Music Trade Review

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THE
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
FEBRUARY 27, 1926
February Shows a Better
New York Committee Announces Plans
Demand in Buffalo District
for the Coming Convention in June
Exhibits Encouraged at the Commodore and the Rules for Such Displays—Association Meetings
to Be Held in the Mornings Only—Afternoons to Be Devoted to the Displays
DLANS for a more businesslike convention
than ever before held by the music industry
are now being made by the Executive Com-
mittee on the 1926 Anniversary Convention Ar-
rangements, of which John J. Glynn, president
the New York Piano Manufacturers' Associa-
tion, is chairman. The other members of the
committee are George W. Allen, president of
the New York Piano Manufacturers' Associa-
tion; Albert Behning, secretary of both the
Piano Manufacturers' and Dealers' Associations
in New York; H. E. Lawrence, who will be
chairman of the Committee on Publicity; Wal-
ter Happerla, chairman of the Committee on
Exhibits; Charles Jacob, chairman of the Com-
mittee on Finance, and Arthur L. Wessell, who
will be chairman of the Golf Committee, and
Calvin T. Purdy, chairman of the Entertainment
Committee.
The committee has held two meeting and has
decided upon the general plan of the convention.
Subcommittees will be appointed to take care of
such things as finance, publicity, luncheons, ex-
hibits and entertainment.
The convention will be held at the Hotel
Commodore the week of June 7. The opening
session will be on Monday. Tuesday, Wednes-
day and Thursday will be devoted to the busi-
ness meetings of the various associations. The
merchants' banquet will be held Thursday eve-
ning. On Friday there will be some sort of
field day for the entire trade, the details to
be announced later.
Concerning Exhibits
In conformance with the spirit of making this
a business convention, manufacturers are urged
to exhibit and everything possible will be done
to make the exhibits a success. The following
arrangements have been made with the hotel for
special rates:
Convention Exhibit Rates
No. 1—Fifty per cent increase over two-person
rate of room when accommodations are oc-
cupied for any other purpose than sleeping.
No. 2—Rooms for installation of musical in-
struments or other business purposes—not
sleeping purposes—will not be charged for, the
first day, providing this will be on the Sunday
or any prior date to your convention. All rooms
commencing Monday night of convention will
be on charge, and to so continue for at least the
three following nights.
No. 3—No charge to be made for the day of
the removal of instruments, providing sufficient
time is given to us to have rooms put in order
to use the same night. Would suggest 3 p. m.
as limit, for releasement of rooms for any par-
ticular day, charge to be in effect as of the
previous night.
Association Sessions in Mornings
All of the association sessions will be held
in the mornings. Afternoons will be left open
for nothing but the exhibits. "We are going
to do everything possible to make a big market
place of the convention every afternoon of con-
vention week," says Chairman Glynn, "and in
return for our work to make the exhibits a suc-
cess we expect the exhibitors to co-operate with
us by seeing that their exhibits are closed until
noon of each day.
The Chamber will continue the exhibits of
the Merchandising Service Department, which
have been so successful in the past few years,
including the exhibits of the prize-winning re-
tail advertisements, mail-order advertising and
examples of national advertising. The National
Bureau for the Advancement of Music will also
have a comprehensive display of its materials,
with maps and exhibits showing the increase in
music promotional activity throughout the coun-
try.
It is expected that the usual special railroad
rates will be in effect. Henry Hewitt, president
of the Chicago Piano Club, has been asked to
serve as chairman of the Western Convention
Committee. Plans are already under way in
Chicago for a special train which will stop off
on Sunday at Washington, Philadelphia and At-
lantic City.
Improvement Shows Both in Actual Volume of
Sales and in Greater Percentage in the Down
Payments Obtained by the Dealers
This survey is confined entirely to urban dis-
tribution, as figures for the trade in the smaller
cities and towns are extremely difficult to ob-
tain. It is probable, however, that the average
number of music stores in these sections shows
a slightly higher number of people per store
than do the figures in urban distribution as rep-
resented by these thirty cities.
Families Per Store
It is also interesting to consider the number
of music stores in relation to the number of
families which they represent. For instance,
New York has approximately one music store
for 1,257 families, while Columbus, O., has one
for each 5,653 families.
What the survey does show is that retail
music distribution is widely unequal, even mak-
ing allowances for the varying volumes of
goods sold by each of the unit stores. The
figures are interesting and worthy of study.
