MMR December 2008

w w w. m m r m a g a z i n e . c o m

December 2008

25th Annual

50 Dealer/ 50 State Review & Forecast

27th Annual America’s Top Music Chains 16th Annual Dealers’ Choice Awards

“It’s really a joy for me to play. It responds like almost all my favorite vintage guitars, and yet it does everything modern which is the coolest thing.”

–JOE SATRIANI

...on his JS20TH anniversary limited edition guitar

High-end collectible axes and ads featuring respected artists such as Joe Satriani are just one of the many ways Ibanez ratchets up the excitement for Ibanez dealerships.

WANT TO SEE MORE?

Then check out the all-new...

ibanez.com website

featuring new graphics, more product, artist, and event information, super-easy navigation and our all-new Ibanez interactive guitar and pickup video demos.

Photo by: Jeremy Stockton

Check out Satch on the road this Fall, promoting his new release “Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock!”

Contents Cover design by Laurie Chesna

DECEMBER 2008 VOL.167 NO. 12

Features 26

Webwise: Blogging for Customers

Stats: U.S. MI Imports 2008

25th Annual 50-Dealer/50-State Review & Forecast MMR’s annual survey gets feedback from 50 owners and employees across the country to gauge the general state of the MI retail market.

27th Annual America’s Top Chains Increasing online and other, non-brick-and-mortar retailing, coupled with a shaky economy contributed to an ongoing trend away from dealers adding new locations.

16th Annual MMR Dealers’ Choice Awards Dealers who participated in this year’s Dealers’ Choice Awards voting once again selected the Yamaha Disklavier as the overall Product of the Year. 16 other lines walked away with honors in major product categories in what turned out to be one of the most competitive contests in the Awards’ 16-year history.

Print: Roundtable Representatives from key players in print music publishing reflect on the past year and chime in on expectations for ’09.

Show Report: PASIC MMR’s Eliahu Sussman summarizes the mood and events at this year’s PASIC Convention, held in Austin in November.

Departments

www.MMRmagazine.com

4 6 20 22 24 83 89 96

Editorial Upfront People Storefront Financial Supplier Scene Classifieds Advertisers’ Index

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 ©2008 by Symphony Publishing, LLC, all rights reserved. Printed in USA.

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DECEMBER 2008

StudioDock

Samson’s New USB Monitors. With StudioDock’s USB capability, you’ll hear incredibly clear digital audio from your computer. And the onboard iPod dock let’s you sync, charge and play your music. StudioDock. The ultimate in convenience and performance. samsontech.com/studiodock StudioDock makes the perfect holiday gift for every musician on your list. ©2008 Samson. iPod not included with StudioDock. StudioDock requires iPod with dock connector. StudioDock is a registered trademark of Samson Technologies. iPod is a trademark of Apple Inc.

™

Editorial

Volume 167, Number 12, December 2008 PUBLISHER Sidney L. Davis sdavis@symphonypublishing.com EDITOR Christian Wissmuller cwissmuller@symphonypublishing.com

Better Than Most

MANAGING EDITOR Kevin M. Mitchell kmitchell@symphonypublishing.com

est Buy, the music industry’s newest potential 800-pound gorilla may have stated it best when it published the company’s latest quarterly earnings report (down 19 percent) with the terse comment that they were unable to accurately forecast future revenue or earnings, due to the turbulence of the economy. This was pretty much the consensus of the 50 dealers interviewed within this issue’s “state of the industry” report. While a majority of retailers remain cautiously optimistic (a continuing theme since we launched the report 25 years ago). Several areas of concern were articulated by the independent group of dealers. Loss of margin, vendor middle-of-the-year price increases, and the accompanying time needed to update point of sale pricing were noted as difficult challenges to navigate successfully. Brick and mortar dealers railed against the sales tax advantage of their Internet brethren and, of course, the courtship of vendors supplying big box outlets, along with the uncertainty of the aforementioned Best Buy’s impact on the music products community. Toss into the brew an apparent willingness of some of the major brands to open additional dealers within a defi ned trading area, a six per cent unemployment rate and the ever-present threat of reductions in school music programs and, as Stan Laurel, from the comedy team of Laurel and Hardy was fond of saying to his partner, “Ollie , This is a helluva mess you have got us in…” On a positive note, the industry “Top Chain” store count (this issue) remains stable, if not trending upward. Contrast the music dealer to other retail spectrums and we start to look pretty good. Consider: Starbuck’s closing 600 shops, Linens ’n Things disappearing from the scene, Circuit City in Chapter X1, Specialty chains such as Ann Taylor shuttering 117 stores, the Gap closing 85, Footlocker down 140, Disney Stores down 98, Zales Jewelers closing 105, and KB Toys, cutting 356 outlets… From informal conversations with both dealers and vendors it appears there are some bright spots in the music landscape. Internet sales are increasing in importance and, in a very real sense, leveling the playing field for any independent willing to invest in the technology and manpower to develop this market. While there are both plusses and minuses to the sale of vintage equipment, we find several dealers expanding the category and, despite (or because of) eBay, increasing their profit margins. In keeping with the cautious optimism of our report, we found several dealers enlarging their footprint: California’s Jim Music Center has doubled their space; Robb’s Boulder Music (Colorado) opened a new 6,500 square-foot store; Georgia’s Earth Shaking Music opened a new recording studio; and Illinois-based Brandolino’s Encore Music moved into a new location. On balance, viewing the past twelve months, the music industry has more than weathered the fi nancial storm, with few retail bankruptcies (Holze Music was the most notable) and a slight overall growth in the store count. Also positive was the emergence and strengthening of independent dealers through the support of NAMM and dealeroriented groups such as the MSO (www.musicstoreowners.com), a group of some 250 storefronts, and AIMM, the Alliance of Independent Music Merchants, a consortium representing some 200 dealer units.

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Denyce Neilson dneilson@symphonypublishing.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Rick Kessel rkessel@symphonypublishing.com STAFF WRITER Eliahu Sussman esussman@symphonypublishing.com ADVERTISING SALES Iris Fox ifox@symphonypublishing.com CLASSIFIED AD SALES Maureen Johan mjohan@symphonypublishing.com PRODUCTION MANAGER Laurie Guptill lguptill@symphonypublishing.com GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Andrew P. Ross aross@symphonypublishing.com Laurie Chesna lchesna@symphonypublishing.com CIRCULATION MANAGER Melanie A. Prescott mprescott@symphonypublishing.com ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Popi Galileos pgalileos@symphonypublishing.com WEBMASTER Sanford Kearns skearns@symphonypublishing.com SYMPHONY PUBLISHING, LLC Xen Zapis • Chairman Lee Zapis • President lzapis@symphonypublishing.com Rich Bongorno • Chief Financial Officer 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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DECEMBER 2008

Upfront U.S. Band & Orchestra Buys St. Louis Music from Loud (St. Louis-based supplier also taking over old SLM HQ) Loud Technologies announced it has shed aspects of the St. Louis Music (SLM) Company and all related inventory to St. Louis-based U.S. Band & Orchestra Supplies. “I haven’t eaten for a week!” declared an exhausted Mark Ragin immediately after ink started to dry on a deal that would nearly triple his business. “But we’re excited about this. Our game plan has always been to be the ultimate onestop shop, but we were not getting as much of the orchestra side of the business as we would had liked. Now, with this deal, we’ll be really the largest independent distributor for these segments.” Ragin, president and owner of U.S. Band & Orchestra Supplies Inc., added that while the deal was understandably complicated, the people at Loud “couldn’t have been better to work with it.” The deal includes SLM Marketplace catalog and accessories distribution business and proprietary St. Louis Stage Gear brand, along with the Austin guitars and Knilling instruments brands (“SLM Marketplace”). It also includes the transfer of the exclusive worldwide sales license for the patented Perfection Peg stringed instrument tuning device. Terms of the sale were not disclosed. “The SLM Marketplace sale, a noncore business unit and product lines, will enable Loud to dedicate its resources and solidify its leadership positions in the musical instruments and professional audio markets,” says Rodney Olson, president and CEO of Loud Technologies Inc. “Moreover,” Olsen continues, “U.S. Band & Orchestra Supplies is the ideal new owner for SLM Marketplace, Austin, and Knilling, since they will ensure that our dealer network for these products will continue to receive the highest levels of service and support.” Ragin adds, “We are all looking forward to continuing SLM Marketplace’s 105-year St. Louis tradition and to bringing our reputation for impeccable dealer 6 MMR

service to the many new customers with whom we are about to do business.” Ragin said. Aspects of the St. Louis Music Company that Loud retains include Crate, Alvarez, and Ampeg products.

“One Step At a Time” “I contacted Loud about eight months ago in reference to the Knilling brand,” Ragin says, explaining the origins of the deal. “We have a great band line in E.K. Blessing, but no orchestra line.” Over time, conversations continued and eventually Loud opened up the idea of selling parts of SLM in addition to Knilling – but to the highest bidder. That turned out to be U.S. Band & Orchestra. “We purchased the inventory of Austin guitars and Knilling orchestra instrument, and the SLM Market Place which includes product line. We also purchased all those brand names and trademarks – recognized and unrecognized – that were under the SLM banner. I have an entire sheet of them.” In a separate deal, Ragin is close to an agreement with former SLM owner Gene Kornblum to lease the original SLM HQ and warehouse. Kornblum, who sold SLM to Loud in 2005 for $32.6 million, still owns the building and is reportedly pleased with this latest development. “I had a long talk with Gene the other day, and he thought I was the perfect person for this deal,” Ragin says. “Keeping it in town is important to him.” At one point the company employed up to 400; Loud has cut back and solidified operations at their Woodinville, Wash. base, leaving only a few warehouse workers in St. Louis. No doubt that will change as Ragin takes over. (His cur-

rent operation just had a makeover, but he says he’ll still vacate and move to the 80,000 square foot operation, which is four times the size.) “We’re taking it one step at a time,” he says. “We’ll be adding people, but not a lot at once.” He notes that two of his current sales reps are former SLM employees, and he’s speaking with several others already. “We also just hired Devin Pelton for our vice president of sales for our Blessing and Educational division.” Pelton was with Conn-Selmer for 13 years and was one of their top sales people. “I’m also looking for a top string person in the country to take the vice presidential position for our string division, and then search for another one for our combo division.” One thing is for sure: Ragin is suddenly dealing with a lot of product. “That warehouse is filled to the rafter.”

“Our game plan has always been to be the ultimate one-stop shop.”

About Ragin Mark Ragin grew up near U.S. Band’s current home in St. Louis and, at the age of 17, found himself working in one of the St. Ann’s Music store chains. He also found himself quickly moving up the ladder: “Shortly after I started working, a manager quit right before the busy season started, and so they made me a manager,” he says. 17 years later he was president of the entire retail operation. When that company’s owner eyed retirement, Ragin was then poised to buy the largest music chain in Missouri with a partner, but the deal fell through at the last minute and Brook-Mays bought it. St. Ann also operated a wholesale company called Wolf Imports. Ragin was actually president of that segment of St. Ann’s operation, and while he had a DECEMBER 2008

Upfront job offer on the table from Brook-Mays to continue working there, he decided to take on the wholesale company in June of 1999. Today U.S. Band has served 3,000 dealers at one time or another, and about half of those buy from them regularly, he says.

Earlier this year, instrument manufacturer EK Blessing partnered with U.S. Band. It is a 102-year-old company, and the oldest manufacturer of instruments in the historic town of Elkhart. They are currently producing 41 different instrument models, 35 of which are

made in the U.S., which is, to Ragin, a major marketing point. Knilling offers a variety of string instruments at the student and step-up level, and some electric violins as well. “We are all very excited about the future,” he said.

Rico’s New Proprietary Reed Blanking Machines “When D’Addario acquired Rico in 2004, they really made a commitment to helping develop the company – both in terms of the process of how we make our products, as well as the products, themselves,”

says Robert Polan, Rico’s product manager. “Part of the goal was to bring things into the 21st Century and apply state-of-the-art technologies to our processes. The first area D’Addario invested in was the blanking process, as it was determined that the blanking stage would have the greatest impact on quality production.” As a result, Rico Reeds recently engineered and installed five Automatic Blanking Machines to replace over 24 previous generation blanking units. Rico presently produces more than 30 million reeds per year. As part of a complete process makeover for the Rico operation D’Addario has invested $4.3 million in this automation project. Cane is a natural material and it doesn’t always come to the factory in the right shape and tolerances to easily make a precise reed. Cane tubes are of random dimensions, shapes, and color. Rico’s new automatic blanking process uses precision laser 8 MMR

measuring devices to position the natural raw material so that virtually perfect symmetry of the side rails is achieved on every reed. “You can’t make a great reed unless you start with a precision blank,” states Jim D’Addario, CEO of D’Addario & Co., Inc. “We immediately began this monumental engineering project in 2004 when we realized that we could dramatically improve the quality of all Rico Reeds if we invented a better process.” Creating a new process is exactly what Rico and D’Addario engineers have done. The machines have several cutting and polishing stages, video and laser inspection, and measuring stations to insure that the parts are within tight dimensional tolerances, an elaborate color video sorting process to separate cane into different quality classifications and a pre-vamp cutting step to prepare the blanks further for the next operation where the final precision vamp cut is made. “D’Addario’s philosophy has always been to outpace the competition through innovation and technology. Most companies don’t inject heavy amounts of capital investment into a mature market leader; at D’Addario this is standard operating procedure. D’Addario has already invested over $10 million into Rico since our 2004 acquisition including new reed making machines, factory improvements, and over 45 new hectares (80 acres) of plantation between our Argentinean and French operations,” states D’Addario. The improvements to date are only the beginning. “We have big plans for Rico,” says Jim D’Addario, “We are now in the process of automating our cane tube sorting, sawing, and splitting, so

that we can locate a state of the art, efficient process at both our plantation sites, France and Argentina. And we are also in the development phase of completely digital reed cutting technology that will set new standards for reed design and quality. This is an exciting time for the Rico brand.” “We’re also in the process of implementing a lean manufacturing program, which is a pretty common practice in many industries,” adds Gary Smith, vice president of West Coast Operations. “It’s based upon the Toyota production system and involves looking at your processes with an eye towards where the wastes are and eliminating that waste. In doing so, you improve your efficiencies and make your operation more productive. It also helps the product quality improve and makes you more responsive to your customers.” “Our objective, overall, is to take another leap beyond our competition in terms of the quality of product we can offer,” Polan adds. “By continuously improving Rico’s quality, we’re showing players that Rico is committed to making the best reed possible.”

Left to right: Carlos Meija, manager of Product Quality and Development; Gary Smith, VP of West Coast Operations; and Robert Polan, product manager. DECEMBER 2008

Upfront Musician’s Friend’s Eastman Steps Down, Johnson Steps Up Musician’s Friend, a division of Guitar Center, announced that company founder Robert Eastman is stepping down from his day-to-day functions and assuming the role of chairman emeritus, effective January 1, 2009. Craig Johnson will fill the position of chief executive officer (CEO). Eastman will continue to have a presence within the company, serving as adviser to Johnson. Musician’s Friend was founded in 1983 by Eastman and his wife DeAnna. The company grew from a modest mail order house

garage startup – which was soon moved to an Oregon dairy barn – into the country’s largest direct marketer of music gear. “For several years, we have Musician’s Friend’s Craig Johnson and Robert Eastman on a recent fishing trip. been building a world-class management team,” says Easttime with my family and having time to man. “With a solid management team in travel and, of course, go fishing!” place, I decided that at the end of the year Johnson assumes his new role as CEO afI will move into a chairman emeritus role ter serving as Musician’s Friend’s president and that Craig Johnson will become CEO. and COO for the last two and a half years. I look forward to getting to spend more

Financial Crisis, Credit Crunch: What’s It Mean for MI? “What crisis?” deadpans Vic Richmond. “I had dinner last night, the sun rose in the east, and I had breakfast this morning …” Richmond, president of Allegro Acceptance, which provides retail financing to America’s keyboard dealers, quickly adds: “Of course there is concern over the economy. As we specialize in helping dealers finance keyboard purchases, I can tell you that what we’re seeing is lower-priced product being financed. There are also more digital pianos being financed, which we aren’t used to seeing.” The keyboard market as a whole is currently weak, but “for qualified buyers, we have money.” BusinessWeek reports that how the current financial crisis will affect businesses like MI is mixed. Simply, though, money exists. However, if a small business has bad credit, or if the books are shoddy, banks are going to take a long second look and the likely beginning of the last sentence of the conversation will be the three words: “I’m sorry, but...” Yet, “many banks still want to lend to established firms with good credit and collateral.” It also reported that Ohio banks aren’t renewing lines of credit, and are going so far as to call in loans made to 10 MMR

decades-old family businesses who are actually up to date on their payments. “What you have to do is tighten your belts,” Richmond says. Focusing on rentto-own programs is a good place to start, which is something he is seeing resurgence in. “This gives the buyer a back door in case it doesn’t work out for him or her long term.” Otherwise, these times don’t allow the dealer to draw on past experiences because there’s never really been anything out it. “Dealers are working smarter, and working longer hours – I also think they are buying more modest lunches, too,” he adds with a laugh. Dennis Zalewski has empirical proof banks are tightening up: he has more business. As president of the National Music Funding Corporation, Zalewski buys rent-to-own accounts from MI dealers who find themselves short on cash. “When a music store’s bank is suddenly hemming and hawing at lending $75,000, the store can sell us the receivable contract and get an influx of cash,” he explains. “And we’re seeing more music stores calling us because they can’t get money from the bank.” Zalewski, who has been at this for around 15 years, says that he’s trying to analyze it all himself, but at this point

he can’t even guess what is on the horizon, short term or long term. But he does point out how the media can make it all seem like some kind of financial Armageddon. “When you see it on the news about banks not making loans and tightening up, it can seem like it’s happening to everyone everywhere,” he says. “But the reality isn’t that bad. Otherwise, I’d be on the phone all day long! It’s happening, though, so everyone just needs to be more careful.” Mixed messages abound. The Federal Reserve reports that lending standards for small businesses have been tightening at many banks for over 12 months. In the three-month period from June to July, 65 percent of banks reported that they tightened credit for companies with less than $50 million in revenue. Yet the same report the week ending September 10, outstanding commercial and industrial loans totaled $1.51 trillion, up from $1.35 trillion a year earlier. This represents a 12 percent increasing in borrowing, though that includes big businesses as well and its unclear how many small retailers that number might include. Then there is a Gallup poll of 610 small business owners where only 14 percent of respondents reported having DECEMBER 2008

Upfront difficulty getting credit, a fairly normal number. The second version of the $700 billion bail out bill congress passed in fact did so because many lawmakers were more comfortable with it because it offered more protection to small businesses. They will

need it, because in addition to all the other general challenges, falling home prices are making it harder for the small business man or woman to borrow for their shop against their house – a typical strategy for those trying to expand significantly or simply get through a down economic cycle.

Loud Reorganizes, Goes Private In what is a continued effort to put itself on stronger financial footing, Loud Technologies announced a reorganization of its marketing, sales, and engineering departments. The restructuring is expected to generate a net reduction of approximately 90 full-time positions, primarily outside sales reps. Under the new organization, product strategy, development, and marketing for the company’s MI and Pro businesses will be managed by separate, dedicated product management teams, while marketing communications for all Loud brands will be consolidated and managed by a shared marketing support team. The company’s worldwide engineering resources will be scaled accordingly to support a more focused product development schedule. Loud will also move North American sales from its current sales force to a group of independent sales representation firms and consolidate portions of its international sales force. In other news, in a letter to its shareholders, Loud Technologies (under the name Sun Mackie) issued a request to purchase the remaining 23.8 percent of the firm’s shares that are still in the public domain. As reported in MI Pro, the letter reads in part: “We are pleased to submit this going private transaction proposal to acquire all of the issued and outstanding common stock of Loud Technologies not currently held by Sun Mackie, which currently owns approximately 76.2 percent of the outstanding common stock. We are prepared to offer $1.45 in cash per share of common stock. We believe this is a full and fair price, which will provide the public

shareholders of The Company with a 45 percent premium over the October 31st, 2008 closing price of $1.00.” The move to buy up the remaining shares in Loud suggests that the company is hoping to go private once again. Sun Capital Investment became involved with Loud (then Mackie) back in 2003 with a significant investment that amounted to an ownership share. Since then, despite a regular series of acquisitions, the company has struggled to maintain its presence in the NASDAQ stock exchange, to keep its stock price up, and to cope with the pressures of regular reporting compulsory within the US financial system. Most recently, Loud failed to submit an item in form 10-K, which pertains to internal control of the company. As a result, the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission issued a statement that “until the Company completes this evaluation and fi les a Form 10-K/A reflecting its conclusions, investors should not rely upon such disclosure,” effectively saying that Loud was not a company to be trusted as regards investment. Many have privately thought that Mackie and later Loud should never have gone public in the first place, not least because of this sort of public reporting, which could cost the company as much as $1 million per year. By going private, Loud will have the room to maneuver and make substantial savings. It could also leave the company in a position to sell more easily or alternatively, invest in itself more easily. The cost of paying $1.45 per share should be a lot less than any long-term savings the company might make.

And about those hard times … some economist stipulate it’s still mostly a crisis in confidence in the fi nancial institutions. “It’ll change, it’ll pass,” says Richmond of the crisis. “We just don’t know when.”

Rodgers Executive Leadership Changes Rodgers Instruments president Lloyd Robbins will retire at the end of 2008, and vice president for Sales and Marketing Duane Kuhn has accepted appointment as executive vice president with responsibility for the company’s dayto-day operations. Ikutaro Kakehashi, founder and special consultant of the Roland Corpo- Kuhn ration, who serves as Rodgers chairman, will assume the role of president upon Mr. Robbins’ retirement. Mr. Kuhn joined Rodgers in 2004 after serving in executive roles at Baldwin Piano and Organ Robbins Company and its Wurlitzer Division, and as president of Church Organ Systems. During his tenure at Rodgers, he has been influential in expanding the Trillium Masterpiece Series of highly customizable organs and strengthening support for Rodgers’ international network of dealers and distributors. Rodgers is a member of the Roland Group, headed by Roland Corporation, a world leader in electronic musical instrument technologies and electronic musical instrument sales and manufacturing. More information is available at www.rodgersinstruments.com.

(See accompanying story on page 6.)

