Musical Instruments Displaced

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 36, 22 March 1929, Page 15

Musical Instruments Displaced

Sales of Gramophone Records Increased HE influence of radio upon the musical interests of the country is revealed in statistics just made public by the United States Census Bureau, covering the production of musical instruments. The organ alone has retained its popularity in spite of the inroads of radio into the American home. The production of organs last year showed an increase of 31 per cent. over 1925. The value of the output at the factory was 14,262,688 dollars. Organ music lends itself readily to br oadeasting, and some of the outstanding makers have regularly broadeast organ recitals. Pianos, on the other hand, fell off 29 per cent. last year, over the preceding census of manufacture. The outstanding barometer of radio influence is shown to be the gramophone record. As was true with the publication of sheet music, records show an enormous increase. Last year . the American public apparently spent more than 50,000,000 dollars for records. The census report shows more —

= than 100,000,000 records were manu: factured-an increase of 23 per cent, over the year 1925. This appreciation is attributed to the growing popularity of the outstanding musical artists on the air, Thus the world-famous singers of the opera and concert stage, regularly broadcasting each Sunday night in the Atwater Kent Radio Hour, over a network of 29 stations, are said to have in audience running into the millions. Their radio introduction into the homes of the gramophone has resulted in an increased demand for their records. Except for the piano and organ statistics above, the census report shows a 45 per cent. decrease in the sale of all other -musical instruments, which is commonly attributed to the rapidly increasing popularity of radio. 9