MMR December 2009

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

December 2009

26th Annual

Fifty Dealer Fifty State

Review & Forecast

17th Annual Dealers’ Choice Awards 28th Annual America’s Top Music Chains Show Report: PASIC 2009

NEW, DIGITAL VERSION www.mmrmagazine.com

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.

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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)

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Contents Cover design by Laurie Chesna

DECEMBER 2009 VOL.168 NO. 12

Features 20 Webwise: Mythbusting 24 Stats: U.S. MI Imports 2008 30 26th Annual 50 Dealer 50 State Review & Forecast 50 MI retail outlets across the country offer their opinions on the state of the market in our annual report. While some believe that we’ve turned the corner and hope for positive growth in 2010, other dealers expect continued hardship in the coming months.

64 28th Annual America’s Top Chains Continued economic uncertainty and sustained online MI retail growth combined to keep overall store-count for brick-and-mortar outlets similar to 2008’s numbers.

72 Print 2009 Major names in print publishing provide their top-sellers for 2009 as well as an assessment of the previous year and outlook for the coming months.

78 Daddy’s Junky Music: Holiday Vacation at the Mall 80 17th Annual MMR Dealer’s Choice Awards

The 2009 Dealer’s Choice Awards yielded some familiar results as well as surprising upsets.

84 Show Report: PASIC MMR’s Eliahu Sussman reports form this year’s PASIC Convention, held in Indianapolis.

Departments www.MMRmagazine.com

4 6 14 16 24

Editorial Upfront People Letters Stats

88 96 98 104

Holiday Buying Guide 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 ©2009 by Symphony Publishing, LLC, all rights reserved. Printed in USA.

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DECEMBER 2009

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Editorial

Volume 168, Number 12, December 2009 PUBLISHER Sidney L. Davis sdavis@symphonypublishing.com

We Bail Them Out And Then They Sink Us!

or those readers who have followed our surveys throughout the year, this month’s 50Dealer/50-State report serves to underscore what at best might be termed a transitional twelve months. In a very real sense, many among us have moved from music products dealers to music service dealers, directing a good portion of energies towards furthering ancillary business: repairs, lessons and recording studios to cite three examples. While it’s difficult to generalize a shift in product distribution, our collective surveys tell us that lower end goods, institutional sales and a spurt in on-line business helped fill the till. That was the year in review… What’s ahead? Hopefully, as Maureen McGovern sang in the Poseidon Adventure, “There has to be a morning after, if we can make it through the night…” The morning after, for the collective retail body, is a job-filled economy. At least five who participated in our “50-Dealer” (Alabama, California, Georgia, Maryland and Nevada) survey specifically cited job losses as a major concern and the same might be said for every state. What is equally troubling to this observer is the recent move by the major credit card companies to boost their consumer charges prior to the July 2010 mandate by the Federal Reserve and other bank regulators that will prohibit many of the predatory practices now in place by these companies. In summary form, the Federal Reserve have given the credit card companies an 18-month window to reign consumer terror before caps are placed on how much and how often credit costs can be increased. In layman’s terms, how much harder will it be to sell a $2,000 guitar with the buyer holding a card charging 18 percent (or higher) interest…? One might ask, what percentage of sales are with credit card transactions? Consider the following: for the year 2008 more than nine million households comprising 181 million Americans held at least one credit card. The average household has five-plus cards and carries a balance of $8,329! And this year it’s estimated that the credit card companies will exact $20.5 billion in penalty fees. Much of this before the recent percentage increases. While the economy tries to remain afloat (much like ‘The Poseidon Adventure’) our friends in the banking community (who we “bailed out”) are returning the favor by further sinking the American consumer with arbitrary debt (i.e. increasing charges on existing credit cards in some cases with as little notice as 15 days). How did we get into this mess? We can trace it to a 1949 business lunch between Frank McNamara and two associates at a New York watering hole. McNamara offered to pick up the tab, learned his wallet was in another suit (his wife came and paid the bill) and, vowing not to be caught short again, came up with the Diners Club. His fi rst card was made of cardboard and listed the 14 restaurants that extended credit to the 200 people (mostly salesmen) who signed up. Restaurant owners paid seven percent per transaction and the cardholders $3 per year for the privilege (and prompt payment). In 1954, the card included purchases of liquor and 1959 hotels joined in, and today one can wait patiently in a grocery line while the clerk rings up a credit sale of $7.88… In a more serious vein, 2009 marks the 28th year of our stewardship in the 130-year history of Musical Merchandise Review. We serve at your pleasure and it has been a pleasure to serve you. Happy Holidays to one and all, and we look forward to seeing you the morning after the NAMM show opens.

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Rick Kessel rkessel@symphonypublishing.com EDITOR Christian Wissmuller cwissmuller@symphonypublishing.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Eliahu Sussman esussman@symphonypublishing.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Denyce Neilson dneilson@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 2009

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Upfront Feds Raid Gibson Offices On November 17th, Federal agents from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and local police seized wood, computers, guitars, and fi les from Gibson Guitar’s Massman Road facility in Nashville. It’s being reported that the guitar manufacturer is suspected of possibly violating the Lacey Act by importing endangered species of rosewood from Madagascar to Germany and, then, to the United States. Late that same day, Gibson released the following statement: “Gibson Guitar is fully cooperating with agents of the United States Fish & Wildlife Service as it pertains to an issue with harvested wood. Gibson is a chain of custody certified buyer who purchases wood from legal suppliers who are to fol-

low all standards. Gibson Guitar Chairman and CEO [Henry Juszkiewicz] sits on the board of the Rainforest Alliance and takes the issue of certification very seriously. The company will continue to cooperate fully and assist our federal government with all inquiries and information.” However, on November 18th, The Rainforest Alliance announced in an official statement that Henry Juszkiewicz had taken a leave of absence from its board. “The FSC Chain-of-Custody audit conducted in 2008 verified that Gibson has purchased hard maple, mahogany and muira piranga from FSC-certified forests,” read the statement. “These woods are used in the manufacturing of the company’s Les Paul SmartWood and Raw Power guitars, which are sold as

Steinway Signs Agreement with Samick for Private Placement of Common Stock Steinway Musical Instruments, Inc. announced in November that it had signed an agreement with Samick Musical Instruments Co., Ltd. for a private placement of 1.7 million shares of its ordinary common stock at a price of $16 per share, approximately 37 percent above the closing market price on October 28, 2009, the date the parties set the purchase price. Steinway

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intends to use the proceeds of approximately $27 million to retire outstanding debt and for general corporate purposes. Samick was also granted the right to purchase by March 31, 2010 an additional 1.7 million shares of ordinary common stock at an exercise price of $16 per share. The placement will bring Samick’s holdings in Steinway to approximately 1.9 million shares. Steinway’s Chairman, Kyle Kirkland, and CEO, Dana Messina, continue to hold 100 percent of the Company’s Class A shares which represent over 80 percent of the voting power of the total common stock. In connection with the placement, Mr. Jong Sup Kim, Chairman of Samick Musical Instruments Co., Ltd., will join the Board of Directors of Steinway Musical Instruments bringing the total number of directors to nine.

FSC-Pure with a certificate of authenticity from Gibson. “Under the current scope of their certificate, they also have the ability to purchase swamp ash and poplar from FSC-certified suppliers. No other species are authorized to be sold with a FSC-certified claim under Gibson’s Chain-of-Custody certificate. The certificate does not cover wood from Madagascar.” Gibson’s next scheduled audit (Nov. 23, 2009) is reported to have been postponed until December. At press time, MMR had been unsuccessful in getting further reaction from Gibson representatives.

Musician’s Friend Cutting 75 Jobs It was reported in mid-November that Musician’s Friend will soon be eliminating 75 jobs from its Northland/Kansas City distribution center, which currently employs 525.

