w w w. m m r m a g a z i n e . c o m
March 2011
NAMM
Show
★ Summary ★ Product Introductions ★ Press Conferences ★ Awards Presentations ★ Best & Worst
2011
Review
NEW, DIGITAL VERSION: www.mmrmagazine.com
Contents MARCH 2011 VOL.170 NO. 3
22 Spotlight: The Untold Story of Greg Billings MMR profiles Greg Billings, who’s been involved in music and MI since he was a toddler. Prior to heading Naples, Florida’s Steinway Piano Gallery, Billings learned at the foot of his father, industry icon Zeb Billings, and has played, sold, and marketed more musical instruments than most can imagine… Cover design: Laurie Chesna
32 Product Spread: Piano & Keyboard Products
36 Survey: Piano & Keyboard Market
We got feedback from over 100 retailers to find out about trends in the piano & keyboard market and to learn what dealers expect in the coming year…
40 Show Report: Winter NAMM 2011
Numbers were up, sponsored events and parties made a rebound, and overall mood was markedly improved at this January’s get-together in Anaheim. MMR summarizes the activities in California this winter…
68 MMR Dealers’ Choice Awards Presentations
72 Best & Worst of Show Awards MMR highlights the ups and downs at the NAMM gathering…
76 SBO Best Tools for Schools
MMR’s sister publication, School Band & Orchestra, presented the second annual Best Tools for Schools awards at the 2011 Winter NAMM Show.
In every issue: 4 6 18 92 100 105 112
Editorial Upfront People New Products Supplier Scene Classifieds Advertisers’ Index
88 Fresh Faces: BT’s Guitar Shop
www.mmrmagazine.com MMR Musical Merchandise Review® (ISSN 0027-4615) founded in 1879, is published monthly by Symphony Publishing, LLC, 21 Highland Circle, Suite 1, Needham, MA 02494 (781)453-9310, publisher of School Band and Orchestra, Choral Director, Music Parents America and JazzEd. All titles are federally registered trademarks and/or trademarks of Symphony Publishing, LLC. Subscription Rates: U.S.A., US possessions, one year $32; two years $40. Canada one year $80; all other countries one year $159. Single issues $5 each. May Supplier Directory $35. Periodical-Rate Postage Paid at Boston, MA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER/SUBSCRIBERS: Send address change to Musical Merchandise Review, P.O. Box 8548, Lowell, MA 01853. Periodicals circulation is directed to music dealers and retailers, wholesalers and distributors, importers and exporters and manufacturers of all types of musical instruments and their accessories, related electronic sound equipment, general musical accessories, musical publications and teaching aides. The publishers of this magazine do not accept responsibility for statements made by their advertisers in business competion. No portion of this issue may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. Copyright ©2011 by Symphony Publishing, LLC, all rights reserved. Printed in USA.
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MARCH 2011
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Editorial Sidney Davis
Volume 170 Number 3 March 2011
Definition of Insanity There has been a long-held belief that Einstein first declared the definition of insanity as, “Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.” The jury is out as to whether the good doctor was truly the originator of the concept, however taking some editorial license in hand, here are some random thoughts on the subject: Insanity is: creating another guitar line… believing you can sell a musical instrument at list price… paying $52.40 for a stool from the NAMM show decorator in Nashville and $68.40 for the same item in Anaheim… trying to use your airline frequent flyer points… comparing mattress prices… contemplating a reverse mortgage… selling your company and thinking you are still in charge… developing a music chain and calling it “MARS, the Musician’s Planet”… going to a restaurant that does not have menu prices on its Web site (Morton’s)… charging four separate hotel room taxes (Orange County) and hoping to attract more tourists and convention business… …Traveling during the winter season (veteran piano man Dave Skidmore reports three cancelled flights within the past month)… believing your auto dealer is selling at less than invoice… not updating your Web site… purchasing Newsweek… canceling your daily newspaper… waiting for the Cubs to win the pennant… not collecting customer e-mails… believing that either political party will adequately fund music and the arts… trying to hold a conversation at the Anaheim Marriott or Hilton hotel lobby after show hours… thinking Krispy Kreme doughnuts are good for you… opening your store on Thanksgiving or at 5 am on black Friday!... paying extra for “fast” Internet service…. waiting on the phone for a customer service representative… purchasing a warranty on a television set or a service policy on a refrigerator… not adding new instrument lines every year, or, when adding a new line, failing to promote the product… …Buying a booth at a trade show and then checking your e-mails as potential customers walk by… going to a show and only visiting half the booths wearing Sunday’s finest lawn-cleansing or poolside attire… believing that hotel parking is a nominal cost… trying to buy anything made in America… having a computer without a spam filter…. corresponding with a Nigerian Princess who needs your help in locating her father’s money… believing your Verizon/ Comcast (name your supplier) bill will not increase every year… passing through customs at the Toronto airport… paying extra for an airline ticket when ordering on the telephone… taking a taxi ride on the Autobahn… adding typewriter ribbons and film to your accessory department… holding a holiday party at the Olive Garden… …Displaying your guitars at the height of a basketball rim… believing your unsold band and orchestral inventory will increase in value… not supporting industry associations (take your pick: NAMM, RPMDA, PASIC, AES)… listening to your stock broker… buying a book at an airport… not calling home every night when on the road…. taking a customer check without verification… loaning money to a relative… wearing a Zegna suit when presenting your music program to new students and their parents… believing someone when they are negotiating a purchase and he or she tells you, “It’s not about the money”… trying to teach a student who shows up wearing a baseball uniform or cheerleader outfit… not giving your store manager some buying autonomy… failing to use display materials… and finally, insanity is writing a column housebound with two feet of snow in the driveway and icicles blocking the entrance to the front door… It’s time to turn on Turner Classic Movies – next up, “The Gene Krupa Story” with Sal Mineo followed by Steve Allen and the “Benny Goodman Story”…. luckily the groundhog saw his shadow, spring cannot come soon enough!
PUBLISHER Sidney L. Davis sdavis@symphonypublishing.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Rick Kessel rkessel@symphonypublishing.com EDITOR Christian Wissmuller cwissmuller@symphonypublishing.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Eliahu Sussman esussman@symphonypublishing.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Chaim Burstein, Dennis Carver, Kevin Mitchell, Dick Weissman ADVERTISING MANAGER Iris Fox ifox@symphonypublishing.com SALES & MARKETING MANAGER Jason LaChapelle jlachapelle@symphonypublishing.com CLASSIFIED & DISPLAY AD SALES Maureen Johan mjohan@symphonypublishing.com PRODUCTION MANAGER Laurie Guptill lguptill@symphonypublishing.com GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Laurie Chesna lchesna@symphonypublishing.com Andrew P. Ross aross@symphonypublishing.com CIRCULATION MANAGER Melanie A. Prescott mprescott@symphonypublishing.com ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Popi Galileos pgalileos@symphonypublishing.com SYMPHONY PUBLISHING, LLC Chairman Xen Zapis President Lee Zapis lzapis@symphonypublishing.com Chief Financial Officer Rich Bongorno rbongorno@symphonypublishing.com Corporate Headquarters 26202 Detroit Road, Suite 300, Westlake, Ohio 44145 440-871-1300 www.symphonypublishing.com PUBLISHING, SALES & EDITORIAL OFFICE: 21 Highland Circle, Suite 1, Needham, MA 02494 (781) 453-9310 Fax: (781) 453-9389 www.mmrmagazine.com
sdavis@ symphonypublishing.com
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MARCH 2011
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Upfront Trade Regrets: Charles H. Kaman Charles H. Kaman, founder of Kaman Corporation, passed away on January 31 at the age of 91. A distinctly unique gure in the pantheon of American business innovators, Kaman rst made his mark in the mid1940s in the decidedly un-musical eld of aerospace engineering. In 1945, 26-year old Charles Kaman built upon an already impressive resume in aerodynamics by forming his own helicopter company, Kaman Aircraft. The company’s designs proved successful and such models as the HH-43B “Huskie” played a signicant role in U.S. military operations. Kaman’s later musical instrument innovations – in particular the iconic round-backed berglass guitar design that would make Ovation Instruments a key player in the MI eld – set the stage for the next chapter of Charles’ professional career. After the initial success of the Ovation guitar in the ‘60s, Kaman went on to acquire a number of signicant musical instrument distribution organizations, including Coast Wholesale Music in 1968 and C. Bruno and Sons,
Inc. on 1971. Kaman Music grew to be a powerhouse in the world of MI, with Ovation, alone, at one point commanding roughly 60 percent of the American acoustic market. The acquisition of Hamer Guitars in the late ‘80s only strengthened the overall company offerings and Kaman Music eventually became the largest independent distributor of musical instruments in the US. A statement from KMC Music reads, in part: It is hard to have worked in any of the Kaman companies without having been personally touched, inspired and motivated by Charlie Kaman. Known throughout the United States as an aviation innovator, Charlie is better known in our industry as a musical pioneer. It was Charlie’s continuing quest for a superior sound that led him in 1965 to develop the Ovation® Roundback guitar. Throughout, Charlie continued to drive guitar innovation. He dared to bring modern technolog y and processes to guitar manufacturing. He applied composite materials, such as the Adamas® carbon graphite top, to guitar construction. He was the rst to incorporate pickups and preampli ers in the acoustic
guitar, creating the category of acoustic/electric guitar and allowing the acoustic guitarist to plug in when playing live. A visionary leader, a pioneer and an entrepreneur, above all, Charlie believed in the people at Kaman. He both challenged and encouraged his team while paying them the respect that they deserved. His goal throughout was to innovate and stretch boundaries. The success of his companies was a mere byproduct of these efforts. Though KMC Music is no longer a part of Kaman Corporation, we continue to take great pride in the heritage that Charlie provided. He will be sorely missed.
New Board Members Elected at NAMM’s 2011 Meeting of Members NAMM held its Annual Meeting of Members on January 15, during the 2011 NAMM Show. After introducing past presidents in attendance, reviewing the new annual report, and recapping highlights of the year, chairman Tom Schmitt called for the nomination of the new slate of the NAMM Board of Directors. The
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sories. He is a member of the Music Distributors Association, the National Association of School Music Dealers, the National Association for Music Education, the American String Teachers Association, the String Industry Council and the Suzuki Association. Connolly holds a bachelor’s degree from Bucknell University.
following NAMM Members were elected for service from 2011 to 2014: •
Jake Connolly is the president of Connolly Music Company, Inc., a Northport, N.Y.-based marketer and distributor of music products with a specialty in orchestral instruments and acces-
•
Sharon Hennessey is the vice president/owner of The Music People! Inc./On Stage Stands based in Berlin, Conn. The company manufactures On-Stage Stands, a full line of stand and accessory products, and distributes a full line of pro audio for 140 brands. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Saint Joseph College.
•
John Riley is the president/owner of Fletcher Music Centers, Inc., a 20store keyboard retail chain based in MARCH 2011
Upfront
•
Michael Skinner is the president of DANSR, Inc., a distributor and importer of band and orchestra accessories, based in Chicago, Ill. He is a board member for MakeMusic, Inc. Skinner holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from Berklee College of Music and a master’s degree in composition from the University of Miami.
•
• •
Kenny Stanton is the president/ CEO of Ken Stanton Music, Inc.,
the current past president of the Retail Print Music Dealers Association and a member of the National Association for School Music Dealers. Supinie holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Illinois and a master’s degree from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, and is a former Certied Public Accountant.
a six-store full-line retailer based in Marietta, Ga. He is a member of the Alliance of Independent Music Merchants and Omega.
Clearwater, Fla. He is a member of the Keyboard Insights Group. Riley holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Boston University.
Scott Summerhays is the president of Summerhays Music Center, a full-line retailer based in Murray, Utah. He is the past president and a current member of the National Association of School Music Dealers. Summerhays holds a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from the University of Utah. Lori Supinie is the president of Senseney Music, Inc., a full-line retailer based in Wichita, Kan. She is
•
Thomas Veerkamp is the marketing manager of Casa Veerkamp, SA de CV, a full-line distributor based in Mexico City, Mexico. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business/marketing and a master’s degree with a focus on management information systems.
D’Addario Australia D’Addario & Company, Inc. has announced its intention to form D’Addario Australia. D’Addario Australia will be the exclusive importer of the D’Addario brands D’Addario, Planet Waves, Rico, Evans, PureSound, and Pro-Mark. Once established, D’Addario Australia will continue to work with the
D’Addario & Company, Inc.’s present wholesale representatives during the
expected transition period. To be located in the Melbourne area, D’Addario
Australia will also direct all marketing activities within Australia on behalf of the various D’Addario & Company brands. D’Addario Australia will be nationally advertising for personnel positions, and plans to conduct business by mid-tolate summer 2011.
Pulse of the MI Nation Compared to last month, sales are now... Level 23%
Down 39%
Up 38%
Compiled from replies to MMR’s ongoing online survey of MI retailers. Visit www.mmrmagazine.com to participate... 8 MMR
MARCH 2011
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Upfront Kloc Named Buffet Crampon USA VP Groupe Buffet Crampon president, Antoine Beaussant has announced the appointment of Francois Kloc as vice president of Buffet Crampon USA, Inc. Kloc
The new vice president of Buffet Crampon USA, Francois Kloc with Antoine Beaussant, president of Buffet Crampon Group.
will oversee the overall operation of Buffet Crampon USA, serving the United States and Canada. Francois started his career in 1984 in France as an instrument maker, working for Mignot, Rigoutat and Loree. He joined Buffet Crampon in 1995 and moved to the United States in 1997 to work as the woodwind product specialist for Boosey & Hawkes. In 2005, Kloc was appointed director of marketing of Buffet Crampon USA and became director of sales and marketing in 2007. Francois studied oboe and bassoon at the Conservatory in France. He was also appointed Honorary French Consul for Jacksonville, Florida in 2010.
Shure Acquires Informationsteknik Shure Incorporated has announced that it has acquired Informationsteknik of Copenhagen, Denmark, one of the world’s leading providers of discussion systems and creative audio/video communication solutions. Under a de nitive agreement, Shure now owns Informationsteknik and its three divisions: The Danish Interpretation Systems (DIS) Division, which is responsible for the design, research and development, manufacturing, and global distribution of DIS products; The Project Division, which is responsible for highly specialized AV system integration and installation; and, The Rental and Stag-
GC’s New Louisville Location
On January 27th Guitar Center opened its newest retail location at 4600 Shelbyville Road in Loiusville, Ky. The 17,500-square-foot facility features “GC Studios,” the retailer’s rst embedded lesson and rehearsal facility. 10 MMR
ing Division, which is responsible for providing creative solutions in sound and visual productions for events like corporate annual meetings, conferences, trade shows, and world summits. “We are very pleased to have the opportunity to work with one of the world’s leading professional audio companies,” said Finn Halken, managing director of Informationsteknik. “There are several reasons this acquisition makes sense for us, especially the fact that both companies place a high value on our employees, and we both have a very customer-focused approach to doing business.”
Odyssey Wins Infringement Lawsuit
Odyssey Innovative Designs (Odyssey), a designer and manufacturer of cases and accessories for the audio market, has won an infringement lawsuit brought against another accessories manufacturer, Rack in the Cases Limited, its af liates and distributors. The trademark lawsuit involves the defendant’s usage of the Odyssey brand and the identical production of its product concepts. As a result, the United States District Court / Central District of California (case no. CV10-3411DSF) ruled in favor of Odyssey, ordering Rack in the Cases, its af liates and distributors, to pay Odyssey $2,000,000 in statutory damages and be enjoined from using Odyssey’s trademark. The defendant must also immediately cease all usage of the Odyssey brand, including but not limited to the termination of its online sales.
Halken will report to Christine Schyvinck, executive vice president of Global Marketing and Sales for Shure, and Informationsteknik will be operated as one of Shure’s Business Units.
SLM Signs Licensing Deal with LOUD for Alvarez Guitars
The Alvarez Guitar Line is now under the comprehensive stewardship of St. Louis Music (SLM). A worldwide exclusive licensing agreement has been reached enabling SLM to assume complete responsibility for domestic and international sales and marketing, product development, manufacturing, artist relations, and warranty and customer service. The licensing agreement follows a suc-
cessful year of SLM managing the exclusive U.S. distribution of Alvarez, and will now allow the St. Louis team to build on that success on an international level as once again, SLM will assume all product development and management of production. For more information on placing an order or becoming an Alvarez dealer, please email info@usbandsupplies.com or call (800) 727-4512. MARCH 2011
Upfront ‘Karl T. Bruhn Memorial Research Fund’ The Yamaha Music and Wellness Institute (YMWI) has created the Karl T. Bruhn Memorial Research Fund to honor and continue the work of its late founder. Bruhn is widely acknowledged as the “Father of Music Making and Wellness” and a tireless advocate of recreational music making. “At the time of his passing, there was still so much that Karl wanted to accomplish for the benet of the musical products industry and for society at large,” says Terry Lewis, former executive VP of Yamaha Corporation of America and the recently appointed new chairman of YMWI. “During Karl’s tenure at YMWI, he and Barry produced convincing and persuasive research to prove the strong connection between wellness and music making. The Karl T. Bruhn Memorial Research Fund will ensure that this vital research continues and that
Karl’s vision will be ful lled.” All contributions to the Fund will be used exclusively for research and may not be allocated for operational expenses. For IRS purposes, YMWI, Inc. has applied for recognition as a 501 (c) (3) organization with a Tax ID # (20-3873790).Donations to YMWI are tax deductible as a charitable contribution to the extent permitted by law. Contributions may be made via mail or online; further information about the YMWI is available at: Karl T. Bruhn Memorial Research Fund Yamaha Music and Wellness Institute (YMWI), Inc. 18201 Conneaut Lake Road Meadville, PA 16335 Telephone: (814) 333-5061 E-mail: info@yamahainstitute.org Web site: www.yamahainstitute.org
Korg Distributing Blackstar
Korg USA, exclusive U.S. distributor of Korg, Lâg and VOX products, is now handling exclusive U.S. distribution for Blackstar Amplication. With global headquarters and engineering based in the U.K., Blackstar has developed a range of products that appeal to a diverse range of players, from high gain shredders, to those seeking boutiquelike cleans. The full line of Blackstar products will be on display at the Winter NAMM 2011 trade show.
Korg USA president Joe Castronovo noted, “Korg USA has a long and rich history of successfully marketing and distributing guitar products, and we are thrilled to partner with Blackstar at this point in the brand’s evolution. Blackstar is a world-class product line which is positioned to be the future of British high gain amplication, offering a full range of product that speaks to players of all genres of music.” Ian Robinson, Blackstar managing director, commented, “We believe that Korg USA has the right infrastructure, market knowledge and marketing know-how to take Blackstar to the next level. The chemistry between the two companies is great and we anticipate that this will be a long-term partnership based on integrity and a passion for delivering outstanding M.I. innovation.” Korg USA will begin offering the Blackstar line of guitar amplication products in the U.S. starting January 2011. 12 MMR
MARCH 2011
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Upfront Gibson Clarifies WowWee Case Dismissal An early January MMR e-newsletter summarized, among other things, the reports of the resolution in the recent WowWee/Gibson case. Shortly after the weekly report was sent out, Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz got in touch to clarify and provide further detail on the settlement. His message, in part, follows: Your announcement on the WowWee settlement is misleading. It infers that Gibson “lost” the case.
Gibson settled the dispute with WowWee paying a license fee for use of Gibson’s intellectual property. Due to WowWee’s acknowledgement of our intellectual property rights and payment for the use of the property rights the legal case became mute, and Gibson asked the court to dismiss it. Henry Juszkiewicz CEO Gibson
Sam Ash’s ‘Best in Shred’ Winner Named After four months and four rounds, John-Joe Michael Roarty is the 2010 Sam Ash “Best In Shred” champion, winning $20,000 in music, sound and recording gear from Ibanez, Line 6, EV, Zoom, Jim Dunlop, Samson and Morley, plus the grand prize: the opportunity to perform live, onstage with legendary guitarist Steve Vai. Sammy Ash, COO of the music store chain personally awarded John-Joe the coveted Ibanez RG9670Z guitar, a custom model own in from Japan for the event. The celebrity panel of judges for the nal round featured: John 5, guitarist for Rob Zombie; Kiko Loureiro, guitarist for Angra;
George Lynch, legendary guitarist for Dokken and Lynch Mob; and Frank Bello, bassist for Anthrax. The contest’s nal round took place January 12th at the Sam Ash Music superstore in Cerritos, California. Sam Ash Music launched the ‘Best in Shred’ contest in October to nd America’s best unsigned guitar player. Over six hundred guitarists entered. At the Championship, the remaining six nalists soloed live onstage to their choice of a Steve Vai backing track. The judges scored the players on their technical skills, originality, accuracy, and showmanship to determine the winner.
A message to Skip Maggiora from the Johnson Family: Congratulations to Skip Maggiora on receiving the 2011 Don Johnson Service Award. Through his unassuming and affable nature, Skip has selflessly succeeded in a business that he truly loves, while sharing his inspiration and g e n e r o s i t y, which is the true meaning of success. The Johnson family is proud to have him so honored because Don shared those virtues too, as well as a passion for the music industry. We wish him continued success changing lives through music.
Charlene, Hilary, and Rosamund Johnson
Trade Regrets: James (Jimmy) Johnson, founder and of Mississippi Music, passed away on February 1. Johnson served as president of NAMM, president of AMC, and as a member of the American Bandmasters Association. Jimmy was also a founding member of the Omega group, which has played a vital role in the progression of the industry beginning in the 1960s.
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Gunter Manchen passed away on Sunday, January 30, 2011 in Toronto, Canada at the age of 75. Born in Halle/Saale, Germany, Manchen eventually became a cabinet-maker and church organ builder. Upon immigrating to Toronto in 1965, Gunter founded Manchen Pianos and began to sell pianos and establish a reputation as a concert piano technician. In 1994, Manchen and his business partner, Wayne Chen cofounded Piano & Keyboard Centre in Toronto. The Euro Grand Piano Gallery in Naples, Florida, was established in the Fall of 2001.