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DECEMBER 2008

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Upfront FTC Investigation Into MI Continues It’s been about 20 months since the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) completed gathering information from the MI industry relating to their investigation into the possibilities that Minimum Advertised Pricing (MAP) policies violated long-standing anti-trust laws. It’s been 15 months since some kind of decision was supposed to be reach, but that September 2007 deadline has long passed. Apparently, it could be another five years for all those vendors and manufacturers who received subpoenas that fateful day on Mar. 12, 2006. But FTC spokesperson Mitchell Katz confirmed that the investigation is still going on – but he added that a new presidential administration could affect if a case like this continues or is quietly closed. “The way it works is a case is open until charges are fi led, or it’s decided there isn’t enough evidence to go forward,” Katz says. “If we decide there is no evidence, those people or representatives of the entire industry will receive ‘closing letters.’ Usually these letters are also posted on our Web site as well, and I have not seen closing letters for this case. If no one in your industry has received these letters, then it’s still being investigated.” NAMM confirmed that they have not received any such letter, nor know of anyone else in the industry that has. But the end will come: “The case won’t just sit there. They don’t just get left open.

It’s in no one’s interest for a case to go on forever, and so we’re working methodically on this to see if it can be developed. There have been cases I have worked on that were especially complex where the administrative process has gone on for five or six years after the last piece of paperwork has been requested.” Things do change, however – including presidential administrations—and that could affect a case. Katz says the FTC is an independent body from the elected government governed by five commissioners. There is a sixth and equal member, a chairman, that is appointed by the president, and no matter how the election ends, their organization will have a new chairman next year. “That chairman could have different interests, different priorities, and want to spend resources in different areas than what we are currently doing.” But any decisions require a majority of the board, so the non-appointed commissioners, at least a few of them, would have to be convinced of a change in direction. But it does happen. “I can tell you that in at least one case a chairman left, another one took over, and the agency focused on different types of cases,” closing some in favor of spending more time on other types. The FTC had asked MI trade organizations, vendors, and manufacturers to produce records dating back from Jan.

1, 1999 to present regarding MAP policies, cooperative advertising funds, and artist endorsements. But in August of this year, in an unexpected move, the Supreme Court granted manufacturers broad new legal powers that allow them to set minimum prices on their products and force retailers to stick to those prices and not discount. This reversed precedence established and maintained for a better part of a century, wherein antitrust laws were violated if a supplier tried to punish a retailer in anyway for selling at cut-rate prices. This particular case involved a Dallas mom-and-pop retailer, Kays Kloset, which sold handbags. Some in MI thought that once it was established that manufacturers could dictate the actual price of their item to retailers, then that would trump the assumption of the case against MI, which is being called into question for merely trying to maintain minimum advertised pricing policies, a practice done in many other industries. But it did not, and the investigation continues, with no hint of when or how it will end.

NAMM Awards Grant

FCC Votes Against MI Wireless Products The Federal Communications Commission voted in November to allow technology companies like Google, Microsoft, Dell, and Motorola to produce “white spaces” devices that will use the same radio frequency (RF) spectrum now being used by wireless microphone and guitar systems. The commission adopted certain elements of Shure’s recent wireless microphone interference protection plan. However, there are still concerns that, despite technical evidence to the contrary, the commission’s action opens the door to a

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new breed of wireless gadgetry that relies on unproven technology as a safeguard against interference to wireless microphones. “While not unexpected, today’s FCC decision will greatly complicate the lives of wireless microphone users across the United States and negatively affect tens of millions of Americans listening to live and broadcast events,” said Mark Brunner, Shure’s senior director, global public and industry relations. An in-depth look at this issue will be featured in the January MMR.

The NAMM Foundation recently presented a program grant to the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts for their efforts to expand music-making opportunities to older adults. The presentation took place in Philadelphia, PA during the Guild’s 71st annual conference. Pictured from left to right are: Bill Reim, President, Hoshino USA & Member, Board of Directors, NAMM; Jonathan Herman, Executive Director, National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts; Emilie Roy Corey, Trustee, National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts; and Mary Luehrsen, Executive Director of the NAMM Foundation. DECEMBER 2008

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Upfront Children at NAMM Show: Clarification In light of confusion following NAMM’s recent announcement about changing policies regarding minors attending the January trade show in Anaheim, the organization has released a statement:

Here’s Clarification On The New Policy Recently, we’ve received some feedback from Members about the change in our badge policy regarding minors attending our trade shows. We’d like to take a moment and clear things up. First and foremost, NAMM recognizes and appreciates that our industry is very much a family business and many of our industry’s leaders grew up attending the NAMM shows from a very early age. We wholeheartedly support the families in our industry and want to see these fu-

PMI Audio Acquires Trident Audio After long negotiations, PMI Audio Group has announced its acquisition of the original Trident Audio Developments Company. The company has purchased all of the trademark rights, intellectual property rights, goodwill and assets of Trident Audio Developments from David Stocks, who acquired the company from Relyon after it was sold by Malcolm Toft. In 1972, under the direction of Malcolm Toft and Barry Porter, the company took its name from Trident Recording Studios in London. At that time Trident Studios was one of the most famous independent recording studios in the world. Because it was the first 8-track studio in Europe, it was chosen by The Beatles to record their top selling single “Hey Jude.” For more information, contact PMI Audio Group, 1845 W. 169th St., Gardena, CA 90247, telephone (310) 3239050, e-mail sales@pmiaudio.com, or visit www.pmiaudio.com. 16 MMR

ture leaders attending the NAMM Shows, both now and for years to come. The new badge policy was put into place to reduce the non-industry attendees under the age of 16 who simply have no business connection with the show. These minors can typically be found collecting autographs, jamming on display merchandise hoping to be discovered and, in some unfortunate cases, shoplifting. We ask that all NAMM Members please take a look at their badge lists and eliminate invitees (especially those under the age of 16) who do not have a legitimate business reason to attend.

So, as a quick summary, in the category of those welcome to attend: • Employees of NAMM Member companies - regardless of age • Family members of NAMM Members who will grow up to work in the business - regardless of age • Endorsed artists - regardless of age

Note: For those family members and employees under 16 who you would like to have attend, please place them in an employee badge. When they get to the show, you will have to sign a minor release form for them. Only Members in red or blue badges can sign the minor release form for their family member(s). Forms will be available at the Information Counter and in Registration.

Those not welcome to attend: • Anyone under 16 who does not have a business-related reason to attend the show. Finally, we’re sorry for any confusion this badge policy change may have caused. We want your NAMM Show experience to be the best it can be, so you can conduct your business without additional noise, congestion or disruption. If you have any questions about this or any show-related matter, please let us know by calling NAMM at 800-767-NAMM (6266) or sending an e-mail to kevinj@namm.org. We look forward to seeing all of you at the 2009 NAMM Show in Anaheim!

Musicorp Adds BBE Sound to Distribution Line Musicorp announces the addition of BBE Sound to Musicorp’s distribution line. “BBE is famous for innovative technology and high quality, particularly with their line of Sonic Maximizer products,” says Roy White, Musicorp Merchandising Product Manager. Musicorp is now carrying 20 best-selling BBE products, stocking them in their

centrally located Kentucky warehouse. Products include the popular, sound-enhancing Sonic Maximizer line, an assortment of quality guitar effects and other assorted audio management gear. For more information, call (800) 845-1922 or (800) 874-5774, or visit www.musicorp.com.

Samick Acquires Seiler Piano Samick Musical Instruments Company announces that it has acquired Seiler, a German piano company, as a wholly owned subsidiary. A new management team for Seiler has been appointed. The company, founded in 1849, will continue making pianos in the

same factories by the same craftsmen, Samick noted. Seiler joins an evergrowing number of names under the Samick banner, which includes Pramberger, Kohler & Campbell, Knabe, Sohmer, and pianos made with the Samick label. DECEMBER 2008

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Upfront Trade Regrets: John Melville Pearse English studio musician, author, producer, and co-founder of Breezy Ridge Instruments, John Pearse died on October 31 in his home in Germany where he lived for the past several years. Breezy Ridge sells a variety of accessories including John Pearse Strings. Born in 1939, Pearse first began researching string manufacturing in the mid1960s. He became a BBC celebrity by teaching guitar on television, and is widely considered the first one

to do so. His best-selling video guitar course made him an internationally known teacher. As an author of over 30 books, he’s produced tomes not only about music but also on such diverse subjects as cooking and fly-fishing. In 1978 he came to the United States to develop a line of accessories for Martin Guitar. In 1980 he left to co-found Breezy Ridge with Mary Faith Rhoads. For more information on Pearse’s life, go to www.jpstrings.com.

Sam D’Amico Sam D’Amico, 76, owner of the drum shop Sam D’Amico Music Center, located in South Philadelphia, died of West Nile virus on Oct. 22. For 33 years, drummers went to his shop for kits, lessons, and accessories, including greats such as Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, and Desi Arnaz. D’Amico was inspired to drum at age 10 when an uncle took him to see Krupa play. An aunt paid $1 a week for the boy’s lessons and drum rental.

While attending high school, D’Amico played gigs in jazz bands. He would work for his family’s plumbing business, but his wife, Rita, would encourage him to return to music. In 1956 he did, playing in a band and teaching 40 to 50 students a week. Eventually he opened D’Amico Music. In addition to his wife, Mr. D’Amico is survived by a son, Joseph; a daughter, Luisa Reggente; and two grandchildren.

MMR Blogs about the MI industry every Wednesday. Go to www.mmrmagazine.com to see what is “Off the Record” today. 18 MMR

DECEMBER 2008

A LOOK INSIDE OUR LITTLE BLACK BOOK

Count Basie Ray Charles Duke Ellington Ella Fitzgerald Herbie Hancock Lionel Hampton Luciano Pavarotti

Petrof Pianos. Played by the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most famous musicians. 5400 Lawrenceville Hwy, Suite B1 770.564.4964

Lilburn, GA 30047

www.petrofpianosusa.com

People Bosch Communications Systems announces the addition of Johnson Knowles to its team as Field Applications engineer. Prior to this appointment, Knowles spent 18 Knowles years with leading Dallas, Texas-based architectural acoustics design and consulting firm Russ Berger Design Group—a company he helped found—and brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his new position, primarily in the field of architectural engineering and the design of broadcast and recording facilities. Knowles also has extensive experience in designing broadcast cabling systems for sports facilities. Some of Knowles’ major clients include NBC, ABC, NPR, CMT, MTV, NFL Films, World Wrestling Entertainment, and Sony Music. He has undertaken studio design work for a wide range of artists, including Whitney Houston, Don Henley, Steve Miller, John Fogerty, Mariah Carey, and Michael Bolton. David McCarthy Joins Apogee Electronics as director of Sales. In his new position, McCarthy will lead the Apogee worldwide sales team, forecast and plan the global business, contribute to the marketing, tech-support and operations efforts as well as develop and maintain partner relations. David brings 26 years of experience in the M.I. and pro audio industries to Apogee and has held positions at Lexicon, Line 6, Alesis and Peavey

Tony Polecastro is Weber’s new liaison to dealers and players. Bruce Weber, founder of Weber Fine Acoustic Instruments, states, “Tony is perfect for our shop. Not only has he Polecastro worked in music retail and also plays the mandolin and resonator guitar, he is a down-to-earth, genuine guy.” After graduating from Columbia College in Audio Arts and Acoustics, Tony joined the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, Illinois helping with guitar lessons. He also wore several hats working in the school’s retail outlet, The Different Strummer, where he did purchasing and sales. Zero Crossing has announced the appointment of George Mantoan as its International Sales manager. Mantoan will concentrate on the worldwide development and distribution of N-Tune tuners. As the owner of MMS Inc., an independent representative/consultation firm specializing in the distribution of professional musical instrument/pro audio product lines, Mantoan brings an extensive and established network of distributors in over 80 countries. MMS Inc has managed export distributor sales and international marketing for fi rms including Kustom Amplifiers, Rockman, Kramer Guitars, Spector Bass, Applied Research & Technology, Guild Guitars, Parker Guitars, Mackie Designs, CAD, and Earthworks Audio.

MMR Blogs about the MI industry every Wednesday.

Go to www.mmrmagazine.com to see what is “Off the Record” today. 20 MMR

DECEMBER 2008

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22 MMR

Owensboro Music Center Celebrates 35th Anniversary On a Sunday in October that was blessed swag. In addition to Samick and Silverwith good weather, Owensboro Music tone, Audio Technica, Dean Markley, Kacelebrated its 35th year serving the reman, Ludwig, Martin, Monster Cables, gions of northern Kentucky and southPeavey, RotoSound, Schecter, and Zildjian ern Indiana. Over 600 people attended were among those who provided prizes for the event, which raised money for lothe giveaways. Even some manufacturer’s cal charities, Christmas Wish and Grandma’s kitchen. “The last 35 years have been a true labor of love, as we all have endured our ups and downs,” reflects founder Gordy Wilcher. “The store started with a man’s dream to work in the field he loved. I remember my first days with a few guitars and amps in an 800 square-foot building. I am proud of our growth, which we work hard every- Owensboro Music Center celebrates its 35th with some special guests -- left to right: Owensboro’s Bob Blackford, Samick/Schecter rep Ron Hutchins, Owensboro’s founder Gordy day to preserve.” The celebration was Wilcher, and Peavey’s Rich Dunmstroff. held in the new McConnell Plaza in Owensboro, Ky. A variety of live reps were sent to the party. “In the end, we bands performed at the four-hour happenhad so much stuff, we invited everyone ing, plus there were workshops, seminars, left who hadn’t already won something up contests, and food. Owensboro Music parton stage,” Wilcher says. “I think everyone nered with two local radio stations, WBKR went home with something.” and WOMI, for the festivities. It didn’t quite go off without a hitch, “It was strictly a ‘thank you’ event, though: the city had forgotten to turn off and no sales were involved,” Wilcher the automatic sprinklers, and when they says. He notes that they previously held kicked on, it sent people and hot dog carts sales-specific anniversary events in the scrambling. Wilcher laughs about it now, store’s parking lot, but they never drew but quite a few got soaked he says. But it much of a crowd. This one had a Guitar certainly didn’t dampen the event. Hero contest where the winner, a nine“It was very heart-warming to get that year-old and a student of the store’s leskind of support,” he says. “I saw some of son program, won a new Samick guitar. my very first customers come with their They also had an “ugliest guitar contest” grandkids, who are starting music lessons with the winner walking away with a Silat our store. It’s important to build relavertone Acoustic guitar. tionships and be part of the community, Wilcher and company seem to know and that’s really what this party was about. how to throw a party, and got many venWe just had fun, and we’re thinking of dodors on board to support the event with ing it like this every year.” DECEMBER 2008

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Steinway Musical Instruments, Inc. (NYSE: LVB) announced results for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2008. Revenues for the third quarter increased 1% over the same period in the prior year. A 7% increase in piano segment revenues, which includes the Company’s recently acquired online music business, more than offset a 5% decrease in band segment revenues. Overall gross margins improved to 29.8% from 28.3%. In connection with the Company’s annual impairment testing of goodwill, in the third quarter the band segment recorded a non-cash charge of $8.6 million, impacting after tax earnings by $0.60 per diluted share. Controllable operating expenses were flat with the prior year period but the negative impact of the impairment charge caused a $6.6 million decline in operating income for the quarter. Net interest expense decreased 18% as a result of lower borrowings during the third quarter of 2008. Adjusted EBITDA improved to $12.2 million, or 25%, over the prior year period. The Company posted a loss per share of $0.03 and Adjusted earnings per share of $0.57 compared to earnings per share of $0.35 in the third quarter of 2007. Adjustments for the quarter are detailed in the attached fi nancial tables. For the first nine months of 2008, revenue increased 3% and gross margins improved slightly, to 29.5% from 29.4%. Operating income declined $7.4 million as a result of the charge to goodwill. Adjusted EBITDA improved to $31.4 million, or 14%, reflecting improvement in both the band and piano segments.

Band Operations In the third quarter, band revenues decreased $2.5 million, or 5%, despite a unit sales decline of 15%. Declines occurred in all major product categories, with the most significant shortfall in student level instruments. Gross margins improved from 19.5% to 23.2% as a result of a change in product mix toward higher priced instruments, reduced sales incentive programs, and greater manufacturing efficiencies. For the nine-month period, band sales were nearly equal to the prior year period. Gross margins improved from 20.7% to 22.2%, despite $0.9 million of severance costs during the period.

Piano Operations Piano segment revenues for the third quarter increased $3.7 million, or 7%, to $55.7 million. An increase in piano sales overseas offset a domestic decline while online music sales contributed an additional $1.8 million in revenue during the quarter. Overall unit shipments of Steinway grand pianos decreased 5% from the prior year period. Domestic shipments of Steinway grand pianos decreased 6% and overseas shipments decreased 3%. Unit shipments of mid-priced pianos declined 7%. Gross margins declined from 36.3% to 35.1% due to a decline in domestic retail sales and a change in product mix toward lower margin upright pianos. For the nine-month period, piano revenues increased 5%. Steinway grand unit shipments declined 6% and mid-priced piano unit shipments decreased 2%. Gross margins decreased to 34.8% from 36.3% primarily as a result of lower production levels at the Company’s New York piano plant.

24 MMR

DECEMBER 2008

WEBWISE

Blogging for Customers Blogging on Your Web site is an Effective Marketing Tool By Kevin M. Mitchell

he Internet is a beast that doesn’t let you rest on your laurels. Have a great web site? Congrats! But now start blogging.

26 MMR

I understand the reluctance to blog. After all, isn’t there too much chatter out there as it is? Do people really want to hear another opinion on anything? Isn’t blogging just for people with too much time on their hands? When MMR started discussing the possibility of the editorial staff blogging, those questions popped into my head, but I’m now a believer in the power of the blog: traf-

fic to our Web site immediately increased nearly 20 percent because of our efforts. Everyone clamoring for our pearls of wisdom? Some, sure. But more importantly, just the act of putting something new and fresh on a site raises it exponentially with search engines. So if MI retailer, Joe’s Guitar Hanger, has a good site, and Jane’s House of Fret does too, they will both probably show up on the same page when “Googled; however, if Jane is also blogging, her

DECEMBER 2008

site will come up first. This is because the search engine “spiders” that search the Web will register her site as more “active,” and thus more important. Those searching the Web for a place to take their kid for guitar lessons will see her site first.

interesting in Guitarist magazine about new, inexpensive Archtops …” The magazine would then be hyperlinked so that the reader could click on it and go to the article, or at least the source, being referred to.)

“Blogging has definitely increased traffic to my site. And it’s a great way to define your business.” What if Jane’s blog isn’t that interesting? Or even read that much? That is less important. It’s first about getting a higher search engine rating, and this is a sure-fire way to do it.

Building the Case for Blogging Not to say that blogs aren’t read. Here are a few statistics on the topic courtesy of particletree.com, a Web consulting organization: 50 million Americans, about 30 per• cent of the total Internet population, visit blogs. Blog readers’ median income is be• tween $60,000 and $90,000. 75 percent of blog readers are over 30 • years old. So the idea that blogs are for ne’er-dowells and kids with way too much time on their hands are a myth. Danny Rocks, who worked for Alfred Publishing for decades, launched his own consulting/training business a few years ago, The Company Rocks. “Blogging has definitely increased traffic to my site,” Rock says. “And it’s a great way to define your business.” Rocks is often at NAMM events participating in training sessions and seminars on Internet-related topics because he’s long been recognized for his savvy on the subject. His business has benefited from the power of the blog. So much so he’s actually running four blogs now. “Adding new content makes a site search engine-friendly,” Rocks confirms. “And I found that adding specialist sites has allowed me to go deeper into certain subjects, and that brings up the visibility and attractiveness as well.” For the MI retailer, this might mean that the full line store has several blogs – one for percussion, one for pianos, one for guitars, etc. Rock also says hyperlinks should be included in a blog posting whenever possible. (A hyperlink is a piece of text that connects readers to another Web page – so a blog might read: “I read something DECEMBER 2008

He says that blogging provides a competitive advantage: “It definitely can be what makes you special on the web.” What this could mean for the retailer is, say, Jane on a lark takes in a high-end ukulele, and blogs about it. A week later, she’s got eight comments about from rapid uke fans. This might be a sign to stock more of them and include them in her advertisements. The hardest thing to do is to get people to comment. Sometimes you can egg your friends and good customers with an email, as in “Hey Tom, I just blogged about such-and-such saxophones, which I know you’re crazy about – go read it and comment on it if you want!” But you can only do that so much. If you never receive comments, don’t think people aren’t reading your blog, and know that it’s still raising awareness of your operation nonetheless. But here’s the bad news about blogs: You do have to keep it up. If you try and you can’t, then stop it and pull off what you have. Just like that Web site that has a section for “news” and you click on it and there’s one thing from 2005 is a death knell, so is a half-hearted blog.

What to Say Rocks tries to post at least twice a week on all his sites. But what to write? And how long should it be? Blogs can be as little as a few sentences, and I recommend not going over 500words for a single entry. Rocks points out that you can serialize – so if you have an

idea about something to write about that requires more, write it in sections and post it in pieces. You can continue a longer content idea as an ongoing thread. Good blogs are the epitome of the phrase “short and sweet.” Rocks recommends knowing what point you want to make, make it, and then “get the hell out of the way.” It’s good advice. The blog is not the place to wax philosophically for paragraph MMR 27

after paragraph. Another blogging tip for those especially short on time is simply point out another article your readers would be interested in. If you found something of interest in a local paper or on another website for example, write two sentences of comment, quote a paragraph from it (citing the source of course), and then hyperlink to it. Rocks adds that there is nothing wrong with revisiting favorite topics, too. If all that still seems like too much, consider just quoting from your supplier’s press releases about their products you are stocking. A few years ago I did some Web consulting for a retailer in another industry, and he’s quite shy and doesn’t feel like he’s much of a “writer” (I would beg to differ, but you know the type). He was not going to let that keep him from blogging, which he realized was key to drumming up new business. He just worked from information on new products. For Jane, taking this idea would look something like this: “Doohicky guitars are shipping their new Z3 solidbody and it’s in my store now. It’s a mahogany single-cutaway with a maple top and maple veneer and comes in black and firehouse red. It’s 25inch scale length with a 22-fret neck with rosewood fretboard …” et cetera. This is a good approach and has the benefit of your supplier approving of it as well. For those who commit to this bit of navel gazing, there’s one more benefit: it can help define what your store is about. “Blogging makes you think about your products and services on a whole other level,” Rocks says. “You can get a clearer understanding of what your message is and redefine it. I’ve become very clear about what my customers want and what I can do to offer them the things they need because of blogging.”

