Music Trade Review

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How Clinton Solved
Two Big Problems
JNew Haven Music Merchant Found Group
Instruction Kept Business Moving During
Summer and Impressed New Store Address
Melody Way kit for
each pupil. This equip-
ment included : staff
and keyboard chart, a
music blank book, and
a text hook entitled
"The Melody Way to
Play the Piano." The
course covered t e n
weeks, with an hour
of instruction e a c h
week in a special con-
verted studio located
above Clinton's music
store.
Partial View of A. B. Clinton
An interesting re-
sult of Clinton's in-
troduction of
this
class to New Haven
was the variety of
Interior
ages that applied for
enrollment. Although
the plan was originally intended for children
on their Summer vacation exclusively, the ap-
plicants ranged from five years to fifty-five
years of age. The response proved, if nothing
else, that New Haven had plenty of unde-
veloped sales sources.
The reaction of the enormous popularity of
these instructions convinced Clinton that piano
enthusiasts know no age and that a little ele-
mentary advice to children can produce an
abundance of possibilities for future sales.
"No matter what system it may be," re-
ITH the approach of the recent Sum-
mer the A. B. Clinton Co., 942 Chapel
Street, New Haven, Conn., faced what
might be termed a double problem, first the
annual question of keeping business moving
during the Summer months, and the second
that of impressing upon the public a new busi-
ness address. How A. P>. Clinton, head of the
company, managed to meet the problem
through the medium of the group instruction
method is an interesting business story.
It was the first move CUffton had made in
New Haven since the founding of his business
at 33 Church street, thirty-five years ago. He
naturally developed a keen sense of business
acumen during all those years in the piano field
and, to be expected, decided on a course that
would get the quickest results against the pend-
ing Summer obstacles.
Mr. Clinton accepted the Melody Way Plan,
after a careful study as to the best route to in-
troduce his new address and also stimulate
Summer dullness. The eventual increase in
piano sales and the amount of added patronage
from teachers and children were sufficient"' 1 * 1 **"
dencc that Clinton's plans were a marked
cess.
j
He did not, however, depend solely on the-
prestige derived through the national advertis-
ing of the success of the Melody Way, but in-
stead carried out a local newspaper campaign
days before he introduced the plan in New
Haven. In broadcasting the simplified method
of piano instructions, Clinton made each ad-
vertisement emphasize the fact that the Melody
Way classes would be held at Clinton's new
Chapel street store.
Scores of children enrolled for the course be-
fore the store officially opened. In their eager-
'TPHE New Capitol Playhouse opened re-
ness to sign up, they at the same time were
*• cently in Binghamton, N. Y., and declared
getting acquainted with Clinton's new address
to be one of the most imposing and attractive
and increased sales facilities. One hundred
theatres in Northern New York State, has been
children were registered on the day of the in-
-equipped with two Vose grand pianos specially
troduction of the Melody Way course.
finished in white and gold to harmonize with the
The prospects at the very outset of the class
interior of the playhouse. The sale was made
apparently warranted the cost of advertising
through
the Fowler Piano Co., Vose representa-
and the additional expense of employing a piano
tive in Binghamton, through the instrumentality
teacher from the New Haven School of Music
of Manager Dimmock, who said, in reporting
Clinton's only charge was a small fee for the
W
marki-d Mr. Clinton, "it is apparent that chil-
dren become doubly enthusiastic when being
instructed in class form. The idea of grouping
the children arouses competition and inspires
them to play better and appreciate better in-
struments.
"There is no doubt that the future generation
will be the better rewarded for such a wide
musical training idea. And of more importance
to us, there is no question that this wholesale
training will help the piano trade in general.
The success of my introduction of this simple
piano training method in New Haven has con-
vinced me that a similar idea ought to be in-
augurated in all public schools."
The net result of Clinton's effort to evade
the Summer slump and at the same time make
the community get acquainted with his new
business address can be summarized in the fact
that he sold ten pianos through this medium
of appealing to children and at the same time
aroused a considerable amount of interest
among the adults for playing the piano. An
unexpected increase in the sale of the Melody
Way on Ampico rolls also resulted from the
popular piano lessons.
Clinton expects many more future sales will
result from the weekly calls the one hundred
children made during the novel piano instruc-
tions. His next problem is how he is going
to take care of the twenty-five or more adults
who have put themselves in the piano sales
prospect list by requesting to take the same
course as the children completed in ten weeks.
Two Vose Grands for Elaborate New
Capitol Playhouse in Binghamton, N, Y.
the sale to Vose & Sons: "The reputation of the
Vose for durability and Vose qualities gen-
erally was the deciding factor in the choice of
these pianos by the owners of the theatre, who
purchased them."
George J. Kohles, formerly of Earling, la.,
has opened a music store bearing his name in
Dunlap, la., handling a complete stock of musi-
cal instruments,