Presto
Issue: 1924 1992 - Page 25
September 27, 1924.
MAKE "HIT" SALES QUICKLY
Valuable Suggestions How to Keep Down the
Stock Alluringly Up-to-Date Given
by Manager.
Once in a while a customer comes to the music
counter and naively remarks that he or she wants "to
buy some sheet music.|" It is as often a woman—
from whose sex one expects definiteness—as a man
that shyly makes such a statement. The professional
musician and musical person of either sex know their
requirements and waste, no words in stating them.
The timid people who "want to buy some music" are
usually agreeable agents for somebody else, said a
sheet music department manager this week.
The men who shyly express the desire to purchase
music are invariably young, and the experienced
sa'esman or saleswoman intuitively understands the
circumstances and can make suggestions without
much preliminary inquiry. The young man coming
on such a quest has a best girl who plays the piano
and probably sings as well. That's easy. He will
know what he wants when he sees it. In ninety-nine
times out of a hundred he wants the popular things
you can sing or dance to.
You know he wants a fox-trot, blue or ballad or
maybe a waltz, but you feel he will become embar-
rassed if you quiz him as to his particular fancies.
The quickest and easiest way is to direct him to the
layout of popular productions. That is full of sug-
gestions. Coming perhaps for one piece he eagerly
picks half a dozen surprises for the dearest girl in
the world.
The equally shy woman who states the indefinite
wants is usually the mother of a budding musical
genius or an admiring aunt. They know that the
best kind of encouragement for the musical daughter
or niece is more music of the kind the girl likes.
Directing them to the layout may also serve in this
case, but mother and aunt are not so quick to make a
choice as the young man. But the customers, can be
served and satisfied after a few intelligent inquiries
as to what the musical young lady specially favors.
The hypothetical instances are only cited as argu-
ments for the layout of popular music which should
confront every visitor to the sheet music department.
It is a good rule to show the kind of music that is
selling. Don't waste the valuable space on the coun-
ters with "dead" music. By "dead" is meant the num-
bers that have had their day and been declared has-
beens by the waning of popularity. When people are
looking for hits show the hits which have only a
brief period of popularity and will soon enough be on
the dead list. If people want a particular old thing
they will ask for it.
The main thing for the sheet music dealer to do is
to keep the stock down but up-to-date. You can
keep it down by selling the numbers when the de-
25
P R E S T O
mand is spontaneous and good; you can keep it up-
to-date by keenly watching for the new hits. The
alert manager can anticipate popularity for a num-
ber and be in at the earliest killing in sales. We
never cut prices on old numbers here, said the man-
ager in conclusion, because we never allow music to
get old. Of course popular music is meant. There
are standards that never get old.
FAST TRAVELING POPULARS.
How fast does a popular song travel is a question
raised by Ashton Stevens, music critic of the Chicago
Herald and Examiner when he said in a recent article,
"I wonder how many popular tunes go round the
world—all the way round?" He followed the query
with a continuation of incidents to show how one pop
went round. "I went west with a new tune some
time ago but it was ahead of me all the way. It
greeted us at banquets and sometimes it met us at
the station."
HEARST SONGS
ON ALL DANCE RECORDS
" HEARD EV£Rmff£Jt£ »
BEN FRANKLIN'S SONGS.
Songs written by Benjamin Franklin are favorites
on the social programs of printers' societies. No Old-'
Time Printers' reunion in Chicago takes place with-
out one or more songs of the great American states-
man and philosopher being sung. The far-reaching
influence of Franklin's career is shown in a prospec-
tus of the Franklin Society. As to music, it men-
HEARST SONGS
COMBWE L O W IBICES
WITH H I G H SALESVALUE
JUST like Fmdjn^Money
- VOGUE FOR VICTOR HERBERT
Orchestral Numbers by the Late Composer Find
Sale in Music Stores.
The increasing popularity of compositions by the
late Victor Herbert is almost parallel with the in-
creased popularity of the compositions sung by
Caruso after that great tenor's death. While the
music by Victor Herbert has always had a great
appeal to the American public, there seems to be
today a more insistent and continuous demand in
sheet music and phonograph records for his com-
positions.
Two of Victor Herbert's most popular composi-
tions for orchestra are "Panamericana" and "Badi-
nage." The former is a descriptive piece in which
the Indian, Negro and Spanish elements are deftly
presented and interwoven. "Badinage" is one of
those light and graceful concert selections for which
the composer is justly famous. These two composi-
tions are also available in Brunswick records.
HEARSTSQNGS
Put the EARN iiflunibver
Big Profits Repeated ManyTimtt
. " " " 3 y p d r " •. r • " • ; . •. •
tions his invention of the armonica, or glassy-chord,
an instrument based on musical glasses, now obso-
lete but popular in its day, and his writing of popular
songs of his time. It says further of Franklin: "Be-
ing many men in one, he could shift with ease from
war to chess, from administrative work to the play-
ing of violin, harp or guitar."
