How did Tin Pan Alley get its name?

• A. From the sound of multiple pianos playing simultaneously on 28th Street, as described by Monroe Rosenfeld
• B. From a brand of pianos popular in publishing houses
• C. From a myth about tin pans used as percussion
• D. From a government district nickname

Answer: (A)

The name comes from the noisy, jangly sound of many cheap pianos in the publishing houses along 28th Street in Manhattan. In the late 19th century, a cluster of music publishers occupied that area, and pianos were constantly being played as tunes were written and copied, creating a clangy, tinny murmur across the block. Monroe Rosenfeld described this distinctive sound, and the image stuck as a nickname for the whole scene. It isn’t about a piano brand, a myth about tin pans used as percussion, or a government district nickname—the phrase captures the audible hallmark of the bustling song-publishing hub.