TRADITION
*** Wilton H. Syckes ***
What is
TRADITION?
Webster says it is “The handing down orally of stories, beliefs,
customs, etc.” -- “A long-established custom or practice that has
the effect of an unwritten law”. I say it is simply the “National
Piano Travelers Association” – “An
International Organization of Keyboard Representatives”.
Since 1904, almost one hundred
years ago, the NPTA has been an integral part of the
world’s piano industry and is the oldest trade group under the
banner of NAMM. That’s some kind of TRADITION,
if you ask me!
Back in 1901
a group of 52 piano dealers banded together to form an organization
known as Piano Dealers of America, ostensibly to
combat unscrupulous tactics used by some merchants to market their
pianos. Remember, in those days the piano was the
second most popular consumer item in
America!
Did you know there were 325,000 pianos built in the
United States in the year 1923. What happened from then to now?
Also on the
scene was the Piano Manufacturers
Association
(PMA)
formed primarily to “black-list” lazy workers, strikers, and (if you
can believe it) disloyal and dishonest piano travelers!
Well, this
raised the dander of those travelers who went before us, and the
National Piano Travelers Association came into existence
in 1904, its initial purpose being to counteract some of the
PMA’s actions. Most likely their efforts weren’t too
effective, but the fact that a group of traveling salesmen got
together at each music convention to meet and discuss mutual
problems (and probably to swap a few lies, too!) shows the common
bond that grew and grew.
Think, for a
moment, how it was to be a traveler in the early part of the 20th
century – perhaps loading up the wagon, hitching up “Old Nellie” and
not coming home until all the pianos were sold – out there on a dirt
road, sometimes you were lucky to drive on macadam – in a beat-up
roadster (a Packard, like an old West Coast traveler drove) – of
course, no air-conditioning; maybe even a heater that worked more in
the summer than winter – no Holiday Inns, Marriott’s, not even a
Motel 6 – probably staying at a dealer’s home (forget the traveling
salesman’s joke, Virginia) – telephones, are you kidding; maybe a
dirty old pay phone, but no cell phones, and long distance charges
were atrocious – no computers, fax machines, palm-pilots – air
travel was unheard of; if you didn’t drive, the train was it – long
weeks away from home and territories encompassing sometimes half of
the country.
In addition to
the above, there was no such thing as Social Security, Health and
Accident Insurance, Unemployment Benefits or Workmen’s Compensation
Insurance, etc. Hey, you were on your own, but not entirely because
a very important function of the early NPTA was coming
to the aid of a fellow traveler who might be down on his luck. If
you lost your job, suffered an ill turn, needed a short-term loan or
were in some sort of distress, a cash stipend was offered – with no
strings attached. As recently as 1959 an East Coast traveler
benefited from this generous plan. For the record, only one such
“gift” was never repaid, and it wasn’t the 1959 traveler mentioned
above! Think you’d get such a deal in today’s environment? Forget
it, Charlie…….
So, now you
are hired by a piano manufacturer who expects you to send in big –
and bigger orders. The boss hands you pictures of the company’s
pianos, a price list – and if you were lucky, expense account forms
– then wished you well as you head out of his office.. Of course,
under threat of expulsion from the company you were required to
write an extensive service report on each and every dealer you
called upon. This could, and usually did require hours in some
uncomfortable lodging place writing them, sometimes while sipping on
some sort of libation. (Piano men, in many cases, knew how to
relieve the tensions of the day, but were always up and at ‘em early
in the morning.) Remember, there was no television – only silent
movies – lousy radio reception, except the clear channels like WJZ,
WGN, WLW, WOR, etc. – and none at all until KDKA in Pittsburgh and
WWJ, Detroit made the first commercial broadcasts in 1920. Hey, if
a piano traveler in those days didn’t have an understanding wife, he
was doomed. As a matter of fact, even today this is still a
prerequisite! (I know, having been a road warrior – piano traveler,
if you will – for over thirty-three years and am still married to
the same gal for almost fifty-seven years!)
The NPTA
, for many years, was the only organization in the entire
music industry to have, what was called a “Jamboree”
at the annual music trade shows. Other events held were
NAMM’s opening luncheon, the Winter & Co.
cocktail party, (Remember, please, in bygone days Winter
was the largest piano manufacturer in the world.) and,
of course, the music industry banquet on the final night of the
convention.