BUFFALO, N. Y., February 23.—The middle of
February showed an increased demand for
pianos and players, as compared with the
early part of the month. Business in general
last week is said to have been much better than
the previous week, both in volume of sales and
larger down payments.
Adam, Meldrum & Anderson made several
cash sales of pianos last week, according to G.
C. Lynch, of the music department. Mr. Lynch
said that the greatest demand just now is for
high-grade reproducing pianos. The Stieff and
Sohmer are giving evidence of popularity in this
section, buyers coming from the outlying sec-
tions to secure these instruments from the
Adam, Meldrum & Anderson Co.
Neal, Clark & Neal are doing a good Gul-
bransen registering piano business, according to
Sales Manager Foster. He said that the piano
business in general has been quite satisfactory
since the first of the year, but the past week
has shown an increased demand that gives indi-
cation of a Spring trade that will greatly sur-
pass that of the same period of last year. Small
instrufnents are selling fairly well, but the store
is not stressing this department so much just
now, Mr. Foster said. A campaign on small
instruments early this Spring is expected to pro-
duce some good results, due to the popularity
of jazz orchestras and also the large school
orchestras throughout the city.
Floyd Barber, of Barber & Wilson, is finding
many Behning buyers not only in Kenmore, his
immediate section, but throughout the city and
the Tonawandas. The recent Behning, with thj?.
Welte-Mignon (Licensee) action, exploitation
in Kenmore gave it some effective advertising.
Sheet music sales also are showing improve-
ment. Irving Berlin's "Always" gives indication
of being the biggest hit since "Barney Google."
The Grant store, under the supervision of
Madeline Mooney, displayed the sheets of
"Always" most effectively at the counter, and
the piano was giving hints of "Always" inter-
mittently throughout the day. "Someone to
Love," a recent Remick release, is also said to
be in good demand. William McDermott, local
Remick representative, has put the song over
in Buffalo through appearances at the vaudeville
theatres.
The school band project in Corry, Pa., has
been revived, according to M. L. Brown, super-
intendent of schools there. He said no band
instrument company is behind the movement, as
was announced some time ago. Keen interest
among the school children is said to assure the
band's success.
Speaking on "The Significance of Music and
Life," Mme. Adele Julian said that music should
be used systematically in every home as a char-
acter builder, in an address before the Bahai
assembly. She is very prominent in musical
circles here.
Miss Julia Vail, of the Ithaca Conservatory
of Music, is endeavoring to interest high school
pupils in establishing a branch of the conserva-
tory in Waterloo, N. Y. If her plan carries,
instruction will be given in instrumental music,
including piano, harp and band instruments and
vocal instruction. Teachers from the Ithaca
school will visit Waterloo once each week to
supervise the classes.
Consult the Universal Want Directory of
The Review. In it advertisements are inserted
free of charge for men who desire positions.
The F. H. Groves Piano Co., of Pittsburgh,
Pa., has leased the property at 943 Liberty ave-.
nue for a period of years.
A. Hospe Go. Branch
Managers in Conference
Executives of Omaha Miusic House Gather for
Purpose of Discussing Business Conditions
and Future Plans
OMAHA, NEB., February 20.—A two-day sales
conference of the branch store managers of the
A. Hospe Co., prominent local music house, was
held here a few days ago, preparatory to the
move of the concern into its new home at Fif-
teenth and Farnam streets. The salespeople of
the local Hospe store joined the managers at
the various get-togethers, the final one being
held as a banquet at the Omaha Athletic Club.
Among the guests at the speakers' table were
the following: P. E. Mason, of the Wurlitzer
Grand Piano Co.; W. J. Eden, of the Gulbran-
sen-Dickinson Co.; F. P. Whitmore, of W. W.
Kimball Co.; G. L. Richardson, of the Victor
Talking Machine Co., and O. G. White, of the
phonograph division of the Brunswick-Balke-
Collender Co., and others.
Urban Population
Relation to Music Stores
(Continued from page 3)
FAR WEST AND PACIFIC COAST
City
Los Angeles
Denver
Seattle
Portland
San Francisco
Stores
69
30
35
26
33
Per Unit
Population
8,355
8.549
8,948
9,934
18,344
Average Population per Store
10,826
plANO
PIANO S C A R F S
COVERS and BENCH-CUSHIONS
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