Musician’s Friend is closing a call center and a retail clearance store at the distribution center. Both decisions are strategic rather than because of the economic downturn, according to the company. Musician’s Friend acquired another music firm with a call center last year, giving the company three such operations. The Kansas City call center, which has 60 employees, is slated to close by late February. The retail clearance center became increasingly irrelevant, as Musician’s Friend and other companies have moved to selling used instruments online. That outlet has about 15 employees and is scheduled to close on Jan. 5. DECEMBER 2009

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Upfront Powell Acquires E.K. Blessing Verne Q. Powell Flutes announced that it has acquired the assets of E. K. Blessing of Elkhart, Indiana. The two companies have a combined 185 years of instrument making in the USA. Randy Johnson, the fourth generation of the Blessing family to own and operate E. K. Blessing, com-

Harmonix Requests Continuation of Gibson Suit The patent suit brought by Gibson against Harmonix Music and other parties related to Guitar Hero and Rock Band was stayed due to the US Patent and Trademark Office deciding to reexamine the patent. According to Pat-

ent Arcade, Harmonix and a group of retailers have asked a Tennessee court to continue proceedings of the case against them. When the USPTO recently looked into the patent again, it changed the definition of “musical instrument” to include the characteristics of being “adapted for making musical sounds” and “the instrument audio signal comprising an electrical signal output by the musical instrument that varies in response to operation of the instrument by the user of the system.” The popularly held assumption as to why Harmonix would spearhead this move (on the surface, it may seem a little counter-intuitive to push for the continuation of a case where they are the alleged offending party) is that the company believes that, in light of the new defi nition outlined above, the case will be resolved in their favor, at which point Harmonix will fi le a motion for summary judgment of non-infringement. 8 MMR

mented on his motivations for selling to Powell: “I had been looking for a buyer who had the vision, the people, and the capital to create a renaissance for the Blessing name. My entire family would have been proud to know that a company with the stellar reputation and strong sense of integrity of Powell is continuing the ‘Made in USA’ traditions of Blessing.” Powell has designed and marketed trumpets under its Sonaré brand over the past three years and Sonaré trumpets are now endorsed by such players as jazz great Lew Soloff, the San Diego Symphony, the Big Apple Circus, and the U. S. Navy Band. With the acquisition of Blessing, Powell will have its own factory to produce Sonaré brass. However, Powell owner, Steven Wasser, indicated that controlling the Sonaré supply was not the only reason for buying Blessing. “As more suppliers buy product in Asia, we believe there is a great opportunity for quality brass instruments made in the USA. Under Randy Johnson’s leadership Blessing has made tremendous strides in the past year to improve production quality. We believe that further improvements can be made in both design and production quality which will position Blessing to

be competitive across the board in the brass market. Our team is excited about the prospects for reinvigorating this iconic American brass instrument maker. I am also personally pleased that I have had the opportunity to get to know Randy Johnson, and look forward to a long friendship.” The Blessing operation will be managed in Elkhart by Steve Rorie, who worked for Selmer for over 20 years, and managed the Bach factory. In the past year Rorie has consulted for Blessing and is responsible for the improvement in quality over this period. Rorie, who will serve as vice president and general manager, commented, “The opportunity to get back into the music industry with an iconic brand and an owner who is committed to Made in USA was irresistible.” Marketing, sales and administrative functions for Blessing will primarily be handled from Powell’s headquarters in Maynard, Massachusetts. Maryann Zschau, director of Sales & Marketing for Powell’s Sonaré division said, “We are delighted to expand our line of quality wind and brass instruments. Blessing dealers will have the same fair, simple pricing and payment terms offered to our Sonaré dealers.”

Hagstrom Guitars Now Selling on Amazon.com Hagstrom Guitars has announced that its full line of electric guitars and basses is now available on Amazon.com for online purchase. Amazon will feature the full Hagstrom line, including the Viking, Swede and Super Swede models. “Amazon’s commitment promises musicians from every corner of the

continent fast access to the full breadth of popular models and colors of Hagstrom’s unique product line,” notes Chris Griffiths, vice president of American Music & Sound, Hagstrom’s USA distributor. Hagstrom is distributed exclusively by American Music & Sound in the U.S. and Canada. DECEMBER 2009

Upfront Music China 2009 Music China, Asia’s largest international music show held from 13 –16 October 2009, was “a huge success,” according to Evan Sha, deputy general manager, Messe Frankfurt Shanghai Co Ltd. “However, in line with the current global economy our visitor numbers were 1.7 percent lower

than last year and those who did attend the show were very happy with the exhibitor quality and high standard of our fringe program events.” In total, 42,499 visitors (40,001 local) were reported to have visited – speaking to a commonly perceived trend that the show is becoming more of a “China Show.” Similarly, of the 1,164 exhibitors, only 312 were “overseas exhibitors.” MMR was pleased to hear from longtime industry veteran, Pete LaPlaca, who offered the following synopsis of this year’s trade show in Shanghai: “Six years ago, I toured an early version of this show held at a small local venue in the Pudong sector of Shanghai that was reminiscent of NAMM’s fi rst entry into the Los Angeles Winter Market show: Makeshift exhibition stands,

minimal security, no air conditioning, smokers prevailed, food stands offered basic Chinese dishes and the buyers were predominantly Westerners. “The show this year was a 180-degree shift from that event. McDonalds, Papa Johns, Wendy’s, Subway and a 7/11 alongside a Starbucks set the tone for China’s new economic face in our industry. Huge elaborate stages, talented performers, catered events, live on-stage bands with super hi-tech sound systems were everywhere. The greatest change was watching the Chinese sell to the Chinese. Far fewer westerners were seen on the show floor. It was China selling to China… and the cash was flowing like water. It looked like the Chinese decided to take over their own show… without any doubt.” Music China 2009 was organized jointly by the China Music Instrument Association (CMIA), INTEX Shanghai, and Messe Frankfurt. The next show is scheduled for 12 – 15 October 2010 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. For information, see www.musikmesse-china.com or email music@hongkong.messefrankfurt.com

VH1 Save the Music Donates $1 Million to IPS In late November, VH1 Save the Music finalized a $1 million donation to Indianapolis Public Schools for their elementary school music programs. Thanks to this donation, IPS has been able to put music programs into each of its elementary schools, making it one of only a very few school systems to have instrumental band programs for all of its elementary schools. The presentation was witnessed by the donation’s beneficiaries: 645 IPS elementary school band students will accompany the Indiana State University Marching Sycamores in the National Anthem to kick off the Sharp Business Systems IPS Marching Band Tournament on the field of Lucas Oil Stadium. The event and tournament were coordinated through Music for All, a local music education partner with IPS and a national music education advocacy partner with VH1 Save the Music. Music for All’s Bands of America Grand National Championship kicks off four days of events with the IPS Marching Band Tournament this evening.

D’Addario & Co UK Ltd. D’Addario & Company, Inc., has announced the incorporation of D’Addario UK Ltd. D’Addario UK has been established to assume the marketing and distribution leadership for all D’Addario accessory brands in the UK, providing a single point of contact for artists, educators, consumers and dealers. 10 MMR

In addition to formulating a team of sales and marketing professionals, D’Addario UK will also be opening a new distribution facility in Gateshead. The new entity will be run by former Summerfield Sales & Marketing director, Simon Turnbull. Over the last fifteen years, Turnbull

has developed extensive experience in the distribution of accessories and played a primary role in the marketing of D’Addario accessory brands in the UK market. The planned opening date is January 2, 2010 and further information can be found on the D’Addario UK web site: www.daddario.co.uk. DECEMBER 2009

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Upfront Herman to Distribute Sennheiser Sennheiser Electronic Corporation has reached an agreement with Herman Procurement &Logistics to be a distributor for Sennheiser integrated solutions throughout the U.S. Herman will distribute Sennheiser’s innovative evolution and installed sound series microphones, as well as its full line

of conference and RF/infrared assistivelistening systems. Herman plans to stock an extensive array of Sennheiser products in all five of its distribution facilities located in Miami, Atlanta, New Jersey, Dallas and Nevada to provide local availability and better serve Sennheiser customers.