MMR Blogs about the MI industry every Wednesday. Go to www.mmrmagazine.com to see what is “Off the Record” today. 28 MMR

DECEMBER 2008

the Right POP

for YOUR Store

With our new Point of Purchase campaign, The Right Mic, Sennheiser takes the guess work out of deciding which microphone is the perfect add-on sale for every piece of gear you sell! Hang-tags on products help pre-sell your customers on what they’ll need to capture every nuance of the gear they crave. Threesided POP checkout counter displays and a fold-out brochure reinforce The Right Mic message while cards in your display case highlight the features, benefits and applications of Sennheiser’s evolution mics. Add web-resources, promotional incentives and a vigorous national ad campaign and you’ve got an in-store promo that’ll rock your register. Call your local Sennheiser Rep to find out what The Right Mic can do for you!

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Stats Sources: The data presented in this chart been compiled from tariff and trade data from the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission. * HTS: The Harmonized Tariff Schedule was enacted by Congress and made effective on January 1, 1989. The HTS comprises a hierarchical structure for describing all goods in trade for duty, quota, and statistical purposes. ** NESOI: Not Elsewhere Specified Or Included

30 MMR

U.S. Imports for Consumption: Quarterly data for 2008

HTS Number Argentina 9202904000 GUITARS VALUED OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE 9205904080 WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9209300000 MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS Australia 9202904000 GUITARS VALUED OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE 9205904080 WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9205906000 WIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9206002000 DRUMS 9209300000 MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS Austria 9202904000 GUITARS VALUED OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE 9205100080 BRASS-WIND INSTRUMENTS VALUED OVER $10 EACH 9209300000 MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS Canada 9202100000 STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS PLAYED WITH A BOW 9202904000 GUITARS VALUED OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE 9202906000 STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9205906000 WIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9206002000 DRUMS 9206004000 CYMBALS 9207900040 FRETTED STRINGED INSTRUMENTS Chile 9205904020 CLARINETS 9206008000 PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI China 9202100000 STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS PLAYED WITH A BOW 9202904000 GUITARS VALUED OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE 9202906000 STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9205100080 BRASS-WIND INSTRUMENTS VALUED OVER $10 EACH 9205901400 KEYBOARD INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9205904020 CLARINETS 9205904040 SAXOPHONES 9205904060 FLUTES AND PICCOLOS (EXCEPT BAMBOO) 9205904080 WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9205906000 WIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9206002000 DRUMS 9206004000 CYMBALS 9206008000 PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9207100005 MUSICAL SYNTHESIZERS VALUED UNDER $100 EACH 9207900040 FRETTED STRINGED INSTRUMENTS 9209300000 MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS Czech Republic 9202100000 STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS PLAYED WITH A BOW 9202904000 GUITARS VALUED OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE 9205100080 BRASS-WIND INSTRUMENTS VALUED OVER $10 EACH 9205904020 CLARINETS 9205904040 SAXOPHONES 9205904080 WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9207900040 FRETTED STRINGED INSTRUMENTS Denmark 9209300000 MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS France 9202100000 STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS PLAYED WITH A BOW 9202904000 GUITARS VALUED OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE 9202906000 STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9205100080 BRASS-WIND INSTRUMENTS VALUED OVER $10 EACH 9205904020 CLARINETS 9205904040 SAXOPHONES 9205904080 WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9205906000 WIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

First Quarter

Second Quarter Third Quarter In Actual Units of Quantity

0 784 1,028

0 0 158

30 0 39,398

18 453 0 6 0

289 166 270 27 0

81 51 88 36 13,836

130 13 127,440

0 10 170,332

0 12 74,343

2 7,310 122 21,412 420 65,807 2,234

117 7,519 677 77 323 82,571 549

141 8,823 1,817 17 150 72,404 402

148 8,526

11 7,729

2 7,389

66,327 19,555 56,468 18,871 3,886 5,404 11,639 15,674 36,921 38,742 101,475 12,521 300,209 14,193 218,673 219,600

81,993 25,400 91,196 27,427 1,529 11,189 10,497 21,250 71,660 19,856 116,750 9,793 299,612 8,347 330,069 318,876

88,134 30,588 113,445 35,166 12 19,110 15,310 57,645 112,605 23,781 269,039 28,012 519,762 122,704 550,948 1,140,469

227 38 254 73 16 39 157

234 16 215 201 24 17 150

1,194 266 146 150 36 22 159

26,013

24,047

29,015

370 2 723 57 3,860 1,374 776 6

165 10 1,240 114 3,055 681 1,990 5,446

705 106 5 64 1,557 719 1,005 1

DECEMBER 2008

HTS Number

First Quarter

9206004000 CYMBALS 9206008000 PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9209300000 MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS Germany 9201200005 GRAND PIANOS, USED 9201900000 PIANOS, NESOI 9202100000 STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS PLAYED WITH A BOW 9202904000 GUITARS VALUED OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE 9202906000 STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9205100080 BRASS-WIND INSTRUMENTS VALUED OVER $10 EACH 9205901400 KEYBOARD INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9205904020 CLARINETS 9205904040 SAXOPHONES 9205904060 FLUTES AND PICCOLOS (EXCEPT BAMBOO) 9205904080 WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9205906000 WIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9206002000 DRUMS 9206004000 CYMBALS 9206008000 PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9207900040 FRETTED STRINGED INSTRUMENTS 9209300000 MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS Hong Kong 9202100000 STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS PLAYED WITH A BOW 9202906000 STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9206002000 DRUMS 9207900040 FRETTED STRINGED INSTRUMENTS India 9202100000 STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS PLAYED WITH A BOW 9202906000 STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9205100080 BRASS-WIND INSTRUMENTS VALUED OVER $10 EACH 9205901400 KEYBOARD INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9205904060 FLUTES AND PICCOLOS (EXCEPT BAMBOO) 9205904080 WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9205906000 WIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9206002000 DRUMS 9206004000 CYMBALS 9206008000 PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9207900040 FRETTED STRINGED INSTRUMENTS 9209300000 MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS Indonesia 9202904000 GUITARS VALUED OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE 9202906000 STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9205904020 CLARINETS 9205904040 SAXOPHONES 9205904060 FLUTES AND PICCOLOS (EXCEPT BAMBOO) 9205904080 WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9205906000 WIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9206002000 DRUMS 9206008000 PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9207900040 FRETTED STRINGED INSTRUMENTS Ireland 9205904060 FLUTES AND PICCOLOS (EXCEPT BAMBOO) 9205904080 WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9206002000 DRUMS 9206008000 PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI Italy 9202100000 STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS PLAYED WITH A BOW 9202904000 GUITARS VALUED OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE 9202906000 STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9205904020 CLARINETS 9205904040 SAXOPHONES

370 60 55,625

214 23 27,743

0 8 33,912

9 37 1,382 51 58 1,908 630 1,515 150 124 1,584 14,584 177 10,292 3,605 778 137,143

21 38 1,159 426 201 1,294 676 3,782 201 339 16,709 22,251 369 12,579 25,529 409 62,406

23 0 1,298 84 47 3,429 552 3,120 54 56 14,582 9,580 436 18,359 22,226 356 166,011

0 680 0 1,002

26 236 0 0

0 50 29,683 1,304

0 1,391 108 322 21 394 615 4,796 675 21,876 3,505 250

63 812 122 338 2,404 12 4,180 4,138 0 15,861 4,732 3,395

0 10,792 537 126 0 3,338 540 6,956 1,019 18,338 5,063 0

1,526 2,217 4,048 451 7,403 228,050 986 12,743 3,125 70,470

786 3,891 2,440 0 4,704 63,627 0 17,287 12,646 105,767

684 1,253 5,760 0 4,814 262,450 0 20,173 14,660 156,074

750 458 2,954 1,680

0 2,650 19 0

0 3,000 3,610 0

608 236 161 0 105

1,799 108 4,087 100 56

854 147 1,366 116 0

DECEMBER 2008

Second Quarter Third Quarter In Actual Units of Quantity

MMR 31

32 MMR

U.S. Imports for Consumption: Quarterly data for 2008 HTS Number

First Quarter

Second Quarter Third Quarter In Actual Units of Quantity

9205904080 WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9205906000 WIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9206004000 CYMBALS 9207100005 MUSICAL SYNTHESIZERS VALUED UNDER $100 EACH 9209300000 MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS Japan 9201100005 UPRIGHT PIANOS, USED 9201200005 GRAND PIANOS, USED 9201900000 PIANOS, NESOI 9202100000 STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS PLAYED WITH A BOW 9202904000 GUITARS VALUED OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE 9202906000 STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9205100080 BRASS-WIND INSTRUMENTS VALUED OVER $10 EACH 9205904020 CLARINETS 9205904040 SAXOPHONES 9205904060 FLUTES AND PICCOLOS (EXCEPT BAMBOO) 9205904080 WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9206002000 DRUMS 9206004000 CYMBALS 9206008000 PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9207100005 MUSICAL SYNTHESIZERS VALUED UNDER $100 EACH 9207900040 FRETTED STRINGED INSTRUMENTS 9209300000 MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS Korea 9201100005 UPRIGHT PIANOS, USED 9202100000 STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS PLAYED WITH A BOW 9202904000 GUITARS VALUED OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE 9202906000 STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9205904080 WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9205906000 WIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9206002000 DRUMS 9206008000 PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9207900040 FRETTED STRINGED INSTRUMENTS 9209300000 MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS Mexico 9202100000 STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS PLAYED WITH A BOW 9202904000 GUITARS VALUED OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE 9202906000 STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9206002000 DRUMS 9206008000 PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9207900040 FRETTED STRINGED INSTRUMENTS 9209300000 MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS Netherlands 9206002000 DRUMS 9206008000 PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9207900040 FRETTED STRINGED INSTRUMENTS Pakistan 9202906000 STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9205901400 KEYBOARD INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9205904060 FLUTES AND PICCOLOS (EXCEPT BAMBOO) 9205906000 WIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9206002000 DRUMS 9206008000 PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI Peru 9205904060 FLUTES AND PICCOLOS (EXCEPT BAMBOO) 9205904080 WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9205906000 WIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9206002000 DRUMS 9206008000 PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

18 0 343 424 7,478

13 1 131 296 5,609

124 88 0 162 4,251

704 340 10 92 2,782 8,272 4,591 1,380 1,920 1,534 18,055 3,477 0 3,844 0 11,216 115

885 254 9 57 1,877 1,423 5,634 993 1,258 4,430 29,744 4,616 365 3,731 40 11,494 2,450

831 201 16 90 3,564 888 4,360 1,522 1,732 1,301 21,788 5,561 0 8,341 1,500 10,738 1

1 297 12,308 3,258 280,775 48,100 45 5,560 35,139 0

0 31 11,705 476 207,070 57,856 2,000 6,114 40,589 8,901

53 1 12,099 1,793 248,523 194,100 4,654 4,811 60,925 53,140

133 8,921 174 296 38,420 35,556 1,647,336

0 11,843 127 6,718 20,662 36,461 1,750,752

66 12,817 48 4,725 24,468 40,813 1,859,949

329 2,462 0

402 502 0

536 704 822

2,549 0 0 507 3,009 13,703

564 258 60 0 2,713 27,181

1,363 0 171 0 2,192 22,730

9,764 0 0 3,295 4,440

5,500 3,206 4,706 2,200 2,248

7,181 760 2,715 155 2,283

DECEMBER 2008

HTS Number Romania 9202100000 STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS PLAYED WITH A BOW 9202906000 STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9209300000 MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS Spain 9202904000 GUITARS VALUED OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE 9202906000 STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9205100080 BRASS-WIND INSTRUMENTS VALUED OVER $10 EACH 9205906000 WIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9206002000 DRUMS 9206008000 PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9207900040 FRETTED STRINGED INSTRUMENTS Sweden 9202100000 STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS PLAYED WITH A BOW 9202904000 GUITARS VALUED OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE 9209300000 MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS Switzerland 9205100080 BRASS-WIND INSTRUMENTS VALUED OVER $10 EACH 9205901400 KEYBOARD INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9205906000 WIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9206004000 CYMBALS 9206008000 PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI Taiwan 9202906000 STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9205100080 BRASS-WIND INSTRUMENTS VALUED OVER $10 EACH 9205904020 CLARINETS 9205904040 SAXOPHONES 9205904060 FLUTES AND PICCOLOS (EXCEPT BAMBOO) 9205904080 WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9205906000 WIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9206002000 DRUMS 9206004000 CYMBALS 9206008000 PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9207100005 MUSICAL SYNTHESIZERS VALUED UNDER $100 EACH 9207900040 FRETTED STRINGED INSTRUMENTS Thailand 9206002000 DRUMS 9206008000 PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI Turkey 9202906000 STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9205904060 FLUTES AND PICCOLOS (EXCEPT BAMBOO) 9206002000 DRUMS 9206004000 CYMBALS 9206008000 PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI United Kingdom 9202100000 STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS PLAYED WITH A BOW 9202904000 GUITARS VALUED OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE 9202906000 STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9205100080 BRASS-WIND INSTRUMENTS VALUED OVER $10 EACH 9205904060 FLUTES AND PICCOLOS (EXCEPT BAMBOO) 9205904080 WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9206002000 DRUMS 9206008000 PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI 9209300000 MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS

DECEMBER 2008

First Quarter

Second Quarter Third Quarter In Actual Units of Quantity

4,709 1,400 600

6,500 2,760 4,470

11,209 0 2,481

2,580 98 82 0 320 0 1,568

450 2 70 270 387 94 338

1,704 133 60 9 0 1 2,109

0 0 3,609

234 101 882

2 170 2,721

174 570 11 7,524 0

34 0 12,132 6,103 207

81 0 12 2,079 205

4,435 8,447 2,455 8,795 35,601 10,268 46,839 52,405 2,145 129,340 160 0

25,500 7,684 103 10,971 1,776 32,187 21,257 53,469 962 233,498 0 1,150

8,002 8,266 0 9,542 2,042 6,753 43,500 70,319 1,115 168,182 200 504

27,065 53,667

21,486 69,626

26,156 81,741

377 240 1,978 4,235 2,396

0 0 2,846 3,067 0

0 0 0 3,096 1,000

133 230 3 289 146 12 617 651 213,943

1,189 44 779 54 165 10 497 831 23,779

3 17 3 1,925 78 710 561 0 38,509

MMR 33

ADVERTORIAL

DECEMBER 2008

News

EEWAY Â˛ R & HE T R TE F ! G IN O ' Âą7EÂ´RE

Why Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s More Important Than Ever to 0 # & 2 # Join Your Peers at the NAMM Show !-+# 2-%

Note from Joe ne enging year for anyo This has been a chall n tai cer for one knows in businessâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and no months ahead. the in ct pe ex what to portant than ever im Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more future by coming to take charge of your ers at the NAMM together with your pe 2009. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the , Show, January 15-18 cut from your nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ca t one thing you jus s no other industry budget because thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for the year u a better game plan event that will give yo nt. me est inv urn on your ahead and a better ret investing in yourself, investing in? Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re u yo are . tly ac ex at So wh ure of your business ultimately, in the fut d, an ff sta ls, y too ke th ur wi yo f in yoursel the ideal place to arm , The NAMM Show is elves with the latest sh s reâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; sto ur yo e lin d an as, ide d an the insights Plus, this year ucts on the market. ers most innovative prod ed to help our Memb us foc errses are las ist ass d an e, NAMM University cou fac y ntl challenges they curre in ď&#x192;&#x17E;nd solutions to the s for their businesses ion cis de ble ssi po st be the g kin ma in them the year ahead. showâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the place rldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s music products wo the is bad, ow Sh MM The NA In good times and in course for the future. rce sou a as ow where we chart our MM Sh ays turned to the NA ll our industry has alw knows what 2009 wi e on no ile wh d An . ort pp su l d uâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;l an s yo on of soluti NAMM Show sure: by coming to the bring, one thing is for tions to prepare era gen for ne ders have do do what industry lea ssible start. po ir year off to the best themselves and get the e Committee and of Directors, Executiv On behalf of our Board happy holiday season d your family a very staff, we wish you an w Year. and a prosperous Ne See you at the show! Joe Lamond EO NAMM President/C

Find Innovations You Wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t See Anywhere Else The NAMM Show is where you can stay up on the latest trends and be the ďŹ rst to witnessâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and orderâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the newest musical innovations produced by leading manufacturers from around the world. Your customers are seeking exciting new products; shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you be the local retailer to offer them? Come check out the 175+ brand new exhibitors joining us to show off their wares.

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Pick Up NAMM U Tips Tough times call for new strategies. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve assembled the best and most successful industry players. Each session is focused to address todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s challenges and opportunities, from maximizing your Internet outreach to growing your local customer base. Take your business to the next level of effectiveness!

ADVERTORIAL V

Rekindle R ki dl Y Your Passion P i for f the Industry Many attendees say that soaking up the unique vibe of the NAMM Show helps them to remember why they got into this industry in the ﬁrst place. Getting away from your day-to-day and re-energizing your approach can increase your value to your company and start off your year in high gear.

Do More on a Tighter Budget In addition to bringing you the latest innovations in musical products, NAMM has also brought together a variety of business service providers who can help you look at your current expenses and see how they can save you time and money.

Return Inspired, Ready to Transfer Your Knowledge With all you will see and learn at the show, you’ll have lots to share with the folks back at the store and your customers when you return. Get your staff pumped up too by transferring your knowledge, sharing the new ideas you picked up and brainstorming strategies for the year ahead.

One Great Idea Can Pay for Your Trip Chances are, continuing to do the same thing will only get you the same results. By attending the NAMM Show, you can up the ante in your store, and ﬁnd new products, ideas and strategies that will set you apart from the competition. Besides, sometimes all it takes is one successful strategy to pay for the entire trip (not to mention, you can write it off!). Housing and registration for the NAMM Show are now open. Register for your FREE badges now by visiting www.namm.org. Be sure to do it before the December 5 deadline—after that, badges are $25 each!

Average Daily Temperature in Anaheim for January 15–18, 2009

SUNNY 68º F

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December 2008

industry news, latest breaking -to-date on the up ep org. ke m. To am . @n MM igital published by NA tter at playbackd NAMM News is Digital e-newsle ck ba AY PL r ou sign up for

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RETAIL

25th Annual

50 Dealer/ 50 State Review & Forecast

“Although our business remains strong so far, I don’t believe success is ever automatic. It is earned one day at a time.” Menzie Pittman, Va. 36 MMR

hile concerns about the entry of Best Buy into the MI market has some wringing their hands nervously, and continuing anxiety over competition from big box and Internet retailers remain hot topics, it’ll come as a surprise to no one that that overarching concern voiced by those retailers we contacted for this year’s 50dealer/50-state review was: the economy. With top economists predicting that, “a recession is likely to continue at least through the end of next year, with 79 percent saying the economy will grow less than 1 percent and 38 percent saying the economy will shrink next year,” according to a November CNN report, it’s likely that all retailers and suppliers will be feeling the squeeze for months to come. Also, while some see the emergence of a new presidential administration in ’09 as a sign of better times on the horizon, at least as many seem concerned about the increased instability such a change may bring. Nonetheless, the overwhelming majority of sellers we spoke with voice a positive outlook for the coming year, even if they can’t point to specific reasons for such optimism. As Larry Stark of Ben Jacks’ Arkansas Music, Inc. put it: “I’m cautiously optimistic that 2009 will be much better than 2008, but frankly I’m hard pressed to give a reason why.” DECEMBER 2008

cause manufacturers to cut back production, charge more for existing product, and close underperforming American factories. The workers fired from those factories will not buy that new guitar for their daughter this Christmas, since they are about to be evicted from their home.

Ron Partain’s World of Music Pell City Ron Partain, owner 2008 vs. 2007: Sales stayed flat; we had no measurable increase or decrease in sales. Highlights & Low Spots: We have been very pleased with sales of AXL and Michael Kelly guitars. The low spot has been the poor state of the economy. Concerns: My main concern is the economy. People just don’t have excess money to spend. Musical instruments are not a priority for people right now. Outlook for 2009: I’m hoping the new administration will keep their promises and things will be stabilized. Product of the Year: Alvarez RD8C guitar

ALASKA Pro Music Fairbanks Craig Smith, owner 2008 vs. 2007: Overall 2008 has been better than 2007. Highlights & Low Spots: The sales of import electric and acoustic guitars have increased this year. The sales of synthesizers, especially at the upper end, have decreased overall for the year. Concerns: The loss of margin for dealers in the music industry. Outlook for 2009: We remain optimistic for 2009 sales. Product of the Year: Fender GDEC series of amplifiers

ARIZONA Instrumental Music Center Tucson Michael & Leslie Faltin, owners DECEMBER 2008

“I expect to see more rental business, as many people will not be able to afford to purchase instruments.” 2008 vs. 2007: Sales for this period are down approximately 30 percent from the same period in 2007. Highlights & Low Spots: Our rental season was up approximately 10 percent over the previous year, after being flat in 2007. Decreased competition and increased prices helped us have a great rental season. After the weak Christmas season for 2007, we saw sales slow sharply in January and February. We slowed down inventory acquisitions and scrapped any plans to open new lines after the NAMM show. This reduced spending helped us tremendously over the slow summer months. With the price of gas roughly doubling and the price of groceries going through the roof, it is surprising to see that the recession hasn’t hit us harder. Many of our vendors are raising prices, with one of our vendors issuing new prices for the third time in 2008. The man-hours required to update our computer system and make new signs to reflect these price increases are daunting. Concerns: Inflation. If the prices continue to go up without corresponding increase of wages, bad things will happen. People will need to make choices whether to pay their violin rental or fi ll up the tank. People won’t go out to eat as much, causing the pizza parlor owner to stop paying for his drum lessons. Music stores will stop carrying professional model horns that have slow inventory turns. Decreased demand for instruments will

Outlook for 2009: I expect 2009 to look a lot like 2008. I wouldn’t anticipate an increase in sales or school funding for at least another one to two years. I expect to see more rental business, as many people will not be able to afford to purchase instruments. I anticipate more repair business as people fi x up old horns rather than get new ones. I plan to see an increase in sales on low to mid-priced instruments. The bright side is that with more people spending time at home instead of traveling, and the relatively low cost of playing music, we could see a great upsurge and a greatly renewed interest in folks playing music together. There’s a silver lining for the prepared dealer. Product of the Year: Yamaha Xeno Trumpet

ARKANSAS Ben Jacks’ Arkansas Music, Inc. Fayetteville Larry Stark, operations manager 2008 vs. 2007: Sales were down about as much as gas was up in 2008. Highlights & Low Spots: The lows were the first three quarters of 2008. The highlight was the fourth quarter. No matter about the economy, election year, or anything else so far, it’s still Christmas and Santa always shows. Concerns: Manufacturer’s total disregard for independent dealers who have loyally represented them for 40 plus years and then get a big box thrown in right on top of them. We are now one of three dealers of a particular guitar line in a two-mile radius, soon to be four if Best Buy opens here. The big boxes need to be held accountable to territory and franchise agreements that we have honored during the last five MMR 37

25th Annual 50 Dealer/50 State

ALABAMA

25th Annual 50 Dealer/50 State

decades. We should take note of what greed has done to the banking and mortgage industries and reverse this troublesome trend before the big boxes collapse the entire industry and leave us all with nothing.

