Presto

PRESTO-TIMES
The American Music Trade Weekly
Published Every Saturday at 417 South Dearborn
Street, Chicago, Illinois.
novelties in the same manner that he does the
senseless and tuneless dance pieces that dis-
tracts teachers and students and helps to choke
the channels of the retail trade. The publish-
ing of music for teachers that does not justify
itself by merit should be discouraged.
PRESTO P U B L I S H I N G CO., Publishers.
F R A N K D. A B B O T T - - - - - - - - - -
Editor
(C. A. DANIELL—1904-1927.)
J. FERGUS O'RYAN
_ _ _ _ _ Managing Editor
Telephones, Local and Long Distance, Harrison 0234.
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mercial Cable Co.'s Code), " P R E S T O , " Chicago.
Entered as second-class matter Jan. 29, 1896, at the
Post Office, Chicago, 111., under Act of March 3, 1879.
Subscription, $2 a year; 6 months, $1.25; Foreign, $4.
Payable in advance. No extra charge in United States
possessions, Cuba and Mexico. Rates for advertising on
application.
Items of news and other matter are solicited and if of
general interest to the music trade will be paid for at
space rates. Usually piano merchants or salesmen in the
smaller cities are the best occasional correspondents, and
their assistance is invited.
Payment Is not accepted for matter printed in the edi-
torial or news columns of Presto-Times.
Where half-tones are made the actual cost of produc-
tion will be charged if of commercial character of other
than strictly news interest.
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quested that their subjects and senders be carefully indi-
cated.
Forms close at noon on Thursday. Late news matter
should be in not later than 11 o'clock on that day. Ad-
vertising copy should be in hand before Tuesday, 5 p. m.,
to insure preferred position. Full page display copy
should be in hand by Tuesday noon preceding publication
day. Want advertisements for current week, to insure
classification, should be in by Wednesday noon.
Address all communications for the editorial or business
departments to PRESTO PUBLISHING CO., 417 South
Dearborn Street, Chicago, III.
SATURDAY, MAY 12, 1928.
The last form of Presto-Times goes to press
at 11 a. m. Thursday. Any news transpiring
after that hour cannot be expected in the cur-
rent issue. Nothing received at the office that
is not strictly news of importance can have
attention after 9 a. m. on Thursday. If they
concern the interests of manufacturers or
dealers such items will appear the week follow-
ing. Copy for advertising designed for the
current issue must reach the office not later
than Wednesday noon of each week.
TEACHERS' MUSIC
Quite a number of music teachers attended
the Music Supervisors' National Conference in
Chicago recently and the opportunities for
comment on conditions in music teaching were
continuous. Two, at any time, was a quorum
for the discussion of methods of teaching or
the music employed therein. The "delng'e of
teaching music" was pointed to "with horror"
by a prominent Indianapolis teacher on one
occasion. "The futility of such an output was
obvious," he said. Too much of the so-called
educational music is of no educational signifi-
cance, in the opinion of the Indianapolis man,
a view concurred in by the others in the group
of seven teachers.
The consensus of opinion among the efficient
teachers is that educational composers, for the
most part, are not "delivering the goods"; are
producing too much for simps, and too much
for prodigies. Originality of thought and ex-
pression are at a discount and too many pub-
lishers content themselves with substitutes for
the real thing. Some of them have the mis-
taken idea that all easy music is educational
music. They make a bid for the musical simps
It increases the problem of sheet music deal-
ers. Teachers' music of the kind that floods
the retail trade is a concern of the convention
of the Sheet Music Dealers' National Associa-
tion at the Hotel McAlpin, New York, in June.
There are a number of publishing houses
which have made a long and careful study of
the needs of teachers and students and whose
judgment and enterprise merit the praise and
co-operation of the retail sheet music trade.
It is the publisher who rushes out the teachers'
AUTOMATIC PIANO PROFITS
May 12, 1928
"either on the floor or outside, instead of al-
lowing valuable sales people to devote a large
part of their time to doing primary work in
the way of canvassing, door-bell pulling, etc.
Of course, such work does have its distinct
place in our business, but should be handled
by people especially selected, trained for it and
compensated accordingly.
"Let us do everything possible to help and
encourage and reward real salesmen who
earnestly work, and on the other hand elim-
inate the drifter, the time server, the loafer,
and the inefficient."
Alert music dealers see the profit possibili-
ties in automatic pianos and give deserved at-
tention to that comparatively new phase of
their business. But a great many dealers are
strangely unconscious or indifferent to the op-
portunities of the automatic instrument field.