LOUD Distributor Conference LOUD Technologies Inc. held a worldwide distributor conference in Ria Bintan, Indonesia, from October 17

– October 19. 45 attendees from 26 distributor companies participated in the three-day event that featured in-depth sessions on new products, as well as roundtable discussions on the Company’s 2010 business plans. The event immediately followed the Pro Light & Sound Show in Shanghai (October 13 – 16). The Bintan event is part of LOUD’s overall strategy to invest more in face-to-face training and dedicated customer seminars. The Company has hosted two similar seminars in the past 18 months – the fi rst in Opio, France, and the second in Marrakech, Morocco.

Committee Meets to Discuss XML Standards at NAMM Headquarters An Ad-Hoc Technology Committee formed by the NAMM Board of Directors in 2006 recently met at NAMM headquarters in Carlsbad to continue its work in creating a system for electronic transactions between trading partners. The committee extended the scope of its standards to include a ‘Detailed Acknowledgement’ document 12 MMR

as well as continued its work in creating a system for product classification. Interested parties may view the current information on these technology standards at www.namm. org/initiatives/b2b. Beginning in January, the group will release version 2010.1 of the NAMM standard for discussion and commentary.

Trade Regrets: Ben Jack Longtime music retailer Ben Jack passed away on Nov 6 at the age of 75. Jack was born and raised in Arkansas and opened up a string of successful stores in and around Fayetteville. As one of the state’s leading music retailers, Ben pioneered many of the American built instruments in their heydays, such as Fender and Peavey. Ben Jack Music is the oldest Peavey dealer still selling the product today. Along with his wife, Jack began by opening a small store with guitar repair (Jack’s job) and product and accessory sales up front (his wife Shirley’s job). The couple’s success led to a larger shop and soon two more.

Walter Ehret Walter Ehret, under various names, arranged for most of the major publishers over a career that spanned 50plus years. Ethret’s work was mostly centered around choral music for which he truly loved. He had a strong interest in bringing to light lost works and works of composers who had gone largely unnoticed. Walter used other names along with his own, so that he could work on the music he wanted to have published. Mr. Ehret passed away on Monday November 16, 2009 in his Scarsdale, NY home.

Breaking News Find it in the Hot News section of MMR’s Web site, www.MMRmagazine.com DECEMBER 2009

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People Hal Leonard Corporation has added two new employees to its roster: Chris Klinkhardt has joined the sales department, and Sharon Stosur is a piano publications editor for the Klinkhardt company. Both have extensive experience in the music industry. Klinkhardt will focus on educational music sales for Hal Leonard. He has worked for several other Stosur publishers – most recently, for Music Sales – and also has music retail experience. Stosur has worked for Hal Leonard as a freelance arranger and author since 1997, and has now accepted the full-time position of piano publications editor. Newly hired vice president of manufacturing Eric Dies brings a collection of skills and philosophies that, “will improve and innovate the production and manufacturing process at Symetrix.” Symetrix and its associated SymNet, Lucid, and AirTools brands of pro audio processors are recognized within the industry for delivering powerful cost-effective performance.

Mel Bay Publications, Inc. has announced the addition of René Flores to its team. Flores will represent Mel Bay in the capacity of sales manager for Latin America, the Caribbean and U.S. Flores Specialty Markets. René comes to Mel Bay after working for companies such as Warner Bros. Publications and most recently, Music Sales.

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DECEMBER 2009

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Band & Orchestral

Letters Hi Rick: Our company belongs to another association called the National Association of Manufacturers and I am always receiving e-mails about what is going on up on Capital Hill, as well as surveys about different things, the latest of which covered the effect of the current economy on business banking. I was calling a dealer trying to collect on a past due account and we wound up talking in some depth about our respective situations. It is very surprising that, even as a small manufacturer and a small dealer, the two of us are both in the same boat, as far as credit lines being lowered or cut off – and these are from banks we have been dealing with for years. He was saying that NAMM should be up there on the Hill finding out what they can do for their members as far as getting them credit assistance with lenders and help with health care. As a manufacturer, I have felt somewhat like a bank having to extend longer credit terms, et cetera, and I really can’t afford to do that, but it is nice to let dealers around the states see and feel that we are all in the same boat and that a lot of us have pulled together to work through things. I would like to know if NAMM knows about this type of thing and if there is anything they can do about it up on Capital Hill. How can we save the music if the government doesn’t allow dealers and manufacturers some help getting lending from the banking and the credit card industry? Thanks for letting me express my views. Regards, Jodi Ann Parker CEO Players Music Accessories Dear Mr. Wissmuller: I enjoyed reading the article regarding Mapes Piano String Company in the November 2009 issue of MMR. The making of high quality guitar strings is certainly a challenge and would not be possible without quality-focused suppliers like Mapes. I would like to clarify for your readers that C. F. Martin & Co., Inc. designs and manufacturers 100 percent of our string products in our own string manufacturing facility. We source high quality musical wire from several vendors, including Mapes. The use of modern technology in our own facility, the fi nest musical wire available, and the acoustic expertise we have accumulated over 176 years combine 16 MMR

to create finished guitar strings that provide the playability and performance to satisfy the most demanding musicians. Best regards, Timothy McNair C. F. Martin & Co., Inc. Director of Sales & Marketing, String Division Dear Christian: In your recent November issue there is an interview with Andy Wilson of Mapes Piano String Company on pages 64 and 65. There is a serious inaccuracy in this story which is probably a misquote or a misunderstanding and I would appreciate if you can print a correction or this letter in your next issue. The article states: “Not only does Mapes produce piano strings and piano wire, but it’s also one of the major manufacturers of guitar strings. Mapes sources such major brands as Martin, Ernie Ball, DR, D’Addario, and D’Aquisto, to name a few.” While D’Addario does purchase some raw materials from Mapes, we have never sourced a guitar string from another company. We make all our strings at our Farmingdale facility, right in the good ole U.S.A. As Mapes does, we pride ourselves in making our products here, we also have two wire mills of our own manufacturing core and wrap wire for a significant portion of our raw material needs. I can’t speak for the other brands mentioned in this article, but please investigate this error and print some kind of correction. I am sure that Mapes did not intentionally represent that they make D’Addario strings, however the article intimates that they do. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. Yours truly, Jim D’Addario Chairman & CEO D’addario & Co., Inc. Ed note: As both Jim and Timothy note, the wording in this particular section was regrettably misleading and inaccurate. The intent was to illustrate how Mapes Piano Strings supplies raw materials to a number of suppliers (including Martin, Ernie Ball, DR, D’Addario, and D’Aquisto), not to DECEMBER 2009

To Gu my ita r

Indulge your guitar with a Levy’s guitar strap.

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News Note from Joe The Power of Oneâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; Your Place in the Industry We live in a world of numbers and statistics. Our government throws around spending ďŹ gures in the billionsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and now trillionsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;of dollars. We see the monthly numbers of unemployment ďŹ lings and jobs created. Was the Dow up or down today? Are we still in a recession or did the GDP really grow last quarter? We judge the success of an industry by its aggregate sales and trade shows by their size. I get it and understand why we want to see the totals. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in a society that wants to know the facts. It makes the headlines and ďŹ lls the business magazines. Throwing these kinds of numbers around though can depersonalize things to the point where we forget that behind the ďŹ gures are real businesses and people. Your business is not a nameless, faceless statistic. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s made up of you, your employees and often your family. How did your business do today, this week, this month, this year? Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what really matters to you and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what really matters to us. Like all of our Members, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had to make hard decisions to cope with the economic challenges and look carefully at every aspect of their

NAMM Introduces New Features to Enhance Your Show Experience The New H.O.T. Zone

The new H.O.T. (Hands-On Training) Zone welcomes industry partners, publishers, organizations and associations, which will offer FREE specialized training seminars, meetings, networking opportunities and mentoring.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Follow Meâ&#x20AC;? Mobile Application

The new mobile application, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Follow Me,â&#x20AC;? provides useful tools to enhance your show experience, including an interactive show schedule and ďŹ&#x201A;oor maps with routing to booths, events and NAMM U session listings, and access to e-brochures.