COLORADO

Outlook for 2009: Cautiously optimistic that 2009 will be much better than 2008, but frankly hard pressed to give a reason why.

2008 vs. 2007: Overall, 2008 was a better year for us than 2007.

Product of the Year: the Fender Squire Vintage

CALIFORNIA Jim’s Music Center Irvine Rob Joly, president

Robb’s Boulder Music Boulder Seth Goodman, owner

Highlights & Low Spots: Our highlight for the year was a move to a bigger and better location with a lot of community support. We now have stateof-the-art lesson studios as well as a 6,500 sq. ft. showroom. Concerns: Our greatest concern currently is the instability of our domestic economy.

2008 vs. 2007: We are actually up in sales through the third quarter. Highlights & Low Spots: Highlights were finalized lease negotiations on a new building, double the space of our current location. The real highlight is that the building has visible signage on the freeway with over 400,000 drivers every day. Lows were dealing with contractors, landlords, and trying to get help from our industry with the move. Concerns: Definitely our economy is my main concern. Also, continuing price increases the manufactures are sending our way is a concern. Price increases at two or three times a year are very hard to deal with on the inventory side – updating computers, as well as actual inventory, and the problems caused by customer proposals that were quoted before the price increases.

Outlook for 2009: We have a positive outlook for 2009, from our helpful and knowledgeable staff, to our huge selection of beginning- to professional-level gear. We have been serving the Boulder community of musicians for almost 31 years, and it is that support that gives us the great outlook for 2009.

the free shipping and sales tax advantages of online shopping, while still having to pay astronomically high rent to be in a highly visible area of town.

Product of the Year: Roland V Drums.

Outlook for 2009: We will continue to focus on lessons, rentals and repairs, while carefully choosing both the companies and product mix for our sales floor. Our Web site is now fully integrated with our store, so what is represented online is represented on our sales floor as well.

CONNCECTICUT

Product AEF18

Norwalk Music, Inc Norwalk Michael Spremulli, president 2008 vs. 2007: Retail sales were down from 2007, but were more than offset by a significantly higher lesson enrollment and strong rental growth.

Outlook for 2009: We are keeping a very positive attitude and direction going into the fourth quarter and 2009. Our sales have been very consistent.

Highlights & Low Spots: Ibanez acoustic and electric guitars were a great addition to our offering. The company is terrific to deal with and the product sold excellently! The lows were learning of yet another box store/mass marketing conglomerate opening stores across the country, and watching the same manufacturers that went down with the last box/chain debacle hop right back on the bandwagon again.

Product of the Year: Fender Strat Packs

Concerns: We’re continuing to have a difficult time being competitive with

38 MMR

“Retail sales were down from 2007, but were more than offset by a significantly higher lesson enrollment and strong rental growth.”

the

Year: Ibanez

DELAWARE Accent Music Wilmington Steve Harkey, owner 2008 vs. 2007: 2008 was another challenging year, but we managed to run a few successful promotions that kept the customers coming into the store. Highlights & Low Spots: One highlight of 2008 is it’s our 20th anniversary. We had celebrations throughout the year, and our major anniversary party drew a huge crowd. The lows of 2008 are how the growth opportunities are suppressed by the overall economy. It DECEMBER 2008

Concerns: My concerns are of course the economy and what impact that has on our local and Internet market. Also, this slowdown in retail has encouraged other large retailers like Best Buy to enter the MI business in order to offset slower sales in their own primary markets. Outlook for 2009: 2009 will be challenging and, since we are in unchartered waters with the economy, it is hard to say what will happen. I will be working harder to keep our business healthy and moving in the right direction. Product of the Year: Mapex QR 5 piece drum set

FLORIDA Morningstar Music Naples Roger Raymond, owner 2008 vs.. 2007: We are down only 2.5 percent, most of which has occurred in the past two to three months. The first

quarter was up a little. Very careful ordering months ago and economic understanding were the keys for us.

Highlights & Low Spots: The quick start for 2008 and really only being down a small amount in this economy is a highlight. In music, the lows are limited to finance for me, so I would say seeing other stores suffer is a low. Concerns: The opening of MI in non-MI outlets concerns me. You need real music people in a true music setting to be helpful to customers, and many good stores are hurt due to money considerations alone. Outlook for 2009: I think the country has a more positive outlook since the election and this will increase activity for all outlets. My dad worked for GM and I can not imagine what he would think if we let our auto industry fade away without a fight. I think 2009 will see a rebound in most retail settings and music will be a big part. Product of the Year: Peavey Vypyr amps.

GEORGIA Earthshaking Music, Inc. Atlanta David Strohauer, president 2008 vs. 2007: 2008 was very good. Gross sales were up 11 percent from 2007. Highlights & Low Spots: We were named Music Store of the Year by readers of Atlantaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Creative Loafi ng weekly. The opening of our in-store recording studio has been a great for sales and training of home studio products, and has become a decent revenue stream in itself. High gas prices actually drove new traffic into our store. The lows are not worth mentioning. Concerns: Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m most concerned about the overall job market and real estate market. Our market seems fairly stable and strong, with a growing disenchantment with big box retailers and greater

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DECEMBER 2008

MMR 39

25th Annual 50 Dealer/50 State

takes a lot more effort to produce the same results.

25th Annual 50 Dealer/50 State

trust in us as as the place with the gear and the answers.

Concerns: The economy and people losing their homes are my concerns.

Outlook for 2009: Guardedly optimistic, but I think weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll do great. Product of the Year: Alto PS2A powered loudspeaker

Outlook for 2009: I am hoping for change with the new government. I am staying positive and hoping that sales will go back to the way they were in prior years.

HAWAII

Product of the Year: Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0

Pacific Music Connection Hilo Brendon Nakano, owner

IDAHO

2008 vs. 2007: Sales have stayed the same, but Christmas will really be the telltale sign. Highlights & Low Spots: We had great sales from local, new music programs. We also had a very good January. The low part has been gas prices. People have been holding onto their money, especially over the summer.

40 MMR

American Music Caldwell Benjamin Snell, sales associate 2008 vs. 2007: We have seen a bit of a drop in numbers in 2008 from those of 2007. However, our store dynamics have improved with the hiring of another sales associate, as well as a couple of certified repair technicians to better service our customers. Highlights & Low Spots: Picking up a few great lines including Korg, Vox, and Mapex, has been a great highlight. This

has only helped us increase our dynamics. As far as the lows, the biggest thing that comes to mind is the lull in the economy that has really taken its toll on everybody.

Concerns: My biggest concern is pending budget cuts in school music programs as well as an overall drop in recreational spending. Outlook for 2009: We are looking forward to 2009. I believe the music industry will see more new upcoming musicians. In hard times it is great to have an escape and music is a relatively inexpensive and readily available recreation that can be enjoyed virtually anywhere. Product of the Year: Taylor solidbody electric

ILLINOIS Brandolinoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Encore Music Shorewood Bobby Brandolino, owner 2008 vs. 2007: Being in a new location might have played a part in 2008 being a much better year for me. I must say

DECEMBER 2008

That’s the

$50,000 question!

Levy’s most successful dealers pose this question to each of their customers, and as a result, sell $50,000.00 worth of Levy’s guitar straps per storefront annually. Well… okay, it’s not that simple. There are a couple other things you need to do besides asking the question: 1. Keep your Levy’s display accessible and well-stocked. That’s where we come in. Not only do we offer the broadest range of comfortable, great-looking guitar straps, we also offer a comprehensive array of visually stimulating POP displays. 2. Remember that you’re selling a fashion item. Help your customers match a Levy’s strap to their music, their guitar, or their attire. Your customers will appreciate the personal attention. You too can be a successful Levy’s dealer. Start by asking the question…

Do you want Levy’s with that? Levy’s guitar straps were identified as a “must-have” product at the recent Summer NAMM Show and were designated Best In Show. Levy’s also received the Best in Show at Winter NAMM 2007.

NORTH AMERICA TOLL FREE PHONE & FAX

1-800-565-0203 1-888-FAX-LEVY (329-5389) Levy’s Leathers Limited: 190 Disraeli Freeway, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3B 2Z4 (204) 957-5139 Fax: (204) 943-6655 email: levys@levysleathers.com

www.levysleathers.com

25th Annual 50 Dealer/50 State

that the summer of 2008 was much better than the summer of 2007.

Highlights & Low Spots: The highlights for us have been the group and private music lessons. The enrollment has been phenomenal this year. The lows are difficult to pinpoint. Certain lines are moving much slower than others, although certain trends seem to be back in. It’s still hard to foresee what’s going to be hot and what’s not. Concerns: The economy! Being in a more or less specialty business, tends to land us in the category of things that people tend to cut back on when times get tough. Outlook for 2009: We are going to set some very realistic goals. Expand on some of the lines that are doing well. We are also going to find some creative ways to pick up the pace on some of the slower moving merchandise. Product of the Year: Palmer PF-24

INDIANA

eBay store listings will allow sales increases.

Roxy Music Laporte William Heiss, general manager

Product of the Year: Fender American Standard Strat

2008 vs. 2007: Sales were up about five percent. Highlights & Low Spots: Our lesson program and guitar sales of $500 and below, along with eBay store sales were very strong. Expensive acoustics have been a little slow Concerns: My concern is what will happen in the coming year with the new administration. Outlook for 2009: We believe our lesson program will continue to grow, along with overall growth of sales, as we focus on new students, and doing more promotion in the lesson program area. Also, continuing to expand our

IOWA Dave Krogan General Manager Rieman Music Des Moines 2008 vs. 2007: Our fiscal year ends June 30th, and sales were essentially flat for the year, which was true for the previous year as well. With the changes we have made in inventory control we were able to increase profitability substantially. Highlights & Low Spots: Pianos continue to be in a slump, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon with tightening credit. A highlight for the year was

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fretted instrument sales being up almost 20 percent. Our main business is the school band directors. We had a slight increase in school business and rentals, but are seeing an increase as we move into the fall of 2008. We have spent a lot of time on our Web site and have begun offering online rentals this fall. We continue to see small rural schools shrink and the metro schools grow. As we move forward we continue to focus on GMROI on smaller catagories of inventory and increase our turn rates.

Concerns: Best Buy just opened their music store next to Guitar Center here – very nicely laid out, nice product mix. They will have an effect on the Christmas entry-level market. Outlook for 2009: Iowa has had a historically low mortgage failure rate, and we’re looking at a near record setting harvest. So while the press laps up the doom and gloom around the nation, we are fairly stable and optimistic about the future.

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KANSAS Supersonic Music Topeka Derek Sharp, owner 2008 vs. 2007: I credit several new things that made 2008 a good year: the competence of new staff, a better product mix (we dropped several non-performing brands and brought in a few new ones), the eventual lowering of gas prices, and a little better local market presence with the recent closure of other stores.

“Certain companies’ increasing buy-ins and over-saturation in the market makes me want to just let the box stores deal with them.” Highlights & Low Spots: The highlights were the excitement about new brands, moderate remodel in stores, and a new staff with integrity. Lows were: the continuing trend towards flash-in-thepan musicianship; guitar books with onefinger (open) chords; the instant success kids feel when playing the video games, which they confuse with talent; new electronic instruments and products that do so much that folks aren’t motivated to really create; stuff that dumbs down music and doesn’t speak to the reality that it takes years of practice to master anything.

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Concerns: I hope that new staff will continue to grow and continue to serve well. Outlook for 2009: I plan further evaluation of existing lines, and the possibility of more of them being dropped. This is hard for me because I’ve been a dealer for a decade. Certain companies’ increasing buy-ins and over-saturation in the market makes me want to just let the box stores deal with them. Product of the Year: Bugera 6260 Head DECEMBER 2008

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KENTUCKY Owensboro Music Center Owensboro Gordon Wilcher, owner 2008 vs. 2007: Heading into November we were slightly up for the year. Let’s hope the year can finish steady. Highlights & Low Spots: The highlight was our 35th Anniversary Community Celebration. We had about 500 people attend, and it was just a great time. We had some great music and raised some money for a great charity. The low point has to be the slumping economy and consumer caution. Throw in the election year and it’s been a really bummpy ride! Concerns: My biggest concern is maintaining a livable profit margain. Shrinking margains and expanding outlets are the challenge for all inde-

pendent dealers. Not a day goes by that a customer challenges us to match an Internet price that violates MAP pricing. Pouring more products into the market place is eroding the independent dealers’ margins. Lines that once had clout in a market like ours are now just another stock-keeping unit. It’s a day to day challenge to fi nd the product’s to sell that pay the bills. Out of control health care also worries me. That’s our number one expense.

Outlook for 2009: Cautiously optimistic at best. Consumer loyalty is at an all time low, but I am hopeful customers will remember the value of service after the sale. It’s looking like it’s more important than ever to offer service, lessons, and a knowledgeable sales staff. We may have to look at being more lean and mean. We will be working on all the above. Belonging to musicstoreowners.com helps too. Indies have to join forces and work together now more than ever! Product of the Year: Samick SSL-3 guitar

LOUISIANA C & M Music Center Kenner Chris Nail, owner 2008 vs. 2007: 2008 was very good, better than 2007. Highlights & Low Spots: The highlight of 2008 was great sales. The low was the hurricane. Concerns: “Flavor of the year” vendors, who cheapen their brands selling to Best Buy concerns me. Outlook for 2009: I think we are going to have a great year. Product of the Year: Yorkville Elite powered speakers

MASSACHUSETTS Downtown Sounds North Hampton Joseph Blumenthal, owner 2008 vs. 2007: 2008 was slightly better than 2007. Highlights & Low Spots: The highlight of 2008 was good sales. There were many different products that did very well. Concerns: My concerns are competition from the Internet and big box retailers. I also wonder if my vendors will continue to make it possible for me to make a living. Outlook for 2009: I think we are going to have a great year. Product of the Year: Martin 15 Series guitar

MAINE Mark’s Music Brewer Mark Braveman, owner 2008 vs. 2007: 2008 started out really slow during February and March, but turned around. We had a record-setting 46 MMR

DECEMBER 2008

August and September. Who knows what the fourth quarter will bring, but I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Highlights & Low Spots: The highlight of 2008 for me was that we had a new casino built in our town which we were contracted to do the sound system. It was a great job for us, and we also did several other installations at area health clubs and venues. The lows were the rising costs of shipping and everyone’s worry about the economy.

Product of the Year: Peavey Vypyr Amplifiers

MICHIGAN Hanson Pro Music LLC Port Huron Eric Hanson, manager 2008 vs. 2007: For the first three quarters, total gross sales were up 2.4 percent.

Highlights & Low Spots: The low was the financial crisis; October was down 52 percent from last year. The high was selling a $3,000 Taylor. Concerns: Vendors’ unrealistic expectations of a market, Best Buy going in-

Concerns: What concerns me the most is the current economy, the cost of heating oil in this area, and wondering where people will decide to spend any extra or any income they would have to spend on non-necessity items, such as music. Outlook for 2009: I am not sure of the outlook for 2009. I am hopeful that the economy will settle and it will be business as usual. I feel I need to work as much as I can at getting other aspects of the business going – such as rentals, lessons, and installations – in order to stay strong and support retail. Product of the Year: Fender CD60 acoustic guitar

MARYLAND Bill’s Music House Catonsville Bill Higgins, owner 2008 vs. 2007: Overall 2008 was better, actually. Highlights & Low Spots: The economy and Best Buy now having four locations in Baltimore were the low points. The highlight has been that our house brands products have done well. Concerns: Chain stores and Musicians Friend. Outlook for 2009: If we work hard and focus, we will do fine. DECEMBER 2008

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25th Annual 50 Dealer/50 State

strument retail in my town, and our next president.

Outlook for 2009: Another year of survival to make it through to more good times. Product of the Year: Four Star Wire and Cable.

MINNESOTA Downtown Music New Prague Jim Reeder, owner 2008 vs. 2007: This year was tougher than 2007. Not only were sales down, but our expenses increased. Highlights & Low Spots: The high was band instrument sales. The low was difficulty in working with manufactures because of their consolidation.

Concerns: Definitely the economy.

Product of the Year: Takamine Guitars EAN 4OC

Outlook for 2009: I think things will get better and turn around by the third quarter.

MISSOURI

Product of the Year: Jay Jr. youth guitars

Dexter Music Center Dexter Steve Agee, owner

MISSISSIPPI Stan’s String Shop Natchez Stan Smith, owner 2008 vs. 2007: Our 2008 sales were down just a little from 2007. Highlights & Low Spots: Takamine guitars and Gretsch drums were the highlights. Band instruments and pianos were the lows. Concerns: My concern is the local job market. As long as people have steady jobs they buy instuments and take lessons.

“With gas prices coming down and the election behind us, it will probably bring some relief to a lot of us.”

Outlook for 2009: Staying positive.

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DECEMBER 2008

Highlights & Low Spots: The economy was a low this year, but we continue to grow. Concerns: The value of the US dollar falling and the rise of gas prices seem to slow a lot of people’s spending, while at the same time I saw an increase in international sales. So for me it was a wash. Outlook for 2009: I look for another good year. I will have to continue to step up my game and have a stronger presence on the Internet. With gas prices coming down and the election behind us, it will probably bring some relief to a lot of us. Product of the Year: Gibson Les Paul Standard

MONTANA Electronic Sound & Music Missoula Checkers Barker, co-owner

Outlook for 2009: It is hard to say . September was up, and we are heading into the biggest quarter of the year. It is anybody’s guess right now. Product of the Year: Roland Electronic Drums TD-9S

NEBRASKA Lou Kraus Music Ogallala Bob Josjor, owner 2008 vs. 2007: At the time of this writing our overall gross sales are up, but due to higher expenses our profit is nearly even with 2007. Our combo business accounts for a good portion of the increase in sales. Band instrument sales were only slightly better than last year. Highlights & Low Spots: We tried some special promotions in 2008 and

they were a success. It’s always a good thing when you try something new and it actually works. The biggest hassle we faced this year was short supply from multiple manufacturers. It really made it difficult to project buying for the remainder of the year.

Concerns: Of course we have the Dow jump up and down like crazy, so uncertainty about the economy in general is a great concern. My chief industry-specific concern would be manufacturers’ treatment of smaller independent dealers in things such as direct sales to consumers, cost parity, and buy-ins. It’s too large for independents to comply with. Outlook for 2009: We’re hopeful. The economy will do what it will do, and there is little we can do about it except continue to do what has gotten us through the last 25 years---provide top quality service and products at competitive prices. Sounds like an old, corny motto, but it is a proven success formula. Product of the Year: Ibanez Steve Vai model

2008 vs. 2007: Right now we are down from 2007, but 2007 was an unexpectedly good year. Sales in 2008, through June, were almost on par with 2007 until mid-summer, and then sales were soft. I just finished the books for September, and numbers are up again. I hope that continues through the last quarter. Highlights & Low Spots: I would say one of the highlights was that our teaching programs continue to grow.We are so lucky to have teachers that are well respected on their instruments and really enjoy what they do. The lows were probably pressure from suppliers to keep buying, whether you need product or not. This coming year will be our 30th anniversary, and watching the economy and retirement savings drop has not been fun either. Concerns: Suppliers that expect higher numbers every year while selling their products to every big box store in your area. The economy overall is also a concern. Sales are down from last year. DECEMBER 2008

MMR 49

25th Annual 50 Dealer/50 State

2008 vs. 2007: I’m still seeing growth in my fourth year.

25th Annual 50 Dealer/50 State

NEVADA Musician’s Advocate Las Vegas Bradley Hagen, owner 2008 vs. 2007: Slightly better, however the third quarter and so far in the fourth quarter, our 2008 sales are way down.

“It’s hard to convince someone to buy a wireless mic system when they are about to be laid off, or if they are paying $100 to fill up their car.” Highlights & Low Spots: The highlight was the first half of the year. The low is the current economic downturn. It’s hard to convince someone to

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buy a wireless mic system when they are about to be laid off, or if they are paying $100 to fi ll up their car.

Concerns: Right now there is a real fear about this economy and people are holding onto their money. Disposable income is what this industry mostly relies on and it is evaporating rather quickly

we will have. I have not canceled any of our advanced pack and other Christmas related orders. If sales remain weak, I expect there may be some pretty signficant blowout sales in order to get rid of it all.

Highlights & Low Spots: Sales were steady, way up until the last week of September. Since then it’s been pretty poor.

Outlook for 2009: Hopefully the housing crisis and economic downturn will stabilize at the very least. If it doesn’t, then we are all up the creek.

Concerns: The state of the financial markets and people’s ability to get financing going forward.

Product of the Year: Motif XS-8

Outlook for 2009: First Quarter will probably be weak; after that it really depends on what happens with the economy.

NEW HAMPSHIRE Rondo Music Claremont Kurt Zentmaier, president 2008 vs. 2007: This year was excellent until the last week of September. Gas prices really did not hurt sales as much as the news seemed to indicate. After mid- September sales dropped off. It remains to be seen what kind of Christmas

Product of the Year: SX EG1K 3TS Guitar Pack

NEW MEXICO Santa Fe Music & Piano Santa Fe Sarma Taylor, president 2008 vs. 2007: We had a significant drop in high-ticket sales, notably pianos.

DECEMBER 2008

Also high- end professional instruments slowed.

