Presto

P R E S T 0-T I M E S
"Approach Through Singing" and "When to Start
Instruction."
The General Organization Plan goes right to the
crux of the situation and suggests just how to intro-
duce piano instruction into the schools, how to organ-
ize the classes and how to arrange fees, where it is
required that pupils pay for such instruction. On the
subject of "Organization Within the Schools," valua-
ble forms are given for questionnaire, notes to parents,
registration blanks, proposed curriculums and a sum-
mary of methods and results as reported from various
sections of the country.
Further details for the formation of classes, the
room and its equipment, class routine, seating, tech-
nique, home practice, and piano playing contests are
given. In the rear of the work are typical forms for
piano report cards, enrollment blanks, and pupil's ad-
mission and progress card.
The Active Ones.
The piano section of the Committee on Instrumental
Affairs of the Music Supervisors National Conference
includes. J. F. Maddy, chairman; Jay \V. Fay, Lee
M. Lockhart, Russell V. Morgan, Victor L. F. Reb-
raann, Helen Curtis, T. P. Giddings, Osbourne Mc-
Conathy, W. Otto Miessner and C. M. Tremaine,
secretary. The piano section includes the last five
mentioned, together with Mr. Maddy.
NEWS OF TRADE
IN INDIANAPOLIS
July Business Reported Excellent, in Spite of
Extremely Warm Weather—Starr Con-
test Peps Things Up—Other News
of the Music Business.
In spite of the extremely hot weather during the
month of July, and as a rule a very poor month for
the piano dealer, Indianapolis dealers unanimously
report the business of the month satisfactory. Noth-
ing, in fact, to boast of, but in some cases an agree-
able surprise.
The contest at the Starr Sales Corporation comes
to a close this week. The two teams have been run-
ning very close, and Ned Clay, sales manager, looks
for a victory by a nose. At the close of Monday's
business it required only one more sale on the part
of either team to win the laurels. One thing the
contest has done, said Clay, "it has pepped things up";
it is reported that some of the salesmen have shown
unusual interest and have actually worked very hard
with good results. It appears that contests, according
to Clay, might liven up many sales forces who at
present are in a dormant state. Since many pieno
dealers look with envy at the automobile business
and the volume, they should not overlook that prac-
tically all automobile dealers offer monthly prizes to
the : r salesmen showing the highest record at the end
of the month. More contests might lead the industry
out of the wilderness. Period model grands and Starr
Studio pianos have shown some activity during the
contest, and the same plans are being talked of for
August.
William Christena Resigns.
William Christena of the Christena-Teague Piano
Company has tendered his resignation as secretary
of the Indianapolis Music Merchants' Association, to
Mr. Hook, president. The reason given is the condi-
tion of Mr. Christena's health and his added respon-
sibilities since taking on the entire line of the Amer-
ican Piano Company.
The House of Baldwin has added the Majest ; c radio.
The instrument will be sold under the management
of the talking machine unit, with the same force of
employes, according to Mr. Frank Davis, manager.
The Pearson Piano Company is in the midst of
some changes on its street floor. The record division,
which was formerly housed in the basement, will be
moved to the street floor.
Ned Clay, sales manager of the Starr Sales Cor-
poration, is preparing to take a two weeks' vacation,
and will motor to Eagle River, Wisconsin, with his
family. The entire two weeks' trip will be spent in
the open, camping along the route. He will return v : a
Sault Ste. Marie and Mackinaw Island, and from there
along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan home.
Buys Music Shop.
The Indianapolis Music Shop, Inc., at 4170 College
avenue, has been bought by Eugene Wilder, who
for the last fifteen years has hern the central states
representative of the Robert Morton Orf-an Company
of Chicago. T'.ie shop will carry a f'lll line of Victor
Talking Machines and records and several leading
makes of rad : os. Mr. Wilder is having the building
remodeled and plans to install a - i innovation along
rrusic lines, so far ai Indianapolis is concerned—an
organ studio, where organ playing, particularly mov-
August 4, 1928.
STRAUBE FOR ATLANTA CHURCH
Quality merchandise and competent
service to the customer was again dem-
onstrated as a selling asset by the
Ludden & Bates Southern Music
House, Atlanta, Ga., through the sale
of a Straube grand piano, Conserva-
tory Model, to the Stewart Avenue
Methodist Church. When the purchas-
ing committee made known its re-
quirements, a Conservatory Model
Straube grand piano was recommended.
How conscientious the advice and how
satisfactory the purchase is indicated
in the following letter received by Lud-
den & Bates from D. C. Hale, well
known choir director of the Stewart
Avenue Methodist Church.
"We wish to write a few lines ex-
STEWART AVENl E METHODIHT r H l ' I i C H HAS CONSERVATORY
pressing our complete satisfaction with
MODEL STRAUBE PIANO.
the new Strauble grand piano pur-
chased from you in January for the
Stewart Avenue Methodist Church. Our purchasing ciation of the very far and courteous treatment re-
committee visited all the local piano houses, so you ceived in your store."
had plenty of competition on this deal. Their final
Ludden & Bates Southern Music House is one of
selection of a Strauble Conservatory Model grand the oldest music houses in the South, having been
was made only after a most careful comparison with continuously in business since 1870. It is very well
numerous other fine instruments in the same price and favorably known. J. A. Stewart, president of
class.