&INALS %VENT FOR THE 3CHOOL*AM 53! #OMPETITION

The NAMM Show hosts the ďŹ nals of the ďŹ rst annual SchoolJam USA competition, where the top ten bands will battle it out for big prizes for their bands and their schoolsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; music programs.

Tools for Schools

Again this year, show attendees will have the opportunity to interact with hundreds of music educators who have been invited to walk the show ďŹ&#x201A;oor in search of the latest products and the top â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tools for Schoolsâ&#x20AC;? will be selected.

ADVERTORIAL â&#x20AC;˘ DECEMBER 2009

visit us online at www.namm.org operations. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had the privilege of working closely with so many of you this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;one-on-oneâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;to ďŹ nd ways to strengthen your business, save money on expenses and get more customers. The courage of NAMM Members is inspiring, and the work weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done together has strengthened the industry and helped more people make music. So when you make your plans to come to Anaheim for the NAMM Show next month, remember that you will not be a statistic to us. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be ready to welcome you to an event that will provide real value and beneďŹ t to you and your business. The show ďŹ&#x201A;oor will again be packed with the very latest offerings from our exhibiting Members; exciting, new products that your customers will want to see in your store. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve lined up a strong NAMM U track that hits todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s challenges head on. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be presenting Idea Center sessions that bring you up-to-date business ideas that you can put to work when you get home. We continue to reďŹ ne these sessions to be relevant to your business in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy: everything from using social media to increase your customer base, to merchandising your store to increase sales. We are even bringing business mentors to the new H.O.T. (Hands-On Training) Zone. These experienced consultants can provide support in several areas of business, including tips on how to write and implement a marketing plan, helping you apply for a small business loan. In this year of unprecidented facts and ďŹ gures, there is one thing I am sure of: attending NAMM will be worthwhile, and possibly the best investment you can possibly make to help you succeed during these unprecedented times. We look forward to seeing you there!

*OE ,AMOND s .!-- 0RESIDENT #%/

Member emb Quote â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re always excited to go to the NAMM Showâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss it. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m in the business I love the most and the NAMM Show reminds me of that every year. The highlight of the show is putting faces with the names, people who weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve built relationships with on the phone throughout the year, you get to see them, have lunch or dinner with them and actually have a rapport with these people. I prefer to do business with people I can build a relationship with. I like that I can walk into the show and walk past a supplierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s booth and hear â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Hi Bill, how are you doing?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nice to have that one-on-one relationship with those people, because when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re talking to them during the year and need to get a quick shipment, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll go the extra mile because they know you.â&#x20AC;?

BILL YEKEL 4(% '5)4!2 -%#(!.)# s 7!22%. /()/

December 2009 NAMM News on the keep up-to-date by NAMM. To ed e-newsletter sh al bli git pu Di is ck ba NAMM News up for our PLAY n sig , ws ne . g industry tal@namm.org latest breakin at playbackdigi

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HIBITS HOTTEST NEW PRODUCTS TING EX I C X E 00 +

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OF DOLLARS EACH YEAR THOUSANDS VE YOU A S N A HAT C CES T I V R E S INESS S BUS N O I T A R T INFORMATIVE PRODUCT DEMONS

WEBWISE

Myth Busting:

Eight Roadblocks to Internet Success Debunked By Kevin M. Mitchell

ill Walzak has been on all sides of the Web site debate – as a businessman needing to use the Internet to grow his business, and now as a consultant helping others create sites that work for them. He’s heard about all the roadblocks, the reasons not to move wholeheartedly into what is to him a key component of retailing, and is able to effectively build the case that a great Web site is imperative to success in today’s marketplace.

Walzak was inspired to create software in 1996 when he was trying to “level the playing field” on his own wholesale business. “I was a smaller distributor, and didn’t have the manpower, but was competing against the big companies,” he explains. “I wanted to use technology to do as much of the work as possible.” He has consulted with, and worked for, hundreds of retailers, including many in MI. As president of Pro-Active Websites he offers turnkey solutions for retailers looking for easy-to-use Web sites to do whatever they need without spending a lot of time. He’s also more than familiar with the reasons small-business men and women come up with to not invest in their Web site – and themselves.

I’m doing fine without an Internet presence. Why should I bother? “If you don’t use the Internet, your ability to grow your business is going to be very limited,” he says. “People want to check out your business online before they 20 MMR

DECEMBER 2009

get in the car and drive. Many are just too busy for casual shopping, and need to know the possibilities of what you can do for them first, before they go to your store. And kids would rather cut their arm off than pull out the Yellow Pages! “A dealer who doesn’t think he needs the Internet is making a huge mistake.”

As to the complexity, there are a lot of applications and approaches that are available. “Our motto is, if your mother can’t operate the Web site we create for you, it needs to be redesigned.”

Web sites are too technically difficult – and we just don’t have time to deal with it.

“We offer customers two systems: One is a very inexpensive e-commerce solution that allows retailers to automatically load up products from their “For the majority of suppliers in addition to MI retailers, there’s an adding pages about their advantage to having a store – that costs less than turnkey solution. The rst $.99 a day plus a one-time advantage is that you, the $50 setup fee.” A super– Bill Walzak owner, always have the store solution that costs ‘keys to the store.’” “Gomore but has marketing ing with an individual or company, tools is also available. even on a contract basis, can create a The retailer who shops and comsituation where the retailer is “hostage” pares options, spends time researching to someone else when changes need to and listening, will nd a solution that

“How many times have you stood at the cash register and spent a half hour trying to sell one $6 capo? And how much prot did you make? That same sale online would take seconds, and wouldn’t require any personnel time. “When creating or upgrading your store’s Web site, a retailer needs to consider what is the best value, the best use of the staff’s time. The Internet is the greatest communication tool available today, so it’s more than worth the time you need to make for it. It really should be a priority.”

I don’t even know where to begin to look for a person or a company to build or redesign my Web site – let alone choosing one!

be made. So when seeking out a Web site designer and builder, make sure it’s someone who can create a system that’s easy enough for you or a member of the staff to work.

Web sites are too expensive.

“If you don’t use the Internet, your ability to grow your business is going to be very limited.”

Web Marketing 101 “Most people believe that they need to spend most of their time building a Web site, when what they really need to do is spend their time marketing their Web site,” says Bill Walzak of Pro-Active Websites. “Marketing is the most important part of the process because it’s not what you sell, it’s how you sell.” The days of just hanging out the proverbial shingle are gone, he states emphatically. “You can build a wonderful Web site with an extensive back-end system for ecommerce or whatever, but you’ve got to give them a reason to shop.” Retailers need to think of their Web site as what it is: another

DECEMBER 2009

“location.” And what do you do when you launch a new location? Why, have a grand opening celebration, of course! Walzak says to drum up extra excitement with a giveaway. “Post a picture of a jar of picks on your site and have people email their guess as to how many picks are in it, with the winner getting a new guitar.” With this simple idea, you’ve done yourself three favors: Customers are exposed to your world-class Web site; you’ve got potential customers’ email address for future marketing campaigns; and you’ve instantly created a lot of traffic, which will raise your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) level, so when any-

body Googles “music instrument store + your town,” your store will receive a higher ranking. “Search engines will see that lots of people are going to the site, so it must be valuable,” he says. Beyond that, the possibilities are endless. “We have an affiliate code system that assigns a specific code to a school or church, so the retailer can then tell them that when they send customers to your site, either the customer gets a special five percent discount or that discount goes back to the church or school. That really builds goodwill, and the mutual support makes everybody successful.”

MMR 21

is a good t and won’t break the bank – but it is an investment that is absolutely necessary in today’s environment.

E-commerce? I can’t possibly compete with Amazon or even Musician’s Friend or Sam Ash! “You have to pick your areas, your niche, to draw people in,” Walzak says. “If you try to be everything to everybody, you’ll lose. Find your expertise, your niche, and promote that.” For example, if you have an unusually large print music department with lots of rare or hard-to- nd pieces, promote that. Build a community in that area, and soon customers will be in the habit of buying everything from you. “The Internet levels the playing eld, and allows you to look as big as anybody else.”