To express condolences please write to: Gisela Manchen c/o Ermel, 202 Bay Thorn Dr Thornhill, ON L3T 3V5 Canada E-mail: sunny.reuter@gmail.com George Phelps We recently received the following sad news from Jodi Ann Parker of Players Music: I wanted to contact you gentleman in regards to some very sad news that I received today upon returning back from the NAMM show. A very great man who touched my life in many ways, as a mentor,
MARCH 2011
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Upfront Trade Regrets: a friend and a great co-worker has come to pass on Sunday January 16th at 4:30am. George had recently returned back to his home town of Milwaukee, Wisconsin to be with his family in his final days. I clearly remember getting the news three years ago when we returned from the NAMM show in 2008. George was having back problems after the show and thought he strained his back riding in the back of my suburban at the show after we had dinner with friends. “Leave it to George to climb in the back with me instead of grabbing a seat up front, but that was the way he was”. It was in February of 2008 that George found out he had stage 4 Prostate Cancer. He stayed in the Valley here in Arizona with his daughter Patty and his wife Monda until August of this year. When George, Monda and Daughter Patty returned home to Milwaukee, where they would be close to the rest of the family and all of his grandchildren. George has so many friends and colleagues in the business who are always asking about him and I would love if you all could share with the industry about his passing, some of you knew George personally and know how long he has been in the industry, before joining our industry George served in the Air Force and traveled the world where he was in the Air Force band, he had some great stories that he shared with me of places he went
and people he played for, George’s love for music lead him to the industry where he worked for companies such as Leblanc, Rico, Conn-Selmer and Players Music Accessories. George had so much knowledge and I looked to him for support in my duties of running our family business. I will miss him dearly and have for the past three years. Richard (Dick) James Richardson passed away on Dec. 31, 2010, with his family at his side. He was born to Harry and Helen Richardson on Sept. 18, 1928, in Brookfield, Ill. Dick attended Brookfield High School and DePaul University in the Chicago, Ill., area. While still in high school, he enlisted in the Marine Corps and the unit was stationed in China for three years. Following military service, Richardson returned to Illinois. He was the longtime owner of Musser Instruments in La Grange, Ill. His company merged with Ludwig Industries, and he remained with Ludwig as vice president. Later, he took a position as president of Slingerland Drum Company. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Davis Oklahoma Animal Volunteers, c/o Audrey Ridlehoover, 317 E. Main, Davis, OK 73030; or PAWS, c/o Carolyn Williams, P.O. Box 147, Pauls Valley, Okla. 73075. Marvin Clarence Zoschke died at Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont, Texas, on Thursday, January 20, 2011, at the age of 89. Marvin was born December 13, 1921, in Junction City, Kansas. He was co-owner of Baldwin Piano Center in Beaumont. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in his memory may be made to the Music Department at Lamar University.
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WINNER OF THE 2010 UK MUSIC INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION AWARD! Celebrating our 1st place win for best woodwind instrument 2010. •Student Flutes •Intermediate Flutes •Alto and Bass Flutes Contact us to learn more about joining our dealer network! 877-88-FLUTE info@tjflutes.com 18 MMR
LOUD Technologies Inc. recently appointed Jeff Rocha, vice president and general manager, EAW and Anthony Taylor, vice president and managing direcRocha tor, Martin Audio. In these newly expanded roles, Rocha and Taylor will assume P&L responsibility for their respective brand, as well as manage all engineering, product development, marketing, Taylor manufacturing and sales efforts. In addition, Rocha will lead the EAW design and manufacturing facility in Whitinsville, USA, while Taylor will lead the Martin Audio design and manufacturing facility in High Wycombe, UK. Harman Professional has named Mark Posgay as sales director for the United States. A 17-year sales leader with deep experience in Posgay professional audio, Posgay will be based out of Harman Professional’s Elkhart, Indiana Sales & Support Center and will report to Scott Robbins, vice president Of Sales. In a series of appointments to improve its organization and its end-product, Crown Audio recently announced decisive steps to reinforce its senior management team. John Fitzgerald, vice Fitzgerald president of program management at Harman Professional, will take the additional position of general manager for Harman’s Elkhart, Ind. based Amplier Business Unit and will Batliner be responsible for all aspects of Crown Audio’s business. John Batliner, vice president of sales for Harman’s High Performance Audio Video group, will assume additional responsibilities Bush as vice president of sales for Crown Audio and Matt Bush, previously director of
sales for Crown Audio is appointed senior director of operations for Crown Audio. West Music has announced the appointment of Doug Ducey to the newly created position of community outreach coordinator. In his new role, Doug will work with area schools, Ducey churches, youth groups, and events and festivals to promote music education and music making programs throughout Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois. Doug will also facilitate existing West Music programs such as Weekend Warriors and group lessons. In conjunction with National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), Doug will work with schools and school districts to establish new secondary music programs such as Guitar in the Classroom and Little Kids Rock. C.F. Martin & Co. Inc., has announced the appointment of 16-year industry veteran Amani Duncan to the new position of director of promotional marketing. Effective immediately, she will report Duncan to company president Keith Lombardi. Samson recently announced Mark Menghi as the company’s new director of marketing. Menghi has been a member of Samson’s marketing department for over ve years, previously Menghi serving as the company’s art director, as well as its artist relations director. Pro-Active Websites has announced the promotion of David Hall to vice president, sales and marketing. Hall joined the company in 2007 and according to CIO Arley Canterbury, “has Hall excelled in account management and market development. He has done an outstanding job in not only sales to new accounts, but has also proven to be very effective in opening new market segments within the Music Products Industry and beyond.” MARCH 2011
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and Sterling. We know the company names: D’Addario, PRS, Zildjian, Calato, Marshall, Martin and Taylor. Having our industry visionaries all under one roof only happens at the NAMM Show. They inspire us and help create the next generation of leaders.
6 Takeaways from This Year’s NAMM Show
We go to shows to see new products! Our customers go into music stores and onto websites to do the same. Show me an industry without innovation and new products, and I’ll show you an industry in decline. The NAMM Show featured some real breakthrough products, many from unexpected companies!
On behalf of the NAMM Board of Directors and staff, I’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all who supported the NAMM Show this year. It was an important gathering as our industry slowly emerges from the past few years of recession. We are lucky to be involved in a special industry; one made up of lifelong friends committed to something that really makes a difference in our world. I was reminded of the importance of these relationships when I personally spoke with many of you in Anaheim. Based on your comments and feedback, I’ve compiled a few thoughts from this year’s show:
Music is more popular than ever. Despite all the bad economic news recently, the NAMM Show clearly demonstrated that music is more important than ever. More than 1,100 media outlets covered the show with a promusic making message, and positive coverage of our products and technology. As a result, our industry has gotten media valued in excess of $40 million—exposure that would be impossible to get elsewhere. NAMM’s programs also received national and international coverage, which will help create more music makers (and customers) in the year ahead.
It’s all about the people— it’s always been about the people Virtually every music industry pioneer was at the show. We even brought in Mr. Kakehashi, founder of Roland, via satellite from Japan for the Breakfast of Champions. We know our icons by ďŹ rst names: Hartley, Skip, Remo, Vic, Sammy, Henry
New product innovation drives the industry.
Technology is the growth area. When technology makes learning, playing, recording, mixing and enjoying music easier, we will likely grow the market. This segment was evident at this year’s event. New technology was all over the show oor. To grow our business, it will become increasingly important to connect technology with our industry.
There is a new generation of attendees. With 270+ new exhibitors and hundreds of new music retailers in attendance, we saw a new generation joining our industry. They are unburdened by the lament for the “good old days� and will create the solutions to today’s—and tomorrow’s—challenges. We need to nurture and support these folks; they’re our future.
Tribes (industry categories) matter—and their coming together is critical to industry growth and development. The NAMM Show attracts different industry categories: proaudio, combo, full-line, piano and organs, school music, recording, sheet music and publishing, software, DJ and lighting. And we welcome different parts of the distribution chain: those that make, sell and use the products, manufacturers, retailers, distributors, contractors and installers, touring and live sound, house of worship, music educators, music business students, corporate buyers, studio engineers. This is a true global gathering of the music tribes, and it will only get better in the future!
*OE ,AMOND s .!-- 0RESIDENT #%/
More Than 5,600 NAMM Show Media Stories Highlighting Our Members. This Exposure Has Resulted in Media Coverage Valued at More Than $40 Million
Increased Media Attention = More Product Exposure and More Customers In Your Stores!
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-date on the . To keep up-to tter shed by NAMM bli gital e-newsle pu Di is ck ws ba r PLAY NAMM Ne , sign up for ou ws ne try us . g ind tal@namm.org latest breakin at playbackdigi
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Spotlight
The Untold Story of
Greg Billings Naples’ Steinway dealer reflects on his history, the Industry, and why he’s optimistic about the future At the age of three, Greg Billings was a tag along – not with the older kids in the neighborhood, but with his dad, Zeb Billings.
“A lot of people assume my dad gave me that store, but it had been someone else’s for 18 years, and I had to buy it back!” 22 MMR
Whether he was visiting a store, setting up for a gig, or hanging out in a recording studio, the young boy was exposed to what would be his life’s calling at barely beyond toddler stage. “Dad was my best friend, and everyday I was ‘taught’ through osmosis,” he says. This was taken up a notch when Zeb opened Billings Pianos in 1956, restoring old uprights and gluing mirrors on them. There, at the rip old age of six, Greg went to work hauling in 25 cents for every piano bench he put together. By 10, Greg wanted to wear a sport coat like the rest of the salespeople. (Though the self-proclaimed unrepentant child of the ’60s would be suspicious of their methods – more on that later...) And, while he instinctively appreciated his father’s business sense at the time, Greg would grow older deeply appreciating it and expanding on lessons learned. First lesson: Chutzpa rules. “With no money or popular lines, dad convinced a local television station to let him produce a show,” Billings says. Zeb got 4:30 on Saturdays, and in the days before the networks gured out to run sports on that day, it was the worst spot
on the schedule. Yet it became a popular show. It was a boon to Billings’ marketing skills and his operation. “I was raised to believe anything was possible. My dad was sitting in with Mel Tormé one moment, opening a store the next, and getting a television show after that. A certain fearlessness was instilled that would propel him the rest of his life. Mantra: Just because one might fail at something is not a reason to keep one from doing it.” Zeb passed away last year at the age of 80, but his inuence on many continues, most certainly on Greg. Milwaukee’s Favorite Musician Greg Billings grew up in a home lled with music and the business of it. His grandfather, Roy “Red” Billings, was a drummer who became a successful inventor (his patents lead to the rst hydraulic crane). Red’s son Zeb was born in 1930, and was too young to ght in World War II, so he formed a big band instead. By the time he was 16 he was a highly sought after sax player able to carve out a decent living on the bandstand. In 1950, he and his wife gave birth to Greg. Young Billings would grow up in a MARCH 2011
house where his parents sported hipster names like Zeb and Dodo instead of their way-too-pedestrian birth names, Gary and Delores. The sofa-matching seascapes from J.C. Penney’s of the time were spurned for original art painted by friends, and his mom often participated in local theater productions. As the family grew (followed by Deborah, Joe, and Dana), Zeb would open a music store, eventually getting the Thomas Organ line. When the Beatles shook the Americas in 1964 via the “Ed Sullivan Show,” the austere organ organization had the smarts to take on the Vox guitar and amp lines, and overnight those Thomas retailers opened MI departments. As for Billings’ own musical adventure, it started appropriately on the organ, switched to piano, then drums, and by the age of 14 he found himself playing tuba in the school band. But what really made an impression was when one of the store’s guitar teachers taught him a scale on the bass guitar. That was the only bass lesson Greg needed and he was playing professionally in his teens (he still plays for his church in Naples and owns 10 basses). Greg acknowledges that in addition to having “the best dad ever,” being the son of Milwaukee’s favorite musician and respected store owner allowed him some MARCH 2011
opportunities that he might not otherwise have. Just growing up with future industry leaders who worked with his dad including Hal Leonard’s Keith Mardak; Bob Jones, formerly of Samick and currently consultant with Story & Clark; and Dennis Houlihan of Roland made an impression. “At the of 14 I’d be standing in the showroom with these future industry titans… I learned much from them.” Mardak tells a funny story about this period: “Greg is ten years younger then me, and when he was 16, he and Zeb
Greg Billings, far-out right, with his band The General Store, circa 1969, the year Grant Billings was born.
were experiencing the typical father-son con icts. Zeb would come to me and say, ‘You have to talk to Greg! Tell him to cut his hair! Tell him he has to stay in school! You’re closer to his age and maybe he’ll listen to you.” Mardak reluctantly did so, though young Greg blew him off. “But he was always inherently smart.” Any teenage angst-driven disagreement has long faded. “When I’m asked to prove that my dad was the greatest salesman ever, I tell people of the time he brought home a Thomas organ rep and sold him to his mother-in-law,” Billings laughs. This would be the tale of another legend, Dick Sappe’, whose real name was Von Hummel, but was inspired to change it to a less Germanic moniker while standing in line to sign up for the Air Force in World War II. When Billings was 12, Sappe’ met his habitually divorced grandmother and became husband number ve. For years after that, he would spend a week or two during the summer on the road with “Grandpa Dick” calling on dealers. Sappe’ would get transferred to Nashville in 1967. Billings’ mother, Dodo, now divorced from Zeb, followed her mother and her new “dad”-in-law. At 17, Billings spent a summer in Music City, where he discovered the charm of southern girls, and chose to spend his last year of high school in MMR 23
Grant and Greg Billings.
Nashville: “Because rock bass players were in short supply there, I got a gig right away playing with a good band called The General Store. I was still in high school when the band started touring.” Meanwhile, his mother decided to return to Milwaukee, leaving Billings to his own devices, which included staying too long in a band cursed with a shyster manager who left the members penniless. “I learned an important lesson: I didn’t want to be a musician.”
Zeb Billings Quartet circa 1952. Zeb is front and center. 24 MMR
He would marry one of those southern gals, father Grant, and return to Wisconsin with his new family. There he attended the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and studied economics and mass communications. Meanwhile, Zeb sold the piano and organ store to his employees and the guitar department to Bob Zenoni (that became Uncle Bob’s Music). Zeb then focused on print music full time – a career move that would be extremely protable, in addition to launching the career of one Keith Mardak [see sidebar]. First it was bench packs of music for beginning organ players, and then the rst Of cial Organ Blue book. But most famously his Sight & Sound publishing company created cassettebased lesson methods. When automatic chord features appeared, Sight & Sound pioneered E-Z Play notation and was among the rst to create music software for home computers. Later, he invented the Golden Sound Story Book which sold over 26 million copies worldwide, in addition to many other “talking” toys and books licensed by Disney, Time Warner, and Sesame Street. At 23, Greg took on more responsibility in the publishing business. He was
ying to places like London and Sydney negotiating deals for the publishing company. The print business continued to do well, publishing methods for all the major organ manufacturers. Lowrey Organs would send a young intern named Dennis Houlihan to edit the books, and “a geeky nerdy organ guy and the long-haired bass player became great friends.” But Billings became bored. “Wholesale isn’t the same as retail, and I really missed the music store,” he says. “If it’s in your blood, you have to do it.” Return to Retail Meanwhile, the original Billings Music Piano & Organ was going strong. While it had been 10 years since a Billings had had anything to do with the store, the new owners were pretty perturbed when in 1978 Greg Billings Piano and Organs opened. “Now, I’d known these guys all my life,” Greg says. “But I told them they bought Dad’s name, they didn’t buy mine” He took the Thomas line away from them, hired a young Steve Datz (who owns and still runs that store to this day.), and despite being the 17th piano and organ store in Milwaukee, business ourished – for a while. Then came high interest rates and just two MARCH 2011
years later he sold the business to Verne Netzow and went to work for him. At Netzow’s Pianos, Billings managed three stores. A bright spot was that they carried the Yamaha line. There Greg met a young Terry Lewis [future executive VP of Yamaha] and “it wouldn’t be fair to say we hit it off – we were re and ice!” he says. “But over the years we developed a deep mutual respect.” In 1987, Billings was looking to buy a store, and turned to the one that had his name on it. “A lot of people assume my dad gave me that store, but it had been someone else’s for 18 years, and I had to buy it back!” With partner Myron Brandt he did. Meanwhile, Netzow passed on a new product line from Yamaha, the Clavinova, which Billings gobbled up. While Billings saw its potential, even he didn’t see that these instruments would prove to be one of the most lucrative lines in the history of the industry. In 1995, Brandt retired. Billings, bored, closed the store and signed on
way president] Bruce Clark, and Roland. I Stevens, and said I’d can’t be all things to all “I was raised like to open a store people and I don’t think to believe in Naples. He said anybody can be the ‘Great, but you have low-cost provider any anything was to talk to Frank Mamore. Steinway, Bospossible.” zurko.’ Frank called ton, and Essex is a great me on Monday and package, and dealers said, ‘Great! When can you open?’” who execute that plan do well. In electronSo in 1996, the Steinway Piano Galics, Roland – what else can you say? lery in Naples opened. A year later Grant, now married and starting his family, MMR: And Bob Jones is now joined his dad. A few years later, the dewith Story & Clark... mise of the Steinway dealer in Madison, GB: Bob! Dennis [Houlihan]! Keith Wis. created the opportunity to open the [Mardak]! I’ve never been able to escape Steinway Piano Gallery – Madison, and those guys! [Laughs] Who is lucky enough Grant returned to run that store. to say that? Billings & Steinway MMR: What’s your relationship with Steinway like? GB: It’s an amazing company. It’s like that amazing Hawaiian vacation brochure where you think, it can’t be this good, but then you go and it’s all true. Steinway is the
Billings Piano & Organs in 1973.
with Samick working for his old friend, Bob Jones. He covered territory that was familiar to him, because as a young teen he would spend a week or two every summer riding around with Sappe’ as he visited dealers. Meanwhile, Zeb cashed in the publishing business for a $20 million payout, and retired to Naples, Florida. “People like to ask me how the heck I ever got a Steinway dealership, but the truth is it was easy. While visiting Dad in Naples I wondered how come that town didn’t have a Steinway dealer. I picked up the phone, and called [Stein26 MMR
story of America. German immigrants becoming entrepreneurs… they are the real deal. I’ve had many say, ‘Oh it must be tough dealing with those guys.’ But nobody from Steinway has ever told me to do anything. They have things on paper, goals, and all of that, but then I sit down with someone from that company we just decide what to do together. Steinway has been the great joy of my career.
MMR: What else will we find in your store? GB: Just Steinway, QRS/Story &
MMR: Are player piano systems doing well for you? GB: We got focused on player pianos and have sold almost 800 to date. We’ve really rened the selling techniques of player pianos. It’s been weak the last two years of course, but it’s coming back. The QRS Pianomation system and the PNOscan USB key sensor are amazing products. I have great respect for the other guys, but QRS is my choice. There’s a real elegance and a consumer value in that product. MMR: Tell us about your Steinway Piano Society. GB: Thirteen years ago we formed the Steinway Piano Society. It’s a non-prot 501(c) 3 that anyone can make donations to. Our mission is to encourage young people to play and perform. As the world has changed in regards to advertising, about seven years ago we determined to make the Steinway Piano Society the cutting edge of our marketing efforts focusing more on free PR and less on paid advertising. Out of that grew the Florida Gulf Course University/Steinway Piano Competition, which we do in a partnership with [Florida Gulf Coast University’s] Barrow School of Music. We’ve awarded more than $100,000 to these kids. MMR: Sounds great but what do you get out of it? GB: In addition to the good PR, it nurtures relationships with teachers, students and of course FGCU. MMR: And what is the Piano Bank? GB: We realized that the kids who are competing tended to be upper midMARCH 2011
Hal Leonard’s Keith Mardak and Billings Hal Leonard’s chairman and CEO Keith Mardak is an industry icon; his influence on print music is as substantial as it is historic. Yet he will look you in the eye and, without hesitating, tell you he’s in the business because of one man: Zeb Billings. “After being in the service, I was a draftsman by day working for an area company that made nuclear reactors. But I was a musician at heart and taught accordion at night.” He would figure out that teaching organ would bring him a few more dollars, so he ended up teaching at Zeb Billings Music. There he would witness – and then become part of – Zeb’s “accidental” foray into the print music business. “Zeb had his television show, and was a great musician, so he was quite a celebrity,” Mardak says. He was also quite an innovator too: he came up with an idea for a bench kit for new organ buyers. He bought $76 of music from Hal Leonard, and eight free lessons valued at $3 each, for a total package of $100. It was an instant hit. “But soon every dealer in town was doing the same thing, and he lost his competitive advantage.” So one evening he got all his teachers together, include Mardak and his older brother Don who was also teaching there. “He had us all make easy arrangements of public domain songs just for the organ, and we ended up with 112 songs and we used a converted typewriter [to “engrave”]. We put price values on each sheet from 40 cents to $1, and put it in a bag, “thus creating a new $100 package. No one else could duplicate that.” The 100 pieces of sheet music were displayed in the store and were used in demonstrating the organ, showing the customer how easy it was to play. The lure of all that music helped move organs. “It was a hit and at a Thomas Organ group meeting, Zeb got up and showed it to other dealers who immediately wanted it. While it cost him $10 in print costs, he charged $20, and came back with a bunch of orders, eventually selling 5,000 units. Zeb made a pot full of money.” Reluctant to be in the publishing business, he approached Thomas to take the idea over and give him a royalty. They passed. Next he went to Wurlitzer Organs. They passed. So did Hal Leonard. “Then later he went to a Wurlitzer meeting in Chicago where, to his surprise, they showed off his book and said they were going to share a great idea that came from one of their dealers – they had ripped him off and that’s when he decided to go into the publishing business. He returned to Milwaukee and asked my brother Don and me to put the song sheets in an educational sequence and write instruction manuals that would tie the songs together.” Then he printed it on appealing color sheets and boxed it instead of putting it in
a bag. At the 1965 NAMM show, he introduced it as the “Personalized Organ Course.” “Personalized” in that each dealer’s name would be placed on every sheet as well as the box, “and thus it was sold on a franchise basis, one dealer in one trading area.” Mardak visited the room Zeb was in and it was jammed with dealers. “Zeb asked me to stay and talk to them and hold them while he, my brother Don and John Skiba, could get to the dealers. I stayed overnight and helped the next day. The first dealer to purchase a personalized organ course was Dennis Awe, whose store was located in Garden City, NY.” Today, Awe is a concert organist for Lowrey. Mardak, still working his day job, asked to be an organ salesman. Zeb didn’t see it, but said he needed someone “very inexpensive” to help with the publishing business. “I told him I was making $550 a month as a draftsman, and he said, ‘I’ll give you $450 a month!’ and I said, ‘I’ll take it!’” Mardak laughs, adding: “So on August 20, 1965, I joined the publishing business.” The young Mardak knew little of the business and was next handed the tasks of getting copyrighted music. Phone calls went unanswered so he went to New York and met with the publishers of hit tunes of the day and negotiated 12 popular songs each from three publishers for a total of 36 pop songs. These were mixed in with the public domain ones they had already, and from that mix more books were sold. “By 1968 the business was going so well he sold his store.” Mardak admits that the mentor and the student “batted heads a little,” and since he was ambitious, he eventually realized that to go further in this business he would have to strike out on his own. “By mid-1970, Zeb’s company’s sales were around $3.5 million with approximately 35 employees. I left that year to join Hal Leonard.” They became competitors, and naturally Billings was hurt. But in 1978, Mardak received a phone call with Billings saying he wanted to get together and “get something off my chest.” “We had breakfast, he yelled at me, and we made peace.” They stayed in contact and toward the end of Billings’ life, he told his son Greg that he was thinking of Mardak. Greg let Mardak know and they got to speak one last time 10 days before Billings passed. “He was the most positive fellow ever and to hear him talk, you would never have thought he was in ill health. He told me he was writing arrangements for a vocal group he was forming and hoped to perform with them soon. Unfortunately, we’ll never hear that performance.” Mardak adds: “If it wasn’t for Zeb, I wouldn’t be in this business, and Hal Leonard would likely be very different. I owe it all to Zeb.”