Highlights & Low Spots: We experienced more interest in name brand instruments like our line of Yamaha guitars and band instruments. Also guitar activity increased this year. The lows that we are experiencing now, relating to the economy, are pretty serious. Customers who were ready to buy are staying away. Concerns: My concerns revolve around the ability of our customers to use their credit cards and the availability of credit from our suppliers. Outlook for 2009: We believe that it is in the best interest of all retailers for the government to keep credit flowing for consumers. Hopefully that will improve the economy. It may be the year for the small, independent stores to move forward. Product of the Year: Yamaha Gigmaker Deluxe

NEW JERSEY Sweetest Sounds Music Center Lyndhurst Michael Lepre, owner 2008 vs. 2007: The beginning of 2008 was normal and lucrative, pretty much the same in comparison with 2007. The challenge didn’t really come until the last three months with sales dropping. Lately it has been harder to get people to come through

the front door. People aren’t spending their money for the obvious reason: the economy is bad. This election has been one of the most unpredictable and historical presidential elections of our time, so people are nervous about the uncertainty of the future.

the community. In general business was steady with repairs, sheet music, and rentals. Life was good for a lot of people – and then August came. There isn’t one specific thing to point to that made it a low point. People are just not spending.

Highlights & Low Spots: Some of the highlights of this year (believe it or not there were some) without a doubt were schools bids. The participation of the schools for the mom and pop stores is not just necessary, but beneficial to

Concerns: What concerns me the most is the instability of the economy. I feel that the economy will worsen before it gets better. I am concerned with the people at the top or in control. They must worry less about their party and

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25th Annual 50 Dealer/50 State

worry more about this country, but it’s a hard thing to do in politics.

new government and the tax policies that Obama espouses concern me.

Outlook for 2009: We want to have quality products to sell.

Outlook for 2009: I love this business and it’s been good to me. I am staying confident for the future. We must sustain the lows and work intelligently towards the future. People will spend again!

Outlook for 2009: For the first time ever, I have no idea

Product of the Year: Washburn Acoustic Guitars The D-52 All Solid Wood Acoustic

Product of the Year: Ibanez Electric Package IJX40

NEW YORK Alto Music Middletown NY Jon Haber, owner 2008 vs. 2007: Sales were up by roughly 10 percent from 2007. Highlights & Low Spots: None to speak of except the continued major revamping of our locations. Concerns: The possibility of the hammering small business will take with the

Product of the Year: Universal Audio UAD2 series

NORTH CAROLINA Swansboro Music & Pawn, Etc. Swansboro Don Whalen, owner 2008 vs. 2007: Sales were down by 15 percent from 2007. Highlights & Low Spots: Band instruments sales were down by 40 percent. There were no highlights. Concerns: The MAP system and online dealers with little to no overhead and free shipping.

NORTH DAKOTA Kenny’s Music Grand Forks Kelly Coreahl, manager 2008 vs. 2007: Sales slowed down in the summer of 2008 more than they did in 2007, but they are picking up again. Highlights & Low Spots: The highlight was college students coming back; they help business. The low was CNN reporting on the economy, scaring people. Concerns: My concern is our beginner business. Parents are tightening their wallets and not buying instruments for their kids. Outlook for 2009: I am hoping to increase our high-end sales.

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Product of the Year: Line 6 Spider 375

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Highlights & Low Spots: The high was a visit from ZZ Top’s guitar player, Billy Gibbon. We did very well with effects pedals, but new electric guitars were not moving.

Mossman Music Norwalk Don Mossman, manager

Centaur Guitars Portland Jason Snell, owner

Concerns: I am concerned about the economy, but hopeful.

2008 vs. 2007: 2008 was not as good as 2007, but it could have been worse.

2008 vs. 2007: Sales were up in 2008 from 2007. Our business has continued to grow.

Outlook for 2009: I plan on continued growth and want to establish more of a hold on the local market.

Highlights & Low Spots: The highlights are any time when we manage to make a sale to someone who still has discretionary income – lows are when we don’t. Concerns: The lack of available discretionary funds and lack of margin concerns me. Outlook for 2009: I remain hopeful

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2008 vs. 2007: Store sales were up 80 percent from 200. Highlights & Low Spots: This was our third year in retail and the dramatic increase in store sales was very satisfying. Our product mix came into focus with gains in every segment of the store. We thinned out our lines and tried to represent and advocate the remaining brands from top to bottom. On the downside, the third quarter/fall slump was more severe than in past year, but I believe that was attributable to the election activities and the turmoil in the financial markets creating a general sense of unease. Concerns: National economic conditions beyond our control are my concern. Outlook for 2009: I am optimistic and projecting another 20-25 percent growth, barring any major economic setbacks. DECEMBER 2008

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Product of the Year: Home Brew effects pedals

PENNSYLVANIA West Chester Music West Chester Scott Thompson, Proprietor 2008 vs. 2007: Overall 2008 was a good year. Business was up slightly compared to 2007. Highlights & Low Spots: For us the highlights would have to be becoming a full line Fender dealer and expanding our presence in the high-end electric and acoustic guitar marketplace. The low point would have to be the extremely difficult decision to cease being a full line Gibson dealer. Concerns: Our greatest concern, like just about everyone, is the economy and it’s effect on the MI industry, particu-

larly at the retail level. The entrance of Best Buy into the market concerns us as well.

Outlook for 2009: We are looking ahead with guarded optimism. We believe that we will continue to grow. Product of the Year: Fender American Standard Stratocaster

RHODE ISLAND Al Trombetti Music Center Warwick Bob McKenna, owner

lets. As a result we have lost quite a few students.

Outlook for 2009: I believe that by late spring things will turn around and get better. Product of the Year: Fender American Standard

SOUTH CAROLINA John’s Music Hilton Head Island John Sturm, owner 2008 vs. 2007: Down, quite flat.

2008 vs. 2007: The first half of 2008 was good and then sales went down a bit.

Highlights & Low Spots: Highs were some innovative product, and lows were unreasonable quotas

Highlights & Low Spots: We had a very good winter and spring, but the low was the dip in our online sales. from suppliers

Concerns: The economy is the main concern. People are tightening their wal-

Concerns: Consumer spending on high-end products. Outlook for 2009: Not great – I think that the economy will take a while to recover to the point of building consumer confidence. Product of the Year: Orange amps

SOUTH DAKOTA Engel Music Aberdeen Don Trebilcock, owner 2008 vs. 2007: Sales were slightly up in 2008 prior to the financial crisis. Highlights & Low Spots: Keyboard sales were up. We had no lows because sales were up from 2007. Concerns: My main concern is people losing their jobs. That affects everything. Outlook for 2009: We are taking things one day at a time. It’s hard to predict with a new administration coming in. Product of the Year: Yamaha keyboards 54 MMR

DECEMBER 2008

Lunsford’s Musical Instruments, Inc Knoxville Sonja Dittrich, owner 2008 vs. 2007: 2008 was better. More adults are getting into music and taking lessons. People are spending more wisely and not buying online to be assured of quality. Customers realize we have Internet pricing with local service. Highlights & Low Spots: This is a combination. I was down with some medical issues and the employees stepped up to the plate for a great rental season. It was really nice knowing that I had a team that I could depend on. Concerns: The quality of instruments. If the quality doesn’t stay up then the music industry will suffer in general. Customers will throw the cheap instrument out and buy another. Therefore, the quality of the instrument is gone as well as the quality of the musical experience.

DECEMBER 2008

Outlook for 2009: I’m looking forward to it. Customers are realizing the value of local service again and the personal relationship that the local music store provides. I’m not looking forward to higher taxes for the small business. We spend way too much time on weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly taxes. A lot of companies don’t make it past three years. I bet if you asked what really happened, they would say too much paper work, and taxes were the biggest obstacle, not the hard work! Product of the Year: Gemeinhardt 3SHB

TEXAS Swords Music Inc. Fort Worth Dave Sheppard, manager 2008 vs. 2007: 2008 has been better for us than 2007. Highlights & Low Spots: I have noticed an uptick in PA gear sales and in guitar sales. Those are usually our best

departments, but I have noticed drumset sales down a bit. Rentals have been up this year.

Concerns: My biggest concern is getting people in the door.

Outlook for 2009: Going to get people in the door. Product of the Year: Cort EVL-K4

UTAH KSM Music Logan Kevin S. Moore, president 2008 vs. 2007: Sales were down a little from 2007. Highlights and Lows Spots: In reviewing the past year for highlights, I can’t find any, which might tell me something.

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25th Annual 50 Dealer/50 State

TENNESSEE

25th Annual 50 Dealer/50 State

Concerns: The decline of small retailers and the lack of concern about it from everyone but small retailers. Outlook for 2009: We are trying a new formula for doing business in the fourth quarter and into next year. I feel positive about it. Product of the Year: Baden Guitars DSM mahogany with the matte cedar top

Maple Leaf Music Company Brattleboro Kate Spencer owner 2008 vs. 2007: There have been fewer sales, across the board. Highlights and Low Spots: Sales being down was the low spot, but we’re

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Outlook for 2009: We are looking at 2009 with a jaundiced eye through rose-colored glasses! Product of the Year: Huss & Dalton DS Custom

VIRGINIA

VERMONT

still in business.

Concerns: The economy. We have had many potential customers say they are just waiting for the stock market to come back up before they buy.

Contemporary Music Center Chantilly Menzie Pittman, owner 2008 vs. 2007: We had our best year on record in 2008.We continue striving to launch new programs and ideas. We have continued to improve the look and artistic presentation of the stores, and we always look for ways to have the customer and

the community win. If it is a win for the community it is a win for everyone.

Highlights and Lows Spots: My personal highlight was being asked by NAMM to participate in the Washington D.C. “Fly In,” addressing lawmakers on Capitol Hill, regarding the multiple benefits of music education. To be asked was truly an honor. The only low for 2008 that comes to mind is the general feel of the slowdown in the economy. Concerns: My main concern is the perception of the current economic outlook. If the media convinces the consumer things are bad enough, it will be a self fulfi lling prophecy. Also our industry continues to redefine itself, and I don’t see everything about the re-defi nition as positive. The trend in “non music related stores” selling music products continues, and while that can be good for a few bottom lines, I don’t see it as “truly” serving the needs of the customer. It is also beginning to happen in a watered down version of music education. We seem to be forgetting the

DECEMBER 2008

Outlook for 2009: I remain cautious, and I watch trends closely. Although our business remains strong so far, I don’t believe success is ever automatic. It is earned one day at a time. Overall it appears 2009 will be a very good year for us. Product of the Year: Roland DP 990.

Highlights & Low Spots: The high was an increase in our online sales and used product sales. The low was the economic problems putting a damper on high-end product sales. Concerns: My concern is people’s inability to afford the product they want because of credit trouble and being unable to get financing. Outlook for 2009: I am very optimistic. I want to diversify our products and expand home recording products.

WASHINGTON

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Mojo Music Bellingham Mike Roe, owner

WEST VIRGINIA 2008 vs. 2007: Sales have been up in 2008. The products have shifted. People are looking for value. They are buying inexpensive products, but more of them.

Guitars Plus, Inc. Beckley Randy Mullins, owner 2008 vs. 2007: 2008 had a good momentum until June when the economy and the election started to have an impact on retail musical instrument sales. We were about even with 2007 totals until June.

“So many products being made overseas. The USA is losing grip on a competitive product at a competitive price.” Highlights & Low Spots: 2008 showed some good new products from Peavey, Line 6, and Paul Reed Smith. The gas prices and housing collapse would be the lows for 2008, which effect the musical instrument buyer. Concerns: So many products being made overseas. The USA is losing grip on a competitive product at a competitive price. Outlook for 2009: Slow through the first two quarters and then stating to level off a little bit. Prices have been so over inflated that the market for instru-

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25th Annual 50 Dealer/50 State

knowledge of music is “specialized” and can’t be bought by the truckload at discount pricing.

25th Annual 50 Dealer/50 State

ments had to level off somewhere and adjust itself accordinly especially in the vintage market

Product of the Year: Peavey Vypyr Amplifiers.

WISCONSIN Rockhaus Milwaukee Rusty Olson, owner 2008 vs. 2007: 2008 sales are way up from 2007. We have adapted to our new economic climate in the music retail business. Highlights & Low Spots: Highlights are the remarkably low cost high value of musical related products available today. Lows would be how very little profit can be made on said items by a music retailer in this day and age.

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Concerns: The devaluing of the lines and low profit margins.

it did the rest of the country. The highs were piano sales and rentals were up.

Outlook for 2009: Quite good really. We are doing our best to wean ourselves off the brands that are whoring themselves out to the catalogs and the like. We are only dealing with companies concerned with music shops. I have a feeling the customers are starting to feel the same way also.

Concerns: I am concerned about what will happen in coming year with the new government and the financial crisis.

Product of the Year: The G&L Asat.

Outlook for 2009: I am staying positive. We will get through it and have a good year. Product of the Year: Yamaha EX saxophone

WYOMING Hill Music Company Casper Kurt Gilbert 2008 vs. 2007: We increased our sales in 2008 and our repair business was up from 2007. Highlights & Low Spots: The banking issues in the country were a low for us, but it didn’t hit the northwest as much as

MMR Blogs about the MI industry every Wednesday. Go to www.mmrmagazine.com to see what is “Off the Record” today.

DECEMBER 2008

27th Annual

America’s Top Music Chains

ithout question, the unstable economy is the subject on everyone’s mind and, though some maintain a positive outlook for 2009, other MI dealers offer a harsher assessment for the near future. When asked to hazard a guess as to the market’s fortunes in the coming year, Fred Forshey of Forshey Piano (Houston, Texas) commented: “This year was much darker than 2007 and I think improvement in 2009 is unlikely… right now my concerns are cashflow and cheap wine.”

PO P DP BO PC 60 MMR

Piano/Organ Piano Digital Piano Band Instruments Percussion

While such doom-and-gloom predictions may ultimately (hopefully) be proven to be unfounded, it’s certainly the case that this past year saw only modest growth in the way of new store openings. No doubt increased economic instability and the extreme price hikes for gas throughout the spring and summer of 2008 were contributing factors. The 70 dealerships featured in the 27th edition of MMR’s “America’s Top Music Chains” field a total of 791 units, up slightly from last year’s 781. It’s worth noting, however, that the seemingly modest store-opening schedule suggested by the data we were able to collect doesn’t factor in several key components of the contemporary MI marketplace. A number of large, individual outlets have opened in recent months and both Internet and mail order sales continue to represent a significant portion of overall market share. While such retailers don’t qualify as “music chains” and are, subsequently, not included in

FA SR EK PM

Fretted Amplification Sound Recording Equipment Electronic Keyboard Print Music

this report, it’d be unwise to not consider their impact when viewing the MI trade as a whole. Another phenomenon which exists beyond the traditional understanding of MI retailers or music chains, but which contributes greatly to the bigger picture, is the big box stores – the Wal-Marts, Targets, and Costcos of the world. Significantly, Best Buy’s late fall launch of their store-withina-store music departments will likely represent the most substantial increase in the MI retail footprint for both late ’08 and ’09. With the current plan to open a total of 85 such departments in the coming months, Best Buy is poised to be second only to Guitar Center in total store count. As for closings in 2008, the most noteworthy was likely the demise of Texas’ 10-store Holze Music chain, which had been in business for over 70 years. Financial and tax difficulties forced Holze to abruptly cease operations at all locations in late May, leaving a considerable gap in the area’s MI sales and rental market.

DJ LT IN

DJ Equipment Lighting Installation

DECEMBER 2008

AMERICA’S TOP MUSIC CHAINS Company

Total Units

Opened ’08

Closed ’08

Vol. (est.)’08

Guitar Center

313

$2.4 billion

$420 MM

(Music & Arts, Brasswind & Woodwind) 5795 Lindero Canyon Rd., Westlake Village, CA 91362 (818) 735-8800 • Fax (818) 735-4923 info@guitarcenter.com • www.guitarcenter.com CEO: Marty Albertson

DP,PC,FA,SR,EK,DJ,LT,IN Sam Ash Music

P.O. Box 9047, Hicksville, NY 11802 (516) 932-6400 • (516) 938-1437 Richard.ash@samash.com •www.samash.com CEO: Richard Ash

*As the majority of the dealers

DP,BO,PC,FA,SR,EK,PM,DJ,LT Music Go Round

4200 Dahlberg Drive, Minneapolis, MN 55422 (763) 520-8500 • Fax (763) 520-8489 tkletti@musicgoround.com • www.musicgoround.com Tim Kletti - director

$28.5 MM

$20.0 MM

$31.0 MM

$36.0 MM

$6.3 MM

$15.0 MM

$38.0 MM

represented in this report are privately held, in most cases data being presented in “America’s Top Chains” was supplied by the companies, themselves.

DP,BO,PC,FA,SR,EK,DJ

Fletcher Music Centers

3966 Airway Circle, Clearwater, FL 33762 (727) 571-1088 • Fax (727) 572-4405 jriley@fletchermusic.com • www.fletchermusic.com CEO: John K. Riley

home organs

Daddy’s Junky Music

1015 Candia Road, Manchester, NH 03109 (603) 623-7900 • Fax (603) 641-3976 Cgleason@daddys.com • www.daddys.com CEO: Fred Bramante

DP,SR,EK,PC,FA,PM Schmitt Music Co.

Butler Square,100 N. 6th St., Ste. 850 B Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 339-4811 • Fax (612) 339-3574 tom.schmitt@schmittmusic.com • www.schmittmusic.com CEO: Tom Schmitt

P,DP,SR,EK,PC,BO,FA,PM J.W. Pepper & Son

(Malecki Music, Wingert-Jones Music) P.O. Box 850, Valley Forge, PA 19482 (610) 648-0500 • Fax (610) 993-0563 satisfaction@jwpepper.com • www.jwpepper.com

Piano & Organ Distributors

2403 New Raleigh Rd., Durham, NC 27703 pianoorgan1@ncpr.com (919) 596-2105 • Fax (919) 596-4930 CEO: W.C. Boyce III

PO,DP,EK

Jordan Kitt’s Music

9520 Baltimore Ave., College Park, MD 20740 (301)513-1212 • Fax (301) 474-3648 www.JordanKitts.com

Jon Haber, Alto Music, Middleton, N.Y.

PO,DP

George’s Music Stores Inc.

650 W. Swedesford Road, Berwyn, PA 19312 (610) 640-0777 • Fax (610) 640-0908 www.georgesmusic.com CEO: George Hines

“Even though sales were up seven percent from 2007 it has been weird – definitely quieter. The phones have been ringing less, but at the end of the day the numbers are there. Go figure! I am uneasy about the uncertainty regarding the tax policies of the Obama administration. But we have never had a down year, and I’m not about to start.”

$22.0 MM

$6.0 MM

DP,SR,EK,PC,BO,FA,PM,IN,LT Mills Music, Inc.

10120 Main St., Bothell, WA 98011 (425) 486-5000 • Fax (425) 486-3366 mills@millsmusic.com • www.millsmusic.com CEO: Sam Mills

P,DP,SR,EK,PC,BO,FA,PM

DECEMBER 2008

MMR 61

AMERICA’S TOP MUSIC CHAINS Company

Sherman, Clay & Co.

1111 Bayhill Dr., Suite 450 San Bruno, CA 94066 (650) 952-2300 • Fax (650) 952-0121 TAustin@sclay.com • www.shermanclay. com President, Retail Division: Tom Austin

Total Units

Opened ’08

Closed ’08

Vol. (est.)’08

$26.05 MM

$8.0 MM

$20.0 MM

$6.7 MM

$20.5 MM

$12.6 MM

$9.6 MM

$29.7 MM

P,DP

Kennelly Keys Music Inc.

4918 196th St., Lynwood, WA 98036 (425) 771-7020 • Fax (425) 670-6713 info@kennellykeysmusic.com www.kennellykeysmusic.com CEO: William J. Kennelly

DP,PC,BO,FA,SR,EK, PM Washburn Piano Co.

45 E. Southern Ave., Mesa, AZ 85210 (480) 429-6994 • Fax (480) 429-9642 washburnpiano.net CEO: David Hermanson

“Our 2008 sales were relatively flat. We continued to see strong school sales as the remaining funds from the large state grants for the arts were spent. But, I worry about parents being financially able to continue renting. Are we going to see a big increase in returns and delinquencies as the school year progresses? I expect sales to be somewhat down in 2009, due to state funding cuts in education and the overall economic downturn.” Winston Dutton, Nick Rail Music, Santa Barbara, Calif.

P,DP

Piano Gallery

5478 Green St., Murray, UT 84123 (801) 266-9550 • Fax (801) 266-8445 stan@pianogallery.com • www.pianogallery.com CEO: Stan Beagley

PO, DP

Willis Music Co.

7380 Industrial Road, Florence, KY 41042 (859) 283-2050 • Fax (859) 283-1784 paul@willis-music.com • www.willismusic.com CEO: Kevin Cranley

P,DP,PC,FA,EK,PM

Marshall Music Co. Inc.

3240 E. Saginaw St., Lansing, MI 48912 (517) 337-9700 • Fax (517) 318-9325 help@marshallmusic.com • www.marshallmusic.com CEO: Dan Marshall

PO,DP,BO,PC,FA,SR,EK,PM,DJ,LT,IN Rieman Music

4420 E. Broadway, Des Moines, IA 50317 (515) 262-0365 • Fax (515) 264-1075 paulr@riemans.com • www.riemans.com CEO: Paul F. Rieman

PO,DP,SR,EK,PC,BO,FA,PM Eckroth Music Co.

1221 W. Divide Ave., Bismarck, ND 58501 (701) 223-5320 • Fax (701) 223-7554 jeff@eckroth.com • www.eckroth.com CEO: Jeff Eckroth

DP,SR,EK,PC,BO,FA,PM

C&M Music Center, LLC

2515 Williams Blvd., Kenner, LA 70062 (504) 468-8688 • Fax (504) 468-8683 cnail4cmmusic@yahoo.com mvolz@musiccenter.net www.musiccenter.net CEO: Chris Nail, Melvin Volz, Jr.

SR,EK,PC,FA,LT West Music Co.

1212 5th St., Coralville, IA 52240 (319) 351-2000 • Fax (319) 351-0479 service@westmusic.com • www.westmusic.com CEO: Steve West

PO,DP,BO,PC,FA,SR,EK,PM,DJ,LT,IN

62 MMR

DECEMBER 2008

AMERICA’S TOP MUSIC CHAINS Company

Frank & Camille’s Keyboard Centers

482 Route 110, Melville, NY 11747 (631) 385-0606 • Fax (631) 385-1040 FrankCamil@aol.com • www.FrankandCamilles.com CEO: Frank Sicari

Total Units

Opened ’08

Closed ’08

Vol. (est.)’08

$16.0 MM

$15.4 MM

$5.5 MM

PO,DP, EK

Jacobs Music Co.

