Presto

July, 1931
P R E S T O-T I M E S
were elucidations of valuable practices in the high art
of selling musical instruments—a trade by itself.
Honorable Anton J. Cermak, mayor of Chicago,
was guest of honor and principal speaker at the
Thirtieth Annual Banquet, and the mayor extended a
most cordial invitation to return to Chicago for the
1932 convention.
OTHER ASSOCIATION ELECTIONS
MUSIC INDUSTRIES CHAMBER OE COM-
MERCE
President—C. Alfred Wagner.
Eirst Vice-President—Henry C. Lomb.
Second Vice-President—Parham Werlein.
Secretary—Harry Meixell.
Treasurer—Julius White.
MUSICAL SUPPLY ASSOCIATION OF
AMERICA
A committee was formed:
Chairman—Harry Meixell.
Representatives of Eastern Manufacturers—William
A. Mennie and Arthur L. Wessell.
Representatives of Western Manufacturers—John
Wickham and Charles E. Platte.
NATIONAL MUSICAL MERCHANDISE ASSO-
CIATION OF U. S.
President—Harry Simson.
Vice-President—M. H. Berlin.
Secretary—Paul Moning.
Treasurer—A. J. Neumann.
NATIONAL PIANO MANUFACTURERS' ASSO-
CIATION OF AMERICA
President—Gordon Campbell.
First Vice-President—Lucien Wulsin.
Second Vice-President—Otto Schulz, Jr.
Treasurer—Chas. Jacob, Jr.
Honorary Secretary—Herbert W. Hill.
Secretary—Harry Meixell.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION O F MUSICAL
MERCHANDISE MANUFACTURERS
President—Henry C. Lomb.
Vice-President—H. Kuhrmeyer.
Secretary-Treasurer—Harry Meixell.
PRESIDENT HOOVER
SENDS HIS REGRETS
The following letter received from President
Hoover by Otto B. Heaton, president of the National
Association of Music Merchants, was read at the 30th
annual banquet at the Palmer House, Chicago, Tues-
day evening June 9:
"I keenly regret that pressure of official business
makes it impossible for me to accept your kind invi-
tation to deliver an address over the radio to the 3Dth
annual banquet of the National Association of Music
Merchants which is to be held in Chicago the evening
of June 9 next. I do not want the occasion to pass
without sending you a brief message.
"I long have been cognizant of the work that your
association is doing. It is especially interesting to
me to know that the primary object of the association
is to increase the love and appreciation of music and
to encourage self-expression in the art by both chil-
dren and adults.
"I wish for you and your association all success.
"Yours faithfully,
(Signed) " H E R B E R T HOOVER."
THE NATIONAL BUREAU
PRESENTS ITS METHODS
The National Bureau for the Advancement of Music
was represented at the convention in room 859,
Palmer House, by C. M. Tremaine and Kenneth S.
Clark. These two gentlemen had a variety of their
publications to distribute in pamphlet form. One of
these articles, entitled "Parents and Music and Chil-
dren" is entirely new and sets forth the thoughts and
methods of Mr. Tremaine in his own language. In
it Mr. Tremaine says in part:
"The public schools are teaching the appreciation of
music. The radio, the phonograph, and the player
piano are bringing the masterpieces of the great com-
posers, played by celebrated artists, into our homes,
and our children are being nurtured under these influ-
ences from early infancy. The value of this musical
environment cannot be overestimated.
"Unfortunately, among some parents the idea pre-
vails that in order to learn to play the piano one has
to go through years of drudgery if he is to acquire
the technical skill. It is therefore one of the purposes
of this pamphlet to show that this condition has ma-
terially changed in recent years, for modern methods
have greatly simplified the process of instruction, and
what is equally important, they enlist the child's inter-
est while he is learning to play the piano. He has to
work and practice, of course, but the task is made en-
joyable and attractive, and he is able to play simple
pieces while he acquires the technic. He has the
incentive of being able to see that he is making
progress."
Two other very interesting booklets which were
distributed in this room were "Piano Class Instruc-
tion—a Simple Explanation of This Modern Road to
Musical Expression," and "Music as a Self-Expres-
sion," the latter by Rudolph Ganz.
STANDARDS IN BRUSH MAKING
Gerts, Lumbard & Co., brush makers, 2100 West
Grand avenue, Chicago, whose goods have been stand-
ard brushes for so long that the "mind of man run-
neth not to the contrary," are still enjoying a good
trade and the good will of piano manufacturers gen-
erally. Businesses of this kind, so long established
and so well known, are doing a great deal to maintain
trade and trade confidence and are worthy of the
many repeat orders they get. The business is one
of the older brush factories in the United States, hav-
ing been established in 1850 and incorporated in 1891.
F. C. Lumbard is president, F. A. Crego treasurer,
and W\ S. Gerts secretarv.
Gordon Laughead as a Pianist
Gordon Laughead, general sales manager of the
Wurlitzer Grand Piano Co., generally prefers to have
a demonstrator w r ith him when showing to a customer
the merits and capabilities of a piano, but if no
"player" is around at the time to demonstrate the
capabilities of the instrument Mr. Laughead has had
occasion time and again to bring his pianistic talent
into play, and had many such opportunities during
visits of dealers to the Wurlitzer exhibits at the
Palmer House. There were many dealers at the
Wurlitzer exhibit and their comments in favor of and
commendation of the Wurlitzer instruments were well
worth listening to.
PERSONALITY OF THE
MUSIC MERCHANTS
NEW PRESIDENT
The new president of the National Association of
Music Mei chants, Edwin R. Weeks, of Weeks &
Dickinson, Binghamton, N. Y., who was elected to
the office of chief executive at the Thirtieth Annual
Convention at the Palmer House, Chicago, Tuesday,
June 9, 1931, is one of the most striking and interest-
ing personalities in the music industry.
Mr. Weeks has been connected with the retail piano
and music business for a number of years. He began
his career, however, not as a business man but as a
musical artist. He studied for opera and is possessed
of a voice of unusual quality. His vocal instruction
was obtained in America and as he says himself, he
had even in his younger days the "buy at home"
complex.
Mr. Weeks is a prominent Rotarian. being past gov-
ernor of the 28th District, Rotary International, also
past president of Binghamton Rotary Club. He has
taken prominent part in social and musical affairs in
Binghamton. He is at present treasurer of the Bing-
hamton Civic Music Association, trustee of the Young
Women's Christian Association, president of Broome
County Crippled Children's Foundation, governor of
Binghamton Country Club and elder in the First
Presbyterian Church of Binghamtou. He was for-
merly president of the New York State Music Mer-
chants' Association, former trustee Home for Aged
Women of Binghamton and former deacon of the
First Presbyterian Church.
Some very interesting and unusual articles have
come from the pen of Mr. Weeks and he has now in
preparation a communication which he will shortly
address to members of the association.
One of the
most
HALDWIN (IKAMi, STVLIO l<\
notable instruments on exhibition in (Miiengo convention week.
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