Presto

R E S T O
February 5, 1920.
tain the names, comments and suggestions of scores of alert piano
men, aggregating thousands of direct communications during the year-.
Of these features the "Where Doubts Are Dispelled" alone has pre-
sented several columns in a single week with as much more crowded
out. And, better still, is the evidence that comes in the results to
advertisers who have faith' in their trade press and use it accordingly.
It is the mind of the individual croaker who would depreciate the
trade paper that is "all rolled up." And any attempt to unroll such a
mind, straighten it out and set it going along the ways of progress,
would entail a task far exceeding the subscription price, or any prop-
aganda of publicity possible to an intellectuality of that kind.
MUSIC STORE CHANGES
It will not be very long before marked changes will take place
in the aspects of the general music stores where sheet music has been
a large feature. In time the familiar boxes containing the "wrappers,"
which separate and protect the countless publications, will give
place to orderly compartments, extending from floor to ceiling, and
reaching in long avenues, or tiers, the length of the store rooms. And,
in all probability, there will be no "counters" such as have been in
use from time immemorial. There will be free access to the aisles,
on either side of which will be the almost endless rows of classified
and plainly tabulated music rolls.
For the music store of the future will carry the kind of music
that "feeds" the playerpianos. They will continue to sell the sheet
music, as of old, but the room accorded to the printed sheets will be
small as compared with that given over to the more modern means of
musical expression. And the stores will carry the music rolls of all
manufacturers. They will possess modern means for wrapping up
the rolls by mechanical methods, and in every music store there will be
playerpianos with operators, for the sole purpose of "trying over" the
new music—-just as is already done in some of the progressive stores.
But before long those conveniences and helps to more business will
be the rule and not the advanced exceptions.
The playerpiano has forced a change in the entire business. It
has changed the demand and it has changed the systems of selling. It
has, to a large extent, revolutionized the sheet music department and
it has greatly broadened the possibilities of the trade, enlarging the
scope of the industry and bringing in a new department which is des-
tined to force the sheet music counters out and to take the leading
place in the retail stores.
Already the music roll industry has developed into a magnitude
never known to the sheet music publishing business in its best periods
It will not be long, furthermore, before the music roll will give to the
public its first hearing of compositions of importance. Today all of
the music rolls are cut from printed sheets, or arrangements specially
made from printed sheets. How long before the composers will bring
to the music roll manufacturers entirely new compositions, arranged
for the operation of cutting the paper, ready for the machines by
which supplies are produced as quickly as the presses were once wont
to reproduce the printed sheets from the hand-power presses? And
will that reversal of the birth of original music work good or evil
to the cause of art?
It will doubtless serve to greatly lessen the flood of utter inanity
that now issues from the top-story publishers. No music roll manu-
facturer would consider the production of one-third of the stuff that
now fairly jams the floodgates of Hit Alley. Without merit no com-
position could pass the machines of the makers of perforated music
for playerpianos. No master sheet would be produced that lacked
the kind of claim that promises permanency. And so the playerpiano
may serve as a filter for the long-prayed-for purification of popular
music.
Already the intimated changes have in some degree taken place
in the music stores. All of the larger ones now have well equipped
music roll departments. For most of them those departments are
still secondary to the old-fashioned sheet music counters, with their
cluttered up collections of prints and classified "folios." But, even
so, there is a marked change in the manner in which the printed sheet
music appears. The needlessly large pages, with lavish waste of
white margins, are disappearing. The size of the sheet is being re-
duced and there is a new grace about the title pages. Where, before,
it was deemed essential to spread the piece over from six to nine pages,
it is now considered better to condense into from three to five pages.
The result is good.
As has been said, the old-fashioned sheet music business is des-
tined to experience an entire revolution. And the change will bring
the music roll into prominence of which the already great industry of
THE STAY=AT=HOME'S IMPRESSION OF NEW YORK
today is scarcely more than a foretaste. It will pay music dealers to
consider this matter and to arrange fcr the changing conditions in
their business.
We have also received some criticism of the recent article by Mr.
C. G. Steger to which reference is made in another column this week.
But they come from piano travelers who seem to think that what the
piano manufacturer said may have a tendency to make the salesmen's
work harder. They think that if one powerful industry puts up the bars
to raising prices, the representatives of other industries may have an
almost impassable embargo to their own progress. But price is not
the chief argument in good piano salesmanship. The subject is an
interesting one. However, we feel sure that Mr. Steger had substan-
tial ground for his own stand, and doubtless others are no less for-
tified.
Suppose you had been born in the first half of the nineteenth
century, instead of well along in the last half. You would now be
selling a piano or two a month, and a sheet of music, a fiddle or ?.
fife and drum, at long intervals. Instead of clamoring for a carload
lot of pianos you would be sending drafts at long intervals for two
or three, at prices exceeding by double your best retail prices today.
A hundred years in the piano business covers about all of its history.
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"Musicians should talk, boost and sell music the same as other
things are sold," said Charles Berg of the Portland Chamber of
Commerce in his talk before the Musicians' club at its fortnightly
luncheon on Tuesday at the Multnomah Hotel. "More music," con-
tinued the speaker, "will mean more work for musicians and each
musician would get his share." That's what Mr. C. M. Tremaine says.
The enforced absence from New York of President P. E. Conroy,
of the N. A. of M. M. was a misfortune. Regrets that the "flu" should
have attacked the piano dealers' energetic president at the critical time
were heard everywhere. It was the cause of very general regret, and,
if the well wishes of many can have benevolent effect upon one, Mr.
Conroy's recovery was expedited.
The annual convention is an inspiration all through the year.
It isn't altogether what is said and done during the week. It's more
what the seeds then planted may bring forth when the dealers are at
home in their stores, or on the wagons and cars delivering the goods.
Nothing could be better at the convention than the crowds of dealers,
except bigger crowds.
In accordance with the custom of this paper, there is no "special"
convention number. But Presto gives all the news succinctly, avoid-
ing the "fat" issues and keeping within the bounds of the time and
patience of the busy piano trade.
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It is too early yet to say positively whether the Music Show paid
the exhibitors largely or just a little more than the investment. Br.t
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