In later
years, as the organ business grew to great heights, came the big
Magnavox party and the Thomas Organ bash,
two fabulous shindigs! Even boat trips on Lake Michigan were in
vogue, the biggest being hosted by Kimball
Piano.
The Travelers
Jamboree was, by far, the most highly anticipated and clamored for
event at every music convention until – it seems every piano
manufacturer began holding receptions, dinners or company sales
meetings. This really put a crimp on our party, and after many
years in the limelight we had to be content with just a simple
meeting, a drink or two with old friends (even with competitors)
and, oh yes, there were still lots of lies swapped!
For you
old-timers out yonder (and I’m one of them), the Jamborees certainly
must bring back fond memories. They were held in fancy hotel
ballrooms; either Chicago’s Palmer House, the Blackstone Hotel or
the Conrad Hilton Hotel. In New York the famous Statler Hotel
ballroom was the site for the big event. Officers, present and
past, were seated at the head table sporting white dinner jackets
and black ties while everyone else (men only, in those days) were
gussied up to a fair-thee-well! A stunning gold medallion was
always presented to the out-going president, who would then turn
over the precious gavel to the new CEO. Entertainment was the
finest, even a bit racy at times, such as when the fair damsel would
pop out of the mammoth “cake” in the center of the room. Her
attire, you ask? Let your imagination run wild!
Dealers would
clamor for tickets to the big party, literally throwing orders at us
reps in order to get an invitation. Talk about the “good ‘ole
days”! They would do almost anything to get a couple tickets, short
of kissing our “you-know-what”. Let me tell you, we would write
orders like there was no tomorrow up until the time all our allotted
chits were gone. Would that we had that kind of power over our
customers in today’s market, but things just ain’t like they use to
be……….
Now-a-days most
of us must cow-tow to our masters; we must snap-to, line-up, say
yes-sir (in some cases, “yes-ma’am) and for sure, don’t miss the
company meeting. Once upon a time every piano manufacturer
respected the NPTA evening, and insisted that every
traveler in their employ attend the party. All of the executives
were card-carrying members too, and were proud of it! Names that
come to mind are Henry Z. Steinway, John Gettell, Walter Benson,
Fred Rydeen, Webb Janssen, Perk Bull, Elmer Brooks, Lou Amrein, Ed
Amrein, Robert Schaff, Dick Harrison, George Miller, Charlie
Clayton, W.W. Kimball, Bob Pierce, Peter Comstock, John Furlong,
Charles Stieff, Harry Kaprelian, Carlton Chase, Harry Sohmer, Henry
Wickam, Jack Jervis, John Majeski, Henry Heller, Tom Delaney, John
Trimble, Charies Pfriemer, Peter Perez, Bill Finnegan, George
Vigarito, Ed Story, Henry Behning, and many others I don’t
remember. So, how did our treasured piano industry jump the
track? It seems that no one cares anymore. What, pray tell,
happened to our
TRADITION?
Today our mailing
list consists of over 350 active, senior and associate members of
the National Piano Travelers Association. (As with
any organization not everyone pays their dues.) Included are
forty-nine offshore members from twelve countries. Believe me,
we’re proud of how our membership has grown during the almost one
hundred years – now, we are truly………
“An International
Organization of Keyboard Representatives”.
The
National Piano Travelers Association does not have any
requirements to belong except a business or personal association,
perhaps some “relationship” with the world’s piano industry. We
welcome retailers, wholesalers, importers, manufacturers, and
technicians to our midst. If a person has any connection with
an instrument that has 88 keys (more-or-less), he or she is welcome!
The NPTA is a benevolent organization whose primary
purpose is to promote comradeship among piano men. (Oops, piano
“people”.) Piano travelers are not your run-of-the-mill salesmen
and women; rather folks whose visits are looked forward to by piano
dealers worldwide. We are professionals! We offer only the finest,
honest and current information and advice to those who depend on
us. We don’t tell tales, spread rumors, misinform, or waste
precious time! For the most part, a piano traveler, no matter his
company affiliation, if in need in any city, town or hamlet
in the world, could and would find a friend. It is my belief that in
no other industry anywhere would this be the case.
With that I
rest my case. Having spent well over one-half a century as
an active member of the piano industry, I still feel there’s nothing
better than being a………..
PIANO
TRAVELER
15 January 2003
FAX: 602-942-9721
©2007 National Piano Travelers Association |