I have a wide variety of customers – from heavy metal kids to ministers to band and orchestra parents. How can I possibly create a Web site that serves them all?

“Every segment of your customer base should be represented and served on your site – you don’t want to exclude anybody. So the Web site should reect every aspect of your store.” It might require extra time and thought, but so does the layout of your store. You have friendly and appealing entry into your store, and then you likely have different sections to appeal to more specic segments. A well designed Web site can really appeal to specic segments even more than a well-merchandised brick and mortar store. A page dedicated to the church market can relay the message that you deal with houses of worship all the time; a page just for band and orchestra parents can make it so they are comfortable doing business with you, et cetera.

I hear a lot about “creating a community on the Web” – what does that really mean and how do I do it? “First, stalk out your area of expertise, then have your Web site

ref lect that.” It can be as simple as if you’re primarily a folk/acoustic store, having the site look “folkie.” Have the graphics, the font, everything about the look and feel of the site ref lect that. Don’t go for a generic approach. “Another important part about building a community is including detail about your project that can only come from you, with your specic point of view reected.” Providing information through text, graphic, and videos contributes to your site being a “help center” that draws likeminded people who will make up your online community. “People want to come back to a resource. Selling product is the goal, but you also want something people can return to again and again because they see you and your site as a resource.” Not everybody is going to buy a guitar every week, but if they know your site is a source for tips and even lessons, they will return for that – and end up buying accessories there in between those major instrument purchases.

��

22 MMR

DECEMBER 2009

Mason & Hamlin pianos are taking the stage... University of Alaska (Fairbanks, AK) • Stillman College (Tuscaloosa, AL) • Unitarian Universalist Congregation (Paradise Valley, AZ) • Mayo Clinic (Scottsdale, AZ) • University of California Berkeley (Berkeley, CA) • Zellerbach Hall (Berkeley, CA) • Ansel Adams’ Home (Carmel, CA) • Diablo Valley College (Concord, CA) • Sage & Sound Recording (Hollywood, CA) • Hutchins Street Square (Lodi, CA) • Nethercut Collection (Los Angeles, CA) • Brian Culbertson Studio (Los Angeles, CA) • Petaluma Women’s Club (Petaluma, CA) • CA State University Sacramento (Sacramento, CA) • KOVR 13 TV (Sacramento, CA) • University of CA San Diego (San Diego, CA) • University of the Pacic (Stockton, CA) • Blair House (Washington, DC) • University of Hartford (West Hartford, CT) • Danbury Music Center (Danbury, CT) • Smithsonian Institution (Washington, DC) • Church of Latter Day Saints (Boca Raton, FL) • Florida State University (Tallahassee, FL) • Avondale Baptist Church (Jacksonville, FL) • All Saints Lutheran (Port Orange, FL) • 2nd Ponce DeLeon Baptist (Atlanta, GA) • Andrew College (Cuthbert, GA) • Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, MA) • Briarlake Baptist Church (Decatur, GA) • 1st Methodist Church (Lawrenceville, GA) • Silver Hill Baptist Church (Lilburn, GA) • Christ the King Lutheran (Norcross, GA) • Roswell 1st Baptist Church (Roswell, GA) • New Hope Baptist Church (Senoia, GA) • 1st Baptist Church of Indiana University at Bloomington, (Bloomington, IN) • Reinhardt College (Waleska, GA) • Raue Center for the Arts (Crystal Lake, IL) • Joliet Jr. College (Joliet, IL) • Elkhart Central HS (Elkhart, IN) • Kansas State University (Manhattan, KS) • Wichita State University (Wichita, KS) • Jose Mateo Ballet Theater (Cambridge, MA) • The Piano Museum (Hopkinton, MA) • 1794 Meeting House (New Salem, MA) • AA Scottish Rite (Baltimore, MD) • First Unitarian Church of Baltimore (Baltimore, MD) • Baked Beans Recording (Harrison, ME) • Hope College (Holland, MI) • Hormel Mansion (Austin, MN) • Tripolis Lutheran Church (Kandiyohi, MN) • Mayo Clinic (Minneapolis, MN) • w Fine Arts Center (Mounds View, MN) • University of Lowell (Lowell, MA) • Prior Lake Fine Arts Center (Prior Lake, MN) • First Baptist Church (St. Louis, MO) • Third Baptist Church (St. Louis, MO) • Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church(Durham, NC) • Nebraska-Wesleyan University (Lincoln, NE) • Westminster Presbyterian (Lincoln, NE) • The MacDowell Colony (Peterborough, NH) • Absegami High School (Mays Landing, NJ) • Meadowmount Music School (Essex, NY) • Saratoga Performing Arts (Saratoga Springs, NY) • Grace Christian Academy (Merrick, NY) • The Doghouse NYC (Brooklyn, NY) • Watchtower B & T S (Brooklyn, NY) • University of Findlay (Findlay, OH) • St. Anne Chapel (Lake Oswego, OR) • PDX-Portland Airport (Portland, OR) • Marylhurst University (Marylhurst, OR) • Cedar Crest College (Allentown, PA) • Brigham Young University (Provo, UT) • Dr. Edwards Memorial Congregation (Edwardsville, PA) • Settlement Music School (Philadelphia, PA) • 1st United Methodist Church (West Pittston, PA) • 1st Presbyterian Church (Wilkes-Barre, PA) • Kings College Chapel (Wilkes-Barre, PA) • Middlebury College (Middlebury, VT) • YMCA (Wilkes-Barre, PA) • WJAR Radio & Television (East Greenwich, RI) • Marble House (Newport, RI) • Applebutter Inn (Woodstock, VT) • Trinity Lutheran Church (Vermillion, SD) • 1st Congregational Church (Charleston, SC) • 1st Presbyterian Church (Greenville, SC) • Marble Church (New York, NY) • Furman University (Greenville, SC) • First Baptist Church (Abilene, TX) • 1st Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin (Austin, TX) • North Texas State (Denton, TX) • PianoTexas Int’l Academy & Festival (Ft Worth, TX) • University Christian Church (Ft. Worth, TX) • Granbury Opera House (Granbury, TX) • Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA) • LeTourneau University (Longview, TX) • The Muenster Museum (Muenster, TX) • College of William & Mary (Williamsburg, VA) • Waterford Old School (Leesburg, VA) • Harvard University (Boston, MA) • Princeton University Graduate School (Princeton, NJ) • Saint Michael’s College (Colchester, VT) • Central WA University (Ellensburg, WA) • University of Puget Sound (Tacoma, WA) • St. Norbert College (De Pere, WI) • Waukesha County Conservatory of Music (Hartland, WI) • Oconomowoc Arts Center (Oconomowoc, WI) • North Carolina State University • Masonic Temple (Dumbarton, Scotland) • Lincoln Center (New York, NY)

Website: www.masonhamlin.com Tel: 1-800-566-3472 Fax: 916-567-1941

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

U.S. Imports for Consumption: Quarterly data for 2009

HTS Number

First Quarter

Second Quarter Third Quarter In Actual Units of Quantity

Argentina MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS

81,000

36,529

GUITARS VALUED OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE

124

163

225

STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

390

WIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

123

163

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS

332

293

43,803

35,698

106,236

STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS PLAYED WITH A BOW

410

GUITARS VALUED OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE

6,782

7,756

6,298

STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

336

640

1,373

CLARINETS

512

367

WIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

594

116,278

DRUMS

258

255

149

CYMBALS

67,828

57,494

62,175

FRETTED STRINGED INSTRUMENTS

467

479

302

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS

8,601

3,033

STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS PLAYED WITH A BOW

42,290

62,712

87,435

GUITARS VALUED NOT OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE

272,663

269,881

411,465

GUITARS VALUED OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE

18,498

25,688

17,989

STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

83,323

82,492

97,517

BRASS-WIND INSTRUMENTS VALUED OVER $10 EACH

18,741

31,849

25,772

CLARINETS

5,695

10,777

12,629

SAXOPHONES

9,140

10,529

10,968

FLUTES AND PICCOLOS (EXCEPT BAMBOO)

