Music Trade Review

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onnaires
Make
Good
anjoists
turing the banjo band under the direction
T is not unusual for music dealers
By ELTON J. NEALY
of Milton G. Wolf.
to engage actively in forming
The event has attracted an unusual
drum and bugle corps among
amount of publicity for, in addition to
American Legion Posts, but what
the various neighborhood local papers
is apparently a new idea, and one that
carrying full details, the leading Chi-
every stringed instrument dealer in the
cago daily and Sunday newspapers
country can capitalize on, is the forma-
showed photographs of the band and
tion of a banjo band among these ex-
an outline of the program.
service men.
Publicity and sales—that is what the
The creation of the first banjo band
idea has secured for the dealer, Mr.
among American Legion Posts in Chi-
Wolf. The publicity alone is certainly
cago that has been brought to attention
worth any time or attention that this
is the band of Marshal Foch Post, No.
684, started by Milton G. Wolf, the well-known sented this month at the Eighth Street The- dealer has given to promote the band. On the
atre, one of Chicago's leading show houses, fea- other hand, sixteen banjos have been sold to
"Banjo Man," Chicago.
Mr. Wolf has been active
the members of the band
in American Legion work
and other sales have been
and in associating with the
attracted through the favor-
men noted the lack „ of
able publicity, friends of
musical expression outside
players, and general good
the well-known drum and
will that has accrued is this
bugle corps. His sugges-
work.
tion that a banjo band be
"The idea for the band
formed met with a hearty
was so different from any-
response by a group of
thing heretofore presented
members of the above-men-
to the members," Mr. Wolf
tioned post, and Mr. Wolf
explains, "that they imme-
started to work to form the
diately responded. In other
band, secure a teacher, have
words, I found that it was
special instruments made
not a difficult selling propo-
with the Legion's colors,
sition which often happens
and in general give impetus
when forming bands among
to the idea.
industrial organizations and
This initial work was
other groups.
done six months ago and
"Perhaps, too, one of the
today this group of men,
reasons is that the banjo is
who had never played the
a comparatively easy in-
banjo before, is entertain-
strument to learn to play
ing the public in addition
and a teacher will be glad
to taking an active part in
to co-operate with you in
any musical program of the
carrying on the group in-
Post.
struction, for a large per-
The annual musical re-
centage of the players will
view of the post was pre-
Milton G. Wolf, with Baton, and His American Legion Banjoists
{Please turn to page 29)
28
I
Milton G. Wolf, in Chicago, has
found, to his profit, that the veterans
enjoy the strumming of the strings
as well as the blare of the brasses