The buying of automatic pianos and paying
THE BARGAIN LURE
for them in eighteeen months out of the in-
Although trade ethics in advertising are be-
come they produce is an alluring course of
action which is considered practicable by prom- ing more generally observed by music dealers
than formerly, it is considered by close ob-
inent and successful dealers.
Mr. W. L. Pace, head of the Pace Piano servers that the lure of the bargain is still too
Co., Dallas, Texas, is a practical man who prevalent in the trade. They say that too
says that it not only can be done but is being many merchants, especially in the smaller
done consistently. "In many cases the obliga- cities, look upon an advertisement which fails
tions are liquidated in less than a year and a to offer "bargains" as a poor appeal for busi-
half, but that period can be relied upon as a ness. Even when the price reduction is truth-
minimum when the business is correctly man- fully stated, the public sometimes refuses to
aged," is his assurance to the Clark Orchestra believe the statements because it is a common
Roll Co., De Kalb, 111. Much depends on oper- belief that bargain advertising leads to ex-
ating a string of electric pianos placed about aggeration.
Stories which rigidly follow an ethical stand-
the community in favorable locations on a
ard not only find advertising profitable but, at
percentage basis.
One big essential, Mr. Pace pointed out, is the same time, instill a trustful feeling in the
that good music be used and that the rolls be public. In the big cities the prominent stores
changed every week. Poor music or rolls with which never use the word "bargain," or print
old-time tunes rendered passe by newer hits comparative prices, set the gross sales stand-
will not fail to bring in the maximum earnings ard. The best kind of retail advertising is that
but they will turn business away from the which makes permanent customers rather than
store, for the public soon wearies of melodies that which makes sales. Bargain advertising
that have been worn threadbare by too fre- encourages the presentation of shoddy mer-
chandise and promotes slipshod store methods.
quent playing.
Musical merchandise advertising which ac-
complishes the most is that which tells about
APPRECIATE REAL SALESMEN! the instruments and their merits and mini-
President Roberts of the National Associa- mizes the price appeal. The price of an article
tion of Music Merchants, in his enlightening is soon forgotten, the character of it is often
address last week before the New York State long remembered. A piano house or store
Music Merchants' Association, voiced a gener- which habitually features bargain sales adver-
ally acknowledged fact when he said that the tising soon establishes itself in the minds of
greatest need of the piano business at this time the people as a good place to go when they
is a sufficient number of real salesmen and that want cheap stuff, but a place to avoid when
the condition was one of the distressing re- they are particular about the merits of an in-
sults of the expediencies of the late inflated strument to be purchased.
* * *
period. The easy way to sales of that time
wrecked salesmanship and at the same time
Ninety Chicago business men. none of them
disorganized the executive faculties of many belonging to the tired variety, compose the
proprietors and managers.
Chicago Business Men's orchestra, which gave
Instead of effecting the changes necessary a concert at Orchestra Hall this week. The
to meet the requirements of the new condi- organization is non-professional, and an evi-
tion, many proprietors and managers merely dence of the practical application of the na-
hoped their organization would react in time tional urge to make music. The players of the
in the desired way. But Mr. Roberts said, too drums, the bull fiddles, the violins, the piccolos,
many salesmen have failed to resume their the oboes, and the various other musical in-
pre-war methods of securing business which struments are men who gain their livelihood
involve real work. And, of course, as a result in professions and commerce, devoting their
decreased sales and diminished profits were spare time voluntarily to translating their mu-
inevitable.
sical dreams into realities.
So, hoping for miracles, sales managers have
* * *
engaged anybody with a line of optimistic talk
The piano industry of the countrv today is
applying for a job, and naturally, the "on- suffering for the want of volume business.
agin-off-agin" interval has resulted in too Salesmen can get that volume. The right ar-
many inefficient salesmen in the piano business rangement of employment and the proper han-
and a great many with no qualifications what- dling of salesmen will bring about this result.
ever for selling musical instruments. One way When the piano merchant has done his part of
to help things, in Mr. Roberts' opinion, is to the work it is up to the salesmen to be honest,
show appreciation of the good salesmen by to be energetic, to serve the merchant in a con-
properly rewarding them.
scientious way, to put in full time at work, to
"Sales directors who know their business change his attitude from "pulling back" to that
will see that talented and successful salesmen of going forward. There are many methods of
are given something worth while to work on securing business that the salesmen can em-
in the way of prospects," said Mr. Roberts, ploy. All these methods are contributory.
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