35,467

122,807

16,681

WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

122,543

56,711

195,506

WIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

77,600

26,790

87,044

DRUMS

133,020

104,440

181,042

CYMBALS

3,747

17,617

37,224

MUSICAL SYNTHESIZERS VALUED $100 OR OVER EACH

11,645

9,380

12,258

FRETTED STRINGED INSTRUMENTS

268,204

237,469

325,705

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS

821,725

545,261

521,512

STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS PLAYED WITH A BOW

691

114

GUITARS VALUED NOT OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE

256

BRASS-WIND INSTRUMENTS VALUED OVER $10 EACH

228

236

185

CLARINETS

253

FRETTED STRINGED INSTRUMENTS

299

102

148

15,323

23,454

15,851

STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS PLAYED WITH A BOW

325

633

2,399

GUITARS VALUED OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE

192

STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

4,424

BRASS-WIND INSTRUMENTS VALUED OVER $10 EACH

192

CLARINETS

2,865

7,841

3,334

SAXOPHONES

2,503

740

1,664

Australia

Austria MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS Canada

Chile WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI China

Czech Republic

Denmark MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS France

24 MMR

DECEMBER 2009

HTS Number

First Quarter

Second Quarter Third Quarter In Actual Units of Quantity

WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

858

751

WIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

11,322

301

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS

37,872

17,263

10,797

STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS PLAYED WITH A BOW

832

484

843

GUITARS VALUED OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE

116

114

BRASS-WIND INSTRUMENTS VALUED OVER $10 EACH

996

1,404

580

CLARINETS

4,375

4,333

6,243

SAXOPHONES

152

FLUTES AND PICCOLOS (EXCEPT BAMBOO)

439

WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

7,280

1,774

7,406

WIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

21,751

5,302

11,919

DRUMS

525

342

CYMBALS

14,323

25,099

9,267

MUSICAL SYNTHESIZERS VALUED $100 OR OVER EACH

122

120

FRETTED STRINGED INSTRUMENTS

1,015

199

168

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS

127,715

260,558

195,927

STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS PLAYED WITH A BOW

1,646

GUITARS VALUED NOT OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE

2,012

480

GUITARS VALUED OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE

368

DRUMS

580

FRETTED STRINGED INSTRUMENTS

296

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS

3,675

2,600

STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

530

490

BRASS-WIND INSTRUMENTS VALUED OVER $10 EACH

154

FLUTES AND PICCOLOS (EXCEPT BAMBOO)

9,232

WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

6,975

653

330

WIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

590

785

788

DRUMS

6,786

7,450

3,147

CYMBALS

218

FRETTED STRINGED INSTRUMENTS

4,187

1,049

2,652

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS

2,400

GUITARS VALUED NOT OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE

41,042

49,609

77,765

GUITARS VALUED OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE

182

1,095

361

STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

6,209

5,273

3,293

CLARINETS

8,280

2,232

SAXOPHONES

1,422

481

316

FLUTES AND PICCOLOS (EXCEPT BAMBOO)

8,084

3,278

1,154

WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

194,700

122,492

199,550

WIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

683

DRUMS

17,680

20,137

35,011

FRETTED STRINGED INSTRUMENTS

68,356

52,992

99,237

WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

2,536

DRUMS

252

450

900

STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS PLAYED WITH A BOW

210

978

427

GUITARS VALUED NOT OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE

150

1,278

STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

441

16,001

669

2,399

Germany

Hong Kong

India

Indonesia

Ireland

Italy

DECEMBER 2009

MMR 25

Stats

U.S. Imports for Consumption: Quarterly data for 2009

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 Number

First Quarter

MUSICAL SYNTHESIZERS VALUED $100 OR OVER EACH

195

109

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS

6,741

8,291

2,375

GUITARS VALUED OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE

3,349

2,817

3,740

* 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.

STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

11,011

203

7,345

BRASS-WIND INSTRUMENTS VALUED OVER $10 EACH

3,717

4,787

4,561

CLARINETS

1,746

1,083

1,418

SAXOPHONES

1,519

724

2,992

FLUTES AND PICCOLOS (EXCEPT BAMBOO)

1,175

1,061

869

WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

20,184

24,600

17,918

WIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

834

DRUMS

2,352

2,164

2,882

MUSICAL SYNTHESIZERS VALUED $100 OR OVER EACH

1,655

2,620

4,552

FRETTED STRINGED INSTRUMENTS

9,811

6,796

4,395

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS

592

11,465

17,340

STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS PLAYED WITH A BOW

136

627

196

GUITARS VALUED NOT OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE

1,544

1,807

1,719

GUITARS VALUED OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE

8,448

5,755

5,862

STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

475

307

414

WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

218,765

196,125

243,050

WIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

38,000

116,336

146,650

DRUMS

3,900

4,800

MUSICAL SYNTHESIZERS VALUED $100 OR OVER EACH

198

384

341

FRETTED STRINGED INSTRUMENTS

29,614

27,979

22,491

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS

51,015

6,178

1,400

GUITARS VALUED NOT OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE

7,018

9,713

8,284

GUITARS VALUED OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE

16,490

16,066

13,925

STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

128

176

DRUMS

1,090

2,164

1,253

CYMBALS

628

FRETTED STRINGED INSTRUMENTS

41,038

43,170

35,783

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS

1,979,575

1,900,631

1,561,332

WIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

3,374

DRUMS

891

241

STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

645

1,506

439

FLUTES AND PICCOLOS (EXCEPT BAMBOO)

130

WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

122

DRUMS

1,000

2,220

4,706

CYMBALS

756

FLUTES AND PICCOLOS (EXCEPT BAMBOO)

3,900

3,841

DRUMS

1,137

STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS PLAYED WITH A BOW

3,918

4,621

7,629

GUITARS VALUED NOT OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE

3,514

2,238

STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

530

1,671

327

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS

1,944

3,903

** NESOI: Not Elsewhere Specified Or Included

Second Quarter Third Quarter In Actual Units of Quantity

Japan

Korea

Mexico

Netherlands

Pakistan

Peru

Romania

26 MMR

DECEMBER 2009

First Quarter

Second Quarter

Third Quarter In Actual Units of Quantity

Spain GUITARS VALUED OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE

500

1,518

1,833

CLARINETS

221

DRUMS

410

FRETTED STRINGED INSTRUMENTS

210

158

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS

1,176

MUSICAL SYNTHESIZERS VALUED $100 OR OVER EACH

1,073

188

793

FRETTED STRINGED INSTRUMENTS

106

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS

1,967

1,580

4,240

WIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

3,154

4,115

CYMBALS

5,424

8,470

2,943

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS

1,000

835

GUITARS VALUED NOT OVER $100 EACH, EXCLUDING THE VALUE OF THE CASE

1,100

2,229

592

STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

2,940

BRASS-WIND INSTRUMENTS VALUED OVER $10 EACH

4,567

5,937

6,874

SAXOPHONES

4,822

6,191

6,526

FLUTES AND PICCOLOS (EXCEPT BAMBOO)

1,528

573

15,529

WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

2,012

63,117

107,220

WIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

84,679

15,000

4,000

DRUMS

32,934

46,771

66,936

CYMBALS

3,030

1,364

4,615

MUSICAL SYNTHESIZERS VALUED $100 OR OVER EACH

740

3,721

5,639

18,455

22,416

21,120

STRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

491

240

DRUMS

1,446

516

1,550

CYMBALS

2,645

4,314

2,308

BRASS-WIND INSTRUMENTS VALUED OVER $10 EACH

226

WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

151

309

WIND INSTRUMENTS, NESOI

229

319

DRUMS

557

142

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STRINGS

66,493

106,969

45,301

Sweden

Switzerland

Taiwan

Thailand DRUMS Turkey

United Kingdom

Breaking News Find it in the Hot News section of MMR’s Web site, www.MMRmagazine.com DECEMBER 2009

MMR 27

RETAIL

26th Annual

Fifty Dealer Fifty State Review & Forecast

“T

he recession hit us pretty hard, as it did everyone else,” says Marc Forman of Albuquerque’s Marc’s Guitar Center and, while the assessment hardly qualifies as “breaking news,” Foreman’s statement pretty much sums up, in succinct manner, the overall shared experience of the past few years in the world of American MI retail.

