Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
JANUARY 23,
1926
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
Using the Reproducing Piano to Win
Prestige With the Teacher
How One Music Merchant Has Developed Piano Teachers as a Fertile Source of Sales Through Utilizing
the Reproducing Piano in Their Work and Giving Full Co-operation — Methods Which Have
Succeeded in Overcoming the Teachers' Prejudice Regarding This Type of Instrument
D
OES the retail piano merchant who has connection with the teachers and the students pays and pays well for the music merchant who
one of the leading reproducing pianos in themselves. This falls into two broad general undertakes it and who carries it out persistently.
The Teachers' Importance
his line ever stop to think that in that classifications, general musical appreciation and
Whatever may be said about retail methods
instrument he has at his disposal one of the best study of interpretation by actual examples.
aids in winning over the local piano teachers to
In the first classification, he places at the dis- of selling at the present day, the piano teacher
his interests?
posal of the teacher and his or her students one remains one of the big assets of the retail piano
Probably that is a question which has never of his reproducing piano studies and an instru- merchant. It is the teacher who puts him in
crossed his mind for, at first sight, it seems to ment, together with the rolls which the teacher touch with the most stabilized part of his de-
rest upon a paradox and involve a fundamental selects from the library. The program is given mand. To the student the piano is neither a
contradiction. Nevertheless there are certain under the teacher's direction, who usually lec- luxury, a piece of furniture nor an amusement.
It is his means of artistic creation. Price, in
retail piano merchants who have gone into this tures on the various works, giving something of
question more than superficially and who have their history and of that of the artist who is this business, as has been pointed out before,
found that the reproducing piano offered them playing, studying the composition carefully and is not a factor. Collections are good because
an opportunity to co-operate with local teachers repeating all of it or part of it, as the case may the piano is so necessary. Volume of sales
in a way that has been reflected in their in- require. A great many teachers use these fa- comes not only from the student but from his
creased sales of straight pianos from this par- cilities regularly, and several, who no longer use friends, for the person who studies the piano
them purchased reproducing pianos for their seriously is the person who is taken as a judge
ticular source.
studios in order that this work could be carried by those in his or her circle of acquaintance
Where It Can Be Done
who are even considering purchasing an instru-
This is especially true in cities of medium on regularly by them.
ment. And the music student and teacher who
population which are visited by comparatively
The Students' Recital
is once convinced of the artistic value of the
few artists in the course of each musical season,
The second classification is more important
and only a small number of these pianists. Yet still. Most of these teachers give public stu- reproducing piano, who finds it an asset of im-
the majority of those who are studying music in dents' recitals one, two or three times a year, mense value in his or her work, and who sees
any such city are students of the piano, just as at which they present their leading pupils. This that its economic injury is a bug-bear and not
it is almost certain that the majority of teachers is the greatest local advertising which the aver- consistent with the facts, becomes an ele-
teach that instrument. Neither of these two age piano teacher undertakes, and upon the re- ment of considerable importance in the sale of
have many opportunities of hearing the classic sults shown by the students rests the future those instruments themselves. The teacher and
student who use the reproducing piano in their
repertoire of pianistic literature interpreted by
number of pupils which the teacher will have.
own
work can never depreciate the instrument
the foremost artists, and yet such hearing is an
This dealer, realizing the importance of this
in the minds of their friends. That alone, to
essential to both of them, as can be seen by a work, makes it a point to secure the names of
few days' investigation in the concert halls of the students who will appear and the composi- say nothing of the direct sales, is worth the
the large cities like New York and Chicago, tions which they will play. A cordial letter while of any retail music merchant to obtain.
where a good proportion of the audiences con- goes to the teacher, stating that a reproducing
sist of teachers and students studying the work piano studio, together with an instrument, is
of the foremost artists of the keyboard in the available for use, and that he or she can there
present day. In a city where such facilities are let her pupil hear such and such a composition
few the reproducing piano proves an adequate played by this artist, or that artist, or still an-
substitute. The dealer should realize this and other artist in comparison. As this invitation South Acton Bench Manufacturing Co. Finds
offer his co-operation to the local teachers to is usually given approximately a month before
Quality Produces Stabilized Business
make them also perceive it.