1425 Walnut St., Suite 200, Philadelphia, PA 19102 (215) 568-0021 • (215) 568-0020 info@jacobsmusiccompany.com www.jacobsmusic.com CEO: Al C. Rinaldi

PO,DP

Henderson Music Co.

910 Madison Ave., Covington, KY 41011 (859) 431-2111 • Fax (859) 431-8426 www.hendersonmusic.com CEO: Carl Henderson

P,DP

Nick Rail Music

$8.8 MM

Falcetti Music Inc.

$6.0 MM

$2.2 MM

2801 De la Vina St., Santa Barbara, CA 93105 (805) 569-5353 • Fax (805) 687-1390 nickrail@nickrailmusic.com • www.nickrailmusic.com CEO: Nick Rail P,DP,BO, PC,FA,SR,EK,PM 1755 Boston Rd., Springfield, MA 01129 (413) 543-1002 • Fax (413) 543-0075 tonyfalcetti@falcettimusic.com • www.falcettimusic.com Tony Falcetti, president

PO,DP,BO,PC,FA,SR,EK,PM,DJ Keyboard World

14701 National Highway, Lavale, MD 21502 (301) 689-2534 • Fax (301) 729-0873 rklinetob@atlanticbb.net CEO: Ronald B. Klinetob

Fred Forshey, Forshey Piano, Houston, Texas

PO,DP,FA,EK,PM

White House of Music

2101 N. Springdale Rd., Waukesha, WI 53186 (262) 798-9700 • Fax (262) 798-0224 sales@whitehouseofmusic.com www.whitehouseofmusic.com CEO: Christopher White

$6.7 MM

P,DP,BO, PC,FA,SR,EK,PM Ken Stanton Music

119 Cobb Pkwy N., Ste. A, Marietta, GA 30062 Phone: (770) 427-2491 • Fax (770) 422-8455 kenstantonmusic@kenstanton.com www.kenstantonmusic.com CEO: Ken Stanton, Jr.

$10.7 MM

$19.0 MM

$11.5 MM

P,DP,BO,PC,FA,SR,EK Keyboard Concepts

5600 Van Nuys Blvd., Van Nuys, CA 91401 (818) 787-0201 • Fax (818) 787-1219 info@keyboardconcepts.com www.keyboardconcepts.com Dennis Hagerty, president

P, DP

Ted Brown Music Co., Inc.

6228 Tacoma Mall Blvd., Tacoma, WA 98409 (253) 272-3211 • Fax (253) 572-1416 sales@tedbrownmusic.com • www.tedbrownmusic.com President: Whitney Brown-Grisaffi

“This year was much darker than 2007, and I think improvement in 2009 is unlikely. It was hard to tell the difference between the economic crisis and Hurricane Ike. Right now my concerns are cash flow and cheap wine.”

“I think the economy has hurt us very badly. We were down about 24 percent. People are afraid to spend any money now; we have a lot of big deals we can’t close because of it. I hope 2009 will be better.” Robert Trombino, Trombino Music Centers, Belle Vernon, Pa.

BO,PC,FA,SR,EK,DJ,LT,IN

DECEMBER 2008

MMR 63

AMERICA’S TOP MUSIC CHAINS Company

Total Units

Opened ’08

Closed ’08

Vol. (est.)’08

Saied Music

$12.0 MM

Brook Mays Music

Portland Music Co.

$5.6 MM

$4.3 MM

$4.9MM

$7.4 MM

$6.4 MM

$8.4 MM

$5.0 MM

$3.4 MM

3259 S. Yale Ave., Tulsa, OK 74135 (918) 742-5541 • Fax (918) 744-9573 info@saiedmusic.com • www.saiedmusic.com CEO: Bob Saied

P,DP,SR,EK,PC,BO,FA,PM,LT

8805 Carpenter Fwy., Dallas, TX 75247 (214) 905-8614 * Fax (800) 637-9399 www.brookmays.com CEO: Bill Everitt, Jr. 531 S.E. MLK Jr. Blvd., Portland, OR 97214 (503) 226-3719 • Fax (503) 226-6574 mtaylor@spiritone.com www.portlandmusiccompany.com CEO: Mark Taylor

DP,PC,FA,SR,EK,PM,DJ,LT

“This past year was very good. But, the overall lack of support and respect for independent dealers in the industry concerns me. Particularly a lack of acknowledgment that the independent store distribution is the foundation on which this industry was built. Looking beyond the historical, it may not be the total source of selling goods to the public, but it remains a vital way to get the overwhelming breadth of product out to consumers. There is an ongoing trend, with rare exception, that something else must be the way to grow the industry.” Chris Nail, C & M Music Center, Kenner, La.

Trombino Music Centers Inc.

1049 Broad Ave., Belle Vernon, PA 15012 (724) 929-6707 • Fax (724) 929-2049 admin@trombino.com • www.trombino.com CEO: Robert A. Trombino

PO,DP,PM

Samuel Music

908 W. Fayette Ave., Effingham, IL 62401 (217) 342-9221 • Fax (217) 342-9227 bbannister@samuelmusic.com • www.samuelmusic.com President: Bruce Bannister

PO,DP,EK,SR,PC,FA,PM Piano Music Center.

3386 Tyler Street, Riverside, CA 92503 (951) 687-9800 • Fax (951) 354-8154 sales-riverside@pianomusiccenter.com www.pianomusiccenter.com CEO: Anthony Siciliano

P,DP,PM

Tarpley Music Co., Inc.

2420 Commerce, Amarillo, TX 79109 (806) 355-0795 • Fax (806) 353-6923 john@tarpleymusic.com • www.tarpleymusic.com CEO: David Tarpley

P,DP,BO,PC,FA,SR,EK,PM,DJ,LT,IN Quinlan & Fabish Music Co.

166 Shore Dr., Burr Ridge, IL 60527 (630) 654-4111 • Fax (630) 654-4128 gqjr@qandf.com • www.qandf.com CEO: George Quinlan, Jr.

BO,PM

Mississippi Music Inc.

P.O. Box 1705, Hattiesburg, MS 39403 (601) 544-5821 • Fax (601) 544-5841 info@missmusic.com • www.mississippimusic.com CEO: Rosi K. Johnson

PO,DP,BO,PC,FA,SR,EK,PM,DJ,LT,IN Firehouse Guitars

3125 28th St. S.W., Grandville, MI 49418 (616) 532.FIRE • Fax (616) 532.7153 www.firehouseguitars.com

PC,FA,SR,EK,DJ,LT

Critchett Piano & Organ

3304 100th Street, Urbandale, IA 50322 (515) 278-1000 • Fax (515) 278-4770 dbrown@critchetts.com • www.critchetts.com CEO: David Brown

P,PO,DP 64 MMR

DECEMBER 2008

AMERICA’S TOP MUSIC CHAINS Company

Total Units

Opened ’08

Closed ’08

Vol. (est.)’08

Mr. E’s Music

$9.0 MM

$6.5 MM

$6.3MM

$10 MM

$3.9 MM

$5.3 MM

Steinway Hall

$7.8 MM

Alto Music

$30.0 MM

$10.0 MM

$4.1 MM

$7.0 MM

4913 Airport Fwy., Fort Worth, TX 76117-7263 (817) 595-1910 • Fax (817) 595-1920 www.mr-e-music.com CEO: William C. Everitt

PO,DP,BO,PC,FA,SR,EK,PM Dietze Music House

1208 “O” St., Lincoln, NE 68508 (402) 476-6644 • Fax (402) 476-8962 dietzecorporate@alltel.net • www.dietze.com CEO: Douglas Fenton

P,DP,SR,EK,PC,BO,FA,PM,IN Riverton Music, Inc.

4650 South 3740 West, West Valley City, UT (801) 254-4489 • Fax (801) 746-1140 www.RivertonMusic.com CEO: Kevin Rindlisbacher

PO,DP,EK,PC,BO,FA Heid Music Co.

308 E. College Ave., Appleton, WI 54911 (920) 734-1969 • Fax (920) 734-2164 paulh@heidmusic.com • www.heidmusic.com CEO: Paul Heid

P,DP,BO,PC,FA,SR,EK,PM,DJ,LT Griggs Music

3849 N Brady St., Davenport, IA 52806 (563) 391-9000 • Fax (513) 728-6010 griggsmusic@griggsmusic.com • www.griggsmusic.com CEO: Steve Judge

DP,SR,EK,PC,BO,FA,PM

Buddy Roger’s Music, Inc.

6891 Simpson Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45239 (513) 729-1950 • Fax (513) 728-6010 bharvey@buddyrogers.com • www.buddyrogers.com CEO: Dave Miller

DP,BO,PC,FA,SR,EK,DJ,LT,IN

109 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019 (212) 246-1100 • Fax (212) 239-7462 info@steinway.com • www.steinway.com CEO: Thomas Kurrer 180 Carpenter Ave., Middleton, NY 10940 (845) 692-6922 • Fax (845) 692-0016 altomusic@altomusic.com • www.altomusic.com CEO: Jonathan Haber

PO,BO,DP,SR,FR,PM Skip’s Music

2740 Auburn Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95821 (916) 484-7575 * Fax (916) 484-7610 skip@skipsmusic.com • www.skipsmusic.com CEO: Skip Maggiora

PC,FA,SR,EK,PM,DJ,LT,IN Mom’s Music

19 Mellwood Ave, Louisville, KY 40206 (502) 897-3304 www.momsmusic.com CEO: Marvin Maxwell

P,PM,DP,EK,BO,FA,SR M. Steinert & Sons

162 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02116 (617) 426-1900 • Fax (617) 426-1905 paulm@msteinert.com • www.msteinert.com President: Paul E. Murphy, Jr.

“Overall, 2008 has been flat in comparison to 2007. It reminds me of last year’s NAMM show when one of my reps told me that flat is the new up. I believe the economic crisis had an impact on our business more with the higher end stuff. We are in the Midwest in a fairly stable local economy. However, it seems like I see a lot more thought going into a purchase of $100 or more. My concern is that we begin to see our business as just a commodity and get away from the core of helping people make music… It seems we learn a little more every year and especially when things are tough. We are always up for a challenge, and I would say that we have one.” Tim Pratt, Dietze Music, Lincoln, Neb.

PO,DP,EK

DECEMBER 2008

MMR 65

AMERICA’S TOP MUSIC CHAINS Company

Jackson’s Music

1409 S. Stratford Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27103 (336) 760-9635 www.jacksonsmusic.com CEO: Douglas J. Dryden

Total Units

Opened ’08

Closed ’08

Vol. (est.)’08

$4.5 MM

$5.0 MM

$5.8 MM

$8.6 MM

$6.7 MM

$8.5 MM

$4.7 MM

$7.5 MM

$7.2 MM

$7.0 MM

P,PM,DP,EK,BO,FA,SR

Jent’s House of Music

“2008 was an exceptional year in many ways as our company continues to focus on its core competencies. Our growth was the best ever. We are somewhat isolated from the economic crisis here in the upper Midwest. But, we have taken a more conservative approach to inventory and consumer credit policy. From a business perspective, we believe an economic downturn will provide opportunities for active music making. Our organization is focused, more than ever, on supporting these efforts and participating in their success. It’s too early to have 2009 detailed out, but we do see a modest increase, both in top and bottom line, for 2009.” Jeff Eckroth, Eckroth Music, Bismarck, N.D.

2646 34th Street, Lubbock, TX 79410 (806) 795-5579 www.jents.com CEO: Ray Jent

P,PM,DP,EK,BO,FA,SR Instrumental Music

3328 State St., Santa Barbara, CA 93105 (805) 569-5055 www.instmusic.com CEO: Brian McCann

P,PM,DP,EK,BO,FA,SR Evola Music Center

2184 Telegraph Rd., Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302 (248) 334-0566 • Fax (248) 334-2340 jim@Evola.com • www.evola.com CEO: Jim Evola

PO,DP, EK,PM,church organ Henri’s Music

500 S. Military Ave., P.O. Box 3589 Green Bay, WI 54303 (920) 496-3700 • Fax (920) 496-3704 www.henris-music.com CEO: Jim Jannsen

PO,DP,EK,SR,PC,BO,FA,PM

Bach to Rock Music School Inc.

(dba East Coast Piano) 198 Route 46E, Fairfield, NJ. 07004 (973) 882-2899 • Fax (973) 882-2897 ECPianoman@yahoo.com • www.eastcoastpiano.com CEO: Enrico Aquino

P, DP

Forshey Piano Co.

1240 Clear Lake City Blvd., Houston, TX 77062 (281) 286-6300 • Fax (281) 286-6900 fforshey@forsheypiano.com CEO: Fred Forshey

PO, DP

Prosser Piano & Organ

13400 Interurban Ave., South Tukwila, WA 98168 (206) 957-8732 • Fax (206) 957-8736 KerryP@prosserpiano.com • www.prosserpiano.com CEO: Kerry Prosser

PO,DP,EK, PM

Steinway Hall / Dallas – Ft. Worth

5301 N. Central Expressway, Dallas, TX 75205 (469) 656-3669 www.steinwaydfw.com

Art’s Music Shop, Inc.

3030 East Blvd., Montgomery, AL 36116 (334) 271-2787 • Fax (334) 279-0119 sales@ArtsMusicShop.com • www.ArtsMusicShop.com CEO: Paul Freehling

P,DP,BO,PC,FA,SR,EK,PM,IN Robert M. Sides

201 Mulberry St., Williamsport, PA 17701 (570) 326-2094 • Fax (570) 326-5155 asides@rmsides.com • www.rmsides.com COO: Peter K. Sides

PO,DP,BO,SR,FA,PM 66 MMR

DECEMBER 2008

AMERICA’S TOP MUSIC CHAINS Company

Dave Phillips Music & Sound

377 Irwin St., Phillipsburg, NJ 08865 (908) 454-3313 • Fax (908) 859-4449 dphillips@davephillipsmusic.com www.davephillipsmusic.com CEO: Dave Phillips

Total Units

Opened ’08

Closed ’08

Vol. (est.)’08

$6.5 MM

DP, PC,BO,FA,SR,EK,PM,LT,IN Pecknel Music Co., Inc.

$6.8 MM

$7.0 MM

Piano & Organ Center

$3.6 MM

Bob and Elliott’s Piano Shoppe

$4.3 MM

Kessler & Sons Music

$3.6 MM

$2.5 MM

1312 N. Pleasantburg Dr., Greenville, SC 29607 (864) 244-7881 • Fax (864) 244-7894 scott@pecknel.com • www.pecknelmusic.com CEO: Scott N. Peck

PC,BO,FA,SR,EK,PM Meyer Music

1512 W. Highway 40, Blue Springs, MO 64015 (816) 228-5656 • Fax (816) 228-6059 tommeyer@meyermusic.com • www.meyermusic.com CEO: Ted Meyer

PC,BO,FA,SR,EK,PM,LT

Great Northern Mall, Clay, NY 13039 (315) 622-3926 • Fax (315) 652-5030 musmanmel@aol.com • pianoandorgancenter.com President: David Constantino 285 West Central Parkway, Suite 1720 Altamonte Springs, FL 32714 (407) 774-2667 www.bobandelliottspiano.com 3047 E. Charleston, Las Vegas, NV 89104 (702) 385-2263 • Fax (702) 385-7966 music@kesslermusic.com • www.kesslermusic.com CEO: Charles Kessler

BO,PC

Lark In The Morning

P.O. Box 799, Fort Bragg, CA 95347 (707) 964-5569 • Fax (707) 964-1979 bill@larkinam.com • www.larkinam.com CEO: Bill & Debbie Taylor

PC,FA

27th Annual

America’s Top Music Chains

“Sales for us were up in guitars and amps, down in pianos and flat in band instruments. Due to more efficiency in inventory control we improved profits and we continue to improve. There are many definitions of economic crisis. We are fortunate to be in an industry which remains fairly stable. Here in the Midwest it was a good crop year, and we are currently in an upswing in sales. We don’t experience the wide economic swings of either coast. What would happen if the media reported on successes everyday instead of broadcasting doom and gloom? It’s all about consumer confidence, lets quit beating them down. We always plan on increases. How well we do our jobs determines whether we get there. You have work to build your market by supporting musicians and the arts. We have a state organization, Iowa Alliance for Arts Education, and we teach over 1200 lessons per week. We ask ourselves everyday how we can make customers happy.” Dave Krogan, Rieman Music, Des Moines, Iowa

DECEMBER 2008

MMR 67

16th Annual

Dealers’ Choice Awards

n a season defined by a historic presidential campaign, MMR once again sponsored our own election, polling MI retailers to determine the top products of 2008. The votes have all been tallied

and, for the eighth consecutive year, dealers have chosen Yamaha’s Disklavier as the overall Product of the Year.

Selections for all categories were solicited via e-mail and a ballot included in the October issue of MMR. Few would dispute that ’08 presented ample challenges for vendors and this fact was perhaps reflected by the voting results for this year’s Dealers’ Choice Awards – in virtually every category, competition was tighter than in any previous year. We extend our thanks to the retailers who participated in the 16th annual Dealers’ Choice voting.

PRODUCT OF THE YEAR Yamaha Disklavier Yamaha Corproration of America It’s hard to argue with success and, as Yamaha’s series of high-tech player consoles inches one step closer to an unbroken decade-long reign as Product of the Year, the Disklavier would seem to be in a league of its own when it comes to achievement. “The world’s most advanced piano” line offers a full range of instruments, from uprights to concert grands, and in 2008 the Disklavier received a series of improvements including a recent 3.0 upgrade for the Mark IV series that allows the instrument to record actual external audio and not just MIDI. Additionally, Disklavier 3.0 can be controlled by both the Pocket Remote Controller, and also by PCs and Macintosh consoles. With continued innovations and no discernable waning of interest on the part of consumers, don’t bet against the Disklavier taking top honors once again in 2009. 68 MMR

DECEMBER 2008

ELECTRIC BASS LINE OF THE YEAR

Fender Stratocaster Fender Musical Instruments Corporation

Ibanez SR Series Hoshino USA, Inc.

With a range of models at every conceivable price-point and offering a wide selection of features, the venerable Fender Stratocaster remains a favorite with dealers and consumers alike. With continued expansion of the line and an overall uptick in guitar sales, the Strat remains atop the electric guitar heap.

AMPLIFIER LINE OF THE YEAR

Martin Guitars C.F. Martin & Co., Inc.

Peavey Vypyr Peavey Electronics

RECORDING EQUIPMENT LINE OF THE YEAR Zoom H4 Recorder Samson Technologies Zoom’s H4 is at the head of the pack in the burgeoning product category of handheld digital recorders. Dealers cite the unit’s versatility and wealth of features as strong selling points with customers.

DECEMBER 2008

In a very tightly contested race, Ibanez managed to edge out the competition with its SR Series being singled out – its array of different models appeal to a wide variety of players.

ACOUSTIC GUITAR LINE OF THE YEAR

Celebrating their 175th anniversary in 2008, the folks at Martin Guitars can now also enjoy being selected as the top acoustic guitar line by dealers. A varied selection of instruments, including acclaimed custom models, coupled with the brand’s reputation and history make Martin a go-to brand for acoustic guitarists.

16th Annual Dealers’ Choice Awards

ELECTRIC GUITAR LINE OF THE YEAR

Peavey’s affordable range of modeling guitar amps takes top honors in one of the most competitive product categories in this year’s balloting.

SOUND REINFORCEMENT LINE OF THE YEAR Yamaha BR Series Yamaha Corporation of America Yamaha’s new line of affordable loudspeakers proved appealing to schools, churches, and performing musicians in 2008.

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16th Annual Dealers’ Choice Awards

MICROPHONE LINE OF THE YEAR Shure SM57/58 Shure, Inc. Long the industry standard, Shure’s SM57 and SM58 cardioid dynamic mics were clear winners in this category, though the company’s Beta series also received a substantial number of votes.

Jupiter XO Series Trumpets Jupiter Band Instruments, Inc. In another of the extremely tight races within 2008’s Dealers’ Choice Awards balloting, Jupiter ultimately edged out competitors with its popular XO Series professional trumpets.

ACOUSTIC PIANO LINE OF THE YEAR

HOME DIGITAL KEYBOARD OF THE YEAR

Kawai K-3 Kawai America Corporation

Yamaha Clavinova Yamaha Corporation of America

Popular with educators, performers, and institutions, Kawai’s K-3 Upright proved a winner in this category. Dealers point to value and brand loyalty as upsides that attract buyers to the K-3.

PRO DIGITAL PIANO LINE OF THE YEAR Roland FP-7 Roland Corporation A wide selection of sounds and features makes Roland’s FP-7 a winner in this category. Now bundling Cakewalk SONAR LE, the FP-7 offers end users even more versatility.

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BAND & ORCHESTRAL INSTRUMENT LINE OF THE YEAR

While Yamaha’s Disklavier gets the nod for Product of the Year, the company’s Clavinova – marking it’s 25th Anniversary this year – is also an undeniable hit, providing Yamaha with its third award in ’08. With a number of models at many price-points, the Clavinova appeals to a variety of players at different ability levels.

PERCUSSION LINE OF THE YEAR TAMA Imperial Star Hoshino USA, Inc. In yet another hotly contested category, TAMA emerged victorious as Percussion Line of the Year. Though the company’s products, in general, received a number of votes, TAMA’s affordable, feature-rich Imperial Star line, in particular, stood out. DECEMBER 2008

American DJ American DJ Supply, Inc. American DJ netted their fourth consecutive win in this category. Dealers noted ADJ’s reputation in the field and innovative product developments as strong points.

PRINT MUSIC PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR Hal Leonard Hal Leonard, Corporation Victorious in this category since the inception of MMR’s Dealers’ Choice Awards 16 years ago, Hal Leonard yet again finds itself in the Winner’s Circle. A staggering collection of high profile partnerships and the sheer volume of available titles makes the company a tough champ to unseat.

ACCESSORY LINE OF THE YEAR D’Addario Strings D’Addario & Company Breaking Korg’s three-year supremacy in this category, D’Addario strings were singled out by dealers as favorites amongst guitarists and bassists.

DECEMBER 2008

DJ LINE OF THE YEAR Numark iDJ2 Numark Industries Once again Numark takes home top honors as DJ Line of the Year – this time for the iDJ2, which readers felt was the most versatile iPod mixing console available.

SOFTWARE LINE OF THE YEAR Sibelius Avid Technology, Inc. As “the world’s bestselling notation software,” Sibelius narrowly edged out the competition in this hotly contested (and new for 2008) category.

