Music Trade Review

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AUGUST 14, 1926
11
The Music Trade Review
President Uhl Analyzes the Aims of the National Association
Chicago Evening American of June 21, a whole
page devoted to the subject. It is entitled "Music
is no longer a luxury but a necessity in every
home." The Chicago American published this
free of charge for the music dealers of the City
of Chicago. That is wonderful work.
Since becoming president of this Association
I have had a great many letters from different
people throughout the United States, and the
thing that impressed me most was the wonder-
ful work that is being done by Martin Bros.
Piano Co., Springfield Mo. They are postering
their city with a great many posters which read
as follows: "A child vaccinated with good music
is immune to criminal influences." "Teach your
child music. It aids them in their school work."
"The child who studies good music is too busy
to invent master crimes." "Good music, a moral
pleasure for you and your children." "Criminals
do not come from homes where there is good
music." "Forget the cost of good music, the
moral results are priceless." "Fill your child's
mind with good music and there is little room
for evil thoughts." "Honor students are usually
music students." "Good music, a moral influence
for children." "Music in the home puts sun-
shine in the heart."
Now, if your organizations can get together
(Continued from page 9)
throughout the different localities and get sign-
boards like these—leave off the names of the
dealers—just tell your story in a brief thought
of this kind, and poster your city, you are going
to reap results.
It is only through the education of the child
that we can look forward to improvement in our
business, and a great increase in the sale of
pianos and other musical instruments. We have
got to start with the child. I want to tell you,
as I told the national convention at the banquet,
that if we will put more music into the souls of
our children we will have better citizens in the
future. I know what I am talking about. I
have had that experience in the slums of Chi-
cago. We have taken music to the slums, to
the penal institutions, and I have seen boys on
Christmas morning, when we had the Chicago
Band playing for them, with tears running down
their faces, and I have had the boys come up
and tell me, shake hands with me and say,
"Mister, if I only had some of that in my home
I wouldn't be here." And it is true. You can-
not find a child or a man or a woman com-
mitting a crime with the thought of music in
their soul. It is only through the child of to-
day, who is going to be the citizen of to-mor-
row, that we are going to better this condition.
Cincinnati Music Merchants Predict
Heavy Demand During the Fall Season
August Opens Well From a Sales Standpoint—Big Delegation to Attend the Annual Conven-
tion of the Ohio Music Merchants' Association in Columbus
/ C I N C I N N A T I , August 10.—Heads of lead-
^ ^ ing concerns in the various branches of the
music trades report that August has started off
very well from a sales standpoint. There has
been a much better demand for all lines than it
was expected there would be in vacation season
and it is thought that sales will remain at a
fair level through the month. General busi-
ness, all agree, is in much better condition than
it was at this time last year.
The entire trade is optimistic to a wonderful
extent, and a frequently heard prediction is that
there will be a splendid demand in the Fall. That
this is not mere talk is clearly shown by the
fact that the men who have made this predic-
tion are backing it up by making preparations
to handle an increased volume of business.
An important topic among members of the
local trade just now is the seventeenth annual
convention of the Ohio Music Merchants' Asso-
ciation, which will be held in Columbus, Sep-
tember, 13, 14 and 15, with headquarters in the
new Neil House, one of the finest hotels in
the State.
"Our State Association will have one of the
finest conventions this year it ever has had,
and we confidently expect to have an attend-
ance which will break previous records," ex-
plained Otto Grau, past-president of the organ-
ization. "We will have a splendid business pro-
gram and the entertainment features will be
wonderful. Among the prominent speakers will
be Governor Victor Donahey, who will address
us at a luncheon on the second day, Tuesday,
welcoming us to the Capital City of the great
Buckeye State."
An important feature of the convention will
be the exhibits, which will be more numerous
and more varied than at any other meeting of
the organization. In order that the exhibitors
may have the best possible chance to meet the
members and explain their wares, the business
program has been so arranged that there will
be plenty of time to visit the displays. Viewed
from every standpoint, the convention will be
well worth attending, it is promised.
"Business with us was better than fair
through July, and it has been improving since
the first of August," continued Mr. Grau. "The
demand for reproducing pianos and the more
expensive talking machines is better than is
usual at this season. Everything indicates that
there will be a fine demand for pianos and talk-
ing machines this Fall, and we are making our
preparations accordingly. Farmers have had
splendid crops, and therefore we should have a
good volume of customers from nearby rural
districts."
The work of remodeling the building for the
new store of Steinway & Sons is progressing
rapidly, and R. E. Wells, district manager, hopes
that they will be able to move the early part of
September. Business, stated Mr. Wells, is very
good for the season—decidedly better than it
was at this time last year.
The name of Link's Record Shop, located at
1711 Vine street, has been changed to Link's
Music & Electric Shop and a line of electrical
appliances for the household has been added as
a separate department. The store has been en-
larged by the addition of an adjoining room and
the entire establishment has been remodeled.
A feature is its fine show windows, which ex-
tend along Vine street about fifty feet. "When
we enlarged our place we had more room than
we needed, and therefore we put in a line of
electrical appliances, as they go well with our
business," explained Clifford Link, who had just
returned from a trip to Chicago. "We will con-
tinue to sell talking machines and records as be-
fore, and we have added a line of small goods,
such as ukuleles, guitars and banjos."
H. A. Fischer, of Fischer Bros., 1707 Vine
street, who carry a fine line of brass goods, as
well as string instruments, report that they
have had a very good Summer demand and con-
template the extension of their stock in the Fall.
"Our business has been increasing steadily
since the first of the year and we expect our
sales to continue to grow," said George P.
Gross, of the George P. Gross Co. "August has
started off well, and it seems safe to predict that
it will be a better month than the corresponding
period of last year. I look for an increase of
thirty per cent or more next month, and I
am making preparations accordingly. I will say
It is my great thought that if I can accomplish
one thing, get music a part of an hour in the
school education, I will think that I have accom-
plished something for the National Association.
It is only through great co-operation, the form-
ing of State, city and local associations, and do-
ing co-operative work, that we can succeed.
Without that we will never succeed.
In your city and your State and local associa-
tion, forget self, put the trade of your city ahead
of your own individual self. Forget the dollar.
If you will forget the dollar and work for the
upbuilding of your industry, the dollars will
come in later in life. I know many men in the
music business who have made a lot of money,
and they say they are successes, but money
never spells success. It is only the good that
you have done in this world that really lives
after you are gone, and it is through this work
of building up for the child, and giving the
children something, that we are going to reap a
benefit. Do not look into the wealthy homes,
go look into the underprivileged children's
homes. Form classes of music instruction in
your own store. We have plenty of methods
that cost but very little. It is only through co-
operative work that we are going to make this
music trade stand out as it should.
once more that what the music trade needs
most is a big publicity campaign, to put a piano
in every home."
The Gross radio department, which has oc-
cupied an adjacent store for several months, has
been removed to the basement.
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