the public appearance of the student, sometimes
more than one visit is made. Local teachers
The piano dealer who has achieved strong
What One Dealer Has Done
Here is a short outline of the work which is have expressed their appreciation of this work prestige in his locality is usually the dealer
who has built up a reputation upon quality lines
being carried on along these lines by a well- in highly flattering terms.
of merchandise. This realization of the impor-
known dealer in a city of approximately 500,000
The Results
people, which has cost him but very little money
The results of this work are that this music tance of the maintenance of prestige has gone
and which has paid for itself many times over merchant has a close connection with practically even further than the piano itself and has ex-
in actual piano sales due to the close links of
every good teacher in the city, and with practi- tended in an increasing manner to the other
interest with which he has bound the teachers cally every piano student who is doing any work articles sold. This condition has been strongly
of that city to him.
of moment at all. They are familiar with his reflected in the sales volume of the A. Merriam
First is the work he does in co-operation with warerooms; the students themselves come to Co., South Acton, Mass.
The A. Merriam Co. manufactures the Mer-
the teachers on the personal appearances of the consider them as part of the studio facilities of
pianists who have recorded for the instrument the teacher. Now a student who does more riam piano bench. From the very inception of
which he handles. At the beginning of each than ordinary work on the piano is difficult to this company, over a half century ago, the
satisfy with the instrument he or she uses. They quality of the bench produced has been upper-
musical season he secures from the manager of
the local concert course a full list of the artists may start with the old family upright, but this most. The sales policy of the A. Merriam Co.
who are going to appear. If there are any in a short time becomes inadequate for their de- for the past few years has stressed the impor-
pianists who have recorded for his instrument mands. A grand is wanted and here it is not a tance of the piano dealer selling a bench in
in the list of names given him, he secures the question of actual price so much as it is of how keeping with the quality of the pianos he sells.
programs they intend to play at the earliest high grade a grand the student can afford. This
F. A. Merriam, head of the organization,
possible moment. He then informs the local particular house does most of the high-grade points out that if a bench does not give satis-
teachers of every composition that appears on grand business in its city, and this is largely due faction the dealer's standing with that customer
the program and which is available in repro- to the work it has done along these lines with is affected just as strongly as though it was
ducing roll form, telling them that both they the teachers. It pays commissions, but only a the piano itself.
and their students can have the opportunity to legitimate 5 per cent, and it has very little dif-
The sales volume of the A. Merriam Co. dur-
come to his warerooms before the concert and ficulty with the commission "fiend" type of ing 1925 was exceptionally good and even sur-
study at their leisure the work which the pian- teacher, who lists each prospect he or she ob- passed that of 1923, which was a banner year.
ist is going to play in person. Familiarity with tains with every music house in the city in or- Mr. Merriam reports that the new year has
an artist's interpretation is an asset of immense der to be sure to get the commission.
started well with every indication that it will
value to the teacher or student who goes to a
It is difficult work to begin. The prejudice even surpass the excellent business of last year.
concert with the idea of learning from the art- which many teachers have against the repro-
ist's work, for when the broad lines of an inter- ducing instrument, not from an artistic stand-
B. P. Pratt has opened a branch of the Wiley
pretation are once known attention will nat- point be it understood, but purely from an eco- B. Allen Co., of Portland, Ore., in a store at
urally concentrate on the detail which, after all, nomic standpoint, must first be overcome. This First and Washington streets, Haines, Ore.,
is the most valuable.
is a matter of tact and persistence, but it is not handling pianos, phonographs and radio mer-
Second is the work which he does in direct so difficult as it appears. But it is work that
chandise.
Merriam Reports Record
* Volume During Past Year