SUPPLIER WEB SITE OF THE YEAR Yamaha Yamaha Corporation of America Yamaha’s win in this extremely competitive category is the company’s fourth for ’08. Dealers applauded Yamaha’s online presence for its wealth of information and tools that benefit both retailers and end users.

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16th Annual Dealers’ Choice Awards

LIGHTING LINE OF THE YEAR

Print Music Publisher’s

Roundtable State of the Market, and Keeping Track of Trends

“E

ducational products for us seem to be recession proof, and they keep driving customers into the stores,” says Ron Manus of Alfred. Larry Morton of Hal Leonard agrees: “Historically, the print music business has been the most reliable category in the music business during tough economic times.” For Alfred, Hal Leonard, and Mel Bay, more than ever it seems to be all about partnering with dealers. At Mel Bay, they’ve even revised their new issue policy to allow dealers more flexibility in taking fewer products, and more of the big sellers. All are upbeat about the business and share hopeful prospects for the coming year. And of course, all are excited about a slew of new titles. 72 MMR

Hal Leonard Larry Morton, president “We’re fi nishing up 2008 a little bit over 2007, and in this challenging environment, we think that’s not too bad,” says Hal Leonard’s Larry Morton. “We’ve stayed very focused on delivering strong new titles and providing the highest possible service to our dealers, which are the two things we can control. Our theme has been work harder, smarter, and faster!” DECEMBER 2008

He says that because of the economy, the dealers need products delivered faster more than ever before. Their new, expanded distribution center, which opened in May of 2008, is a state-of-the-art facility “which has set a new standard in the print music business for fast delivery. Our launch timing for this higher-level service couldn’t be better. Dealers also need 24/7 up-to-date information from the web, which we’ve expanded in 2008.” Consumers continue to want book/ CD packages for play-alongs, and Morton notes that while the play-along category has been around for a long time, it has in the last year really exploded. Today they have more than 200 new play-along titles for guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, piano, and violin, and all of them are selling well. The integration of pitch-changing/ tempo changing software on Hal Leonard’s play-along CDs has also been a big factor in the success of this area. Workshops, both performance and instructional, remain a mainstay of stimulating sales for dealers. “We’re doing more than ever before, particularly in guitar and piano. We’re launching a praise/worship music workshop tour in 2009, which will be a big hit. We’re also finding more opportunities for dealer sponsored co-op mailings, both as physical mailings and email blasts. We’re getting more active in providing ‘templates’ for our dealers to use with the end consumer. The digital age is upon us, and when the subject comes up, Morton takes the opportunity that it was Hal Leonard who

was the first to launch a digital download site. SheetMusicDirect.com is now 11 years old, and they’ve added another eight related sites since then. “In 2008, we launched our newest digital site, www.GuitarInstructor.com, which is the first complete website for guitarists featuring downloadable video, audio, and guitar tab. As most dealers know, we are the first and only print music publisher to have a full range ‘Digital Retailer’ programs, providing for in-store downloads, online affi liates and online digital retailing. We have nearly 1,000 dealers participating at present. “Regarding the overall digital business, it’s continuing to grow and shows little sign of slowing down. However, it appears to be mainly a trade-off with traditional print sales, and therefore it is critical for all dealers to get involved in our Digital retail programs.” “We want music dealers to know that we remain 100% committed to supporting them, as evidenced by our new, expanded distribution center and our wide range of promotional programs we offer. We are still the only music print publisher offering dealer sales support 7 days per

week, and with extended hours (until 9pm CST). On the product development side, we continue to be the innovation leader with new concepts like our expanded line of legal Real Books, our successful Pro Vocal series, and our Essential Elements methods for band, string and choirs.” Morton says that 2008 was a great year for new releases. Big hits have included their Guitar Hero and Rock Band titles; pop releases from the Jonas Brothers and Hannah Montana; Broadway soundtracks like Mamma Mia, Wicked, Spring Awakening, and the revival of South Pacific. “On the instructional side, the Hal Leonard Guitar Method broke a new sales record in 2008. Our DVD business continues to explode, led by new releases featuring stars like Eric Johnson and George Lynch. Perhaps the biggest hit of 2008 is arriving late in the year: Disney’s High School Musical 3. With the phenomenal sales of High School Musical 1 and 2, dealers can expect blockbuster sales in 4th quarter 2008!” He says that 2008 has been their biggest year in their history; that said, 2009 will be challenging. “Consumers may hold off on major new instrument purchases, but they always keep coming in for new books and DVDs. That’s an important point for dealers to remember because the print music business gives them regular contact with customers and steady cash flow with good margins. We expect to have a solid year, with healthy but modest sales gains in 2009.”

who will work with them and be flexible. “They need a partner in the industry to provide them with resources including great products, technology solutions, data, and marketing support.” As an example, dealers have had great success with our joint direct mail promotions aimed at

driving traffic into their stores. They are doing more co-op mailings specifically to piano teachers, including Value Packs that are offered in conjunction with their “Partners In Promotion” dealers. “Also, through our digital initiatives we are driving sales to our

Alfred Publishing Ron Manus, Vice President “Here at Alfred, we are happy to see that the music education market is still strong,” says Alfred’s Ron Manus. “Yes, the economy is having a rough time, and what we are hearing is that while people may not be spending money on things like a new car, they are still buying music books and entry-level music products.” He says he’s found that surviving tough economic times, dealers need publishers DECEMBER 2008

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dealers through Alfred.com using Shopatron and our new digital download site.” Just like everyone else, musicians and teachers are going online for information, interaction, and network. “They compare purchase options online and are participating in online communities that drive music trends for the entire industry. Everyone prefers to have an interactive dialogue with companies rather than receiving only one-way marketing messages. We are getting more involved in online communities and fi nding new ways to interact.” Alfred has partnered with BandDirector.com, where many of the company’s performance pieces and new products are being reviewed, rated, and performed via webcasts. But they aren’t casting aside old-fashioned promotion methods, by any means. “Clinics are still the strongest way for us to reach teachers. We have had a tremendous response to our events, which is a testimonial to our clinic staff.” They are starting to test the feasibility of online clinics as well. “Also, we have had great success with direct-mail

promotions to piano teachers; this gives them important information about new products. It is really important that we close the loop on these kinds of promotions, so dealers have this product in stock when teachers come in and ask for it -- otherwise the teachers become frustrated.” Alfred continues to build its dealer network online, and now all their dealers can sell digital sheet music. They have two plans: Complete website integration, which allows their dealers to sell digital sheet music while keeping the customer on their ecommerce site; and an affi liate website program, which allows the dealer, with or without a website, to sell their digital sheet music and earn a commission on every sale. “We are really excited about our new series of books that we did with Rolling Stone Magazine,” he says. “These books focus on the ‘500 Greatest Song of All Time,’ as picked by the magazine. We have done a number of books for Piano Vocal, Easy Piano,

Guitar Tab and instrumental play-along book and CD’s both for String and Band. These are doing really great, because people recognize Rolling Stone Magazine as the undisputed authority in this area. And if that wasn’t enough, every book comes with a free 1-year subscription to the magazine!” Other titles he is excited about include Singers Library of Musical Theatre series of books, and their newly revised Alfred’s Basic Guitar series, which now have an optional DVD. “Our Simply Series is a breakthrough in terms of mass appeal to both piano teachers and the mainstream market. Major composers, songwriters, and bands are represented and we continue to add to this best-selling series. Beethoven, Brickman, Broadway, Brubeck, Chopin, Gershwin, Mancini, and Mozart are just a few of the great titles we have in this series. “And we continue our long relationship with The National Guitar Workshop with Easy Soloing for Rock Guitar and The Total Rock Drummer, among many other new titles.” Not surprisingly, Manus feels that print can really help a dealer during these lean times. “If you’re not already selling print, ask yourself why not,” he says. “It’s easy and highly profitable. Our sales people have worked in retail stores and understand what is needed to get you started.”

products. “We understand dealers don’t want to take a risk with new product. Our new issue program addresses this by limiting new releases each month and by releasing items that have the greatest sales potential. Additionally, we’re backing these products with a broad range of marketing efforts that will boost demand.” He says that they have found that direct-to-consumer marketing has been most effective in building sales through retailers. “One might think that consumers would respond to advertising by

ordering direct from the source. Our experience has been that consumers purchase products we advertise through their traditional channels.” It is essential for Mel Bay publications to build demand on the consumer level as it has the greatest impact on dealer demand.” Despite their changes in their new issue policy, they are still providing a lot of new product. “We are very pleased with strong sales of Tommy Emmanuel’s new DVD, Em-

Mel Bay Bryndon Bay, Vice President “2008 has been a substantially better year for Mel Bay when compared to 2007,” says Bryndon Bay, Mel Bay’s vice president. “Demand for our product remains strong, but consumers are acquiring our product through a revised mix of channels.” He says that the bulk of their retailers are re-ordering a varied mix of their “tried-and-true” products. The trend with retailers is to keep low inventory and only stock items that are in consistent demand. In an effort to match their offerings with current dealer needs, Mel Bay has reduced their new issue program to feature a smaller, more focused mix of 74 MMR

DECEMBER 2008

manuel Labor and of course are proud of our expanded Modern Method series, the sales of which continue to grow every year both domestically and internationally,” Bay says. In 2009 they expanded the series by releasing Modern Fiddling Method, Modern Banjo Method, Modern Drumset Method, Modern Electric Bass Method, Modern Violin Method, Modern Cello Method, Modern Fingerstyle Guitar Method and Modern Classical Guitar Method. “I feel very positive about Mel Bay’s future – particularly about 2009!” he says. “2007 was a challenging year for us and

we made some important organizational changes as a result. These changes have shored up our financial position even in the current economic climate and set us on strong footing for the future. We’ll continue offering the outstanding service we are known for as well as developing our unique and specialized product line.” He adds that their overseas sales continue to grow as well, and despite the economic climate worldwide, they have experienced exponential growth abroad over the last 24 months, “and we see this trend continuing.”

The Specialty Publishers The world of specialty publishers is different, and with less room for error, often calls on more creativity. It’s certainly requires a special type of passion, of which all these publishers possess by the bushel.

Sher Publishing

Kendor Music

Chuck Sher, Owner

Craig Cornwall, president

Sher says the year was fi ne before the financial crisis hit in September. “Too bad that other people’s excesses have a way of affecting innocent bystanders, but hopefully a change of direction in Washington will create a silver lining to this mess by instituting some long-overdue economic reforms.” For Sher, the launch of their digital download service has been a little bit of a disappointment and isn’t being used as much as he had hoped. “Perhaps it is a longer-term movement, but I don’t see it being very effective at this point. I think this is largely because people are used to getting jazz fake books for thirty cents each on CDs sold on eBay. Hard to compete with people stealing your work!” He is excited about their newest book, The Best Of Sher Music Co. Real Books. “It will be a big hit, I’m sure, since I have found over the years that people tend to buy books of tunes they know DECEMBER 2008

and love, and our Best Of book contains nothing but tunes like that, selected from all our different fake books. We are also coming out in November with a really useful two and a half hour DVD, Introduction To The Conga Drum by Michael Spiro, author of our Conga Drummer’s Guidebook. Michael did a superlative job giving beginners all the foundational techniques they will need to become good percussionists.” There’s also The Real Easy Book Volume 3: A Short History of Jazz. It is doing well and has enjoyed lots of positive feedback from directors who have adopted it for their improvisation classes. As for 2009: “Let’s hope for the best and for some public policies that will keep the fat cats’ hands out of the cookie jar for a change.”

Craig Cornwall says that Kendor, a jazz specialty publisher, actually finished ahead in sales this past fiscal year, which he attributes in large part to their partnership with Advanced Music, based in Rottenberg Germany. “They do a lot of jazz book products which include play-alongs, improvisation and composing arranging products, all of which are popular,” Cornwall says. “They also do smaller ensemble things.” Cornwell see that there are still lots of jazz programs out there, and their goal is to get more market share. He notes that several jazz publishers have gone by the wayside, which tells him the market might be shrinking, though his company is secure. He has noticed a negative effective of the No Child Left Behind program, though. “We publish for school instrumental programs, end of story – we’re not doing band stuff,” he says. “We have MMR 75

these little peripheral things, mostly performance music for small ensembles, that directors are fi nding are a great tool. Otherwise, we’re publishing with the kids in mind, and rarely publishing professional pieces.” Kendor is creating a lot of product for performance contests, which is going well for them. “We have a play-along at grade one level to prepare kids for their first contest experience, called Kendor Recital Solos, which is going well,” he says. “Each book has a CD with two tracks, one with the piece played by a professional, the other for play-along. “And we’ve been really creating some interesting product, sometimes with

CD accompaniment. A couple of years ago we did The Effective Etudes, which is designed to improve jazz improvisation skills and that is still going strong.” While jazz is their niche, they do also offer Kendor Concert Favorites, for grade one strings, which is a collection of popular classical music. “And we have a new one by Bob Frost called Holiday Strings.”

When asked about 2009, he laughs and says: “I don’t know what to think at the moment!” But they had a strong September so he feels good about it. “I think we all just have to be very careful with the price of everything going up – fuel, paper cost, importing cost … we just have to be smart. It’s a nickel and dime business.”

Meredith Music Publications Garwood Whaley, president Garwood Whaley says his over 30 year of teaching experience, a DMA in music education, and a diploma from Juilliard enables him to know the type of publications that help students, teachers and performers. He feels Meredith is on the right track, as his sales are up 11 percent this year. “We’re doing lots of new publications, and we get great press on our music,” Whaley says, adding that they are about to celebrate their 10th anniversary of being distributed by Hal Leonard, and next year will be their 30th year in business. Meredith started out focusing on percussionrelated publications, but has branched out a bit into books the cover comprehensive

musicianship along with reference and resource material for teachers. Whaley is especially excited about Cirone’s Pocket Dictionary of Foreign Musical Terms, compiled by Anthony Cirone. “This 232 page dictionary contains more than 160 musical examples and thousands of foreign terms in Italian, French, and German,” he says. “Also included are comprehensive sections for percussion and strings.” His approach to marketing also reflects his emphasis in product: “We’re running three different ads,” he explains. They are for conducting resources, curriculum resources, and motivational resources. Each of those programs includes nine books each on the topic. “That

sort of shows you where we are and the trends that we’re producing. And they are all popular. We sell a lot of books in each of those three areas.” Other new titles include Composer’s Insights. This is planned to be a five-volume series of which the third in the series has just been released. “What we’ve done is identify 60 composers who are significant in the 20th and 21st centuries – good composers who happen to compose for band.” The book focuses on living composers and the insights included will allow directors to understand a piece and provide a key to unlocking what the composer was intending. “The icing on the cake is that the forward of each volume is written by a Pulitzer-prize winning composer.” As for next year, he laughs and says, “Our head is down and we’re running with the ball!”

The publisher does not see jazz music as a whole particularly healthy. He says the market is currently oversaturated with jazz-related product, and he points out that over the last decade he’s seen publishers increasingly get out of the field. “There

are still a few publishers in jazz that are very active, and while we still have a jazz catalog, we did not come out with any new product for jazz this year. We just felt like it’s not growing, and our change in strategy has paid off for us in a big way.”

Lorenz Music Geoff Lorenz, chairman “We are having a pretty good year even though the industry as a whole isn’t doing that well,” says Geoff Lorenz. “We are up and are very active in bringing out new product with lots of new ideas and innovations.” 76 MMR

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What Lorenz is focusing on heavily on their Heritage division, which he says is doing well in part to the leadership of Larry Pug and Mary Lynn Lightfood. Heritage covers everything from kindergarten through college with an emphasis on products for third grade through 12th. The category for general music products has exploded, and the first few years they created products for that they experienced 100% growth the first few years. “We found a niche and have dominated it.”

This is because they have been able to create educationally sound products that are fun and challenging. Some especially creative titles include Music Makes the Scene, which features 10 scenes from movies, and 30 clips of music. Students can pair different types of music with a scene to change the mood and see the roll music plays in films. Finally, there’s the Sudoku Music Book, which is based on the popular game. “We’re doing a lot of fun things like that

– we’re having more fun than should be allowed.” While generally staying away from the pop field, they have started licensing some contemporary Christian songs and arranged them for the traditional church market, which has sold well. “We also pride ourselves on our products for the choral market, where many of our titles have ‘legs,” selling for 20 or 30 years. That’s probably our single greatest strength.”

music on an arrangement he did for his own wind quintet years ago. (Stewart is still an active professional musician playing in several wind ensembles and jazz groups in Florida.) Also, his trio arrangement of Glen Miller’s String of Pearls, has stirred some interest as well. “Transcriptions for smaller ensembles of big band hits are things that people are interested in,” he says. Also another work of his he’s

just released is Period Pieces with NooGlu for wind quintet. While the number of print music stores seems to be dwindling in the states, he has had success with several overseas. His products are found in Japan, the U.K., and Amsterdam. As for next year, his goal is to “continue with my effort to publish and sell good music.”

Trillenium Music Don Stewart, Owner “I haven’t gone down, but I haven’t gone up enough to really talk about,” says Don Stewart of his year. The small boutique publisher has certainly had his share of frustration over the years. Several years ago he published a version of Joplin’s great opera, Treemonisha Sampler, which came with a great recording but yielded less-than-expected sales. “It’s one of those things that you’d think every college would want a copy of.” Another challenge is reaching those who want his music. He says he gets calls all the time from happy customers who have just “discovered” his offerings telling him, “I had no idea you existed.” Something that has gotten attention lately is a transcription of Three Preludes by Gershwin. He had to license the music, and based the

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SHOW REPORT

PASIC 2008:

Austin, Texas

he 2008 Percussive Arts Society International Convention took place from Nov 6-9 in Austin, Texas. As the streets around the convention center in downtown Austin echoed with the cadences of high school and collegiate drumlines, the mood inside the expo was one of cautious optimism about the MI market going forward, in spite of the turbulent economy, which weighed heavily on the minds While it was suggested that Texas is such a great market for musical instruments that it might not be representative of the country as a whole, it was nonetheless heartening to witness the excitement and vibrancy of young percussionists swarming the booths and lining up to try products. The PAS director of Media es78 MMR

of consumers, manufacturers, and retailers alike. As one vendor stated, “Hope comes from the idea that in good times and bad, people will continue to play music.” This optimism was not unwarranted, as foot traffic was high and sales relatively strong. In fact, another vendor, a representative from a cymbal manufacturer, mentioned that his company hit their sales target for the entire show in the very first day.

timates that over 6,500 people were in attendance over the course of the four-day event, making it the third-highest attended show in the 33-year history of PASIC. In addition to the expo, there were approximately 130 clinics, performances, presentations, and lectures open for attendees. Among the highlights were a

master class by University of North Texas professor and jazz great, Ed Soph, and a clinic by the Wackerman brothers – Brooks, Chad, and John – who performed together live for the first time ever. In a ceremony held Friday, November 8th, Dame Evelyn Glennie and Roy Burns were inducted into the PAS Hall of Fame. DECEMBER 2008

Alfred: (L-R) Rich Lackowski,Antonio Ferranti, Ray Brych (Guitar Center), Michael Finkelstein, and Karissa Read. Zildjian’s John Sorenson and Debbie Zildjian.

Mapex: Marylon Stewart and Joe Vasko

Humes&Berg: Irwin and Michael Berg.

MakeMusic’s Tom Johnson

Ludwig & Musser: Brandon Sims, Jim Catalano, and Gary Devore.

Pearl: Terry West

Paiste’s Wayne Wilburn, Tim Shahady, and Andrew Shreve

Neil Grover, of Grover Pro Percussion, Inc.

Mike Balter Mallets: Performing Artist, Kevin Jahoda; Mike Balter; and Jeffrey Meegan

Garwood Whaley, of Meredith Music Publications.

DECEMBER 2008

Yamaha: Troy C. Wollwage

Sabian: Dr. Nick Petrella

Hal Leonard’s David Cywinski and Marilyn Fleenor.

Latin Percussion’s Ray Enhoffer, Jim Rockwell, and Angelo Arimborgo MMR 79

Sabian Lifetime Achievement Awards Gala

On the evening of Thursday, November 6th, Sabian hosted a reception to honor Sabian Lifetime Achievement Award recipients Dame Evelyn Glennie and Roy Burns, who, the following day, were also inducted into the PAS Hall of Fame.

Will Wernick and Dame Evelyn Glennie

Roy Burns and Bob Zildjian

Dr. Nick Petrella

Dom Famularo

Matt Wernick and Roy Burns

Bob Zildjian and Dennis Delucia

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DECEMBER 2008

Jazz Education Network

The

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Join now at any membership level before December 31, 2008 and earn the distinction of becoming a CHARTER Member of the new Jazz Education Network for complete membership information/beneﬁts please visit us at: www.jazzedNet.org

Supplierscene New Lava Cable Plug The Right Angle Lava Plug is described as “the smallest solder-free plug on the market, enabling guitarists to squeeze their pedals together tighter than ever before.” This new plug provides for matched pedal spacing at about 1” and less than ½” when pedals are staggered. Like the Lava

Plug, this right angle version uses a special 360-degree sleeve instead of a set screw for the ground connection, significantly increasing reliability and providing the best possible connection using solder-free plug technology.

