Music Trade Review

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Published by The Music Trade Review, 420 Lexington Avenue, New York
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Analyzing the
American Market
For Band Instruments
W
HAT is the American market for focus of the keen interest of the visiting job-
He finds that in round numbers there are
the sale of band and orchestra in- bers for several days. Through the courtesy 28,000,000 persons in the United States between
struments?
of Mr. Poyser we are able to publish some of
the ages of seven and twenty.
How many people in round num- these figures.
Of this number, 21 per cent, or somewhat
bers are open for the sale of a band instru-
The figures of the United States Census have less than six million, are to be found in cities
ment and where are they lo-
of 100,000 or over. The 25,000
cated?
to 100,000 class of cities ac-
What is the population of the
counts for 8.1 per cent, or
United States expressed in
about two and a quarter mil-
terms of persons between the
lion. Smaller cities, from 10,-
ages of seven and twenty, the
000 to 25,000, account for 6.5
potential members of bands and
per cent, or about two million,
orchestras?
while the towns of from 2,500
Are they in cities or towns,
to 10,000 have 8.4 per cent, over
large cities or small towns?
two and a quarter million. The
What is the relationship be-
smaller towns under 2,500
tween the distribution of this
population have the bulk of
population and the distribution
this population, the figure run-
of music dealers serving it?
ning to 56 per cent, or nearly
These and similar questions
fifteen and three-quarters mil-
are of interest to any manu-
lions
-
facturer and dealer serving the
It can be seen that the bulk
band-instrument field, and they
of this market—644 per cent—
are asked and an attempt is
lies in the smaller communities,
made to answer them by Rus-
small towns under 2,000 popu-
sell C. Poyser, sales manager
lation.
of the Pan-American Band In-
Now let us look at the loca-
strument & Case Co., of Elk-
tion of the musical instrument
hart, Indiana, one of the largest
dealers. It is figured from the
manufacturers of popular-priced
most reliable sources that mu-
quality band instruments in the
sic dealers, large and small,
world.
will
not total more than 10,500.
Mr. Poyser has made a pains-
The number of music dealers
taking survey in a real scientific
large enough to be an impor-
5.000 TO
250OT0 UNDER
UNDER,
25000
manner in an effort to draw a
25000
tant figure in the machinery of
25,000
5000
AND OVER
2.500
true picture of the field. He
distribution will not run more
has checked and rechecked
DISTRIBUTION OP MUSIC DE-ALE-RS
than half this figure, probably,
volumes of data and research
DISTRIBUTION OF POPULATION
and
any figure around 10,000
material on the subject, and his
must include a number of music
Variations in Population and in Number of Music Dealers in Territories
findings throw important light
departments in other type
on the field for instrument
stores, small sub-agents, band-
sales. Some of his statistics were revealed to played a big part in Mr. Poyser's analysis
the recent convention of Pan-American dis- coupled with material gathered from the most masters with and without stock, and general
merchandise dealers.
tributors at Elkhart, and these charts were the authentic sources.
{Continued on page 14)