Music Trade Review

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and Bob Rankin listening to her play-
ing.
Don Manchester then made a brief
closing speech at the termination of
which there was a finale scene with
three spinet organs and a larger organ,
played by Patti Wolff, Marge Watson.
Lew Hollingsworth and Mac Watson.
The large organ in the background was
Model 45.
Patti Wolff was the youngest of the
amateur actresses, being 13 years of
age.
STORE STUDIO CLINIC
(Continued from Page 22)
sic Company, of Denver; Sherman H.
Almanrode, co-owner of the J & S Mu-
sic Store in Shreveport, La.; and Jack
C. Henderson, vice-president of Kohler
& Chase, of San Francisco.
Discussion highlights of the program
in summary form are as follows:
Mr. Marceaux discussed the potential
of the studio operation to the music
merchant. He stated that little time
would be spent during the session to
sell the studio "idea", since the opera-
tion, he feels, is now established as a
sound one. but rather to discuss the
many interesting ways and means of
doing the job.
2. Presented a complete discussion
regarding music aptitude tests, their
uses and mis-uses, and effective mer-
chant use of such tests in promotional
work and the music stores' professional
approach to the community.
3. Discussed the many areas of mu-
sical sales promotion in which the
studio can serve in the community—
through the schools, community organ-
izations, the adult program, and even
in the industrial music field.
4. Extended the aid of the NAMM
Education Division to merchants on
their own home ground to help with
^WEAVER
The Piano with the
Touch of Genius
all forms of music creation promo-
tional plans.
In introducing C. J. Jones, Mr. Mar-
ceaux presented interesting background
regarding the Higbee Preparatory
School of Music, stating the depart-
ment occupies 22,000 square feet of
space on the eleventh floor of the Hig-
bee Department Store in Cleveland. It
enjoys twenty-eight studios, of which
four are large band rooms, and a con-
cert hall seating two hundred. The
following departments are represented
in this operation: Band Instruments.
Piano Salon, Organ Salon, and com-
plete shop facilities. The Higbee pol-
icy is a first class merchandising plan
which uses no comparative prices in
their advertising and develops extreme
customer confidence. The Higbee or-
ganization itself feels that through this
type of operation they are creating an
institution out of a dry goods store.
He concluded this brief Higbee spot-
light presentation with the statement
that the operation showed a profit dur-
ing its first year of operation. The
studio opened in October, 1951.
Mr. Jones stated that for a music
merchant to teach people to play musi-
cal instruments is without a question
good business. The studio. Mr. Jones
stated, offers the opportunity for the
merchant to "educate" the prospect
long before a sale is "closed". Sub-
jects discussed during this quiz session
covered the subjects of studio facili-
ties and policies, which included fig-
ures regarding the ratio of teachers to
students in the studios, the "controlled"
versus "uncontrolled" studio operation,
effective types of advertising media,
and different instrument rental plans.
2. Other subjects discussed in detail
were control of teachers, effective mu-
sic methods materials, and financing
and promoting the Store-Studio. Mr.
Jones concluded with a statement re-
garding his firm belief in the canvass-
ing operation, which follows the mod-
ern educational trend and is set up
Fred C. Steppan Appointed
Mgr. by Braviroff
Appointment of Fred C. Steppan as
salesman of the piano department of
the Braviroff Piano and Music Com-
pany, San Bernardino, Calif., has been
announced by Harry Braviroff, owner.
Mr. Steppan has been engaged in the
music sales field in Southern California
for more than 25 years. After 12 years
with the Barker Brothers radio and pi-
ano department in Los Angeles, he
served as manager of ihe Long Beach
branch, and was sales manager of (».
Schirmer Music Co. of Los Angeles.
He will have charge of sales of the
line of pianos carried by the Braviroff
Company, which includes Gulbransen
and Kimball pianos.
Mrs. Sleppan, a music teacher, recent-
ly was elected recording secretary of
thne San Bernardino Music Teachers
Association.
The SENSATION of the CONVENTION
The KEMBLE
S M A L L E S T
Invited
on a high plane of ethics.
Ernie Allee conducted a most inter-
esting demonstration during which all
merchants present in the Crand Ball-
room took part. Mr. Allee, in follow-
ing up Mr. Marceaux's complete dis-
cussion of the aptitude test, stated the
effectiveness and the proper times and
places [o use such an aptitude test. He
further stated that, while this particu-
lar test is given on the accordion, the
test detects general standard music abil-
ity. The test was designed for use on
the accordion because of its mobility.
The test presented at this session is
published by NAMM, and it and other
material was distributed during the
Store-Studio Session. It is available
by request of the music merchant mem-
bers of NAMM.
The entire Store-Studio Session was
concluded with the introduction of the
panel members mentioned above and a
spirited open discussion in which all
those present took part.
of London
S P I N E T
P I A N O
Height 210" • Width 4'10" • Depth V 8Y>"
GRAND PIAISOS. only 4 feet and 4 feet 6 inches
Many dealers now handling these pianos on
exclusive franchise basis. Your territory may he
npen.
Address inquiries to:
Kemble Piano Company
c/o WESER PIANO CO.. Agents, 524 W. 43rd St.. NEW YORK. N. Y.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, AUGUST, 1953
25