“If it wasn’t for Zeb, I wouldn’t be in this business, and Hal Leonard would likely be very different. I owe it all to Zeb.”
MARCH 2011
MMR 27
dle class kids whose parents could afford pianos and lessons. Now that’s great, but it’s not addressing the larger need. So we came up with the Piano Bank program for economically disadvantaged kids. These are kids who can’t take piano because they can’t afford one. At the same time, I’m taking a 15 to 25-year-old console piano in trade that I don’t want.
MMR: Why not? GB: I don’t want to be in the $1,500 used piano market. So we came up with this Piano Bank idea: When a customer
buying a piano tells us they have an older console or grand piano they want to trade in, I look them straight in the eye and tell them its not worth very much – however, if they donate it, they can take a tax deduction, and I will make sure it gets used by some aspiring disadvantaged kid.
MMR: How has that worked out for you? GB: Everyone says yes. And when you come by my store, you won’t nd any crappy old pianos in the back. I don’t have any. We do the same thing in Madison.
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MMR: In addition to that, what is your marketing approach? GB: Everything that worked in the past is not going to work today. We don’t know what is going to work, but it won’t be the newspaper or Yellow Pages, and we do know it needs to be on a [computer] screen in front of their face. MMR: What about big sales? GB: I haven’t used the word “sale” in four years. If I have to discount something, I have no business selling it. I was the low price guy when I was younger, but I’m not interested in it now.
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MMR: How is the rental market? GB: It ebbs and ows. Right now Craigslist is driving the price down – hard to rent a piano for $50 a month when you can get a used one online for $300. But when I do have a rental, I convert them. At any moment I have 20 or so pianos out in rentals most convert to a sale in six months. MMR: How is the worship market? GB: Churches buy a ton of musical instruments. I don’t think [Roland] V Drums would have gotten off the ground without them. I play in a band at church, have for 20 years, and it’s the highlight of my week. But it’s tough to market to churches. How do you do it? You can’t advertise to them, you can’t mail to them. But we get them by having an outstanding tech department. We service al-
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Greg Billings at NAMM. MARCH 2011
most all the churches in town, and when you have that relationship, when it comes time to buy, they buy from us. Also, the Steinway Piano Society does a Pastor’s talent show that helps stimulate that market, just like our Physician’s Talent Show helps stimulate the doctor market. But specically with pastors, you go through the re of putting on a talent show to raise money for a worthy cause, and you’re connected. You’re connected emotionally, on a real authentic level. Now I have 25 pastors that when they see me they give me a big hug. And every one of them has 10 pastor buddies, so I get calls.
MMR: Tell us a little bit about the Madison store. GB: We opened up Madison three years ago. After working with me here, Grant and his family wanted to return to Wisconsin, so we talked with Steinway and it worked out. We liked Madison because it was similar to Naples – larger, upper middle-class demographic, et cetera. Grant runs it well – he’s up 40 percent this year. I go up once a year for about three hours, wander through the store MARCH 2011
and pat people on the back and tell them they are doing a good job! [Laughs]
MMR: You like to write on the topic of sales… GB: If you’re thinking of buying something from me, you can go online and see all that I’ve written on the topic. I’ve written 1,500 words on every aspect
of sales and it’s available to anybody who wants to look it up. I’m the most transparent salesperson in the world! [Laughs.]
MMR: Hmmm… so you’re not exactly a poker face… GB: I’m a child of the 1960s. When I got into the 1970s, I heard all the [B.S.] about how we’re suppose to [sell]. It was
Rod “Red” Billings on drums with his band circa 1930 – the year Zeb was born. MMR 29
all about how you have to manipulate your customer to make a sale. We were told you have “convince,” “persuade,” and “close” the deal. I hated it. Growing up in my dad’s store, I saw how he took care of people. There I also saw a lot of ash-in-the-pan guys who could make good money for one year, but then burned out.
MMR: How has your sales technique changed since you first started in the business? GB: I’ve been authentic Greg Billings because that’s all I can do. Make friends. Figure out what they need. Then I read Cesar Millan Dog Whisper. It’s about how canine culture and primate cultures are different. You can’t expect a dog to understand you as a human, because they only respond to the pack leader. Now, not all dogs want to be a leader; in fact, most are happy to be part of the pack. But somebody has to lead. This is why I’m about guiding customers through the decision making process. A customer has to decide they want it, and then they have to decide to buy it. So I put them at ease and I let them know I will be their leader. Somebody has to lead, and if it’s the customer, no business will result.
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MMR: So what exactly is you approach? GB: The rst thing I say is, ‘You have come to the right place and I’m glad you’re here.’ Then – my employees laugh when they hear this – I tell them about being seven years old putting piano benches together for 25 cents each. Then they are with me right there. MMR: And the future of the piano market? GB: I’m optimistic. You know that 7,000 baby boomers a day turn 65. In the ve years, it’ll be 12,000 a day. They are retiring at a time when they don’t need the money, and a lot of them are heading to Florida. People’s fundamental decision to play a musical instrumental has not changed. It hasn’t changed in 5,000 years and won’t change in our lifetime. I see a huge ood of business coming our way. MMR: You sound like you still enjoy it. GB: I can’t wait to get to work in the morning. It’s the beginning of a new friendship. MARCH 2011
Product Spread
Piano & Keyboard Products KRONOS Workstation from Korg Korg’s new KRONOS Music Workstation unites nine distinct sound engines including SGX-1 Premium Piano: VMT (Virtual Memory Technology) Piano, EP-1 MDS Electric Piano: Multi-Dimensional Synthesis Electric piano, CX3 Tonewheel Organ: Tonewheel organ modeling, HD-1 High De nition Synthesizer: Flagship PCM, sampling and Wave Sequencing,AL-1 Analog Synthesizer: High-delity analog modeling sound engine,MS-20EX Legacy Analog Collection: Analog modeling, PolysixEX Legacy Analog Collection: Analog modeling,MOD-7 Waveshaping VPM Synthesizer: VPM, Waveshaping, and PCM processing,STR-1 Plucked String Synthesizer: Physical modeling plus new supporting technologies to provide a versatile, yet fully integrated instrument. New technologies added to support these engines include Korg’s VMT (Vir-
tual Memory Technology), allowing KRONOS to take advantage of huge piano, drum, and tape-based keyboard libraries. These long, unlooped samples play back directly from the internal SSD (Solid State Drive), without needing to be loaded into RAM. The clean, intuitive front panel is highlighted by: An eightinch color TouchView™ display, A fourway joystick, ribbon controller, and two assignable switches, with an additional Vector joystick nearby, Nine sliders, eight knobs and a number of illuminated switches for real-time interaction Enhanced production features include a sequencer featuring 16 MIDI tracks and 16 audio tracks, along with KARMA® phrase generating technology, Drum Tracks, and RPPR to greatly speed up
the creative process. The effects suite offers 12 Insert Effects, 2 Master Effects, and 2 Total Effects – and over 150 effect types to choose from. Versatile inputs and outputs include analog, S/PDIF optical, and USB to provide MIDI/Audio connectivity between KRONOS and a computer. KRONOS is available with 61, 73 or 88 keys. The 73 and 88 key models feature Korg’s nest RH3 Graded Hammer Action. www.korg.com
sets. One major improvement is the new Intuitive Info feature, which enables the PC3 to provide visual feedback in the display whenever a controller (slider, button, wheel, etc.) is used, letting the player know which parameter is being affected and by how much in real-time. This interactive user interface has been designed to make you feel like you’re using a musical instrument, not just a piece of hardware. The PC3’s synthesis engine has undergone a few notable enhancements.
Several new V.A.S.T. DSP oscillators have been added along with the ability to edit both keymaps and samples in ROM, opening up even more sonic possibilities than ever before. New presets include acoustic pianos, synths, pads, FM electric pianos, over 100 new drum kits and a comprehensive collection of pipe organ stop settings. Both the KB3 tone-wheel organ simulator and rotary effects have also been improved. www.kurzweilmusicsystems.com
Kurzweil PC3 OS V2.0 Included with Kurzweil’s PC3 OS are many new features and over 200 new pre-
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New Casio Keyboards Casio has launched four new models – the CTK-6000, WK-6500, CTK-7000 and WK-7500. From music composition to stage performance, these keyboards are fully equipped for live and studio musicians alike. The WK-6500 and CTK-6000 are replacements for the WK500 and CTK-5000 models. The new additions offer new tones and rhythms, a larger backlit LCD display, and a new 17-track sequencer with editing tools for creating new sounds and music composition. Equipped with over 200 different styles of music from around the world, 670 instrument tones, 100 DSP effects and a registration mode for live performance, the new WK6500 and CTK-6000 have all the tools to edit, create and perform music. Combined with a 17-track sequencer, the CTK-7000 and WK-7500 have the ability to record audio. Compositions created on the CTK-7000 and WK-7500 can be recorded as an audio le on a SDHC
storage card. Even sounds from external instruments can be mixed and recorded. Users can plug-in a microphone, guitar, bass or other
instrument and play along with instrument tracks from within the keyboard. All of the sounds get mixed and saved as a stereo audio le which can be shared with friends and family via computer or put on an audio CD for label executives. The WK-7500 and CTK-7000 models also feature large LCD display screens, nine physical sliders for mixing capabilities and an organ drawbar mode. The new series will be available at music channels with MSRP’s ranging from $299.99 to $599.99. www.Casio.com.
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Survey: Piano & Keyboard Market
‘If You Expect Things Won’t Get Better, They Probably Won’t’ Piano & Keyboard Survey
MMR recently polled over 100 piano & keyboard dealers to get their input on the state of the market. While some of the data would suggest a “more of the same” status, across the board (the difference between those reporting up, down, and static sales was a whopping seven percent), most we heard from shared positive expectations for the coming quarter, though with a keen awareness of changes to the retail landscape and the mindset of the end-user. Perhaps Jo Beth Dellinger of East Syracuse, New York’s Artist Pianos, Ltd. said it best we she outlined her own philosophy: “Expectations can get you into trouble. My motto has always been: hope for the best and be prepared for the worst. We move forward following our plan for 36 MMR
2011, and hope that it works to hold us steady. I nd that if you expect things won’t get better, they probably won’t. If you blunder along believing that it will
improve, and make decisions based on that belief, you can be in trouble. We make a plan, and modify that plan depending on how the year progresses.” MARCH 2011
Yulianna Avdeeva – First Place, International Chopin Competition
WINNERS Claire Huangci – First Place, National Chopin Competition
PLAY Cho Seung-jin – First Place, Hamamatsu International Piano Competition
YAMAHA Edward Kunz – Gold Medal, Paderewski Competition In the first four competitions since its introduction in early 2010, the Yamaha CFX was the piano of choice for each winner. Learn more about the CFX – the pinnacle of Yamaha craftsmanship and expertise – at www.4wrd.it/cfxmmr
How are sales, compared to this time last year?
The Same
30%
Up
33%
Down
37%
Have you noticed any trends in the piano & keyboard market? Grands for the home market are DEAD, while churches are buying a few. Last month over 90 percent of our sales were digital. Not just cheap stuff - expensive digital grands, Avant Grands, but digital nonetheless. I can’t remember the last time I sold a console piano or a grand over 6’ and we stock all sizes in four markets. Bill Jones Bill Jones Music Knoxville, Tenn. The interior design market has dried up signicantly. Most interest in piano is coming from Europeans, Asians, and Latino families. While economic/ nancial issues still prevail, declining sales mostly stem from another change in attitude/ lifestyle and interest in learning/playing the piano. Most Americans view the time and patience required as being irrelevant. The Institutional piano market has also been difcult, but has continued to produce sales. Also very relevant is the severely reduced margins generated on the small number of sales. Bob Luptak Steinway Piano Gallery Boca Raton, Fla. We are seeing more activity in the higher priced point instruments than we had been seeing last summer and early fall. 38 MMR
That has been the case for both digital and acoustic pianos. Bruce Bannister Samuel Music Efngham, Ill.
We’re seeing a shift towards acoustic pianos, as we see more and more immigrants. The Orientals and Indians, and Middle Easterners are very traditional and very willing to follow the piano teacher’s preference, which is the acoustic over the digital piano. Tom Buglio Taylors Music Store West Chester, Pa.
What are “hot” pricepoints for sales right now? Midrange/ Semi-pro
24%
Professional/ High-end
8%
Entrylevel
68%
What are your expectations for piano sales in the coming months? I think that as the economy continues to improve, sales in the piano market will also improve, however... I have noticed that consumers are doing what they can to save money. David Shibley Napa Music Supply Napa, Calif. Hopefully a slight trend upwards, if employment continues to rise, and discre-
tionary spending by consumers increase. Our businesses will welcome the change. Mike Roth Shirk Piano & Organ Company Inc. Mishawaka, Ind. Up. When the stock market is up, sales are up. Jo Woods Woods and Son Piano Co Brighton, Colo.
Additional thoughts on the piano & keyboard market? In our market only two of nine piano stores remain. The message about piano study and brain development goes unheard by most because now there are too few to get it out. We’re left to concentrate on the teachers, churches, schools, colleges, and others who already use and need pianos and will want the better instruments we focus on. We still sell the piano study=brain development message hard, but will often lose out to the free acoustic pianos and the brand name digitals at box store margins. Our concentration has to be spent on the other end of the real world piano market that needs us. Jim Foster Foster Family Music Center LLC Bettendorf, Iowa Building value in a piano is more difcult; low priced keyboards and old used pianos continue to undermine the market. Customers believe they can give their family a musical education for a few hundred dollars Bob Auletta The Piano Outlet Oxnard, Calif. Piano manufactures & retailers must move acoustic pianos away from being a consumer piece of household furniture back to it’s original intent... pianos are sold because someone wants to learn to play one. George Benson Perzina Acoustic Pianos/Omega Digital Pianos Franklin Square, N.Y. MARCH 2011
The 2011
Show
NAMM
Numbers Up (Despite Ill-Timed Winter Onslaught in Eastern U.S‌), More Events than in Recent Years, Positive Vibe in Orange County
Over 1,400 Visitors, NAMM reports greater than 90,000 in Attendance...
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A minimal uptick in attendance (a reported three percent gain, compared to 2010) at this January’s gathering in Anaheim doesn’t do justice to what most experienced at the recent NAMM Show: an obvious increase in supplier-sponsored parties, product introductions, and concerts; increased (according to many) dealer presence, compared to the dreaded “Yellow badge crowd”; and – as reported by essentially all we spoke with – a denite upswing in overall mood. While the tone of the 2010 Anaheim convention could be fairly summarized as “cautiously optimistic,” this year’s meeting might be more fairly characterized as downright optimistic, without proviso. One sign of things changing for the better that was more signicant, perhaps, than the increased number of visitors to the show (90,114 – up from 87,569 last January) was the 1,417 exhibitors at this
year’s gathering, including 247 rst-time exhibiting companies. “There was a palpable sense in the NAMM Show aisles that our industry is poised for recovery,” said Joe Lamond,
president and CEO, NAMM. “And we hope that a robust show will serve as a springboard for our members’ success in the year ahead.” Many, including Casio’s Stephen
1. NAMM president/CEO Joe Lamond congratulates Music for Life Award winner Kara DioGuardi. 2. Victor Wooten performs at the Music Education Days seminar. 3. Anaheim Police patrol on horseback. 4. The Plain White T’s perform at the Taylor Guitars booth.
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1. The Levy’s Leathers Family: (f) Amy Hanford, Amy Brennan, Danica Levy, Corrinne Hunt and Garth Giesbrecht. (r) Larry Greene, Brett Marcus, Ben Myron, Ray Verrall, Piers Munro, Harvey and DJ Levy, Jeff Bard. 2. George L’s: Kimberly and Leesa Lewis. 3. The new vice president of Buffet Crampon USA, Francois Kloc with Antoine Beaussant, President of Buffet Crampon Group. 4. Sculpturra Piano’s Tom Van Rijn, Marian Petrescu, and Mark Stevens. 5. Rob Turner, EMG Pickups with MMR Special Appreciation Award marking the firm’s 35th year. 6. Ohana Music: Louis Wu. 7. Acesonic: Mario Bermudez. 8. Remo Inc’s Brock Kaericher. 9. Giannini: Flavio Giannini. 10. Ampeg – Jess Oliver, the inventor of the B-15 Bass Amp, is presented with the Godfather of Bass Amplification Award. John Boudreau, Pyotr Belov, Jess Olvier, Zane Williams, Dino Monoxelos, and Chrys Johnson. 11. GHS Strings: Donna Waller, Chris Walters, and Elizabeth Randall. 12. NEMC’s Lorne Graham and Gene Garb.
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Schmidt, shared the upbeat sentiment: “We were very pleased, overall, with this year’s Winter NAMM. As has been reported by NAMM, ‘attendance’ was up, but the actual dealer trafc, as opposed to the ‘visitor’ trafc, was noticeably improved. I think that most manufacturers will agree that the vibe was mostly upbeat with the dealers, with some saying the holidays were good or OK, not bad. I think that this was a positive sign for the upcoming selling season. Of course we must still be cautious due to the uncertain economy, but we remain optimistic.” It’s also worth noting that all this positivity and the increase (albeit small) in attendance numbers happened amidst one of the rst in a long line of crippling winter storms affecting the Eastern U.S. “Weather issues all along the East Coast may have played a part [in overall attendance], but I don’t think that’s the entire story,” offered Tech 21’s Dale Krevins. “Reps have reported a declining dealer attendance, in general, over the past few years. I’m sure the state of the economy and expense to travel would be the main reason for not coming to NAMM. Why else would you not go?” Like Lamond, many walked away from the convention with high expectations for the coming year. “The 2011 NAMM Show was overwhelmingly positive, based on our overall experience, as well as the feedback we received from our dealers, artists and business partners,” said Jason Padgitt, senior vice president, marketing and communications for Fender Musical Instruments Corp. “We are encouraged by the start of 2011 and are well positioned for a strong year at FMIC.” “I believe the market will mirror the growth rate of the economy’s, but I also believe that musicians are a bit more positive than traditional business and that could reect in a growth rate slightly better than other industry rates. Music is needed for the soul in good times as well as bad times and I think that is a pretty solid assumption moving forward,” noted LM Products’ Troy Parker. Julie Nickel of MesseFrankfurt had a similarly encouraging outlook, saying: “The aisles seemed more crowded than I remember them being last year. People were genuinely upbeat and you could sense more optimism than in 2010... I really feel like we’ve rounded a corner... from my perspective, the musical instruments industry is rebounding.” MARCH 2011
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MMR Don Johnson Music Industry Service Award Skip Maggiora, Skip’s Music, Sacramento, Calif., received the third annual Don Johnson Music Industry Service Award from MMR publisher Sid Davis. Skip opened his rst music store in 1973 and has been a leader in the MI industry and an advocate for music education with the innovative Weekend Warrior and Stairway to the Stars programs. “A personal highlight [of the NAMM Show] for me was seeing one of my mentors, Skip Maggiora, receive the third MMR Don Johnson Service Award. He is truly deserving of this great honor,” said Joe Lamond, president and CEO, NAMM.
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Skip Maggiora and Sidney Davis.
Sabian introduces AAX Omni, New B8 Pro line, and the Holy China
At a press brie ng on Thursday, January 12, 2011, Sabian unveiled its new AAX Omni cymbal, a revamped B8 Pro entry level line, and Chad Smith’s “Holy China” crash cymbal. Company president Andy Zildjian reiterated that Sabian’s focus was on introducing products with relevancy, that are consumer-oriented and fun. “It is the music industry, after all,” he said with a smile to the crowd in attendance. The AAX Omni features a thin outer edge that functions as a crash and an unlathed, hand hammered center section that works as a ride. “It’s really two cymbals in one,” noted acclaimed Swiss drummer Jojo Mayer, who was on hand to demonstrate the versatility of the cymbal. A redesigned B8 Pro line provides sonic upgrades to Sabian’s entry market offerings, with a new hammering pattern and other subtle design changes intended to enhance the complexity and richness of the B8 Pro tone. With bombastic air, Chad Smith, of Red Hot Chili Peppers fame, helped introduce Sabian’s Andy Zildjian. Sabian’s “Holy China,” a china crash cymbal said to be perhaps the loudest cymbal Sabian has ever produced. Dressed in priest’s robes, “Father” Chad emerged with the Holy China held high on the end of a cymbal boom arm, clanging it mercilessly into the ears of unsuspecting attendees. The Holy Chi- Chad Smith of the Red Hot na is the result of Chad’s request that Sabian create the Chili Peppers promotes the new loudest, most durable china crash cymbal possible. Sabian “Holy China” cymbal.