The Cube From EMG EMG, Inc. completes their new audio/video studio known as The Cube. The studio was constructed to provide content for EMG’s Web-based media player highlighting EMG’s endorsers, as well as a demonstration facility for the company’s products. Other music equipment manufacturers are being invited to utilize the facility for pre and post-production of video content. The core of the facility is the AVID Nitrous editing system, which is linked up to a system of HD cameras, pro-audio, and custom lighting systems. www.emginc.com

Matched with the Lava Mini ELC low capacitance cable, as part of the Lava Solder-Free Pedal Board Kit, this combination is said to virtually eliminate signal loss and produce pure tone. The Lava Solder-Free Pedal board kit with the Right Angle Lava Plug comes with 10 feet of Mini ELC cable, 10 each Right Angle Lava Plug, and a stripping tool. The kit retails for $89.95. The Right Angle Lava Plug can be purchased individually for $7.50 each, and Mini ELC cable can be purchased in bulk for $1.90 per foot. www.lavacable.com

VARIETY FROM VJ’S CLEAR LUCITE ELECTRIC GUITAR AVAILABLE IN LP BODY, STRAT BODY, V, 4 STRING BASS

F-STYLE MANDOLIN

Yes, we drop ship DECEMBER 2008

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Yamaha’s BSM Snares Designed in conjunction with Franz Schindlbeck of the Berlin Philharmonic and the Yamaha Frankfurt Percussion Atelier, the BSM-1450 is available in 14” x 5”, and the BSM-1465 is available in the 14” x 6.5” configurations. The new BSM snares feature the patented Berlin Combination Snare System. The ten inner cables provide a full snare sound at all levels up to fortissimo, while the three outer strands on each side provide precise snare response at all levels down to pianissimo. Other features include a shallow 1.8mm snare bed that provides even snare response at all dynamic levels, a silent K-type strainer producing zero noise with smooth action for silent snare engagement, honey-lug casings and six-ply maples shells. The BSM1450 retails for $1,122 and the BSM-1465 for $1,146. Cases and stands are also available for the new snares. www.yamahapercussion.com

Irradiant’s LED Based Image Projector

Breaking News Find it in the Hot News section of MMR’s Web site, www.MMRmagazine.com 84 MMR

Archispot is Irradiant’s newly developed LED based, high output image projector. It is designed to produce a visually stimulating, high-resolution projection of patterns, images, logos and messages. The light source of the ArchiSpot is a 5W White SSLE, that when combined with its optical design, maximizes the optical efficiency. The solid-state LED (SSLE) can last over 50,000 hours. Users can create their own transparencies or gobos via their home computers, and then print them out themselves with a common laser printer onto transparency paper. The Irradiant ArchiSpot is designed to produce a sharp, bright and well focused image from an optimal distance of 8-12 feet away. The Irradiant ArchiSpot offers a sleek design measuring 11” x 5.5” x 4.5” and has a weight of only three pounds. The Irradiant ArchiSpot carries a retail price of $89.99. www.irradianthq.com DECEMBER 2008

Supplierscene Universal Percussion Now Distributing Toca Percussion Universal Percussion has expanded their selection to include the complete Toca line of hand percussion instruments and accessories.Universal now carries

all popular models, including congas, djembes, cajons, and a wide variety of percussion toys. www.universalpercussion.com

New Distributors for Elixir Strings Davitt & Hanser will be distributing Elixir Strings products, which will include cables and electric, acoustic, bass, mandolin, and banjo strings. All Elixir Strings merchandise will be available in more than 3,500 independent stores and several authorized online dealers throughout the country. www.elixirstrings.com

Steve Winwood Endorses Neumann/ Sennheiser Steve Winwood uses a Neumann KMS 105 vocal microphone for both his live performances and his studio work, and he and his band upgraded their wireless personal monitoring systems to Sennheiser ew 300 IEM G2s for their recent tour of North America with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. On tour, everyone but Winwoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drummer uses Sennheiser ew 300 IEM G2 wireless personal monitors. www.sennheiserusa.com DECEMBER 2008

MMR 85

Kawai’s Insiders Kawai Insiders is the new Internet blog for Kawai digital piano owners. Hosted by Barry the Blogger (a.k.a. Barry Baker, Kawai’s concert artist), the Kawai Insiders blog will feature various how-to articles, tips, and tricks to help owners get the most out of their Kawai digital piano. The Kawai Insiders blog is part of an evolving Web site for Kawai digital pianos that features many audio and video demos, along with printed information and specifications for all Kawai digital pianos. www.kawaius.com/main_links/Blog/ power_blog.html

Pioneer Headphones Designed Specifically for DJs Pioneer HDJ-2000 headphones are designed to improve sound quality and reliability for use in DJ environments and studios. Thick 35 Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) diaphragm improves rigidity and strength needed for better lower frequency response. PET material used in the diaphragm also helps to dampen unwanted resonance. Wide frequency response with high clarity and detail results from a large 50mm driver.

Find Breaking News in the Hot News section of MMR’s Web site, www.MMRmagazine.com 86 MMR

Additionally, the headphones have an enclosed “over-ear” design with ear pads that seal around the user’s ears, reducing ambient noise and providing superior sound isolation for tracking in a loud club environment or a studio. The ear pad’s unique material, memory foam (Polyurethane foam), provides a tight yet comfortable seal, further enhancing sound reproduction especially in the mid to high frequency ranges. Retails for $450. www.pioneerprodj.com DECEMBER 2008

Supplierscene Moscow Music Expo 2008

Gemstone and W. Schreiber Clarinets Gemstone Musical Instruments has partnered German manufacturer Schreiber & Keilwerth for exclusive distribution rights in North and South America. Now distributed exclusively by Gemstone, the W. Schreiber clarinet models 6012, 6025, and 6026 are available to Gemstone dealers. www.gemstonemusical.com www.schreiberharmony.com

Homero Chavez from Pomona, California has recently returned from a successful trip to Moscow, Russia, after headlining the Moscow Music Expo ‘08. Homero Chavez, the president of The Percussive Arts Society of California, was invited to the expo by Peace Musical and Sound Check Ltd. of Russia. At the event, he Chavez lectured on the percussion styles of the Caribbean and Latin America. Mr. Chavez introduced the ghost rhythm of the clave found in all Latin

American music genres. He also presented several Latin percussion instruments, which included bongos, maracas, congas, timbales, and shekere. Mr. Chavez demonstrated the methods of incorporating all these instruments and more onto the drum set. While in Moscow, he met with several renowned Russian drummers such as Anatoly Makurov, Javad- Zade, and Max Klotz. He also shared the performing stage with American drummer Dom Famularo.

Numark’s PT-01USB The PT-01USB is a portable vinyl archiving system that permits users to listen to and transfer their vinyl records to digital MP3 fi les anywhere and anytime due to its rugged design and ability to run on either wall or battery power. An RCA line output is provided for simple connection to any DJ, PA, or stereo system. An auxiliary input allows conversion of audio from any cassette deck or other audio source. A monitoring speaker is built-in for standalone listening. Numark’s EZ Vinyl Converter 2 software is included, and is a simple way to get audio from records into a PC-based iTunes music library. EZ Vinyl Converter 2 automatically separates individual tracks and comes with a free download of features Gracenote MusicID technology, which names tracks automatically. EZ Audio Creator 2 is also included for Mac users. PT-01USB also comes with Audacity software for assisting users with reduction of clicks, pops and other noises in tracks. The price is $149. www.numark.com DECEMBER 2008

Together over 15,000 backing tracks! Give your customers the chance to perform with a top notch band or orchestra. From Classical to Top 40 we have it all! Visit our websites to hear audio samples:

www.musicminusone.com www.pocketsongs.com

Also visit our dealer site for marketing tools and shipping specials:

www.mmogroup.com

Proud Distributors of MMO Hal Leonard • Pro Sing • Music Sales • Charles Dumont OSTW • Forsyth • Schott • Europa Music • Arpege Diffusion Proud Distributors of Pocket Songs Pro Sing • Atwood • East Coast • Ace • OSTW Singers Choice • KDS • Lynns • Forsyth • Karaoke Paris

Contact Steve Rose - srose@mmogroup.com 50 Executive Blvd. • Elmsford, New York 10523-1325 ph: 914 592-1188 • fax: 914 592-3575 MMR 87

Supplierscene Benedetto Guitars Takes Top Honors for Excellence in International Trade On November 7, Ken Stewart, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, announced that Savannah-based Benedetto Guitars won the second annual Georgia Featured Export Product Award. The Georgia Featured Export Product Award rewards small and medium-sized Georgia businesses for their efforts to develop innovative products that will find success in export markets around the world. Entries are judged based on product innovation, market potential and international export efforts. Since establishing operations in Savannah in July 2006, Benedetto Guitars has grown from four employees to over twenty full-time craftsmen and is now

producing and shipping over 40 handmade instruments per month. www.benedettoguitars.com

getmore profits with

Tone Gear String Cleaner The String Cleaner by Tone Gear is said to extend the life and preserve the tone of guitar strings by removing harmful substances like sweat and oils and keeps strings strong. The revolutionary design allows for 360 degrees of cleaning power. String Cleaner requires no solution, and there’s no possibility of it damaging frets. Featuring cleanable microfiber pads, it saves money on new strings by prolonging the life and the tone of the string. It retails for $12.99. www.thestringcleaner.com

America’s Premier Guitar & Bass Parts Supplier

Delta Series by GOTOH 1:21 ratio

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AVAILABLE IN A VARIETY OF FINISHES & STYLES

Send $4 US for COLOR CATALOG 13027 Brittmoore Park Drive, Houston, Texas 77041

DECEMBER 2008

Classifieds

• 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

Business Opportunities Breaking News

Find it in the Hot News section of MMR’s Web site, www.MMRmagazine.com

Piano Tuning LEARN AT HOME

with approved home study course.

American School of Piano Tuning 1-800-497-9793

Visit our website: www.piano-tuning.com Tools Included - Diploma Granted

For Classified Sales Call Maureen

800-964-5150 ext. 34 mjohan@symphonypublishing.com

Guitar Show Operators

Promote your show dates and reach every guitar dealer in the US through the classified pages of MMR. Call Maureen800-964-5150 ext 34 DECEMBER 2008

MMR 89

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Business Opportunities

For Sale MUSIC STORE FOR SALE ON MAUI Have you ever dreamed of living in Hawaii? This could be your chance! Full Line Music Store in Paradise. All inventory and xtures included. Most major lines are represented. Established in 1979 $1,800,000 For info 808-870-5953 FOR SALE Beautiful central Florida Well-known music store, Located 24 years on East Coast! All inventory/xtures, turnkey! Major brands, full-line. No real property. 8 + studios Owners have aging parents. Call PM only 321-723-6489 Or 321-725-3047 90 MMR

www.ukes.com URL and Website For Sale THIS IS A VERY POPULAR WEBSITE FOR SELLING UKULELES. Price includes $100,000. in inventory $950,000 For info 808-870-5953

Own a piece of music history. 1973 Vintage BP&O train caboose. Originally built for Baldwin. Is still great for outside promotions, fairs and parades. Pulls easily with a standard pick-up. Includes A/C and awning. Beautifully maintained and kept in garage. $6000.

For Classified Sales Call Maureen

800-964-5150 ext. 34

1-800-231-0868.

mjohan@symphonypublishing.com

CLASSIFIEDS on the MOVE! check

www.mmrmagazine.com for daily updates!

DECEMBER 2008

Visit the Classifieds on the Web: www.MMRmagazine.com

Help Wanted

Merchandise

ACCORDIONS: All sizes —

over 100 in stock — new & used. Regular, Electronic, MIDI, etc. JOHN GAUNT, Distributor, 1248 S. Highland Ave., Clearwater, FL 33756, (727) 443-4113. 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

Wristies® fingerless gloves Warmth for hands-dexterity for fingers! Find out why so many musicians are wearing them for practice and performance. Wholesale, retail and quantity discounts available.

wristies.com 800-811-8290

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

Breaking News Find it in the Hot News section of MMR’s Web site, www.MMRmagazine.com DECEMBER 2008

Guitar Shows See our

“Shows”

Section for Guitar Shows!

equatone@earthlink.net

MMR 91

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Merchandise HARD SHELL PLASTIC CASES great seconds & overruns Flute $9.00, Piccolo $6.00 Clarinet $10.00, Oboe $12.00 www.Elkcases@aol.com 1-800-582-0319

For Classified Sales Call Maureen

800-964-5150 ext. 34 mjohan@symphonypublishing.com

333,000 Piano Lovers! That’s how many unique, piano loving people visit PianoWorld.com every month. Over 10,000 visitors a day. Be smart, advertise your piano or music related business where your new customers are hanging out.

PianoWorld.com Home of the world famous Piano Forums.

For more interesting statistics and advertising information:

Visit www.PianoWorld.com/advertising ... Now!

YAMAHA–KAWAI & MORE

CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED PIANOS

Asian High Quality No other supplier offers superior service before, during and after the sale. You get what you pay for!

GUARANTEED LANDED QUALITY

1-800-782-2694 North American Music 11 Kay Fries Drive Stony Point, NY 10980 Fax: (845) 429-6920

FINANCING AVAILABLE

Miscellaneous BAND INSTRUMENT REPAIR VIDEO Save $$$ on repair expense. Earn extra income. Journeyman repairman offers “How To” videos on the repair of brass and woodwind instruments. For information write to: B.I.R.V. Co. 880 Slater Rd. Bellingham, WA. 98226 (360) 384-6707

Repair Tools FAST TURN-AROUND ON STOCK REPAIRS NATIONWIDE NAPBIRT member, 26 Years Experience Contact: Dan Rieck, 801-733-4243 dan@utahwoodwindrepair.com

92 MMR

DECEMBER 2008

Visit the Classifieds on the Web: www.MMRmagazine.com

Repair Tools

Seeking Employment Pianos/Digitals/Organs I Don’t Sell, You Don’t Pay Closer for hire! 20 years experience Outside promo specialist timfeager@msn.com • 561-379-4718

BOW REHAIRING Expert Bow Service

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

Services

SHIPPING YOUR PIANO

with Lone Wolf Trucking

is a “grand” idea!

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1-800-982-9505

lonewolftrucking.com Alamogordo, New Mexico. 88310

ICC MC-256289

Sales Reps Wanted

For 60 years we have provided musical instrument repair tools to technicians and musicians around the world. We have a wide selection of pads and other supplies in addition to our repair tools. Contact us today for a FREE CATALOG.

LOCAL & NATIONWIDE PIANO MOVING • CRATING • STORAGE •

(800) 222-2888

(310) 830-3362 (FAX) • http://www.pianomove.com

INDEPENDENT SALES REPS Sales Reps Wanted Band & Orchestra Instruments Most territories open A Great Job! AMERICA LONGXING

(718) 706-0828 Ask for Paul shanlin0596@hotmail.com

Sales Representatives Wanted!! Michigan-based Brass, Woodwind and accessories line. Join a great new organization with an “artist-endorsed” product. Competitive Commissions with incentive. Contact: toya@dymusicusa.com 734-384-1705

DECEMBER 2008

For Classified Sales Call Maureen 800-964-5150 ext. 34 • mjohan@symphonypublishing.com Shows (Guitar) CAL WORLD GUITAR SHOW 2009 NAMM Weekend in Orange County *This 145th Amigo show is not affiliated with NAMM

January 17, 10-5, January 18, 10-4 Orange County Fair & Expo • 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa

Just minutes away down Harbor Boulevard from the Anaheim Convention Ctr. NAMM Show. This is a vintage and new product show featuring thousands of new, used, old and rare guitars, amps. Meet builders, manufacturers, dealers, collectors. Fly to NAMM with your favorite vintage piece and get top dollar at our great show. Take a break from your NAMM schedule and hop over to the West Coast’s largest consumer guitar event!

www.texasguitarshows.com

MMR 93

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Software

MOVING?

Don’t miss a single issue of MMR...

Used Band Instruments Clarinets and utes from $50 Alto Saxes from $250 Trumpets and Trombones from $100 French Horns and Baritones from $395 Clarinets and Flute repad $69 Alto Sax repad $149

Call Jimmy Hayes 800 559-4472

Used 4 Less Music

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

PASTE OLD LABEL HERE!

Let us know 6-8 weeks before your move so we can continue to send your magazine without interruption.

NEW ADDRESS HERE! Name ___________________________ Address _________________________ _______________________________

Vintage Instruments

City ____________________________ State ____________Zip ____________

21 Highland Circle, Suite 1 Needham, MA 02494 (781) 453-9310

www.mmrmagazine.com

Wanted To Buy Wanted USED TUBAS ANY CONDITION-CASH PAID THE TUBA EXCHANGE 1825 CHAPEL HILL RD. DURHAM, NC 27707 1-800-869-8822 WWW.TUBAEXCHANGE.COM 94 MMR

WE, BUY, SELL, TRADE and ship worldwide. Written APPRAISALS available. GRUHN GUITARS, 400 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203

(615) 256-2033

fax (615) 255-2021

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www.mmrmagazine.com

Breaking News

Find it in the Hot News section of MMR’s Web site, www.MMRmagazine.com DECEMBER 2008

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Please charge my:

To Advertise Call Toll Free 1-800-964-5150 Deadline: Fourth Friday of every month

Mastercard

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

PAYMENT MUST BE RECEIVED IN ADVANCE MasterCard, Visa, American Express accepted PLEASE PLACE MY AD UNDER THE FOLLOWING HEADING

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.

__ Books __ Business Opportunities __ Distributors __ For Sale __ Help Wanted __ Instruction __ Lines Wanted __ Schools __ Luthiers __ Merchandise

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and ship worldwide. Written APPRAISALS available.

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(615) 256-2033 fax (615) 255-2021

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Call Maureen Johan 800-964-5150, ext 34 or mjohan@symphonypublishing.com

for Special Offer Details! DECEMBER 2008

MMR 95

Adindex COMPANY NAME

E-MAIL/WEB ADDRESS

PAGE

A Access Bags and Cases Ace Karaoke/Acesonic USA Al Cass. Alfred Publishing Co. Allparts Amati’s Fine Instruments America Longxing Inc. American DJ Supply Inc. American School of Piano Tuning American Way Marketing LLC Anderson Silver Plating ASC

www.alfred.com www.allparts.com www.Amatis.us www.huntermusical.com www.americandj.com www.piano-tuning.com info@americanwaymktg.com

52 42 84 59 88 5 42 9

www.sejungusa.com

80 58 81

www.jjbabbitt.com www.BenedettoGuitars.com

44 77

www.daddario.com www.daddario.com www.jimdunlop.com www.dustystrings.com

18 11 28 55

www.eastwoodguitars.com www.staggmusic.com

88 15

D D’Addario & Co. D’Addario & Co. Dunlop Manufacturing Inc. Dusty Strings

E Easttwood Guitars EMD Music Inc.

www.georgels.com www.chopsaver.com www.gulfmusicsalesonline.com

46 87 86

H/I Hoshino (USA) Inc. Irradiant Inc.

www.ibanez.com, www.tama.com

cov 2 55

www.kawiausl.com www.kensmithbasses.com www.kysermusical.com

cov 3 86 85

K Kawai America Corp. Ken Smith Basses Ltd. Kyser Musical Products Inc.

96 MMR

Metropolitan Music Co. NAMM National Educational Music Co. National Music Funding

sales@metmusic.com www.namm.com www.nemc.com www.nationalmusic.com

57 34-35 21 56

www.PDWholesale.net www.peacedrum.com www.PearlRiverUSA.com www.petrof.com www.pianodisc.com www.pioneerprodj.com www.pocketsongs.com

24 39 49 19 5 23 87

P P & D Wholesale Peace Musical Co. LLC Pearl River Piano Group Petrof USA PianoDisc Pioneer ProDJ Pocket Songs

R/S Real de los Reyes www.realdelosreyes.com www.sagamusic.com Saga Musical Instruments www.samsontech.com Samson Technologies Corp. www.sennheiserusa.com Sennheiser Electronics www.shsint.net SHS International www.shubb.com Shubb Co. www.skbcases.com SKB Corp. www.stringswing.com String Swing www.sunlitedrum.com Sunlite Industrial Corp. Super-Sensitive Musical String Co. www.cavanaughcompany.com

28 51 3 29 53 24 25 50 50 22

TKL Products Corp. ToneGear

www.tkl.com www.theStringCleaner.com

1 56

www.vjrendano.com www.dansr.com www.VicFirth.com www.VicFirth.com

83 48 20 47

www.wittner-gmbh.de www.wymanpiano.com

40 84

www.yamaha.com www.youngchang.com

13 17

V V.J. Rendano Vandoren Vic Firth, Inc. Vic Firth, Inc.

W Wittner GmbH & Co. KG Wyman Piano

L Lava Cable Levy’s Leathers LM Productshers Ltd. Lowrey Organ Co.

PAGE

G George L’s Good for the Goose Products Gulf Music Sales

E-MAIL/WEB ADDRESS

M/N www.accessbagsandcases.com www.acekaraoke.com

B J.J. Babbitt Co. Inc. Benedetto Guitars

COMPANY NAME

www.lavacable.com www.levysleathers.com www.LMProducts.com www.lowrey.com

45 54 54 43

Yamaha Corp. of America Young Chang

DECEMBER 2008

The Premier Piano of Japan

t h e

e d u c a t e d

s h i g e r u aichi prefectural university of fine arts and music american academy of dramatic arts beijing conservatory brigham young university bunkyo university (japan) the carrollwood cultural center catholic fu jen university chapman university chinese cultural university clarence valley conservatorium (australia) clayton state university the colburn school conservatory of music columbia college chicago conservatoire cuillera (spain) conservatoire de chalon sur saône (france) conservatoire de musique de québec conservatoire of liria (spain) conservatoire profesional de valencia (spain) conservatoire st. brieuc (france) conservatoire superior alicante (spain) conservatoire superior castellon (spain)

p i a n o s

conservatorio superior de musica de palma (spain) ecole de musique (france) egå gymnasium (denmark) etta and joseph miller performing arts center ikast gymnasium (denmark) interlochen center for the arts kungsholm gymnasium (sweden) kyoto city university of arts laugalækjarskóli (iceland)

c h o i c e.

s e l e c t e d

listaháskóli islands (iceland) musashino academia musicae (japan) music academy mlinaric vladimir (slovenia) music school nova gorica (slovenia) music school slovenske konjice (slovenia) music school trebnje (slovenia) musikhochschule nürnberg-augsburg (germany) national center for the performing arts (china) national taipei university of education national taichung university of education national university of ireland maynooth newington college nordiska musikgymnasiet (sweden) norges musikkhøgskole (norway) pacific union college reinhardt college scots college (australia)

b y :

seitoku university (japan) shanghai conservatory of music shorter college showa academia musicae (japan) staatliche hochschule für musik freiburg (germany) taipei municipal university of education tallinna muusikakeskkoolile (estonia) terni conservatory (italy) tokyo college of music tokyo gakugei university university of houston university of nevada - las vegas university of western australia waseda university (japan) westminster school atlanta wheaton college xi’an conservatory of music (china)

Shigeru Kawai Piano Company 2055 E. University Drive Rancho Dominguez, CA 90220 www.shigerukawai.com 310-223-0900

SYNC-A-VISION The New Way To “Watch” Your Piano

ync-A-Vision combines video with PianoDisc’s award-winning player piano system. Enjoy watching artists perform on a 20” HD flat screen as you listen to the piano play. And Sync-A-Vision does even more... ●

●

Learn to play like a professional, the easy way, with your personal in-home piano teacher who is ready when you are. Organize your entire music library. Play along “karaoke style” with professional musicians using scrolling lyrics and chord symbols. Easily find and play your favorite songs. Watch silent movies as your piano plays.

●

Create slide shows and movies with your choice of player piano music.

●

Sync-A-Vision is the perfect accessory for any acoustic piano equipped with a PianoDisc player system.