30 MMR

So, are things getting better? Have we already turned the corner with respect to this mess? Since the summer months, various pundits and experts have been reporting that early indicators point to an end to our country’s economic tailspin. In September Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernake said that, “From a technical perspective, the recession is very likely over at this point.”

Reassuring words, to be sure, but does that evaluation ring true with music retailers? “My outlook for 2010 is positive because I believe we have already bottomed out,” states Magnolia Music Center’s (Gulfport, Miss.) Tony Strong and that cautious optimism is shared by many we spoke with while compiling this year’s 50 Dealer 50 State Report. However there are plenty who see all such analysis as be-

DECEMBER 2009

ing only so much smoke and mirrors: “No recovery,” declares Joe Kane of Stafford, Virginia’s Bang Music. “It’s up to us to recreate our business and operate with the available resources… I expect that the new economy will be one of consumer spending that is more in line with actual family income than in the past 20 years. The false economy of credit card debt and home equity debt is over.” Predictions are, of course, merely educated guesswork and only time will tell how things pan out in the coming months. As Front Porch Music’s (Bakersfield, Calif.) Artie Niesen puts it, whatever your own, personal take on the immediate future, “Always hope for the best!”

ALABAMA Greenbrier Music Shop Anniston Wayne Brown, owner 2008 vs. 2009: Sales were way off from 2008 — probably as much as 40 percent. Highlights and lows of 2009: Repair service was way up. It seems a lot of people were getting their instruments fi xed instead of buying new ones. Low-end acoustic sales were good, but the higher end products didn’t do as well. My recording studio was down, but our teaching department stayed booked all summer. Service has made a comeback. People are shocked and very happy when you offer to take care of a problem on the spot with no hassle. I do a lot of guitar repairs while they wait. This is the best way to compete with mail-order. Concerns: We have had some companies close in my area with a lot of lost jobs. I hear a lot of people growing tired of mail-order. They want to touch it and hear it before they spend their money. DECEMBER 2009

Outlook for 2010: I am fully stocked up for the holiday season and I am approaching 2010 with hopes that it will be better than 2009. The first three months of the year are usually my strongest months so I plan on being ready. I have some major repairs already scheduled into January.

ARIZONA Atomic Guitar Works Peoria Harry Howard & Tim Mulqueeny, owners

Product of the Year: Alvarez acoustics and Boss pedals.

ALASKA The Music Man Anchorage Al Green, manager 2008 vs. 2009: Fairly flat Highlights and lows of 2009: Native Flutes have been a consistent and fun growth area for us for the last two years. Our summer band program has been a nice part of our outreach for the past several years catering to middle school and high school age students. This year we added a beginning band program in addition to our jazz and concert band classes. Our combo staff has been running an “Alaska School of Rock,” having their students perform in a local club. Concerns: I’m concerned about how to improve what we do, and freight, which is always a concern in Alaska. Outlook for 2010: We have a new storage and lesson facility next to the store, and I’m hoping to expand our educational offerings this next summer. I’m positive about the next year. Guitar sales are picking up again, and we just had a successful school rental season. Staff is stable and reliable. Product of the Year: Yamaha band instruments.

2008 vs. 2009: 2008 was strong, but towards the end of the year people became very careful with how they were spending their disposable income. This has carried over into 2009. Although this can be looked at as a bad thing, we have taken this as an opportunity to focus on the most profitable segments of our operation. Highlights and lows of 2009: The year started off with a bang with us launching our guitar line at the Winter NAMM show. There we were concentrating on making the transition from a “Factory Direct” operation to establishing a dealer network. We have changed our retail operation significantly. We have stopped selling amplifiers and effects pedals. We are concentrating more on parts and accessories sales while boosting the service side of our operation. Although we have maintained the number of repair tickets, we have noticed that people are spending less per instrument. We offer a handmade, American guitar starting at $895. The hardest part has been conveying the value and quality of our guitars to the retailers. We understand they can buy two imports to each one of ours. The difference is that we offer service beyond the sale. If a retailer has a problem they need to know that their customer is taken care of and they can concentrate on their operation. Concerns: The attrition of small music stores in our market this last year has been massive. The MMR 31

Fifty Dealer Fifty State Review & Forecast three closest retail shops to us shut down in May 2009. Some of these stores have been in business for 17 or more years. This is directly related to the lack of music programs in the public school system. With the cancelation of these programs, it has greatly decreased the demand for lessons and band rentals from retail stores. Kids are the future of all music-based industries, local and abroad. I’m sure it is this way across the country, and we should all be very concerned.

Outlook for 2010: Things will pick up in 2010. We will continue to focus on streamlining production while increasing distribution of our guitar line. We are committed to retaining our lessons and band programs we have in place. Product of the Year: Atomic Guitars Standard model

ARKANSAS Red River Music Company Heber Springs Rick Gardner, owner 2008 vs. 2009: 2009 has been disappointing to say the least. Highlights and lows of 2009: The year started great; sales were double the previous year through the first quarter, then the recession hit. My local customer base changed their buying habits, willing to spend up to $200 to $250 but nothing more. We also experienced a flood in May, losing about $60k in inventory, lost sales, and other equipment. Concerns: Recovery and survival, finding product to sell with decent margins and no buyins. Outlook for 2010: Our area has historically run six months behind the national economy. I am hoping for a better economy in 2010, but realistically I am hoping to hold ground. I am investing in low-end stock that will sell with a decent margin and trying to keep stock levels down. 32 MMR

Product of the Year: Samick Gold Rush D-1 guitar.

Product of the Year: Fender Stratocaster.

CALIFORNIA

CONNECTICUT

Front Porch Music Bakersfield Artie Niesen, owner

The Music Shop Southington Scott “Spidey” Mulrooney, manager

2008 vs. 2009: 2008 was pretty much a struggle and 2009 hasn’t been much of one. We had three independent stores close in our area in 2009, which helped our business. Highlights and lows of 2009: The highlight of our year was staying around in this economy. Concerns: The thing that concerns me the most is unemployment and the rapid destruction of the middle class in America Outlook for 2010: Always hope for the best! Product of the Year: Behringer P.A.gear.

COLORADO Allegro Music Parker Joe Wilkinson, co-owner 2008 vs. 2009: Overall sales are down about 10 percent, but our student base has stayed strong. Highlights and lows of 2009: Our strong student base, great teachers, our 11th anniversary party, and back to school season were the highlights. The economy and sluggish turnaround were low points.

2008 vs. 2009: 2009 was down from the first eight months compared to 2008. September and October 2009 beat expectations. I’m cautiously optimistic about the fourth quarter and holiday sales figures. Highlights and lows of 2009: Peavey Vypyr 15. Our lesson program continues to gain ground and we built four new studios to keep up with demand. The low has been dwindling foot traffic – the slowest I’ve seen in 25 years. There’s also tight credit with vendors. Concerns: I’m a little concerned with the sustainability of small retail merchants vs. big box, the Internet, or price clubs. Each year on Black Friday we piece together a collage composed of sales circulars from the previous day’s newspaper. The number of giant retailers who jump on the holiday instrument bandwagon is almost laughable. To survive you must offer lessons, rentals, and repairs; guitar, amp, and drum sales alone won’t cut it. Outlook 2010: I will feel optimistic once the housing and jobs situation is corrected. I think we will have a strong third and fourth quarter for 2010. Product of the Year: The Peavey Vypyr 15.

DELAWARE

Concerns: Reasonable expectations of creditors.

Seaford Music Seaford David Herring, owner

Outlook 2010: 2010 should be better than 2009, recitals and plans for events are shaping up.