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1. Kala Brand: Phil Slight, Michael Upton, Rick Carlson. 2. E-Z Key: Scott Vallery. 3. Sonor’s Karl-Heinz Menzel 4. Brett Getzen, Tom Getzen, and Dave Surber of The Getzen Company. 5. Voyage Air Guitar: Michael Ferrucci. 6. Iain Wilson, G7th. 7. Olympia’s James Bang, Mark Walker, Knagui Giddins, and John Kim. 8. At the Cannonball Music booth – Tevis Laukat, Pete Christlieb, Rose Menza, Sheryl Laukat and Don Menza. 9. Tim Caton, Conn-Selmer, Inc. 10. Musikmesse: Julie Nickel. 11. Industry veterans Pete LaPlaca, PJLA Sales and David Benedetto, F.E. Olds, flank Pete’s grandson, Cole Deloye.
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Zildjian debuts Gen16
Zildjian had a second booth at the NAMM Show for the launch of Gen16, a series of modied acoustic cymbals that come packaged with dedicated pickups and a sound module for electronic or recording use.
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Craigie and Debbie Zildjian show off Avedis Zildjian’s new Gen16 cymbals.
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1. EMG Pickups’ Stephanie Baughan, James Kearney, Hap Kuffner, Andrew Gravelle, Rob Turner, Alex Ostroumov and Scott Wunschel. 2. SKB Cases: Dave Sanderson, Kathy Galbraith with the 31 lineup of waterproof injection molded cases, customized for various products. 3. Pat O’Denius and Troy Parker of LM Products, Inc. 4. B.R.Wexler with Andy Herf, Blitz Mfg. 5. Guy Petty and Grant Deaton of SHS International. 6. Barry Pease of Burkart Flutes & Piccolos. 7. Andres Cynkin of Peace Musical Instruments. 8. DW’s Jim DeStefano. 9. Kiwaya Ukeleles’ Hitomi Kato. 10. Supernaturals’ Shawn McCain. 11. Sabian’s Dr. Nick Patrella demonstrates his company’s new orchestral cymbals. 12. Jason Dumont and Charles Dumont Jr. of Charles Dumont & Son, Inc. 13. Dana Bourgeois, Bourgeois Guitars, Bob Page, Buffalo Brothers. 14. Ricky Moon and Pekka Rintala of B-Band, Inc. 15. Dale Krevins, Andrew Barta, and John Bednar of Tech 21. 16. Beamz Interactive, Inc.: DJ Sandia and Cody Myer. 17. Fishman’s Dan Cohen, Corey Congilio, and Chris DeMaria.
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Designed to, “bridge the gap from practice kit to performance kit,” the cymbals feature a mesh-like appearance due to many tiny perforations and are said to be 70-to-80 percent quieter than most other Zildjian cymbals. Yet, they retain the standard sound characteristics and feel of acoustic cymbals. The Gen16 cymbals are also reportedly more durable than a standard cymbal due to their exibility. The dedicated pickups are small microphones that t directly on the cup of a cymbal stand, underneath the cymbal, and are designed to pick up the full sonic range of the entire cymbal surface. Gen16 cymbal packs are expected to be available in May of 2011.
New Heads, Percussion from Remo
Remo introduced several new offerings at the 2011 Winter NAMM show, including a Powerstroke Pro bass drum head, Corey Miller Tattoo Skyn batter heads, Controlled Sound X drum heads, and a number of other percussion items. The Powerstroke Pro has a built-in, inverted dampening ring that is sonic welded to the head, as well as cross-linked acoustic foam designed to provide maximum volume and projection while producing controlled highs, accentuated mid and MARCH 2011
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maximum low range frequencies. noted tattoo artist Corey Miller’s drumhead designs are now available in color in the Tattoo Skyn line, with off a design hand-colored by the artist himself. The Controlled Sound X snare batter head is constructed of 12mm lm and has a 5mm reverse dot for increased duBob Yerby presents rability and Remo’s new Powerstroke tone control. Pro bass drum head. Remo also continues to push beyond the traditional MI market with new offerings in percussion designed for music therapy, world music, and their new NSL (Not So Loud) line of instruments, which have all of the attributes of hand percussion without all of the noise. Says Remo Belli, “All of the research out Remo Belli of Remo. there suggests, scientically, that drumming is good for you. And the NSL market is about 100 times larger than the market for people who can make as much noise as they want.”
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1. DR Handmade Strings’ Kimberly Klukosky, Edmond Gilmore, Mark Dronge, Bootsy Collins, Patti Collins, Ron Bremry, Rosa Daza, and Chuck Green. 2. Reunion Blues’ Dave Andrus and Tony Sartoni stand in front of new Bentley ($268,000) automobile. 3. NAMM’s Dominique Agnew with George Gruhn, 17 18 Gruhn Guitars. 4. Hunter Musical Instruments’ Paul Chu with Joe Cardinale. 4. Betty Vandenbosch and Phil Betette of Yorkville Sound. 6. Anthony Perri of Perri’s Leathers. 7. Gary Kilday of GRK Mfg. 8. Timber Tones’ Rob Wooller. 9. AMV: Will Cornell. 10. Neotech: Terry Jackson. 11. Jim Bickley, Tom Shelley, and Carmen Speziale of Universal Percussion, Inc. 12. Steve Rorie and Steven Wasser of E.K. Blessing & Powell Flutes. 13. Bill and Sue Mooers, Dusty Strings. 14. Godlyke Distributing: Kevin Bolembach, Patsy Zitarosa. 15. Terry and Sue Lewis, Yamaha Corp. of America. 16. Gold Tone: Amanda & Wayne Rogers. 17. Husband and wife team of Grace & Paul Rivera of Rivera Amplification. 18. Julie Nickel and Judy Cheung of Musik Messe Frankfurt. 19. Diril Cymbals USA: Ibraham Diril, Sutton Rigg. 20. Stentor Music Company’s Michael and Bridget Doughty. MARCH 2011
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Alfred Music Publishing Premier Dealer Awards
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Ron Manus, CEO Alfred Publishing, and Bryan Bradley, COO Alfred Publishing, honored three companies with their Premier Dealer Awards at NAMM. Dealer achievements were judged on product display, creative marketing and promotions, knowledgeable sales staff and best Web site. Gist Piano Center, a family-owned, full-service piano house in Kentucky, was nominated for Premier Ron Manus and Bryan Bradley Dealer Award, but was not present to accept their welcome guests to the Alfred award. Gist recently added print music to their lo- Publishing Premier Dealer Awards cation last fall and now prominently feature print on and Happy Hour. their site and promote it through piano teacher outreach programs. Robert M. Sides Family Music and Lafayette Music Co. accepted their Premier Dealer Awards at the Alfred Publishing booth at NAMM.
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Ron Manus, Mark Malone, Alfred Publishing, Mark and Janet Benassi, Lafayette Music, and Bryan Bradley.
PMC Looks to Expand
The Percussion Marketing Council met on Saturday, January 15 to discuss the council’s various initiatives to increase the number of young percussionists across the country. In 2010, the PMC set up a booth at ve different stops along the Vans Warped Tour. Each booth featured a drum set and free ve-minute lessons, as well as some light swag. This effort was met with great enthusiasm ad excitment among the young people attending the Vans Warped Tour and, consequently, the PMC is now hoping to expand its attendance to 10-15 stops along the tour. “The challenge is growing the market, and this is an effective tool for achieving that end,” noted Yamaha’s Dave Jewell. Agreed Karl Dustman, the goal is to “make players out of the wannabes.”
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Ron Manus and Danny Smolenski of Alfred Publishing, with Peter and Alysha Sides, Robert M. Sides Family Music, and Bryan Bradley.
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In other ventures, the PMC’s Percussion in the Schools initiative has completed 32 events reaching approximately 20,000 students to date. This includes the “Win Chad Smith” promotion that brought the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ drummer into a high school auditorium for a clinic with the entire student body, as well as a separate master class for the school’s percussion students. The PMC is hoping to build off of the success of that event by making it an annual occurrence. In 2010, the PMC again declared November to be “International Drum Month,” offering a free pair of drumsticks at participating retailers via redeemable coupons in percussion-oriented retail magazines and electronic media. While this promotion generated a small amount of buzz, the PMC is looking to expand its scope and impact considerably through increased outreach and awareness over a number of media channels. The PMC is also looking to continue its advancement into new media through online videos, social networks, and increased partnerships with other organizations in the percussion eld.
MARCH 2011
Pat Brown, Paul Damiano, Billy Cuthrell, Brad Smith, Karl Dustman, and Dr. Craig Woodson of the Percussion Marketing Council.
MMR 51
Sam Ash Best in Shred Finals On Wednesday, January 12, six guitarists competed for 20,000 dollars worth of merchandise and prizes, along with the chance to play on stage with Steve Vai, at Sam Ash’s Best in Shred nals, which took place in the Sam Ash store in Cerritos, California. The contestants were each winners of an in-store competitions at one of the 45 Sam Ash locations, as well as the six regional nals competitions. The panel of celebrity judges in attendance, Herman Li, Frankie Bello, George Lynch, John 5, Andy Timmons, and Kiko Loureiro, scored each contestant on originality, precision, stage presence, technical skill. In advance of the event, the Cerritos Sam Ash store was completely remodeled, with extensive work put into a new acoustic guitar room, an amp and speaker section that featured speakers and speaker cabinets suspended from truss rigging, a home audio and dj room, and a new Sam Ash Stage, which houses seating and a stage for in-store performances and events.
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MDA Annual Meeting
1. MDA’s Madeleine Crouch. 2. Tony Blair of Kay Guitar. 3. Harris-Teller, Inc.’s Jon Harris. 4. Martin Guitar up for auction at the MDA Reception.
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The celebrity judging panel.
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MARCH 2011
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Yamaha Presents Rare Club Custom kit
Dave Jewell of Yamaha introduced a limited edition Club Custom drum kit. This extremely short run series is hand made of 6-ply kapur wood and hand painted in one of three different nishes, creating a drum set that is unique both visually and sonically. Designed for vintage tone and look, the versatile Club Custom drum kits displayed a deep, round sound when demoed by Yamaha artists Steve Hass, Sean Paddock, and Kirk Covington.
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4 Artist Steve Hass demos Yamaha’s Custom Club drumset.
Yamaha’s Dave Jewell.
At Vandoren’s Vandojam 5
6 1. D’Addario announces the acquisition of Pro-Mark drumsticks. 2. Brian Chung of Kawai Musical Instruments 3. Heil Sound: Sarah Heil. 4. Gemeinhardt’s Jennifer Crowell, Jennifer Mumaw, and Sharon Knepp. 5. Holloway Harp Guitars: Scott Holloway Burwell. 6. Tabor Stamper of Jupiter Musical Instruments. 6. Scott Emerman, Hohner, Inc. 8. Plutarco Toloza, Sonora Strings. 9. Albion Amps’ Chris Beyer and Richie Onori.
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Eric Marienthal.
Jerry Vivino-Eric Marienthal-Tia Fuller.
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Tia Fuller and Brian Bromberg.
Jerry Vivino. MARCH 2011
Best Tools for Schools Awards
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3 Associate publisher of MMR and SBO Rick Kessel moderates the Best Tools for Schools Awards at the NAMM U Idea Center. Left to right: Karen Childress-Evans, Theresa Chen, Linda Christensen, Rick Kessel.
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6 1. RS Berkeley: Les Silver, Tim Ries, John Albano. 2. Andy Papiccio, Floyd Rose. 3. Peavey’s Jim Beaugez. 4. Bob Archigian, Eric and Richard Cocco, E & O Mari. 5. Dave Bedrosian, Super Drum. 6. Tom Bedell, Bedell Guitars. 7. The Music Link’s Jim LaPlaca with the American made Badwater SRO. 8. Travis Perry, Chord Buddy. 9. Art Harvey and Rusty Membrano of OnBoard Research with Capo Tuner and Rechargeable Tuner.
Linda Christensen talks about Artist’s Works, an online tool to upload video to a Web site.
Theresa Chen gets a response from the audience for the Yamaha Disklavier. The Disklavier was also chosen for the MMR Dealer’s Choice Product of the Year.
Karen Childress-Evans presents Guitar Hands, a cleansing lotion for string players.
Kawai Awards Dinner 2011 Pinnacle Award Winners: Dealers of the Year, Kawai America Corporation McBain/Carnes Piano Company Evola Music Center Kim’s Piano Dealer of the Year, Kawai Canada Music Merriam Music
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Dealer of the Year, Shigeru Kawai Piano Company McBain/Carnes Piano Company Top Sales Performance, Small/ Medium Market Solich Piano & Music Company
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Top Digital Piano Market Performance Lacefield Music (Large Market) Pritchard’s Piano & Organ (Small/Medium Market)
Brian Chung, senior vice president of Kawai America Corporation, welcomes guests to the annual Kawai Awards reception.
Dealer of the Year, Professional Products Kraft Music Regional Sales Manager of the Year Jerry Porter MARCH 2011
Kawai Congratulates Our 2010 Pinnacle Award Winners
DEALER OF THE YEAR Evola Music - Bloomfield Hills, MI Jim Evola
DEALER OF THE YEAR Kim’s Piano - Garden Grove, CA Benjamin Kim
DEALER OF THE YEAR A. McBain/Carnes Piano - San Jose, CA Scott McBain
DEALER OF THE YEAR
TOP SALES PERFORMANCE
TOP DIGITAL PIANO MARKET PERFORMANCE
Kawai Canada Music Merriam Music - Oakville, ON Alan Merriam, Daniel Merriam
Solich Piano - Boardman, OH
Lacefield Music - St. Louis, MO
Thomas Solich, Linda Rein
Cathy Krubsack, Steve Lacefield Dwayne Hilton, Larry Lacefield
TOP DIGITAL PIANO MARKET PERFORMANCE
DEALER OF THE YEAR
Pritchard’s Piano & Organ - Sarasota, FL
Kraft Music - Franklin, WI
REGIONAL SALES MANAGER OF THE YEAR
(Small/Medium Market) Dave Pritchard (left)
(Small/Medium Market)
Professional Products
(Large Market)
Jerry Porter
Kawai America Corporation • 2055 E. University Drive • Rancho Dominguez, CA 90220 • www.kawaius.com
SKB Cases Open House
Jerry Andreas, SKB sr. vice president of music sales, explains how the molds are formed in four minute cycles.
SKB Cases hosted an Open House at its Orange, Calif. factory, four miles away from the Anaheim Convention Center. SKB has recently invested in new machinery to produce variety of injection-molded cases for the music, sports and industrial/military industries. Jerry Andreas led a tour through the facility, demonstrating how the new M8000 Injection molding machine has the shot capacity of 16 lbs of plastic and over 9000 tons of clamp pressure, expanding SKB’s manufacturing capabilities and production capacity here in the USA.
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1. Connolly’s Marc DeGeorge, Eliza Aldrich, Jake Connolly, Chris Rohrecker, Grace Newman, and Thomastik-Infeld’s Heinz Kovacs. 2. At the Powell Flutes/Sonaré Winds booth, Markus Neger of Thomann Musikhaus with Stephanie Stathos and Steven Wasser. 3. Pigtronix’s Brian Bethke and David Koltai. 4. Jason Kennedy of Jupiter Musical Instruments and Jeff Ivester of Mapex USA. 5. Houseband Gear: Dick Starnes. 6. John Strand of Cherub Technology Company. 7. Ben Whatsley, Orange Amps. 8. Playmate Kassie Logdson at the Steve Clayton booth. 9. Phyllis Webb, The Magic Fluke. 10. Taurino Quezada, Celina Hernandez, Real del los Reyes. 11. Gabe Whyel of American Music & Sound flanked by other NAMMers at the Saturday night Decompress party hosted by PMC Speakers, Prism Sound, and Mixsensei.com. 12. Audio 2000’s: Sonia DeSantiago, Paula McNamee, Haw-Renn Chen, and Rafael Gutierrez.
Janes Gast, Fazio Music, Justin Toebe, SKB, Mike Fazio and Bryan Rankin, Fazio Music.
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Justin Toebe, SKB’s national sales manager, demonstrates 2-up injection molding cases. The base and the lid are produced together. MARCH 2011
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Paul Reed Smith Press Conference
Warren Hayes, Allman Brothers and Grateful Dead, discusses working with PRS to develop the PRS Super Dallas amp and what its been like playing the new PRS 30s.
Martin Simpson holds his signature model PRS Private Stock acoustic guitars. Tony McManus (left) also worked with the PRS team to develop a signature model Private stock acoustic.
At the PRS Press Conference, Paul Reed Smith gathered an impressive lineup of famous guitarists including: Orianthi, Ricky Skaggs, Dweezil Zappa, Myles Kennedy, Tom Johnston, Tony McManus, Warren Haynes, Howard Leese, Martin Simpson, Zack Myers , Tim Mahoney , Bernie Marsden, Cody Kilby, David Grissom, Davy Knowles, Mikael Akerfeldt, Fredrik Akesson, Gary Grainger, Greg Grainger, Michael Ault, Nick Moroch, Rich Eckhardt and Paul “TFO” Allen to announce the addition of six new guitar models since the 25th anniversary, including two new Santana models.
Howard Leese, Paul “TFO” Allen, Orianthi , Zach Myers and Warren Hayes.
Bluegrass and country artist Ricky Skaggs has played electric and acoustic for more than forty years and supports PRS as both an acoustic and electric guitar endorser.
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Dweezil Zappa holds his Limited Edition Dweezil Zappa model Private Stock PRS with a highly figured maple top and unique mandolin shaped body.
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David Grissom and his PRS DGT signature model guitar. “The guitar came out better than I dreamed. I feel like they hit a grand slam with it.”
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Howard Leese waits to speak at the PRS press conference.
1. Fitness Audio: Robert Holombo. 2. Wristies: KK Gregory. 3. Blackstar Amplification: Craig Costigan. 4. Mike Dorfman, Trick Percussion Products. 5. Pearl Corp.’s Terry West. 6. String Swing: Travis Thieman. 7. Get M Gear: Virginia Castro, Rania Olayan. 8. Kyser Musical Products, Inc.: Nicholes Palmer and Randall Williams. 9. Fred and Dinah Gretsch at the announcement of the Gretsch Custom Shop George Harrison “Tribute” Duo Jet Guitar.
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The Crane Institute for Music Business Sandy Feldstein Industry Roundtable As part of the “Music Education Days” program for college students with music business or music education majors, Crane Institute for Music Business at SUNY Potsdam hosted the Sandy
Feldstein Industry Roundtable at the NAMM Foundation Learning Lounge. Sandy Feldstein was a SUNY Potsdam alumnus and long-time music industry leader. NAMM president and CEO Joe
Lamond and industry leaders discussed the challenging times of music education and music manufacturing and how the two can co-exist and prosper together.
Left to right: Joe Lamond, president/CEO NAMM, Vic Firth, Vic Firth Company, Susan Lipp, president, Full Compass Systems, moderator Carole “Kickie” Britt, executive director of The Crane Institute for Music Business and coordinator of music business at SUNY Potsdam, Andy Zildjian, president, Sabian, Ltd.; Jay Wanamaker, senior vice president of Percussion, KMC Music; Larry Thomas, CEO, Fender Musical Instruments.
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Hear what the world is talking about.
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NAMM Breakfasts – Starting the Days off Right… On Thursday, NAMM president and CEO Joe Lamond welcomed a capacity crowd to the opening day of NAMM and the Breakfast of Champions. Joe’s rst guests for the panel discussions were industry veterans Vic Firth and Bob Zildjian. The two discussed their long friendship and changes in the percussion business over the past ve decades. They agreed that the percussion trend continues to be in acoustic instruments and their advice to retailers is to expand your horizons and chase new business.
Bob Zildjian, Vic Firth, Joe Lamond.
Sam Ash, chief operations ofcer of Sam Ash Music Stores, recalled the family business surviving a depression and two recessions. He recently invested
Ikutaro Kakehashi, Roland, appeared via video with his advice: establish good relations between the retailer and the customer. Joe called Mr. Kakahashi live via Skype to answer additional questions from the audience and to wish him a happy birthday. Mike Huckabee, Joe Lamond.
Sam Ash
in remodeling and major renovations during the current recession, adding additional space for lesson programs. Jon Haber and Joe Lamond.
Jon Haber, Alto Music, transitioned from musician to retailer and opened his rst store in 1989. Jon’s appearance in the American Express Open print and television campaign puts a national spotlight on the music retail business. 62 MMR
Mike Huckabee, TV commentator and former Governor of Arkansas, stressed the importance of music education. The gift of a guitar at age eleven was a life changing experience for him, adding that music education is a pathway to
academic excellence. Music programs in schools are not expendable, but essential. Mike also is promoting the I Wanna Play! CD. Proceeds from the sales of the album goes towards purchasing musical instruments for school children. Producer Bobby Roberts joined Mike to comment on the many talented artists who recorded tracks for the I Wanna Play! CD. The nal guest was former New York Yankee Bernie Williams, who began playing baseball and guitar at age eight. Bernie learned discipline from both sports and music, and continues to play guitar today. MARCH 2011
Left: NAMM President/CEO Joe Lamond and NAMM Chairman Tom Schmitt stand to either side of the Breakfast of Champions guests Sam Ash, Bob Zildjian, Jon Haber, Vic Firth, Bernie Williams and Mike Huckabee. Below: George Hines, Hines Music; Alan Rosen, Bananas at Large; Mark Goff, Paige’s Music; and Gayle Beacock, Beacock Music shared their successful business tactics of anticipating and staying ahead of change and learning to take advantage of the opportunities that change presents. Each panelist discussed their formula for managing change: e + r = o (event plus the response/reaction equals the outcome). The most common events not in their control were the economy, shopping trends, mall foreclosures and credit issues. Their responses for a positive outcome were store events, store relocation and renovation, rental and lessons options. Left: On Friday, Danny Rocks, The Company Rocks, moderated a panel of experienced retailers at the NAMM Breakfast titled “Lessons Learned: How Doing Business Now Has Changed for the Better.”
