Origins. From the late 1800s until the 1920s, Tin Pan Alley was the musical world's publishing center. Music publishers hired pianists to perform in their buildings to demonstrate new music, and the dissonance produced a sound similar to hundreds of people beating on tin pans, according to Rosenfeld. The term "Tin Pan Alley" was first used by New York journalist Arthur Gelb in 1930, but it originated many years earlier when publishers paid musicians to play in their offices to judge new works by composers looking for an audience. These players were usually pianists who could reproduce the music well enough for others to hear. They played for customers, who would drop off manuscripts at the offices of these publishers, who would then decide whether they wanted to work with the writers. If so, they'd be signed up for several songs each. The publishers would also send the musicians home with money to pay for their efforts. This business model created a need for some type of organization that could help promote new artists and distribute their material. Thus, the importance of the role of the Tin Pan Alley publisher. They not only distributed material but also had great influence over songwriters. For example, one publisher might suggest specific words for a songwriter to use. Or he might just give her advice on how to structure her songs more effectively.