Ludden & Bates, says: "The Straube is a remark-
"We have now used this beautiful piano in our ably fine piano employing many unusual features.
services for two months and the entire congregation These instruments are very highly thought of in the
have confirmed the good judgment of our purchasing South, where we have many critical musicians and
committee. We also want to add a word of appre- many difficult climatic conditions to contend with."
ing picture theater organ playing, will be taught. In
addition to the courses in organ playing, there will
be a competent staff of teachers of piano, violin and
voice, and it is expected thai the studio will enroll
students by September. Mr. Wilder will also carry
a line of organs to be installed in homes, for which
there is an increasing demand. Mr. Wilder has been
a resident of this city for two years, and came here
from Chicago.
NEW INCORPORATIONS
IN MUSIC GOODS TRADE
New and Old Concerns Secure Charters in Various
Places.
The Wm. H. Pohle Music Co., of Philadelphia, with
two thousand shares of common stock.
The Hall of Music, Fulton, N. Y., with five hundred
shares of common stack.
The Hurtt-Jones-Koeder Co., maker of musical
instruments at Pekin, 111.; $25,000. F. L. Hurtt, H. G.
Jones and T. M. Koeder.
Perry & Co., 1744 North Robey street, Chicago;
$25,000. W. H. Mathews, Walter Maher and Donald
A. Beeler.
The Charles Music Store, 1440 Broadway, New
York city; $10,000. G. M. Fayies.
Hurtt-Jones Koeder Company, 110 Court street,
Pekin, 111.; $25,000; to manufacture and sell musical
instruments. P. L. Hurtt, H. G. Jones and T. M.
Koeder.
The William H. Pohls Music Co., Philadelphia,
with a capital stock of 2,000 shares of common; no
par.
The Paradise Music Co., New York City; to deal
in musical instruments; $2,000. N. B. Schenckman.
Hughes, Bailey & Co., New York, with 200 shares
of capital stock; no par common; to deal in music
goods. L. J. Rossett.
LIVELY OHIO FIRM
The State Music Company, Mansfield, Ohio, which
recently moved to the Van Ness Building, was started
fourteen years ago in a small store room in the
Southern Hotel Building on South Park street. Four
years ago the State Music Company was incorporated,
with Miss Isabelle Van Ness as president and treas-
urer, and R. E. Taylor vice-president and secretary.
The executive board of directors include the two
officers and S. A. Toomey. C. E. Corbett and W. H.
Kreig, of Cleveland.
GROUP STUDY IN LOS ANGELES.
The Platt Music Co., Los Angeles, has opened
group piano classes under the direction of Rutherford
M. Perry, who formerly operated a similar scheme for
Koh!er & Chase, San Francisco. A large registration
is reported for the Fun Method Piano Classes. The
average age of those registered is thirty-eight, wh : ch
indicates a timely interest in the classes by the grown-
up folk.
NEWS FROM SOUTHERN
INDIANA POINTS
N. W. Bryant, Evansville, Dies—Other Items
Tell of Activities in Music Trade in
That Section.
N. W. Bryant, 77 years old, until recently president
of the N. W. Bryant Piano Company at 226 Main
street, Evansville, Ind., was stricken with a heart at-
tack while standing in his yard on Outer Slaughter
Ave., at Evansville, Ind., on Friday, July 27th and
died before a physician could be summoned. He had
been in apparent good health right up to his death.
He was widely known in musical circles in southern
Indiana, southern Illinois and western and northern
Indiana.
Music dealers at Evansville and other towns in
southern Indiana report trade has been a little slug-
gish during the past month or two, but they are
looking for some improvement in business after the
first of September.
Injunction and damage suits have been filed in the
federal court at Evansville, Ind., against Lillian Pen-
nington, owner of the Oak Hill club and Robert
Taffel, Fulton avenue theater owner, both of Evans-
ville, both for alleging playing of popular songs with-
out the payment of royalties. Alleging that an elec-
tric piano played "Do, Do, Do," Harms Inc., of New
York, music publishers asked an injunction against
Taffel and judgment for $250 damages and costs.
Ager, Yellen and Bornstein, of New York, filed a
similar suit against Miss Pennington for the playing
of "Dream Kisses." The su : ts are to be tried in the
near future, it was stated by William Russell Judd,
who represents the two musical companies.
Thieves entered the Galloway Music Shop at Evans-
ville, Ind., a few nights ago and stole a ukulele, sev-
eral harmonicas and 12 sets of ukulele strings, En-
trance was gained into the store through a rear tran-
som. The police have no clew.
Dealers in band instruments at Evansville and other
towns in southern Indiana report their trade has
shown some improvement during the past two weeks
and they are looking for a fairly good volume of
business during the remainder of the year. Dealers
say that a presidential campaign year usually helps
their band business.
PLEA FOR DISSOLUTION.
H. W. McFarland, Hulda McFarland, K. B. Allen
and Theresa Allen, principal stockholders of the de-
fendant company, have filed suit in common pleas
court against the McFarland Music Company, Mid-
dletown, asking its dissolution, on the grounds that
assets are insufficient to meet liabilities.
The Gunn-Ahrens Co., of Little Rock, radio equip-
ment dealers, has been incorporated with a capital of
$50,000. H. L. Gunn is pres : dent, and L. E. Thomp-
son, secretary-treasurer.
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