Introducing a whole new uke from The Magic Fluke Company
The Magic Fluke Company, LLC 292 S. Main Street, Sheffield MA 01257 413-229-8536 • Magicfluke.com Toll-free in the U.S.: 800-459-5558 MARCH 2011
MMR 63
Yamaha
Dealer Breakfast
Company Fires Up Dealers with Technology, New Products, Programs
At NAMM, there was lots of talk about “embracing change” – so much so the phrase is in peril of being a hollow cliché. But at the annual Yamaha dealer breakfast on Friday morning, the Piano/Keyboard management team was determined to prove exactly how they are indeed doing just that. It began when songstress Roberta Flack opened the event by playing the Yamaha DCFX Mark IV Disklavier PRO on the stage. But it was not just having a star in the room that dazzled – mostly because she wasn’t in the room. She was “playing” the grand from a New York Studio. Showing off advanced technology that Yamaha began promoting a few years ago, they proved they are now able to connect pianos via the Internet so when a note is played on one, it’s reproduced on another in a different location. Called “Remote Live,” it’s a revolutionary advancement that will make the next year for the Disklavier as historic and unprecedented as any since the launch of the groundbreaking instrument. “We’re moving things forward,” Yamaha’s Jim Levesque announced. MMR Reader’s Honor Disklavier Again Levesque, marketing manager of Disklavier, kicked off the meeting announcing that for the 10th year in a row, readers of MMR had awarded the Disklavier with best digital piano of the year. Speaking of the Flack presentation he pointed that today consumers would not think of buying a computer that couldn’t network with another computer, and as Yamaha sees it, they want to offer pianos that can network as well. “Years ago, we connected two Disklaviers that allowed for two-way lessons, removing geographic barriers,” he said. The next step is to add video and create unique experiences where say,
Elton John performing in Lincoln Center and his piano playing is recreated elsewhere. “These performances could also be received in your store, or better yet, your customer’s living room.” Busy that night? Tivo-like technology will be available as well. “This can be used for competitive performances, or you could broadcast your own recitals so that the grandparents who live miles away could experience them.” The company’s future includes video, audio, plus MIDI and the ability to broadcast to multiple locations on any Internet browsing device – iPad, laptops, etc. While not ready for a full-scale launch, Levesque called out to dealers interested in the beta experience, and no doubt he had quite a few takers. Next “host” Bob Heller, national sales director, took stage right, which was set up in talk show format, and introduced Takuya “Tak” Nakata, president. “In 2012 we will have achieved the 125th anniversary,” he said. “To stay in business for that length of time, a company must adapt to the changing market, and Yamaha is no exception. Continued growth and success is largely dependent on listening to you, our dealers.” GM Paul Calvin followed, and was pleased to announce because they were listening to their dealers, Yamaha Keyboard Division was in fact experiencing growth in all product divisions. “I want to thank you for this achievement,” he said. “And I want to reiterate that this continued success hinges on our relationship, and that includes us speaking candidly to each other. It’s to the benet of our mutual success to react to changing market conditions, and today you’ve seen an example of this [Fleck’s performance of Remote Live]. As we traveled the country visiting progressive dealers willing to embrace, we realize its imperative that no one in the company takes that for granite. Fortunately many of you are taking steps in the positive direction, and our hope is that you take these ideas home, put them in action, and ne new prots and success.” Other Programs, Markets, Products
Tak Nakata 64 MMR
Mark Anderson, director of marketing, spoke of the 20 percent growth in Yamaha education programs due to their new Quick Play program. “It’s seen good growth, though we know it’s probably a program that can be improved on.” He then launched into some of the new products, including the M1 upright. AnMARCH 2011
derson got a big laugh when he said: “The M1 is well targeted for institutions – those who like to say they tune their pianos all the time, but none of them do.” Heller then took over again and in a departure from format, brought up several Yamaha dealers to discuss their success. Jack and Melody Melvin of Melody Connection of Jacksonville, Fla., took to the couch rst to discuss their success with the Quick Play program. “Too often someone runs into the store to just get a quick price on a piano, practically leaving the car running,” he said, eliciting another big laugh. “But with this program so far, we’ve sold an addition 15 Clavinovas.” He raised eyebrows when he said that hiring a teacher is a “big mistake” and that the program should be taught by a sales rep – or, say, the storeowner. Acknowledging that it’s sometimes hard to get “buy in” by the sales staff when a new program is brought out, the rst thing he did was to teach the program himself. As to the program in general, new things need to be tried on “an ongoing basis, because different revenue stream that used to work don’t work as well, and so we need to be innovative. You can’t always do things the same way, and we need to get in there and roll up our sleeves.” Dan and Theresa Shykind of Downtown Piano Works, Frederick, Md., discussed their enviable success in turning their intimate 75 person concert hall into a “warm up” performance space for those great musicians about to play the Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. Dan Shykind explained that it started as nearly a uke, but the as artists who performed their spread the word and the concert series grew, and music critics started coming to review the program, it’s become a success beyond their wildest imagination. But Heller put them on the spot, pointing out that while it sounds like the retailer has enjoyed a lot of “feel good moments, the last time I went down to the bank to cash in a feel-good check, it didn’t end well.” The Shykind were prepared, pointing out that the amount of press they’ve received would cost well over $100,000, allowing them to lower their print advertising expenses to zero dollars. And in addition to that: “We’re up 108 percent in sales from last year.” Jeff Hawley was the next guest on the couch, where he discussed the company’s Customer Experience Group he works for, outlining Yamaha’s aggressive foray into the world of social media. Leng Tshua of Seattle-based Luxury Marketing, who is a consultant to Yamaha in marketing to the Asian community, made a brief but resonating presenting on the importance of that demographic and the subtle nuances needed to be understood in order to serve that community effectively. With a map outlining the top 24 U.S. Asian Markets, he discussed how MARCH 2011
“miscommunication equals missed opportunity.” For those dealers who are able to adapt to serving a group who place a high regard on music education in general and piano in particularly, the effort is rewarded with “very high return rates. And if they are very happy, they will typically bring two or three more referrals.” Sandy Boyce of Piano Distributor, which boasts 14 locations in Missouri, Illinois, Georgia, N.C., and Florida, shared their experiences of setting up events in Costcos. “The main reason I went out initially was to learn,” she says. “What you’ll nd is the Costco customers are pretty loyal, and they return to the same store often so you see the same people. We try to get a little more mileage out of them by being prepared,” and that includes working with the store managers who can alert customers in advance that the event is going to take place. “The term we hear often is ‘treasure hunter’ – if the Costco customer sees something they are excited about,
“Different revenue stream that used to work don’t work as well, and so we need to be innovative.” they will often move on it because they know [the product] may not be there next week.” According to Calvin and senior VP Rick Young, taking a different approach this annual meeting paid off. ““The new mixed format - particularly the talk showstyle segment - was extremely well received and served as a compelling way for us to present Yamaha’s strategy and share best sales and marketing practices with our dealers that attended,” Calvin said after the meeting. Added Young: “From Roberta Flack’s sensational performance via Yamaha ‘Live Remote’ to the artistry of young Renata Vallecillo, the NAMM 2011 Keyboard Dealer Breakfast combined top-notch entertainment, along with useful information from industry peers, to support our dealers’ success immediately upon return to their stores.”
Paul Calvin MMR 65
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5 1. The GCI Team. 2. Leticia Cedeno of Marshall Electronics. 3. Joe Zon, Zon Guitars. 4. JT Ribbiloff, Glenn Derringer, Steve Kim and Joe Cutroni, Samick Music Corp. 5. John Pearse Strings: Charlene Post, Mary Faith Rhoads-Lewis, Mitch Greenhill, and Karl Broderix. 6. Father and daughter team of Jerry and Crystal Freed of Gator Cases. 7. Barry Heid and Randy White of Manhassett Stands. 8. Brett Getzen, Dave Surber and Tom Getzen of Getzen Musical Instruments. 9. Rebecca Ashe and Cathy Miller of Trevor James Flutes. 10. The Music Link’s Richard Haile and Teryy Buddingh. 11. TC Electronics’ Laura Clapp Davidson and Marc Bertrand with the new Blacksmith Bass Amp. 12. Sonomax Technologies’ Jocelyn Rowcliffe and Katrin Braun. 13. Epilog Laser: Sydney Neyland, Jon Stone. 14. Amedia: Tommy Maras, Dominick Gagliano, Robert Rodriguez.
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6 1. Pat Brown, Don Click, Maury Brochstein, Jennifer Tooke, Mark Petrocelli of Pro-Mark. 2. Aaron Matthews, Tommy McCoy, Jodi Ann Parker, and Tony LaLonde of Players Music Accessories. 3. Veritas: Robert Troke, Dan Parker, Dawson Flinchbaugh. 4. Collings Guitar: Steve McCreary with the mahogany C10. 5. Randy White of Manhasset Specialty Company. 6. Shubb Capos’ Rick Shubb and Richard Gilewitz. 7. Bill Carpenter of Hamilton Stands. 8. Dan Barker of EMD Music. 9. Tim Elvy and Mark Kortshott of Legere Reeds with Jody Espina of Jody Jazz Mouthpieces.
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Dealers’ Choice Awards Product of the Year Yamaha Disklavier
Pro Digital Piano Line of the Year Below: MMR editor
Christian Wissmuller presents the Dealers’ Choice Award for the Tyros 4 as Pro Digital Piano of the Year to Yamaha’s Nate Tschetter and Dane Madsen.
Band & Orchestral Line of the Year
Jim Levesque, Disklavier and MODUS marketing manager for Yamaha receives the 2010 Dealers’ Choice Award for Product of the Year from MMR’s Sidney Davis.
Electric Guitar Line of the Year
Fender’s Justin Norvell with the Dealers’ Choice Award for Electric Guitar Line of the Year, 2010 (the Fender Stratocaster). 68 MMR
Above: Yamaha’s B&O team accepts the Dealers’ Choice Award for Band and Orchestral Line of the Year: Brian Petterson, winds product specialist; Gary Winder, director, national sales, B&O Division; Jay Schreiber, general manager, B&O Division; Makoto Tani, product manager; Roger Eaton, director of marketing, B&O Division.
Acoustic Guitar Line of the Year
Taylor Guitars president Bob Taylor accepting the MMR Dealers’ Choice Award for Acoustic Guitar Line of the Year.
Amplifier & Sound Reinforcement Lines of the Year Peavey’s Hartley Peavey with the 2010 Dealers’ Choice Awards for Amplifier Line of the Year and Sound Reinforcement Line of the Year.
Recording Equipment Line of the Year
Samson’s Mark Wilder holds the MMR Dealers’ Choice Award for the Zoom R24, Recording Equipment Line of the Year. MARCH 2011
Acoustic Piano Line of the Year Hirotaka Kawai accepts the MMR Dealers Choice Award for the Kawai K-3 Acoustic Piano Line of the Year from MMR’s associate publisher Rick Kessel.
Home Digital Keyboard Line of the Year
Stephen Schmidt and Mike Martin of Casio with the 2010 Dealers’ Choice Award for Home Digital Keyboard Line of the Year.
Percussion Line of the Year
Pearl Corporation’s Masakatsu Yanagisawa, Steve Armstrong, and Gene Okamoto receiving the 2010 MMR Dealers’ Choice Award for Percussion Line of the Year.
Electric Bass Line of the Year
Web Site of the Year
Ibanez Dealers’ Choice Award presented to Jim Gallagher, Yoshitada Hoshino and Kiyotaka Yamada for the Electric Bass Line of the Year.
Alfred Music Publishing receiving the Dealers’ Choice Award for Web site of the Year: Andrew Surmani, senior vice president, managing director of School and Church Publishing; Ron Manus, CEO; Bryan Bradley, COO.
Lighting Line of the Year MMR Dealers’ Choice Award presented to: Dirk Kast, Scott Davies, Toby
Print Music Publisher of the Year
Software Line of the Year
Accessory Line of the Year MMR Dealers’ Choice Award for
Velazquez, and Alfred Gonzales of American DJ for Lighting Line of the Year.
Roland’s Robin Kelly with Cakewalk’s Dealers’ Choice Award for Software Line of the Year.
MARCH 2011
DJ Line of the Year
Hidesto Shiino, Vestax, holds the Dealer Choice Award for the DJ Line of the Year.
Doug Lady, Larry Morton, Keith Mardak and Doug Jahnke of Hal Leonard with the company’s tenth consecutive Dealers’ Choice Award for Print Music Publisher of the Year.
Accessory Line of the Year: Steve Ridinger of Evets/Danelectro and Ernesto Roca of Inversioned DBO, Venezuela.
Microphone Line of the Year
Shure’s Terri Hartman accepting the MMR Dealers’ Choice Award for the SM58 as Microphone Line of the Year. MMR 69
1. The Nady Team. 2. Andy Papiccio and Kevin Brubaker of AP International 3. Cascio: Christopher Houser, Michael Houser. 4. Paiste’s Andrew Shreve with a new Dark Dry Ride from the new Twenty Masters Collection. 5. Ford Drums: Joslyn Gaylen. 6. Eminence: Cobi Stein. 7. Dean Daubs, Concord International Group. 8. Tony Ko of Vocopro. 9. Larry Thomas, CEO of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. 10. Mark Ragin and Chris Meikle of St. Louis Music. 11. Morley: Randy Wright, Bill Wenzloff. 12. M & M Merchandisers: Randall Padilla, Mark Jabben, Josh Franklin. 13. Guitar Hands: Randy Jacobs MD, Sonia Jacobs (front), Natasha Jacobs (back).
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1. Tri Tech: Pat Murphy, Brett Stoffel, Bill Steppan, Dave Cox, Ron Koppes. 2. Eleca: Michael Lee. 3. Jim Beaugez, Peavey Electronics with company’s new line of Composite Acoustics. 4. Alfred Music Publishing’s Rich Lackowski, Marina Terteryan, and Jordan Bell with MMR’s Jason LaChapelle. 5. Worldwide Music Services: Jeff Hansel, Phil Smith, Hayden Connor, Steve DeVaney. 6. American Recorder: Brandon Moats, Alan Adelstein. 7. NS Designs’ Gary Byers and Ned Steinberger. 8. Jim and Jenny Hall, Hall Crystal Flutes. 9. Marshall Johns, Peterson Electro Tuners. 10. Randy Robertson of Littlite. 11. CAD Audio: Tony O’Keefe. 12. Electro-Voice: Guy Low. 13. Traveler Guitar: Jeff Garvin. 14. Artist Jojo Mayer and Sabian’s Mark Love demonstrate the new “Omni” cymbal. 15. Judy Bechler Roan and Mark Costner of Remle Musical Products Inc with artist Tony Christlieb. 16. Anthem Musical Instruments’ David Kilkenny and Brent Beech.
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Best & Worst of Show
➤ Best Creative Use of Color DR Strings’ Neon offering and the color-coordinated guitar & strings setup on display at the Aurora Strings booth put a Technicolor spin on traditional fretted accessories… ➤
Best… Really Tall Elvis(?) ➤ Not entirely sure what the point was, but the “Elvis on stilts” dude who was meandering (Well, mostly standing. Not that anyone could blame him – you try navigating the crowded NAMM aisles on stilts!) about the show floor on Saturday was certainly eye-catching.
Awards Worst Byproduct of a Full Day Walking the Aisles… My room’s balcony at the Marriott boasted a view and breeze worthy of a “Best in Show,” but… choosing to sit down outside and read a few chapters of Keith Richards’ autobiography (Not bad. Check it out!) before going to bed on Friday night ranks amongst the worst choices of this year’s gettogether in Anaheim… Not only does the sun come up altogether too soon (there’s a 5 o’clock in the morning now?), but there’s no getting around the fact that sleeping outside on the floor of a hotel balcony just isn’t all that comfortable.
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Best Opportunity to Hang with the Heavy Metal Heroes of My Youth ➤ 14-year old me is bursting with pride that I got to chat with Anthrax’s Frank Bello and Slayer’s Kerry King – courtesy of Fender and EMG, respectively.
Best “If I Sneak Into The Convention Center After-Hours, Can I take this for a spin?” Temptation Surely the good folks at ACE Products weren’t trying to make me feel badly about my (recently snowplow-assaulted) Honda, or encourage covetous thoughts, but that 12-Cylinder Bentley Convertible which took center-stage at their booth this year sure was a beauty… 72 MMR
Worst Three-peat It’s getting to be a (very) unwelcome tradition. As in the past two years, MMR’s staff again returned from California to over a foot of snow, delayed flights, slow rides home, and horrific street parking. Sure, it’s fair to say, “Hey, it’s Boston… in January – stop whining!” but at press time we’re already wrestling with 35” more snowfall than the total seasonal average, with at least two months of winter weather to go…
MARCH 2011
Best Time of Day ➤ Everyone’s favorite time – especially after going nonstop from 7:30 AM onwards – is “Beer O’Clock” and Alfred Publishing delivered by transforming their booth into a convivial, standing-room-only pub. Thanks fellas!
Best Hendrix Impersonation – Adult and Youth Division ➤ While the gentleman performing outside the Convention Hall more accurately captured the overall look of the late James Marshall Hendrix, the young shredder who MMR associate editor Eliahu Sussman ran into at the Tornovoz booth had the whole playing-a-right-handed-guitar-lefty thing going on nicely. A good start!
➤ Best Dressed Dessert: The formally attired “tuxedo” chocolate covered strawberries at the SKB Open House party.
➤ ➤ MARCH 2011
Best… um… Hat(?) ➤ For those who question the merit of the yellowbadge crowd, we bring you NAMM guest Norma White and her sky blue Santa-cap-crossedwith-Portuguese-Manof-War headgear. Nice job, Norma – our hats are off to you! (get it?)
Best “Make Yourself Comfortable” Booth Much of the time in Anaheim is spent dodging fellow attendees on the show floor, racing from one meeting to the next, and generally going full-tilt in all respects. Seymour Duncan’s booth offered a welcome respite from the NAMM insanity, with a decor and ambiance more evocative of a lush 5-star hotel suite than a busy convention display. ➤
Best “Wait – Is That a Plane?” Moment Indeed, it was a single-seat race plane parked smack-dab in the middle of the Aviom booth. Cars, buses – been there, done that. Thanks for providing an effective double-take moment, Aviom folks!
Best Joy of Sax (Yes, the joke’s been made before. You come up with something better…) This year, three impressive saxophone events showed of virtuoso displays of reed talent: the Vando Jam sponsored by Vandoren, the Red Hot Sax Night by Yamaha, and Legere Reeds with their saxophone jam session (shown in photo).
Worst Time of Day Roughly 3:15 PST on Sunday, when it was beginning to become more and more clear that the Jets were going to best the Patriots. Small consolation that NY got knocked out of contention in the AFC Championship and Brady took home the MVP for the 2010 season. A bummer of a way to wrap up an otherwise positive week in Anaheim. (J-E-T-S: Jets, Jets, Jets fans – direct your hatemail to: cwissmuller@ symphonypublishing.com).
Worst Cab Ride MMR head honcho Sidney Davis was treated to the “scenic tour” of LAX when his navigationally challenged taxi driver required not one, not two, but three circuits of the airport to finally work his way to the Jet Blue terminal.
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1. M&M Merchandisers’ Michael Stenzler, Gina Jourard, Josh Franklin, Shana Golden, and March Jabben. 2. The Ernie Ball crew dressed as influential figures in history. 3. Tim Pfouts and Eddie Speedy of SIT Strings. 4. Oasis: Steve and David Hepple. 5. Schecter Guitar Research’s Michael Ciravolo with Daisy Rock Guitars’ Tish Ciravolo. 6. Jonathan Tai, Pamela Liu, and Gloria Yu at the Peak Stands booth. 7. Rachelle Gayer, Diana Macedonio, and Anne Sobel, Carl Fischer. 8. Petrof Piano: Al Rich, Veronika Holisova, Joe Bednar. 9. Bob Yerby presents a new model Tattoo Skyn drumhead by Remo. 10. John Sorensen of Avedis Zildjian Co., Inc. 11. Dave Dunwoodie of Graph Tech Guitar Labs. 12. Richard Berger of Grover Musical Products. 13. The Music Link’s Eric Schoenberg, designer of the Recording King guitars. 14. Roland president and CEO, Chris Bristol, speaks at the BOSS Loop Station World Championship finals held at the House of Blues in Anaheim. 15. Nine year old Megan Chang playing one of her original compositions at the Yamaha display. 16. Roger Kao and Chris Liao Sunlite. 17. Flaxwood: Harry Orlove, Rick Nelson, Petr Vykydal. 18. Antigua Winds’ Kerry Klingborg, Pat Emmett, and Randy Huey. 19. Tom Lagomarsino, Elid Dakoli piano artist, and Kirk Burgett of Mason & Hamlin/ Pianodisc. 20. The ZT Amps Team. 21. Grover’s Chuck Kirschling nattily attired with pink shirt and shoes.