MUSICAL "BILLY SUNDAY."
Charles D. Isaacson, of New York, who has be-
come known as "the Billy Sunday of the opera," has
come to Chicago to fill the "common people" with
the desire for better music. He proposes to show
the western people who have never understood the
classical music just what it is and its reason for
being. And he will try to show lovers of "Mama
Loves Papa" why there is something more beautiful
in the chorals of "Parsifal."
PUBLISHES BANJO MUSIC.
A new music book for the tenor banjo has been
published by Ralph Eliaser, manager for the H. C.
Hanson Music House, San Francisco. The title of
the book is "Jaz-ar-monie," and it treats of chord
construction and fingering. Next month Mr. Eliaser
will publish another book for the four-string banjo in
C notation. By following his system the banjo part
for any popular piece can be written in a short time.
"CALLING" THE COMPOSER.
An English paper tells some good stories of Sir
Arthur Sullivan and one of which, though admittedly
not new, is worth repeating: "Standing one night at
the back of the dress circle, he commenced in a con-
templative fashion to hum the melody of a song that
was being rendered on the stage. 'Look here,' de-
clared a sensitive old gentleman, 'I've paid my money
to hear Sullivan's music—not yours.' "
COHAN WRITES HISTORY.
George Cohan, playwright, actor, manager and
song writer, has taken to literature of the humorous
order. He has become a regular contributor to the
syndicated press and his "stuff" is good. What Mr.
Cohan could tell about song writing and publishing
would—probably will—make a rich chapter in his
reminiscenses. His "Over There" made him a small
fortune even before he sold the copyright for $25,000.
"COZY HOME" SELLS WELL.
The Will Wright Music Co., of Cincinnati, seems
to have made a "hit" of its song, "A Cozy Home
for Two." The song first appeared early this month
and last week an order for 100 copies was re-
ceived from W. M. McCall, of Ketchikan, Alaska.
The lyric should make a hit in the cold country,
and, in fact, anywhere else.
A TIMELY WARNING.
Sound advice of the Music Publishers' Association
is as follows: "Thousands of amateur song writers
are victimized each year by fake music publishers,
whose output does not reach any market and has no
chance of success. Before signing an order or for-
warding money, make sure of your publisher."
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/
MAKE "HIT" SALES QUICKLY
Valuable Suggestions How to Keep Down the
Stock Alluringly Up-to-Date Given
by Manager.
Once in a while a customer comes to the music
counter and naively remarks that he or she wants "to
buy some sheet music.|" It is as often a woman—
from whose sex one expects definiteness—as a man
that shyly makes such a statement. The professional
musician and musical person of either sex know their
requirements and waste, no words in stating them.
The timid people who "want to buy some music" are
usually agreeable agents for somebody else, said a
sheet music department manager this week.
The men who shyly express the desire to purchase
music are invariably young, and the experienced
sa'esman or saleswoman intuitively understands the
circumstances and can make suggestions without
much preliminary inquiry. The young man coming
on such a quest has a best girl who plays the piano
and probably sings as well. That's easy. He will
know what he wants when he sees it. In ninety-nine
times out of a hundred he wants the popular things
you can sing or dance to.
You know he wants a fox-trot, blue or ballad or
maybe a waltz, but you feel he will become embar-
rassed if you quiz him as to his particular fancies.
The quickest and easiest way is to direct him to the
layout of popular productions. That is full of sug-
gestions. Coming perhaps for one piece he eagerly
picks half a dozen surprises for the dearest girl in
the world.
The equally shy woman who states the indefinite
wants is usually the mother of a budding musical
genius or an admiring aunt. They know that the
best kind of encouragement for the musical daughter
or niece is more music of the kind the girl likes.
Directing them to the layout may also serve in this
case, but mother and aunt are not so quick to make a
choice as the young man. But the customers, can be
served and satisfied after a few intelligent inquiries
as to what the musical young lady specially favors.
The hypothetical instances are only cited as argu-
ments for the layout of popular music which should
confront every visitor to the sheet music department.
It is a good rule to show the kind of music that is
selling. Don't waste the valuable space on the coun-
ters with "dead" music. By "dead" is meant the num-
bers that have had their day and been declared has-
beens by the waning of popularity. When people are
looking for hits show the hits which have only a
brief period of popularity and will soon enough be on
the dead list. If people want a particular old thing
they will ask for it.
