explanations in
answer thereto so that there may be complete harmony in whatever
move is finally made.
Financial Questions
Another question that will receive due prominence will be
that of providing adequate funds to carry on the work of the
Music Industries Chamber of Commerce and its various bureaus.
It goes without saying that the various methods evolved for financ-
ing this central organization during the past few years have not
in any sense proven satisfactory, and it is time that some method
should be decided upon that will insure to the organization adequate
and consistent support, provided, of course, that the members of
the affiliated organizations feel that the work of the Chamber has
proven itself and is worth carrying on.
Good Attendance Expected
From present indications there will be a well-diversified at-
tendance at the New York meeting, and although it is natural to
assume that the great majority of the delegates will come from
Eastern points owing to the convenience of the location, special
arrangements have been made for the transporting of delegations
from a number of Western points as far away as the Pacific Coast
and Texas with Chicago and the Middle West, of course, sending a
special trainload of representatives from the various sections of
that producing and selling district.
Entertainment Program
Those who consider the entertainment program as a partic-
ularly important feature of the convention can rest assured that
there will be little, if anything, lacking to make their stay in New
York thoroughly pleasant. The official events this year are con-
fined to a combined banquet and frolic on Thursday evening and an
all-day picnic at Briarcliff Lodge in the Westchester hills on Friday.
But in addition to these official affairs there will also be the usual
number of private entertainments, and although the schedule of
these is not fully announced there will unquestionably be enough
of them to keep the dealers so inclined very busy every evening
during the week. These private entertainments run anywhere from
banquets to theatre parties and most of them will have appealing
trimmings.
On the whole, the forthcoming convention should mean a great
deal to the member of the trade who is seriously interested in the
future development of his business along sound lines. It will be
a business convention in every sense of the word, but nevertheless
there will be enough play to keep Jack from getting dull.