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22. Vanetta Wilson with Cory Kerr receiving their 100th Anniversary Plaque. 23. Artist Jens Kruger with Greg and Janet Deering, Deering Banjos shown with MMR Special Appreciation Award marking their 35th anniversary. 24. Burkhard Stein of Grotrian Pianos receiving the MMR Anniversary Award for 175 years in business. MARCH 2011
1. NAMM’s Mary Luehrsen and Joe Lamond with Don Chapman, sr. advisor on Native American Affairs, US Department of Commerce at the NAMM Chairman’s Reception in Anaheim. 2. Artists Eldar and David Haynes at Korg’s event unveiling the new Kronos console. 3. MMR’s Sidney Davis with Willie and Bob Zildjian of Sabian. 4. At the Chairman’s reception, Steve West of West Music, with Jim D’Addario of D’Addario Co. 5. Rocky Giglio and Jim Green of J.J. Babbitt. 6. Andrew Naumann and Phil Baughman of Schilke Musical Instruments. 7. At the Casio Dealer & Press Evening: Josh Charles. 8. McNally Instruments/Strumstick: Kim Davis. 9. Century Guitars: Jack Rogers. 10. Peterson Electro-Musical Products’ Chris Labriola. 11. Jeff Van Fossen, Codabow International. 12. Jim Wischmeyer, Bag End Loudspeakers. 13. Ron Marquez and Roy Burns of Aquarian. 14. Lianghong Liu, George Li, and Xufeng Han, Merano Musical Instruments. 15. Andreas Stelling, managing director for Steinberg Media Technologies, introduces the Cubase 6 audio workstation software for recording music with multi track editing tools.
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JAZZ
DOES NOT BELONG
TO ONE RACE OR CULTURE
BUT IS A GIFT
THAT AMERICA HAS GIVEN THE WORLD
THIS IS OUR GIFT BACK
P. Mauriat brass and woodwind instruments, available exclusivley f rom St. Louis Music For more information on becoming a P. Mauriat Dealer please call now on 1 - 800 - 727 - 4512 or email info@usbandsupplies.com - St. Louis Music is a division of U.S. Band and Orchestra Supplies Inc.
MARCH 2011
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Presents
the 2011
“Best Tools for Schools” Awards
MMR sister publication, SBO, presented the second annual Best Tools for Schools awards at the 2011 Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, California, highlighting a new batch of exciting and creative games, programs, instruments, servicess and accessories suitable for music educators in a wide range of settings. Expert educators and administrators mining the massive musical industry convention oor in search of the best items for classroom use found a number of intriguing tools that are sure to be a hit with teachers and students alike.
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MARCH 2011
Best Elementary Tool
Best Beginning Tool
JoyTunes (www.joytunes.com)
ArtistWorks (www.artistworks.com)
This interactive game appropriate for young learners features animated characters that are controlled by musical instruments. By blowing a flute or recorder into a microphone, student musicians can propel a colorful character through a series of levels.
ArtistWorks is a Web site that offers customized critiques by master-teachers through video sharing. Send in a video using a web cam and their online tools, and teachers will respond with personalized instruction on relevant technical skills.
Best Intermediate Tool
Best Advanced Tool
Midi Player 2.0 (www.interactiveblueprints.com)
DiskLavier (usa.yamaha.com)
This app for iPhone and iPad enables MIDI playback on those devices, with many customizable functions suitable for music educators.
This acoustic piano by Yamaha uses electromechanical controls and optical sensors to play independently of a human operator. It can be pre-programmed, played remotely, or played live, creating a plethora of opportunities for school and classroom use.
Best Innovative Tool
Best Ear Training Tool
Music Creed (www.musicreed.com)
Harmony Director HD-200 (www.yamaha.com)
This colorful medallion features a dial that can be set to the musical scales of different cultures, including Western and many types of Arabic and Eastern music.
The Harmony Director is a keyboard tuner that demonstrates how individual notes fit into complete chords, bringing harmony training, rhythm training and ensemble timing together. Students learn how to tune individual notes within chords and understand how each part fits into the complete harmony of the ensemble.
MARCH 2011
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Best Tool for Marching Band
Best Music Game
Wristies (www.wristies.com)
Knowledge of Music Playing Cards (www.knowledgeofmusic.com)
Wristies are fingerless polortec (100 percent polyester) gloves for musical instrument practice and performance. Their unique design allows for complete finger dexterity and circulation. Wristies are machine washable and available in a wide variety of colors.
These music-oriented playing cards offer the familiar concept of playing card games to learn the structures of scales and chords.
Best Tool for Strings
Best Rehearsal Tool
Penguin PST-30C (www.paratuss.com)
iKnob (wwwKharmaDesignusa.com)
This versatile motorized string winder and bridge pin puller reportedly makes changing guitar, mandolin, ukulele and double bass strings 80 percent faster. It recharges with an iPod, iPad, or iPhone charger or through a computer using a USB cable.
The iKnob is an analog volume control device designed for use with the iPod or any other audio device. In addition to controlling volume levels, it also has channel cutoff toggle switches so teachers can flip between rehearsal and performance modes for method books with CDs.
Best Tool for Teacher Trainings Honorable Mentions: Mac Pro Video (www.macprovideo.com)
AppOmator (www.appomator.com)
Mac Pro Video offers custom online training videos. The same company also has a program that can be used to make custom apps for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, the AppOmator. These tools and services can be used to create and make apps out of educational videos on specific points and steps of a process or training.
Microphome (www.microphome.com)
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Guitar Hands (www.guitarhands.com) Travelite stands (www.herculesstands.com) Ear Filters (www.earfilters.net)
MARCH 2011
The Yamaha Disklavier just won the music industry’s top award, MMR “Product of the Year,” for the 10th straight year. It accomplished this unbelievable feat by perfectly reproducing dazzling musical performances and by accompanying some of the best albums of all time with its premier digital features and beautiful acoustic piano. Just as importantly, it has benefited from the support of exceptional piano dealers. Thank you all. ©2011 Yamaha Corporation of America. All rights reserved.
GAMA Annual Membership Meeting
1. The GAMA Board: David Lusterman, Acoustic Guitar Magazine; Peter D’Addario, D’Addario; Jonathan Forstot, Taylor Guitars; Dennis Tenges, C.F. Martin Guitars; Paul Damiano, KMC Music; David Bergstrom, Yamaha USA; Harvey Levy, Levy’s Leathers; Robert Sulkow, GAMA executive director. 2. The Panel Discussion: Phil Raposo of Stone Music, Brazil; Joseph Gomes of Furtados Music, India; Andrew Pak of Ivan Music, China; Arthur Bulatov of A&T Trade, Russia. 3. Outgoing chairman Harvey Levy addresses members at the Guitar and Accessories Marketing Association’s (GAMA) Annual Membership Meeting, held on Wednesday morning in Anaheim.
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4. Desiree Gregg and Cliff Castle of Audix USA. 5. John Fullerton and Carey Short of AIM. 6. Christoph Taguchi and Lars Heuseler of Forestone Reeds. 6. Timber Tones: Rob Wooller,Michael Harris.
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1. Jam Hub: Marci Skillings, Steve Skillings. 2. Civilized World Inc.: Chris Campbell, David Morris. 3. The Musical Distributors Group team: Joe Penola, Jeff Sherman, Steve Gehnke, Jack Thompson, Rich Nichols, wally Rando, Dwayne Randdo, and Steven Savvides. 4. A – Design: Peter Montessi, Carl Johnson. 5. Kingstar: Mike Wong. 6. Bridgecraft: Jason Guo. 7. Pete Milbery, president of Neutrik USA Inc., toasts the new 25,000 sq. ft. Charlotte, NC facility. The new location has additional space to stock more product and provides close proximity to the Charlotte airport. 8. Wyman Piano: Tim Laskey. 9. At the EMG booth: Victor Wooten, Stuart Hamm. 10. George & Lynn Reeder of Rovner Products. 11. Wendal Jones and Bill Hargrove of Jones Double Reeds. 12. LPD’s Kelsey Collins, Tom Vallis and David Roof.
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11 ZZZ -DP+XE FRP -$0 +8%6
Winner of a 2010 Best Tools for Schools award Grow your music program sales by selling rock band studios that allows kids to rock while teachers teach. Learn how by watching the videos at:
www.JamHub.com/teach
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MusiCreed, debuted at NAMM 2011 was instantly recognized as a “need to have� tool for the novice to the professional. MusiCreed is a small 4-inch eye catching jewel with a simple mechanism that is used with scale cards as a musical calculator to teach hundreds of scales and modes from both western and eastern music. With one turn of the dial, MusiCreed takes the user on a journey around the musical globe, teaching them international scales and modes in an unmatched level of detail. Designed by international recording artist Yariv Goldman, this device unleashes theory that will prove invaluable to musicians, composers, teachers and students world over. MusiCreed’s design is not only an invaluable tool but also an artistic fashion accessory, easily worn or attached to a musical instrument, symbolic of our creed to unite musicians worldwide. Music is an international language; master it with MusiCreed. www.MusiCreed.com
NAMM’s first ever three-time Best In Show winner! MARCH 2011
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1. Calzone Case Co.: Richard Johnson, Jerry Jerry Landrin, Joe Calzone, Don Sessions. 2. Tycoon Percussion: Left to right: Jonathan Guillen, Ivy Wu, Tony Lapansky, Quincy Yu. 3. D’Addario: Mike Alessi, Peter D’Addario, Steve Mucciolo, and Rob Cunningham. 4. Dave Snyder, Cindy Overton, “Slick Machine”(artist), and Chris Pelletier at the Aurora Strings booth. 5. Ron Van Ostenbridge, John Cavanaugh, Ellen Cavanaugh, and Jim Cavanagh of Super-Sensitive Musical Strings Co. 6. Iris Cecilio Musical Instruments: Sami Tang, Nora Hwany, Kristie Au, Steven Zhad. 7. Ron Koppes, Bill Steppan, and Brett Stoffel of Tri-Technical Systems. 8. Godin Guitars’ Kat Calder, richard Bunze and Norm Arduini. 9. Steve and Andy MacIntosh with Chuck Greene of Roc-N-Soc. 10. Jessica Anne Baron of Guitars in the Classroom. 11. House of Troy: Betsy Levin. 12. John Musselman with Janice and Jim Klingler of American Way Marketing LLC.
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Meeting the Needs of Students for More Than 30 Years ... Our Best-Selling SV-175 Cremona Violin!
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Cremona bowed instruments have set the pace for the vibrant student and rental markets for over 30 years. Strict adherence to international sizing requirements, domestic educational set-up standards and continuous quality improvement have made Cremona Violins, Violas, Basses and Cellos proven sales leaders. Our best-selling, ebony fitted SV-175 Cremona Premier Violin Outfit has recently been upgraded to include the J.LaSalle LB-13 Octagonal Bow and the TL-33 deluxe rectangular Travelite case.
Cremona SV-175 Violin Outfit: •All-solid carved, graduated construction •Seven sizes from 4⁄4 to 1⁄16 •Long lasting ebony fittings •Finetuner tailpiece for precise, easy tuning •Rugged TL-33 Travelite case •Well-balanced J.LaSalle LB-13 bow with ebony frog
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Suggested Retail
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SV-175
[800] BUY-SAGA www.sagamusic.com Dealer inquiries invited.
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Lowrey Dinner 1
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Dealer Excellence Awards
1. Allen’s Music Centre (Great Yarmouth U.K.): Jim Wieda of Lowrey presents the award to Lucy and Cornelius Curtin, and Lowrey’s Seijiro Imamura. 2. Critchett’s Lowrey Organ Center (Urbandale, Iowa): Jim Wieda of Lowrey, Dave Brown, and Lowrey’s Seijiro Imamura. 3. Falcetti Music (Springfield, Mass.): Bob Ashworth of Lowrey, Sam Falcetti, and Lowrey’s Seijiro Imamura. 4. Festival Music (Boynton Beach, Fla.): Brad Bryan of Lowrey, Scott Kaapke, and Lowrey’s Seijiro Imamura. 5. Lambert’s Organ Center (Anderson, Ind.): Andy Cerone of Lowrey, Judy and Phil Lambert, and Lowrey’s Seijiro Imamura. 6. Piano Gallery (South Jordan, Utah): Bob Ashwor of Lowrey with Stan Beagley and Lowrey’s Seijiro Imamura. 7. Fletcher Music Centers (Clearwater, Fla.): Joanie Manero of Lowrey, John Riley, and Lowrey’s Seijiro Imamura. 8. Evola Music (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.): Lowrey’s Seijiro Imamura and Andy Cerone present the award to Jim Evola, Tony Trupiano, and Joe Davidson. 9. Lacefield Music (St. Louis, Mo.): Lowrey’s Seijiro Imamura, Larry Lacefield, Cathy Krubsack, Howard Kessler, Carol Fanetti, and Mike Kanka, with Andy Cerone of Lowrey. 10. Dealer Excellence Award to Schmitt Music (Minneapolis, Minn.): Bruce Mihalek, Joanie Manero, Ryan Gulbransen, and Wayne Reinhardt, with Lowrey’s Seijiro Imamura.
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Top Sales Performer
Top Lowrey Sales Performer: Brad Bryan and Seijiro Imamura (R) present the award to Joanie Manero.
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11. Dunkley Music (Boise, Idaho): Jim Wieda of Lowrey, Mark Dunkley, Lowrey’s Seijiro Imamura, and Marion Sundwall. 12. Kirby Music (Las Vegas, Nev.) Bob Ashworth of Lowrey, Brian & Richelle Kirby, and Lowrey’s Seijiro Imamura. 13. Central Music (Louisville, Ky.): Andy Cerone of Lowrey, Tiffany, Eunice, and Alan Cronin, with Lowrey’s Seijiro Imamura. 84 MMR
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14. Joanie Manero of Lowrey, John Riley of Fletcher Music Centers (Clearwater, Fla.) and Lowrey’s Seijiro Imamura. 15. Lowrey’s Andy Cerone, Jim Hutchins of Lowrey Fun Center (Kalamazoo, Mich.) and Seijiro Imamura of Lowrey. MARCH 2011
1. Zildjian’s bash introducing the new Gen16 line. 2. Lothar Kiesche and Hannes Schimmel of Schimmel Pianofortefabrik. 3. Mono Cases: Daniel Kushner, Pat Chen. 4. Dhani Harrison discussing the process behind the Gretsch Custom Shop George Harrison “Tribute” Duo Jet Guitar. 5. Dream Theatre’s Jordan Rudess performs on Korg’s new Kronos. 6. Tonegear: Dave Chiappetta, Adam Pockross. 7. Dream Cymbals and Gongs: Stephen Eelhart, Craig Snowden. 8. The DBZ Guitars Girls 9. Bill Wenzloff and Randy Wright of Morley/Ebtech. 10. Stevie Wonder walked the show floor on Saturday afternoon. 11. MMR Editor Christian Wissmuller with Peavey Electronics guitars licensed from Marvel Comics. 12. Recording artist, Darren Rahn with Alex Hsieh of P. Mauriat Saxophones. 13. Zildjian’s Chris Ryan debuts the new Gen16 acoustic cymbal with electronic pickup. 14. Mike Summers and Donez McNeely, Musicorp. 15. Artist Sean Paddock demos Yamaha’s Custom Club drumset. 16. Charles Sturgeon and Patrick Stevenson, Hanser Music Group. 17. Christopher Walker and Nick Ellingsworth, US Music Corp. 18. Charles Lusso and Fred di Tomasso, D’Andrea Inc. 19. Retro fashion at the Two Old Hippies booth.
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EMG’s 35th Anniversary Reception 19 MARCH 2011
20. EMG’s Hap Kuffner with MMR editor Christian Wissmuller. 21. MMR’s Melanie Prescott, Laurie Guptill, and Sidney Davis.
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1. New England Conservatory Abreu Fellows speak about El Sistema USA at the Learning Lounge on Sunday, January 16th. 2. HWP: Angela Koregelos, Liz Schaefer. 3. Clarinetists demoing the new instruments at the Backun Musical booth. 4. Audix: Cliff Castle, Lee Oskar, Lee Oskar Harmonicas, Desiree McCormick, Marc Wilson, Cindy Bigeh, Lofty Whitaker. 5. Keith McMillen Instruments: Jon Short, Diane Douglas, Keith McMillen, Danny Piccione.
MARCH 2011
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MARCH 2011
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Fresh Faces: BT’s Guitar Shop
A Dream Comes to Fruition with a Little Help from Craigslist…
In this day and age it’s almost impossible to not be familiar with everything that goes on in our cities, suburbs, and small towns.
Information is at our
ngertips (literally) via the Web and, with the advent of Facebook, MySpace, Craigslist, et cetera, there’s no escaping even the minor details of the lives of people we know – or even only vaguely know.
Those who grew up in the pre-Internet age remember that, while it was perhaps more challenging to connect with others or track down data, relationships formed through face-to-face conversation hold a value that can’t be replaced by highspeed DSL connections or text messages. BT’s Guitar Shop in South Lyons, Mich. represents a synergy between old and new: the store is a traditional, brickand-mortar storefront with an approachable, friendly staff with whom clients can easily have those types of meaningful, in-person connections – but it was a posting on Craigslist that served as the initial catalyst for owners Terry Trajkovski and Bill Welsh to start the business. BT’s Guitar Shop specializes in new and used instruments, ampliers and ac-
cessories as well offering lessons catering to all ages. Recently Terry and Bill took the time to tell me about the store and what the future may hold for them.
MMR: So tell us about the genesis of the store? Bill Welsh: Our initial contact actually occurred from a Craigslist Ad. Terry Trajkovski owned the building that had previously housed another music store. That owner had to leave and vacated the shop, leaving really everything needed to run a music store, except merchandise. Terry was looking for someone who could run the store day to day, because he already owns and operates a local family restaurant in town called Alexander’s. I just happened to be looking thru the Craigslist
“ There are opportunities out there and you have to make the most of any situation.” ads and stumbled upon one, looking for someone to teach and possibly co-own the store. We contacted each other and we’re both residents of South Lyons – we both felt it was very important for the town to have a music store and the deal was struck; and BT’s Guitar Shop was born.
MMR: How has the response been to the shop so far? Terry Trajkovski: The response so far has been great. We held an open house and over 70 people attended. In fact at one 88 MMR
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pansion. We wanted to start out small and build from there. We actually plan on adding another lesson room within the month.
Terry Trajkovsky and Bill Welsh.
point there was no room for anyone to move. The Welsh family really helped get the store into shape by giving it a complete face-lift. It is turning into a family business. Also the local paper has already done a feature story on us. That really helped us to have more customers and students.
MMR: What kind of Guitar and amp lines are you currently carrying? Terry and Bill: Right now we are mostly consignment. We are looking into guitar lines, but have yet to pull the trigger. We have our eyes on a couple of lines with small buy ins and yet offer great quality. Our main amp attraction is Guytron amps. Made in our home state of Michigan these amps are “boutique” with a capital B. The tone is amazing, the features are unreal. We are very happy to stock them. Also we have an actual amp build coming up where people can come in and build their very own, high quality tube amp. This is done in conjunction with GDS/Guytron Amp owner Graydon Stuckey. Graydon will actually be there to actually run the amp build. Also we carry V-Picks, which have been our most popular item.
MMR: How many employees currently work at the store? TT: We have ve instructors on staff for lessons. And for our sales oor the Welsh family is helping out. Linda runs the books, Kenny oversees and controls the website, and they both along with Bill Sr. help run the sales oor. MMR: How do total sales break down, new vs. old? TT: Our strings, straps, picks are all new. So from an instrument perspective it has been 100 percent used right now.
But we have only been open for a month. So we expect that number to change as we build our lines.
MMR: Could you talk about the lessons you offer? TT: Primarily we are a lesson studio that has retail. Bill is our main instructor and we have four more on staff (for when we open the second and third room). We are currently instructing 26 students. We feel that we will be able to teach 70-80 students, per week, as we continue to grow. Also we will have a Rock Star Day Camp this summer, and we also house two jam sessions per month for our students. We also have a password protected site for our students to get more information and lesson material via our Web site.
MMR: How big is your store currently? BW: We are around seven hundred square feet, with plenty of room for exMARCH 2011
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Fresh Faces Our student population is composed of two groups of 8-14 year olds who are just starting out, and adults over 40. For the adults they fall into one of two groups, complete beginners and people who played 20 years ago and want to start again. We actually have three students in their 60s and they are doing great!
MMR: So what are your ultimate goals for the store? Terry and Bill: Our ultimate goal is to teach the joy and fun that music can bring. I nd that learning the guitar is so much more meaningful than just learning an instrument. We are able to teach our students the importance of goal-setting and that what they put in is what they get out. That lessons can be taken into everyday life for any situation. We really would like to teach at least 70 students per week, have our Rock Star Day Camp lled in the summer, open up a small recording studio that the students can use, and build our retail space into two areas: one for total beginners, housing very affordable quality instruments; and the other being for boutique amps and effects to attract the more seasoned players. MMR: Any final thoughts? BW: This has been a dream of both of ours for many years. And as the economy is suffering, especially here in Michigan, it’s just interesting to see how that has led us to nally do this. The economy had us both wondering what was next. There are opportunities out there and you have to make the most of any situation. We are looking forward to the future of BT’s Guitar Shop. MMR: Thank you for your time guys and best of luck.
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New Products Jangus Music’s Wi AudioStream EL Jangus Music’s Wi AudioStream™ EL Pocket Portable Stereo Digital Wireless Microphone & Audio Monitoring System is described by the company as being the rst stereo digital wireless system ever to combine all the features required for mini mic and in-ear monitoring in a small, rugged, lightweight design.
Weighing in at 1.08 Oz, this plugand-play system quickly interchanges from an Ear-worn microphone to lavalier mic or audio monitoring system with a press of a button and swap of accessories, giving you the versatility and value of an all-in-one wireless solution for all types of sound system and computer applications. This fast-to-setup 2.4GHz stereo digital wireless system provides up to 100 feet of secure, uncompressed 16bit, 48kHz CD quality wireless audio connectivity and operates without radio frequency (RF) interference, signal loss, or crackle inherent in UHF/VHF systems. www.jangusmusic.com Levy’s Christian Guitar Straps Levy’s expands its line of Christian design guitar straps with a 2” heavy cotton webbing, covered with a gold-colored
foil, printed with a Cross or Fish design, and nished with leather ends. Pictured 92 MMR
is model MT8MC available in six different design variations. www.levysleathers.com Gator Cases Gator’s new G-Club Controller bag is designed to t today’s most popular MIDI controllers including the American Audio VMS4 and the Vestax Typhoon.