The main thing for the sheet music dealer to do is
to keep the stock down but up-to-date. You can
keep it down by selling the numbers when the de-
25
P R E S T O
mand is spontaneous and good; you can keep it up-
to-date by keenly watching for the new hits. The
alert manager can anticipate popularity for a num-
ber and be in at the earliest killing in sales. We
never cut prices on old numbers here, said the man-
ager in conclusion, because we never allow music to
get old. Of course popular music is meant. There
are standards that never get old.
FAST TRAVELING POPULARS.
How fast does a popular song travel is a question
raised by Ashton Stevens, music critic of the Chicago
Herald and Examiner when he said in a recent article,
"I wonder how many popular tunes go round the
world—all the way round?" He followed the query
with a continuation of incidents to show how one pop
went round. "I went west with a new tune some
time ago but it was ahead of me all the way. It
greeted us at banquets and sometimes it met us at
the station."
HEARST SONGS
ON ALL DANCE RECORDS
" HEARD EV£Rmff£Jt£ »
BEN FRANKLIN'S SONGS.
Songs written by Benjamin Franklin are favorites
on the social programs of printers' societies. No Old-'
Time Printers' reunion in Chicago takes place with-
out one or more songs of the great American states-
man and philosopher being sung. The far-reaching
influence of Franklin's career is shown in a prospec-
tus of the Franklin Society. As to music, it men-
HEARST SONGS
COMBWE L O W IBICES
WITH H I G H SALESVALUE
JUST like Fmdjn^Money
- VOGUE FOR VICTOR HERBERT
Orchestral Numbers by the Late Composer Find
Sale in Music Stores.
The increasing popularity of compositions by the
late Victor Herbert is almost parallel with the in-
creased popularity of the compositions sung by
Caruso after that great tenor's death. While the
music by Victor Herbert has always had a great
appeal to the American public, there seems to be
today a more insistent and continuous demand in
sheet music and phonograph records for his com-
positions.
Two of Victor Herbert's most popular composi-
tions for orchestra are "Panamericana" and "Badi-
nage." The former is a descriptive piece in which
the Indian, Negro and Spanish elements are deftly
presented and interwoven. "Badinage" is one of
those light and graceful concert selections for which
the composer is justly famous. These two composi-
tions are also available in Brunswick records.
HEARSTSQNGS
Put the EARN iiflunibver
Big Profits Repeated ManyTimtt
. " " " 3 y p d r " •. r • " • ; . •. •
tions his invention of the armonica, or glassy-chord,
an instrument based on musical glasses, now obso-
lete but popular in its day, and his writing of popular
songs of his time. It says further of Franklin: "Be-
ing many men in one, he could shift with ease from
war to chess, from administrative work to the play-
ing of violin, harp or guitar."
MUSICAL "BILLY SUNDAY."
Charles D. Isaacson, of New York, who has be-
come known as "the Billy Sunday of the opera," has
come to Chicago to fill the "common people" with
the desire for better music. He proposes to show
the western people who have never understood the
classical music just what it is and its reason for
being. And he will try to show lovers of "Mama
Loves Papa" why there is something more beautiful
in the chorals of "Parsifal."
PUBLISHES BANJO MUSIC.
A new music book for the tenor banjo has been
published by Ralph Eliaser, manager for the H. C.
Hanson Music House, San Francisco. The title of
the book is "Jaz-ar-monie," and it treats of chord
construction and fingering. Next month Mr. Eliaser
will publish another book for the four-string banjo in
C notation. By following his system the banjo part
for any popular piece can be written in a short time.
"CALLING" THE COMPOSER.
An English paper tells some good stories of Sir
Arthur Sullivan and one of which, though admittedly
not new, is worth repeating: "Standing one night at
the back of the dress circle, he commenced in a con-
templative fashion to hum the melody of a song that
was being rendered on the stage. 'Look here,' de-
clared a sensitive old gentleman, 'I've paid my money
to hear Sullivan's music—not yours.' "
COHAN WRITES HISTORY.
George Cohan, playwright, actor, manager and
song writer, has taken to literature of the humorous
order. He has become a regular contributor to the
syndicated press and his "stuff" is good. What Mr.
Cohan could tell about song writing and publishing
would—probably will—make a rich chapter in his
reminiscenses. His "Over There" made him a small
fortune even before he sold the copyright for $25,000.
"COZY HOME" SELLS WELL.
The Will Wright Music Co., of Cincinnati, seems
to have made a "hit" of its song, "A Cozy Home
for Two." The song first appeared early this month
and last week an order for 100 copies was re-
ceived from W. M. McCall, of Ketchikan, Alaska.
The lyric should make a hit in the cold country,
and, in fact, anywhere else.
A TIMELY WARNING.
Sound advice of the Music Publishers' Association
is as follows: "Thousands of amateur song writers
are victimized each year by fake music publishers,
whose output does not reach any market and has no
chance of success. Before signing an order or for-
warding money, make sure of your publisher."
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).