Music Trade Review

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National Ass'n of Music Merchants
Board of Control Meets
Sessions at Indianapolis Enthusiastically Endorse Class Instruction on the Piano and the Piano Playing
Contest—Nearly 50 Per Cent of the National's Members Have Pledged Themselves to Support
Promotional Campaign for the Piano—C. L. Dennis Elected Executive Secretary
NDIANAPOLIS, IND., October 25.—That
the State associations of the music trade,
j;
under the new constitution of the National
:
'Association of Music Merchants adopted at the
New York convention in June, are to play an
important .part in shaping of development pro-
grams of both the State and national bodies was
a fact really established at the meeting of the
Board of Control of the National Association
of Music Merchants held yesterday and to-day
at the Indianapolis Athletic Club.
The Board of Control, a new body provided
for under the constitution of the national asso-
ciation, came into being with the call by Presi-
dent E. H. Uhl for a meeting of the executive
committee of the national organization. The
Board of Control, which is the governing com-
mittee of the National Association of Music
Merchants, now has as a member unit the
Auxiliary Board made up of three delegates
each from the State associations that have ap-
plied for a charter in the national, they being,
thus far, the Pennsylvania, Michigan, Illinois
and Southern California Associations. The ap-
pointment of twelve members for the Auxiliary
Board makes it possible for that body to func-
tion.
The Board of Control was distinctly busy
throughout the time it was in session. The
members enthusiastically adopted the principle
of class or group instruction on the piano; en-
dorsed the piano-playing contests, the musical
instrument revue idea, as carried out in Colum-
bus recently, and other promotional work being
done in the interests of the piano. The com-
mittee reports clearly showed a growing interest
among a large number of dealers in this pro-
I
Charles H. Yahrling
motional work and that nearly 50 per cent of
the members of the National Association of
Music Merchants had obligated themselves to
support the work financially through new stamp
pledges.
President Uhl reported on various activities
of the national association, which are now con-
fined principally to the forming of State associa-
tions under national charters. Vice-President
Charles H. Yahrling, of Youngstown, was
praised for the work he had done in promoting is organized for such purpose. This action fol-
the formation of new associations in the East lowed a criticism directed towards the Chamber
and North Central States, and it is reported that and the national association by the New York
much interest in local associations was shown piano merchants following failure of those
bodies to take action on a bill before the New
in President Uhl's territory. R. M. McKee, of
York State Legislature concerning instalment
sales.
The board called for a report of the Mer-
chandising Service Department of the Music
Industries Chamber of Commerce including re-
sources, available matter and manner of opera-
tion to be presented at the mid-year meeting in
Chicago in January, inasmuch as the Merchan-
dising Service Department has been functioning
for the music merchant and has looked after
trade service, including retail advertising ex-
hibits, music week celebrations and numerous
other activities.
Considerable time was given to a discussion
of the various phases of the promotional work
now being carried on in the trade. Otto B.
Heaton, of Columbus, reported on the Columbus
musical instrument revue and what it had ac-
complished, and there was also considerable talk
regarding piano-class instruction both in schools
and in stores.
To encourage new members to join the na-
tional association it was decided to cancel the
balance of 1926 dues provided those who joined
E. H. Uhl
between now and the first of the year paid 1927
Charleston, W. Va., reported that the West Vir- dues with their application.
ginia music merchants were ready to organize
Before the executive session was brought to a
with twenty-five members to start and that an close C. L. Dennis was elected executive secre*
organization meeting will be called soon after tary ,of the National Association of Music Mer-
the first of the year.
chants.
Frank J. Bayley, president of the Michigan
Those who attended the meeting of the Board
Music Merchants Association, gave a detailed of Control included President Edward H. Uhl,
report of the Detroit piano-playing contest, of Los Angeles; William C. Hamilton, Pitts-
which has been copyrighted by Mr. Bayley and burgh; Otto B. Heaton, Columbus; Alex: Mc-
Roy A. Maypole, its general manager. They Donald, New York; Henry E. Weisert, Chicago;
very generously granted permission to the Na- J. Edwin Butler, Marion, Ind.; R. A. McKee,
tional Association of Music Merchants to use
the copyrighted method, and the Board of Con-
trol tendered them a vote of thanks for this
action, as well as for their interest in offering
detailed explanations of the Detroit event.
Application for the use of the Detroit contest
method must be made to the national associa-
tion through the State association and a booklet
of working plans is to be prepared.
It was voted to hold the 1927 annual conven-
tion of the National Association of Music Mer-
chants in Chicago during the week beginning
June 6 and the new Stevens Hotel was selected
as the official headquarters. It was also voted
that after 1927 the custom of alternating between
New York and Chicago would be changed so
far as the Merchants Association is concerned,
and President Uhl announced that bids were in-
vited from cities to accommodate the 1928 con-
vention of the association. Such bids must be
in the hands of the association officers by the
time of the June convention so that proper
William C. Hamilton
action can be taken.
The meeting inspected new charter forms for Charleston, W. Va.; Lloyd L. Parker, Harris-
State associations and adopted them as official. burg, 111.; Joel B. Ryde, Indianapolis, and Al-
A limited appropriation for the expenses of a fred L. Smith and C. L. Dennis, of the Music
speakers' bureau to assist in securing new mem- Industries Chamber of Commerce, N. Y.
bers for the national association was also au-
thorized.
The board voted that it was the sense of that
The music and jewelry business of Herman
body that legislation in the several States is a
matter for State association activities, as neither F. Mueller, in Elkader, la., has been purchased
the National Association of Music Merchants by Paul Youngdale, William Kurelmeyer and
nor the Music Industries Chamber of Commerce Julius Mentzel, and the latter will have charge.
Buys Mueller Store