Designed to securely transport a laptop based midi controller, laptop, and DJ style headphones, this sleek messenger style bag is made of a lightweight durable nylon exterior. The controller bags also features the G-Club’s signature orange interior lining for easy visibility in low lighting and dark clubs. The controller section features thick padding on the front and back as well as an EVA rubber foam bottom for added protection. The large zippered laptop pocket is heavily padded and can hold laptops up to a 17” screen size. www.gatorcases.com VOX Night Train 50 Tube Amplifier and V212NT Speaker Cabinet The powerful, all-tube Night Train 50 offers two channels for a diverse range of sounds. The V212NT extension cabinet is the perfect complement to the Night Train 50 both aesthetically and sonically. The Night Train 50 features an EL34 based, Class AB amplier design delivering 50 Watts of power through 2 channels. The preamp stage is equipped with four 12AX7 vacuum tubes. The Night Train 50 is a two-channel design. The BRIGHT channel borrows its design from the Night Train NT15H, while the GIRTH channel utilizes an extra pre-amp tube for added crunch. Each channel offers Bass, Middle, Treble and Gain controls. The BRIGHT channel pro-
vides a foot-switchable THICK mode that bypasses the EQ to boost the gain. The Master section includes the traditional Master Volume and the VOX Tone Cut control, plus a new TIGHT switch, for use with either channel. The TIGHT mode attenuates the low-frequency range, adding more focus to the low end, providing even more sonic possibilities. The V212NT birch-ply speaker cabinet is specically designed to match the Night Train 50 head. The two Celestion 12-inch G12’s are a natural choice for delivering the NT50’s distinct tones. The cabinet’s retro look and rounded corner design make it the perfect companion for the Night Train 50, exuding a powerful presence on stage. VOX’s Night Train 50 Tube Amplier and V212NT Speaker Cabinet will be available March 2011 with pricing as follows: NT50H Night Train 50 Tube Amplier – $1,000; V212NT Speaker Cabinet – $700. www.voxamps.com/us/ Dream’s Dark Matter Flat Earth Rides The Dark Matter Flat Earth Ride 20” and 22” Ride Cymbals bring a totally unique sound palette not found in any of our ride cymbals. They are warm and emotive, with rich overtones and a complex wash. Dream Dark Matter cymbals are created from a proprietary process where the cymbals are red more than once during their birth cycle. The extreme stresses and heat from this process create a cymbal that is so dramatically changed on a molecular level that they take months or aging to mature.
MARCH 2011
DMFE20 List $369 DMFE22 List $449 www.dreamcymbals.com
(-50°C - +145°C). Ask for Cat. No’s 1069, 1065 & 1068 www.keyelco.com
Travler Guitar Escape EG-2 The Traveler Guitar Escape EG-2 is a full 25 ½”-scale electric guitar featuring a compact double-cutaway body shape, 3-ply pick guard, maple neck & fretboard and a rich, lusty 2-tone sunburst nish which provide vintage looks and modern comfort to the traveling guitarist. At just 29 ½” long, the EG-2 stows easily in airline overhead compartments and weighs less than 5 pounds. Two precision-placed single-coil pickups feed into the EG-2’s built-in Pocket RockIt headphone amplier, which is custom-designed to produce classic clean and distortion sounds through headphones or when plugged into an amplier. Players can also go passive into their amp of choice. The EG-2’s onboard electronics include a 1/8” AUX IN jack so players can jam with tracks from an external device such as an mp3 or CD player. Additional controls include Tone & Volume knobs and a 3-way pickup selector. The Traveler Guitar Escape EG-2 also boasts more traditional guitar features such as an alder body, standard strap pins and a fully adjustable truss rod. Includes Deluxe Gig Bag and comes standard with D’Addario EXL-110 strings. www.travelerguitar.com
KharmaDesign LLC Unveils iKnob KharmaDesign LLC debuts the iKnob, a simple yet effective device for adjusting the output volume of any audio output
device, such as the iPod. The iKnob is a passive volume control designed with solo instrumentalists in mind. It provides a quick and easy way to increase or decrease the volume of the tracks to maintain
Keystone’s New Coin Cell Holders The new vertical entry, polarized lithium coin cell holders from Keystone are appropriate for 16mm, 20mm, and 24mm cell sizes. Features include: • Manufactured from UL rated 94V-0 materials. • Secure mounting for wave soldering. • Reliable spring tension assures low contact resistance. • Secured battery retention withstands shock and vibration. • Operating temperatures: -60°F to 293°F MARCH 2011
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New Products a consistent volume level. The iKnob has stereo RCA and 3.5mm inputs and outputs, and a ¼ inch switched stereo to mono output jack to connect with any guitar amp. Also available is a small platform, The Kharma Zone, which clamps onto a microphone stand to hold the iKnob and iPod while in use. The iKnob recently
won the NAMM 2011 Best Tools for Schools award for Best Rehearsal Tool category. www.kharmadesignusa.com AER’s Pocket Tools AER’s Pocket Tools -- editing tools for acoustic instruments – is a collection of three stomp box-sized units and includes two pre-
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amps and one EQ. Designed for sound optimization, these tools feature signalto-noise ratio and boast the dynamic headroom found in all AER products. The collection includes: the Colourizer two-channel preamp/DI-box for mic or line signals with volume, gain, and DI level controls, plus three sound-shaping control sections; Dual Mix, a two-channel preamp/ DI-box for mic or line signals, with four digital effect presets (short & long reverb, chorus, and anger); and Dual Para EQ a dual-band parametric EQ with switchable frequency ranges. Each Pocket Tool includes a 24V DC power supply and convenient carrying case. www.musiquip.com T-Rex Pedals T-Rex Engineering’s has added new pedals of its growing line of boutique effects pedals. The new pedals include: Reptile 2, Twister 2, and Tonebug Sustainer. www.t-rex-effects.com Jensen Jet Falcon 10” Jensen Speaker’s latest addition to the Jet series, the 10” Falcon features 40 watts of power, a ceramic magnet, and a seamed green cone made from all natural materials. The Falcon 10” tone is said to be warm and straightforward with a pronounced low end. Its mid frequencies are slightly enhanced over the Falcon 12”, and it has a sweet, yet cutting, high end. www.jensentone.com Acesonic’s Multimedia Player Acesonic has released the Blu-Ray Multimedia Karaoke Player, the Acesonic BDK-2000. MARCH 2011
Acesonic’s BDK-2000 Blu-Ray Multimedia Karaoke Player is a multi-functional, high-deďƒžnition, networked, multimedia player. It can play all media from discs, USB drives, local network or Internet in HD quality up to 1080P. The Acesonic Blu-Ray Multimedia Karaoke Player includes an HDMI port and it is compatible with the latest audio, video, picture and karaoke formats including MP3, WAV, WMA, MPEG-1, MPEG-2 (AVI/VOB), MPEG-4 (AVI), DivX, MKV, RMVB, JPEG, and MP3+G ďƒž les. The built-in Blu-Ray multi-format player supports all types of discs such as Blu-Ray discs, DVDs, VCDs, CD+Gs, CDs, and data discs. A built-in Ethernet port enables streaming content online via BD-Live or local network media ďƒžles on a network PC or network storage. A built-in USB port allows for the user to play music, view pictures or videos stored on a USB drive. The BDK-2000 includes the most commonly used buttons on the front panel for easy navigation. An optional rack-mount kit enables users to lock their player in any standard 19â€? rack. The Player also features a headphone output jack, two microphone inputs and a built-in digital audio recording function. The player also includes adjustment for microphone bass, microphone treble, microphone volume, microphone echo, and a music equalizer to ďƒž ne tune performance. www.acesonic.com Music Bible Series from Book Sales The Music Bible series of music instruction books for guitar, keyboard, drum, and saxophone players is now available to music stores. With collective sales in excess of 500,000 units, other types of retailers have been selling the series successfully for the past ďƒžve years. The packaging for these full color books is hardcover with internal wire binding and each comes with a CD. Some of the titles include: Learn to Play Guitar; Guitar Chord Bible; Learn to Play Keyboards; and How to Record Your Own Music and Get On the Internet. A new display is available with all qualifying orders. The retail price is $14.99. www.booksalesusa.com MARCH 2011
SKB Launches New Soft Cases SKB’s keyboard soft case series includes ďƒžve different sizes: 61-note keyboards (1SKB-SC61KW); arranger workstations (1SKB-SC61AKW); 76-note keyboards (1SKB-SC76KW); 88-note narrow keyboards (1SKB-SC88NKW); and 88-note keyboards (1SKB-SC88KW). All cases are constructed of wood framed walls and
an outer 600-Denier nylon covering with a completely padded interior. Two large, padded straps provide additional protection and security. All cases include in-line skate wheels and legs with expanding stabilizer for standing the case on end. The back of the case features stair rails while the side includes additional trunk rails to protect the case when loading and unload-
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New Products ing. Two large pouches are included on the lid for storage of cables, pedals, and other accessories. Straps are provided for hands free carry and for connection of other bags. All cases will be available in May 2011 and will have estimated retail prices of: $129.99 - $179.99. SKB’s case to transport the Numark NS7FX Performance DJ controller is
a soft case that ts the NS7FX performance software controller, NSFX effects controller, laptop, and laptop stand. The interior of the 1SKB-SCNS7FX is fully lined EPS foam that has a separate compartment for the
performance controller and the effects controller. The lid interior includes convoluted foam to ensure that all of the top surface controls are protected in transport. The exterior is a Denier nylon cover with two external zippered pouches for laptop storage and computer arm storage. The 1SKBSCNS7FX case includes two dual wheels and pull handle for easy transportation. The 1SKB-SCNS7FX retails for $139.99. SKB’s line of custom 3i Injection molded hard shell cases for the Zoom H4N, Zoom H2, Zoom Q3 (and HD), Edirol, and Sony PCM recorders feature custom foam interiors. Each recorder is housed in a 3i-0907-4B injection molded watertight case that is constructed of ultra high-strength polypropylene copolymer resin. The case shells are designed and manufactured to US Military specication standards (MIL-STD) for tactical applications. The molded unibody is a waterproof, airtight, and submersible design (IP67) that is resistant to corrosion and impact damage. The case includes two (2) SKB patented trigger latches, snap-down rubber overmolded cushion grip handles and an automatic ambient pressure equalization valve (MIL-STD-648C). The interior is custom cut ELE foam that includes pockets for the recorder, power supply, wind screens, memory cards and other accessories. The 3i custom cases are priced at $64.99. www.skbcases.com St. Louis Music’s Regent Series from Alvarez Alvarez’s new Regent Series is made up of 23 models in a range of price points, colors, and body shapes. Each guitar features an electrostatic nish, spruce top, and a choice of mahogany or rosewood back and sides. Other appointments include a rosewood, bi-level bridge, rosewood ngerboard, and premium tuners.
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The Regent Series comes in dreadnought, folk, and classical body shapes, with electric/acoustic versions of each body style also available. The guitars retail for $169.99. www.stlouismusic.com Porter Case’s Cart Series Porter Case’s injection molded travel case with Cart series combines the features of the original Porter Case with years of customer feedback and suggested enhancements.The PCi cases feature a TSA combination lock. It has four-inch ball bearing wheels, single button extension handle controls, a water/dust resistant gasket, side and end spring loaded carrying handles, tough PP construction, and a built-in Cart to carry up to 150 pounds of baggage on top. The PCi comes with a choice of six different interiors. Prices start at $194. www.portercase.com
Kala Brand Music Co. Stand Out Music Stand. Stand Out™ instrument stands designed with one step easy-slide assembly. The rst to be introduced is the US-MHG-FOAM which ts all sizes of ukuleles and mandolins. The Stand Out consists of two pieces of laminate
mahogany wood with cushion foam that slide easily together or apart in one step. When apart the two pieces stack conveniently at making the stand very compact for transporting and storage. The stand is attractively packaged in a 4 color box and retails for $29.99. www.kalaukulele.com
Hybrid Cajons from Tycoon Tycoon Percussion’s line of Hybrid Cajons includes the Djembe Cajon, Ashiko Cajon, and Bongo Cajon. The hy-
brid cajons are unique crosses between the cajon and a traditional drum. Built from “the nest sustainably harvested Siam Oak Wood,” these drums are individually hand-made and tested to ensure superior sound quality and durability. The Hybrid Cajon is built to be lightweight, portable, and durable while maintaining the highest quality of sound and playability, making it just one of the many exclusive and innovative product lines offered at Tycoon Percussion. www.tycoonpercussion.com MARCH 2011
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New Products Global truss Digital D.J. Stand In this age of digital music, it’s no longer necessary for mobile DJ’s to carry records and turntables to events; just about all that is needed today is a laptop computer and a media controller Global Truss doesn’t think this makes much sense, which is why the company has come out with a sleek digital DJ stand, designed to hold laptops, digital workstations and the other high tech gear used by many DJs today. The new Global Truss GT-Digital DJ Stand projects a sleek, modern and professional look that reects positively upon the DJ and allows him or her to step out from behind the console and get closer to audiences. Mobile entertainment is all about interacting with the crowd, and the new Global Truss GT Digital DJ Stand helps DJs do just that by making them more visible. The compact stand is easy to set up and take down. All DJs, even those not technically inclined, will nd it fast and simple to create their own digital stand using a Global Truss SQ-4127H and SQ-4110-875 trussing and a BASEPLATE 30X30A The heavy-duty Digital DJ Stand is sturdy and secure enough for mixers, workstations and laptops, yet is lightweight and compact, allowing it to be easily transported between events. And because of the Digital DJ Stand’s compact size, the DJ can be an active participant in the festivities, rather than separated from the crowd by a booth or heavy console. MRSP of $699.00 www.globaltruss.com/Default. aspx
PC network. On the PC workstation, users need to congure each price checker unit to link with a V9.0 AIMsi location via the Price Checker Software. Then activate the connections. That is it! Customers can bring an item up to the price checker and they will quickly learn the price of the product and if it is currently on sale. Sales staff can also use the unit to verify pricing. Connect multiple devices throughout a store to 1 software application. Product Features: • Displays current pricing by linking directly to V9.0 AIMsi • Displays sales prices if applicable • Connect multiple devices to 1 software module • Generate reports of “Not Found” items to help in updating product lists • Print or Export report data • Displays SKU info on the PC screen as the items are scanned on the store oor AIMsi is a complete point of sale (POS), inventory management, ac-
Tri-Technical Systems Store-Floor Price Checker Integration with V9.0 AIMsi On the store oor retailers can place one or multiple price checker devices. These units simply connect with your existing MARCH 2011
counting and business software application. V9 has been PA-DSS certied and uses tokenization for credit card and auto pay processing. The software offers retailers not only a way to control inventory, manage customers and track sales, but also offers fully integrated custom add-on modules such as Repair & Service tracking, Lesson Scheduling, Short Term Rentals, Rent and Sales Contracts, Contact Management, Emailing capabilities, Tee Scheduler and a Time Scheduler. AIMsi allows users to build their own custom retail software solution by adding on the modules that are needed. www.technology4retailers.com
mixing software, targeting DJs from the bedroom, mobile, and professional superstars. With VirtualDJ’s breakthrough Beat Lock engine, songs will always stay in beat, allowing DJs to work their mixes faster than ever before. The automatic seamless loop engine and synchronized sampler lets the DJ perform astounding remixes live, with no preparation at all.
The visual representation and the cues allow a DJ to clearly see the song structure, and never be surprised by a break. The CTRL-47 is the newest addition to the Gemini CTRL series DJ controllers, has an MSRP TBD, and will be shipping to retailers around the globe rst half 2011. www.gci-technologies.com
Gemini CTRL—47 MIDI Controller GEMINI DJ, a division of GCI TECHNOLOGIES, recently announced the all-new CTRL-47, 4-channel MIDI controller. The CTRL-47 is a powerful and uid professional Digital DJ system featuring a premium-quality 4-channel DJ mixer; an intuitive DJ controller with familiar feel and two touch-sensitive jog wheels as well as a built-in 24-bit/192 kHz soundcard, latency-free ASIO drivers. It provides maximum control over DJ software with a litany of controls for loops, effects, EQ controls, samples, hot cues, and pitch. The included inputs and outputs on the CTRL-47 offer powerful connectivity options with balanced XLR outputs and 3 sets of stereo RCA outputs: Master, Booth, and Record as well as a S/PDIF digital out to feed your mix to any source. The CTRL-47 also makes it easy to hook up other gear - including headphones for cueing and a microphone, while its streamlined and compact pro le makes it a pleasure to transport from gig to gig. A version of the popular VirtualDJ 7 software is included with the CTRL47. VirtualDJ is AUDIO and VIDEO
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Supplier Scene MusiCreed MusiCreed, debuted at NAMM 2011, is a small, four-inch, eye catching jewel with a simple mechanism that is used with scale
cards as a musical calculator to teach hundreds of scales and modes from both western and eastern music. With one turn of the dial, MusiCreed takes the user on a journey around the musical globe, teaching them international scales and modes in an unmatched level of detail. Designed by international recording artist Yariv Goldman, this device unleashes theory that will prove invaluable to musicians, composers, teachers and students world over. MusiCreed’s design is not only an invaluable tool but also an artistic fashion accessory, easily worn or attached to a musical instrument, symbolic of our creed to unite musicians worldwide. “Music is an international language; master it with MusiCreed.” www.musicreed.com Daisy Rock Welcomes Jacklyn Partida to Artist Roster Daisy Rock Girl Guitars, the original girl-guitar company, is proud to welcome Jacklyn Partida of the Jackie Rocks band and Clone to their artist roster. Jackie is a very talented young player, and also a great role model. Her music is often compared to Pat Benatar, Joan Jett, The Donnas, Poison, and early My Chemical Romance, and her song’s hooks remain determined to get into your head. Partida discovered Daisy Rock guitars when searching for the perfect guitar 100 MMR
for her upcoming shows. When she found Daisy Rock, she immediately contacted the company. Soon after learning of Partida’s interest and listening to her songs, president and founder of Daisy Rock, Tish Ciravolo offered Jackie an endorsement. At just 16 years old, Jackie and her band have pursued every performing opportunity to get their music heard. Not only do they rock local venues and benet concerts for various charities, they are branching out into the Greater Bay area and beyond. They are a professional working band with over 300 live performances under their belt. Partida also gives guitar lessons to children of all ages and is regularly asked to play at local schools. Jackie Rocks were also winners of Seventeen Magazine & Converse Shoe’s “She’s A Star” contest as next potential Breakout artist in 2008. For tour dates and locations please visit www.jackierocks.com www.daisyrock.com/artists Eastern Kentucky Music Department selects Petrof Pianos Petrof USA. LLC and the Music Department of Eastern Kentucky University announce the acquisition of seven Petrof Grand Pianos. Petrof USA, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of the world renowned Petrof Piano Company, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic. Having achieved national repute, Eastern Kentucky University Music Department provides the very best musical instruments to students and faculty alike. Rob James, Chair of the EKU Music Department, stated that a search of many months culminated in the selection of the Petrof product. As Europe’s largest piano builder, Petrof enjoys 147 years of tradition in the production of their ne instruments. “The highly regarded EKU music program will be the perfect venue for our pianos”, said Zuzana Petrof, 5th generation Petrof CEO, “and I am so pleased at the establishment of this wonderful relationship.” Al Rich, Petrof USA President, agreed and stated, “The EKU Music Department is one of the best and we are proud that our pianos will be a part of the education and performance experience of their talented students and faculty.”
Professor James indicated that the Petrof instruments will be utilized in concert, practice and teaching events. “The entire faculty of the Music Department is quite delighted with the addition of these ne pianos and we look forward to their contribution to our performance program”, added James. Details of the installation were managed by the Earl Brooks Music Company of Somerset, Kentucky. PRS Guitars and GRAND-AM Road Racing Announce Continued Partnership Paul Reed Smith Guitars and GRANDAM Road Racing announced they will continue their partnership during the 2011 Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 season. PRS President Jack Higginbotham will award the overall winner of the Rolex 24 At Daytona on January 30 with the rst in a series of customized PRS guitars to kick off the 2011 season. PRS’s custom-painted PRS SE “GRAND-AM” 2010 trophy guitars were
presented on the podium to each winning team starting with the 2010 season opener at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida and concluding with the championship race at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. PRS will again present a guitar to each of the 12 DP-winning driver pairings in 2011 but will add an additional guitar for the GT-winning driver pairing. PRS decals will also adorn some cars in both the DP and GT classes, and the PRS theme will continue with “race winner” stickers for each event. www.prsguitars.com www.grand-am.com The Conga Room at LA Live Installs JBL Loudspeaker System The Conga Room, described as “Los Angeles’ number one Latin music venue, hosting top performers from around the MARCH 2011
world and offering a diverse range of Latin, world beat, urban, jazz, rock en Español and pop/rock,” recently upgraded its audio system with the installation of a complete JBL loudspeaker system comprised of VP (Venue Performance), VerTecâ and VRX Series loudspeakers.
Owned by celebrities including Jimmy Smits, Jennifer Lopez, Paul Rodriguez, will.i.am and others, The Conga Room combines musical excitement with style, sophistication and ne dining. When
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the owners decided to upgrade the audio system, they turned to Sound Image of Escondido, California for the audio system design and installation, in collaboration with AVS Production Group of the Bronx, NY. Both companies have 60 years combined experience in providing sound for stadiums, clubs, museums, houses of worship and other large venues. Sound Image and AVS Production Group provided six JBL VerTec VT4887 compact line array elements (three per side) for the main left and right line arrays, along with 12 VP7212 powered loudspeakers and two VP7215 powered loudspeakers as monitors and two VP7210/95DP speakers for the delay channels. Rounding out the system are JBL VRX918S Constant Curvature arrayable subwoofers. Ernie Ball to Send Fifteen to Experience Clapton Ernie Ball Inc. announced on January 25th Ernie Ball Presents Experience Clapton
and the Ernie Ball Eric Clapton Golden Pick, giving Ernie Ball customers nationwide a rare opportunity to meet Eric Clapton in London or win one of thousands of exciting prizes instantly. Fifteen grand prize winners will get unparalleled access to Eric Clapton’s private rehearsal, an exclusive meet and greet and a ticket to see Clapton live at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The London show is the climax of Clapton’s UK tour in support of his 19th studio album, Clapton. Each and every pack of Ernie Ball electric and acoustic guitar strings purchased at Guitar Center between February 1st and April 30th will give a guitarist the chance to win one of the 15 grand prizes to Experience Clapton in London, simply by visiting www.ernieball.com/ericclapton and entering the unique code provided inside the package. Select packs will also include one of 5 color-coded, instant-winning Eric Clapton guitar picks. Each pick is redeemable for one of thousands of exclu-
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sive prizes including free Music Man guitars, VIP trips to the 2012 winter NAMM show and Guitar Center gift cards, depending on the pick’s color. www.musiciansfriend.com www.guitarcenter.com www.ernieball.com/ericclapton Fishman on tour with Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters Fishman Acoustic Amplication, distributed exclusively in the UK and Eire by John Hornby Skewes & Co. Ltd., reached a giant live audience in recent weeks as part of Roger Waters’ The Wall Live Tour. Wrapping up the US leg of the sold-out world tour on the West Coast, The Wall Live features the very latest in stagecraft, live sound, lighting technology - and a number of Fishman products. The Wall was progressive rock group Pink Floyd’s 11th studio album and later a lm. Hugely successful upon its release in 1979, it went on to become one of the top selling albums of all time, with 30 million copies sold to date. Fishman Acoustic Amplication has been well represented on the tour, with Waters using an Aura Imaging Blender through his acoustic guitar, which is equipped with a Fishman Matrix In nity active pickup and endpin mounted preamp, on the song “Mother”. Guitarists Dave Kilminster and GE Smith are both using the incredibly versatile acoustic imaging tones of the Fishman Aura Spectrum DI on a few of the show’s numbers, including “Goodbye Blue Sky” and “Is There Anybody Out There?”. The Wall Tour, which grossed nearly $90 million in the US, is set to hit Europe in early 2011, with UK dates scheduled for London, Manchester and Birmingham. www.shman.com www.jhs.co.uk Guitarist Tommy “O” Using Zaolla Silverline Tujunga, CA-based guitarist Tommy O, whose credits include tours for performers such as En Vogue, R&B/Pop icons Janet MARCH 2011
Jackson and Michael Jackson, as well as high pro le studio sessions with the likes of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, has been using Zaolla Silverline Artist 500 Series guitar cables for both his instrument and
his effects pedal board. While he has employed the services of guitar technicians to wire his effects in the past, he prefers a more hands-on approach and enjoys tweaking his gear until every last path in the signal chain is fully optimized. He discussed those factors that most directly impact a good pedal board setup. In the few months since he switched to Zaolla Silverline’s Artist 500 Series cables,
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Tommy O reports his sound is better than ever and he loves the cable’s build quality. “Since switching to Zaolla Silverline cable, I’ve experienced a very noticeable impact on my sound,” he says. “It broadens my sound and gives it considerably more presence than many other cables—without coloring it. My signal is also cleaner and it’s got more bite when I need it.” “As for the way the cable wraps and lies on the oor,” he continued, “this too, is very impressive. A lot of cables remain pretty wrinkled up when you rst unwrap them and lay them across the oor. By contrast, the Zaolla Silverline cables atten out and lie nicely in just a few moments after unwrapping them. You have a lot less concern about tripping over them or having the cables getting caught on something by accident. It all adds up to a more condent performance.” www.zaolla.com DBZ Acoustic Guitars Using TUSQ Exclusively Graph Tech Guitar Labs has announced that DBZ Guitars exclusively uses TUSQ nuts and saddles on their entire line of acoustic guitars. Founded in 1983 by
President Dave Dunwoodie, Graph Tech Guitar Labs manufactures more guitar nuts and saddles than any other company in the world. Focused on innovations to improve guitar tone and vibration for optimal performance, Graph Tech is the maker of TUSQ® and Black TUSQ® XL man-made ivory, String Saver™ saddles, String Saver™ Classics steel saddles, ResoMax™ Harmonic Bridge System, and ghost® Modular Pickup System. DBZ Guitars is the new creation of master guitar builder Dean Zelinsky and Jeff Diamant, President and CEO of Diamond Amplication. DBZ Guitars is taking guitar building to the next level by embracing modern technology, new design concepts and 30 plus years of Zelinsky’s experience as an innovator and guitar designer to the stars. The company has a USA facility in the Chicago, IL suburbs, offshore manufacturing and worldwide distribution. DBZ Guitars offers an extensive line of electric and acoustic guitars ranging from $ 299 to $6,000. You can nd TUSQ on all DBZ acoustic guitars, as well as their Premier Series electric guitars. www.dbzguitars.com www.graphtech.com
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Supplier Scene Train Chooses Audio-Technica Once again topping the charts and packing venues after a three year hiatus beginning in 2009, Train’s onstage sound is more important than ever, and the band continues to turn to Audio-Technica (booth 6740) for wired and wireless microphone solutions. Train have been loyal A-T endorsers for a decade, and this relationship continues as
the band rolls through North America and Europe this fall. Train’s current mic setup includes the following models: Audio-Technica’s Artist Elite® 5000 Serieswireless systems with AEW-T5400 transmitter for lead vocals, AE6100 Hypercardioid Dynamic Handheld Microphone for lead and backing vocals, ATM650 Hypercardioid Dynamic Instrument Microphone for snare,
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AE5100 Cardioid Condenser Instrument Microphone for hi-hat, ATM450 Cardioid Condenser Instrument Microphone for overheads, and ATM250DE DualElement Instrument Microphone and AT4050 Multi-Pattern Condenser Microphone for guitars. www.audio-technica.com SharkTooth Crossover Pick Endorsed by Steve Priest. Sweet Band bassist Steve Priest has selected the SharkTooth® Crossover Pick™ as his primary picking gear, noting that, “The SharkTooth Crossover Pick has helped the way I play bass.” Developed and manufactured by Strum-N-Comfort Picking Systems, the SharkTooth “Traditional model” design uses a sturdy Neoprene strap and a replaceable pick/strap assembly. The pick can be easily adjusted for thumb size and for overall plectrum exibility. The pick tip protrudes through a lateral hole in the
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Neoprene strap. The pick tip can also be adjusted in and out relative to the thumb line. The Traditional model also has a balanced up and down tension or playing feel. Using the Velcro strap for adjustment around the thumb, the player can control all of the pick ex attributes. In addition, the Traditional model makes it easy to substitute your favorite at pick for use with the system. The SharkTooth Crossover Pick V3.0 has quickly established itself as an indispensable tool by a diverse group of prominent, internationally known music teachers and professional players. www.strum-n-comfort.com Find Breaking Newsin the Hot News section of MMR’s Web site, www.mmrmagazine.com 104 MMR
MARCH 2011
Classifieds ☛ ☛ ☛ ☛
RATES: Classified Display: $30 per column inch for text only. $40 per column inch, 1 color, logo, graphics. $50 per column inch 4 color. PAYMENTS: ALL ADS ARE PREPAID. Charge on Mastercard, Visa or American Express. SEND YOUR ADVERTISEMENT TO: 21 Highland Circle, Suite 1, Needham, MA 02494 • mjohan@symphonypublishing.com. QUESTIONS? Call Maureen Johan at 800-964-5150 x 34 • mjohan@symphonypublishing.com.
Business Opportunities • Band and Orchestra Rentals • New and Like New Educator-Approved Brand Name Instruments • Personalized Rent-To-Own Program • No Franchise Fee or Inventory Investment • No Shipping Costs • High Commissions Paid the 1st of Every Month • Exceptional Service
OWNER RETIRING
MUSIC SCHOOL for SALE (in operation since 1986)
Visit the Classifieds on the Web: www.mmrmagazine.com
Merchandise
Housed on its own PRIME REAL ESTATE property in a beautiful, affluent suburb of Houston, TX Call Owner at 832 445-5668 Real Estate and Music School operation can be sold separately
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE 2009 & 2010 Recognized as HOUSTON’S BEST by the US Commerce Association
www.kingwoodmusicschool.com
www.mmrmagazine.com
Merchandise
MARCH 2011 2011 MARCH
MMR 105 105 MMR
Business Opportunities
Merchandise
CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED PIANOS
YAMAHA窶適AWAI
ACCORDIONS, CONCERTINAS, & BUTTON BOXES new, used, buy, sell, trade, repair, tune, CASTIGLIONE DISTRIBUTING CO. 13300 E 11 MILE WARREN, MI 48089 PH # 1-586-755-6050 WWW.CASTIGLIONEACCORDIONS.COM
Japanese High Quality
GUARANTEED You get what you pay for!
1-800-782-2694
North American Music 11 Holt Drive Stony Point, NY 10980 Fax: (845) 429-6920
www.mmrmagazine.com 106 MMR
FINANCING AVAILABLE MARCH 2011
Business Opportunities
Merchandise
Over SIX MILLION Unique Visitors That’s right, Piano World received over six million unique piano loving visitors last year.
And that is just one of the reasons you should be advertising on Piano World. You really should take a minute to see the other reasons.
Visit www.PianoWorld.com/advertising ... Today! PianoWorld.com The World’s Most Popular Piano Web Site Home of the world famous Piano Forums
PORCHBOARD BASS The UCL-S PorchBoard Bass offers analog, clean bass rhythm with the tap of a foot. Durable passive magnetic sensor system and 3-way frequency response switch eliminates low-end feedback and delay. Features both 1/4 inch and XLR outputs. No batteries, wall worts or external power supply required. Includes carry bag. $299.95. www.porchboard.com (608) 752-2229
www.mmrmagazine.com MARCH 2011
MMR 107
Business Opportunities
Merchandise
equatone@earthlink.net
Hunter Music Instrument Inc adds in an accordion line.
Merchandise
Oboes & Bassoons
We create the finest hand-crafted Oboes & Bassoons. Also replacement 5K Bassoon Bocals.
Linton Woodwinds Corporation, Jack Linton 1013 Alma St. Elkhart, IN 46514 U.S.A. PH: 1-866-220-2909 Fax: 574-266-7658 E-Mail: info@lintonwoodwinds.com www.LintonWoodwinds.com 108 MMR
From button accordion to Piano accordion, from Kid’s to adult, from entry level to professional, from solid color to combo, we have a wide selection for the accordion player.
718-706-0828 www.huntermusical.com
For Classified Sales Call Maureen
800-964-5150 ext. 34 mjohan@symphonypublishing.com MARCH 2011
Merchandise
Help Wanted
USED PIANOS at WHOLESALE PRICES consoles, studios, uprights,grands. DISCOUNT PIANO WHOLESALERS (323) 377-3644
Manufacturing
Guitar Show Operators Promote your show dates and reach every guitar dealer in the US through the classified pages of MMR. Call Maureen 800-964-5150 ext 34
Help Wanted Music Man is a family owned and operated Band and Orchestra dealer located in West Palm Beach, FL with over 30 years’ experience serving the music education community of South Florida. Seeking: Educational Sales Representatives who are friendly, knowledgeable, professional, creative and dynamic to build and maintain long-term relationships with existing customer base through the use weekly sales visits. 2+ years of sales experience or instrumental music related degree desired. Repair Technicians w/ 5+ years of repair experience or degree from an accredited Band Instrument Repair program desired. Salary: Negotiable based on experience All inquiries will be kept conďƒždential. Send resumes to: John Jarvis Music Man 2309 N. Dixie Hwy West Palm Beach, FL 33407 or via email to john@musicmaninc.com MARCH 2011
National Sales Professional
Exclusive US Distributor of Brazilian made Giannini Guitars and Instruments is looking for a Sales Professional to expand retail sales base. Unique opportunity to be part of the business. Contact: Georges (954) 746-2777 or georges@etrosmusic.com www.etrosmusic.com
Visit the Classifieds on the Web: www.mmrmagazine.com
Seeking Independant Sales Rep EMD Music Inc. are looking for a focused, energetic, Sales Professional to represent Stagg, Ashdown Bass Amps, Remo, Benz Reeds & Nomad Cases in the Rocky Mountain States.Territory covers CO, UT, NM, WY & El Paso TX. Good commission rates paid. Huge growth potential. Submit Resume to Tony Graham t.graham@emdmusic.com
www.mmrmagazine.com MMR 109
Help Wanted
Repair Tools
BOW REHAIRING Expert Bow Service
Percussion Business Unit Manager D’Addario & Co., the world’s largest musical accessories supplier, headquartered in Farmingdale, NY, seeks a professional to lead the company’s percussion business unit, specifically the Evans drumheads, Pro-Mark, and Puresound brands, as well as other percussion-related accessories. The winning candidate will possess 5-10 years of related experience in product development, marketing and business management. Key responsibilities will include development of business unit strategy, lead cross functional teams in new product development, marketing, and general management, oversight of all business unit spending with GM accountability, serve as key voice in operational and engineering direction, and work closely with international and domestic sales team to achieve brand penetration in global marketplace. Candidate must have strong leadership skills, a proven track record in percussion field and relevant degree. Position reports directly to the Director of Product Management and the VP – Sales and Marketing. We offer a comprehensive and competitive compensation package. Please send resume and salary history to HR@daddario.com.
For Classified Sales Call Maureen 800-964-5150 ext. 34 mjohan@symphonypublishing.com
Order forms,Pricing and Shipping label at:
www.bowrehairing.com Violin bows as low as $10.00 per bow in quantity incl. shipping (see website for details.) Large inventory of replacement parts both new and vintage. IRA B. KRAEMER & Co. Wholesale Services Division
“An industry leader since 1967” 467 Grant Avenue, Scotch Plains, N.J. 07076 Tel: 908-322-4469 Fax: 908 322-8613 e mail: info@bowrehairing.com
FAST TURN-AROUND ON STOCK REPAIRS NATIONWIDE NAPBIRT member, 28 Years Experience Contact: Dan Rieck, 801-733-4243 dan@utahwoodwindrepair.com
Services
Sales Reps Wanted Independent Sales Reps Needed
Publications
HaMaR
with Lone Wolf Trucking
Repair Tools
An independent, long-distance Mover specializing in coast-to-coast residential Relocation.
PERCUSSION PUBLICATIONS www.hamarpercussion.com
SHIPPING YOUR PIANO
is a “grand” idea!
1-800-982-9505
www.lonewolftrucking.com Alamogordo, New Mexico. 88310
ICC MC-256289
110 MMR
(Riptide Ukuleles, Wedgie Picks and accessories, Boulder Creek Acoustic Amplifiers, Aroma and HST Tuners.) Territories/States Available:
AZ, CO, DE, MD, NJ, PA, UT, VA, NH, PA, D.C., MS, AL, GA, FL, SC, NC, TN Contact Mike Shellhammer at Morgan Hill Music 408-779-3845 www.morganhillmusic.com
Visit the Classifieds on the Web: www.mmrmagazine.com MARCH 2011
Sales Reps Wanted
Vintage Instruments
Otto Musica Corp.
is seeking motivated and experienced Regional Sales Reps in U.S. Otto Musica Corp. manufactures high quality string instruments and accessories under “ARTINO”, “MUCO” & “OTTO” brands and looks for multiple US regional sales reps to represent the products to music dealers. Email cover letter and resume to sales@ottomusica.com or call 1-267-684-6565
Wanted To Buy and ship worldwide. Written APPRAISALS available. GRUHN GUITARS, 400 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203
(615) 256-2033
fax (615) 255-2021
www.gruhn.com
www.mmrmagazine.com
Wanted USED TUBAS ANY CONDITION-CASH PAID THE TUBA EXCHANGE 1825 CHAPEL HILL RD. DURHAM, NC 27707 1-800-869-8822 WWW.TUBAEXCHANGE.COM
Classified Advertising To Advertise Call Toll Free 1-800-964-5150 Deadline: Fourth Friday of every month
PLACE YOUR AD BY MAIL OR FAX: Attention: Classified Ads MMR 21 Highland Circle Ste. 1 Needham, MA 02494 FAX your ad copy to (781) 453-9389
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AD RATES $20.00 per inch (1 inch minimum). 1 inch = 7 lines, 36 characters per line . $30.00 per inch if one color, logo or graphic added. Add $1.00 per bold face line, $5.00 for use of a box number. Display classified: $45 per inch. PAYMENT MUST BE RECEIVED IN ADVANCE.
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__ Books __ Business Opportunities __ Distributors __ For Sale __ Help Wanted __ Instruction __ Lines Wanted __ Schools __ Luthiers
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Name: ___________________________________________________________________________________ Company: _______________________________________________________________________________ Street: ___________________________________________________________________________________ City:_____________________________________________State:__________ Zip Code: _______________ Telephone #:________________________________Fax # _______________________________________ Email Address: ___________________________________________________________________________ MARCH 2011
City ____________________________ State ____________Zip ____________
21 Highland Circle, Suite 1 Needham, MA 02494 (781) 453-9310 MMR 111
Ad Index COMPANY NAME
E-MAIL/WEB ADDRESS
PAGE
A/B Ace Karaoke/Acesonic USA Al Cass Allparts Music Corp Amati’s Fine Instruments American Way Marketing LLC Bechstein America LLC
www.acekaraoke.com
101 104 34 93 55 33
www.allparts.com www.Amatis.us info@americanwaymktg.com www.bechstein-america.com
C/D Casio America, Inc Dana B. Goods Direct Import Assistance Corporation Dream Cymbals And Gongs
www.casiousa.com www.danabgoods.com
25 47
www.DirectImportAssistance.com www.dreamcymbals.com
90 16
E EMD Music Inc. EMD Music Inc. EMG Inc. Evets Corporation Evets Corporation
www.staggmusic.com www.staggmusic.com www.emgpickups.com www.danelectro.com www.danelectro.com
48 43 cov2 5 1
F/G Fitness Audio LLCc. Floyd Rose Marketing GCI Technologies Geaorge L’s GHS Strings
www.fitaud.comls.com www.floydrose.com www.gci-technologies.com www.georgels.com www.ghsstrings.com
101 87 51 34 59
H/I Hailun USA Hal Leonard Corp. House of Troy Hunter Music Instrument Inc. IBC Trading Ltd.
www.hailun-pianos.com www.halleonard.com www.houseoftroy.com www.huntermusical.com www.ibctrading.com
31 9 94 98 90
J Jack Rabbit Music JamHub LLC Jangus MusicC
www.jackrabbitmusic.com www.JamHub.com www.jangusmusic.com
104 81 30
K Kawai America Corp. Keystone Electronics Kharma Design KMC Music, Inc Knowledge of Music, Inc Kyser Musical Products Inc.
www.kawiausl.com www.keyelco.com www.kharmadesignusa.com www.kmcmusic.com; www.kmconline.com www.knowledgeofmusic.com www.kysermusical.com
57 53 82 95 80 97
www.levysleathers.com www.LMProducts.com www.lowrey.com
39 30 96
L Levy’s Leathers Ltd. LM Products Lowrey
COMPANY NAME
E-MAIL/WEB ADDRESS
PAGE
Meisel Accesories LLC Miami Audio Music Corp. MusiCreed
www.meiselaccessories.com www.miamiaudiomusic.com www.MusiCreed.com
71 8 81
N/O NAMM National Educational Music Co. OnBoard Research Corp.
www.namm.com www.nemc.com www.tuners.com
20-21 91 86
P/R Peterson Strobe Tuners Piano Disc Roc-N-Soc Inc.
www.petersontuners.com www.pianodisc.com www.rocNsoc.com
44 35 34
S Saga Musical Instruments Saga Musical Instruments Samson Technologies Corp. Samson Technologies Corp. Sculpturra Pianos SHS International SHS International Shubb Capos SKB Corp. Strum-N-Comfort Picking Systems Supernatural Percussion Inc
www.sagamusic.com www.sagamusic.com www.samsontech.com www.samsontech.com www.sculpturra.com www.shsint.net www.shsint.net www.shubb.com www.skbcases.com www.sharktoothpicks.com www.supernaturalcymbals.com
15 83 13 3 28 11 102 98 17 103 52
T The Magic Fluke Co., LLC TKL Products Corp. ToneGear Tycoon Percussion
www.Magicfluke.com www.tkl.com www.theStringCleaner.com www.tycoonpercussion.com
63 7 99 61
U/V U.S. Band & Orchestra Supplies U.S. Band & Orchestra Supplies Vic Firth, Inc. Vic Firth, Inc. Visual Sound
www.usbandsupplies.com www.usbandsupplies.com www.VicFirth.com www.VicFirth.com www.visualsound.net
70 75 66 67 cov4
W WD Music Products West Music Products Inc. Wittner GmbH & Co. KG Wristies, Inc.
www.wdmusic.com www.tjflutes.com www.wittner-gmbh.de www.wristies.com
102 18 29 80
Y/Z Yamaha Corp. of America Yamaha Corp. of America Avedis Zildjian Co.
www.yamaha.com www.yamaha.com www.zildjian.com
37 79 19
M 112 MMR
MARCH 2011
Save The Date! In the immortal words of one of jazz’ most notable innovators, LOUIS Satchmo Armstrong…
To Jazz or not to Jazz… There is no question! Call it what you want, but by chance, through karma, serendipity, destiny, fate, providence, or luck…we are proud to announce the Third Annual JEN Conference in yet another city with LOUIS in the title... LOUISville, Kentucky… We think Three’s a CHARM! Come experience all Louisville has to offer, as we will be collectively…
JAZZ EDUCATION NETWORK
Developing Tomorrow’s Jazz Audiences Today! Louisville, Kentucky January 4-7, 2012
The Jazz Education Network
is dedicated to building the jazz arts community by advancing education, promoting performance, and developing new audiences. For complete membership information/benefits please visit us at: www.JazzEdNet.org