2008 vs. 2009: Although our sales were down about five percent for the same period last year, DECEMBER 2009

Fifty Dealer Fifty State Review & Forecast we’ve actually been able to increase our net income. The current economic conditions have caused us to take a closer look at our buying habits, and we’ve tried to focus more on selling existing inventory rather than being totally reactive to all the new products that come along. By reducing our expenses and paying closer attention to inventory levels, we’ve been able to minimize the stress of this economic slump.

Highlights and lows of 2009: The highlight for the year had to be our ability to adapt to the changing conditions that came from the tough economic times. By learning to use our strength in customer service we were able to keep the store running smoothly, support our loyal customer base, and recruit a few new ones. Unfortunately, the lows were the folks in my area, who supported our business, lost jobs and income.The lack of discretionary funds among most of the residents in this area has had a big impact on most of the local retailers. Concerns: Although a few of the vendors I deal with have realized the situation, many are still holding firm on their old commitments that were in place when times were a lot better. I am concerned that those vendors who don’t relax their buying level requirements will cause us to drop lines or be much more selective in what we carry. When buying, I now look harder at deals and see how flexible the vendors are with stocking or buying requirements. I am concerned about my ability to properly support lines that I have been loyal to, if some give-and-take doesn’t occur from the manufacturers or distributors. Outlook for 2010: I feel like we are getting ready to see a swing in the right direction. I have witnessed what looks like the beginnings of a grass roots movement to take back this country despite whatever obstacles the temporary residents in Washington D.C. can throw in the way. If we can afford to keep our employees working, they can afford to support themselves. I’m hopeful that government regulation won’t kill DECEMBER 2009

the small independent business in this country.

Product of the Year: Rapco/Horizon cables and Paul Reed Smith guitars.

FLORIDA Seminole Music & Sound Seminole John Spinelli, manager

2008 vs. 2009: 2008 was tough and 2009 was even tougher. Highlights and lows of 2009: The highlights where that we had to reevaluate ourselves and cut non-productive practices in many areas, define our core value to our customers, business and self. The lows were accepting that

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MMR 33

Fifty Dealer Fifty State Review & Forecast business has changed and changes had to be made.

Concerns: We’re hoping that everyone has been learning from the times we’re experiencing, this includes ourselves, the consumer and especially the larger vendors. As for our store, we’ve made some positive changes and our customers have appreciated them. The customers are hopefully finding out that things aren’t always so bad and music is a great plus for themselves and their children at times like this. As for the vendors, there are a lot of vendors heavily tied into the big box stores and if things turn for the worst it could get pretty ugly. I hope vendors are planning ahead and won’t try to choke the independent dealer if things start to get worse. Let’s just hope we won’t have to tread that water. Outlook 2010: 2009 was tough because we didn’t know where we were headed, in 2010 we should have a pretty good handle on things because of ‘09. The planning and restruc-

34 MMR

turing of our business should maintain us through the ups and downs of 2010 and beyond.

GEORGIA Stephens’ Music Company, Inc. Calhoun Shane West, president 2008 vs. 2009: We have had a much better year in 2009 than 2008. Highlights and lows of 2009: Lows were our local economy. Job loss in our area is a big concern just like most of the country. The highlight is the fact that we are growing in hard times. We look to finish the year up and we are working hard to keep growning. We have worked extremely hard to simply keep the doors open and we want to motivate our staff to keep doing the things that are working in our favor.

Concerns: Unemployment. Our area has been hit hard and we hope that our customers, present and future will prosper so that we can continue to serve them. Outlook 2010: 2010 is going to be our best year ever. We relocated in 2008 and our new location is drawing more traffic. We do more lessons than ever and we are reaching out beyond our previous market. Product of the Year: Nothing stands out immediately.

HAWAII Easy Music Center Honolulu Peter Dods, president 2008 vs. 2009: We have been slightly up for most of 2009. It has been a tougher year for posting large sale increases, but we have more than held our ground. While each customer seems to be spending less, we

DECEMBER 2009

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Fifty Dealer Fifty State Review & Forecast are dealing with a lot more foot traffic than we did a year ago. The net result is we seem to be working a bit harder for the same amount of sales. It is energizing to see the store so busy all the time though. We rarely get lulls anymore. It is hectic in here at times, but we will take that over a ghost town any day of the week.

I’ve actually had to increase my staffing to accommodate for the increase in foot traffic over the past year. The sales guys just don’t have time to stock the way they used to. I hired a full time receiver and helper in the store recently in addition to my inventory manager. I’ve noticed that it is a lot easier to sign up as a new dealer with vendors these days. When they might have had a larger buy-in or said no before, they are telling me yes all the time now. it pays to have some capital to play

s ’ t t i b b a B j j It’s y r a s r e v i n n 90thlebArate the sound! Ce

with during tough times. We have signed up new vendors aggressively this year.

Highlights and lows of 2009: We put on more clinics, performances, and promotional events this year than we have in the history of the store. We launched a new blogger format Web site where my guys can post new product pictures and videos direct from their iPhones. We remained steady and busy when it seemed like the world was about to end. I was able to be a guest speaker at the SNAMM SOTIA. We built two new lessons rooms and renovated our acoustic guitar room. We added a lot of new vendors to our lineup. Contending with all the doom and gloom in the news was a low. We had/have to remind ourselves daily that we can stay ahead of the rest of the economy. We kept our heads down and plowed ahead this year. It is hard to get too depressed when you have customers beating down your door. Concerns: The longterm sustainability of the planet concerns me most.

outhpiece k Vintage m the Otto Lin u of helping yo ing 90 years at or em m om

. Introdt.uCcing.. by jj Babbit usic. make great m

Outlook 2010: Spending seems to be picking back up, but I think that is because people who already had money are starting to spend it again. What we are missing is the part of the market that doesn’t have a job anymore, or is afraid to lose their job soon. It is nice that we backed away from the precipice we were on though, but it is going to take a larger increase in consumer demand and confidence before tourism increases in Hawaii and companies start hiring again. I think people are still feeling cautious about the economy. I hope that we can stay ahead of the curve here at Easy Music Center, but I am not predicting a great rebound for the American economy as a whole. It may very well be years of slow to zero growth ahead. Product of the Year: Yamaha Acoustics.

IDAHO Welch Music Twin Falls Randy Welch, president www.jjbabbitt.com • E-mail: info@jjbabbitt.com M O U T H P I E C E S

36 MMR

F O R

C L A R I N E T S

A N D

S A X O P H O N E S

2008 vs. 2009: Sales for both 2008 and 2009 were below our best year of 2007. However, the DECEMBER 2009

Fifty Dealer Fifty State Review & Forecast result of reducing inventory, short term debt, and operating expenses as much as possible, has produced better gross margins in 2009 than we achieved in 2008.

Highlights and lows of 2009: Highlights? We’re still looking for some.

Concerns: It appears to me that many people are becoming more and more demanding and dependent on government to solve problems in their lives. The confl ict between those who support less government control and those who support greater government control has produced an ugly division in this nation. I don’t see the confl ict going away any time soon.

Outlook 2010: I’m trying to be optimistic about the year 2010. We are going forward and trying our best to offer products our customers want and provide service they don’t expect. I’m confident that by doing we give ourselves the greatest opportunity to be successful. Product of the Year: Yamaha Clavinova.

ILLINOIS Samuel Music Effingham Bruce Bannister, president 2008 vs. 2009: We were just about two percent up in sales with a very slight margin increase as well. Based on what the economy did in the last few months of the year, we were pretty happy with those results. Highlights and lows of 2009: Being a full line dealer we are used to one particular product category or segment being down while another may be up, and 2009 was certainly no exception. Toward the latter part of the year we saw drops in higher price points like everyone else. I think we were very fortunate because we focus a lot on getting people started in music. So when the economy tanked and people were looking for family activities that could take place at home, that part of our business picked up. Guitars, drums, band instruments, acoustic, and digital pianos all exceeded 2008 because of a fairly substantial increase in the number of units we sold. Concerns: Stability! There are so many variables now - the global economy, the banking system, healthcare, you can go on and on - that you simply don’t know what curve will be thrown at you next. The biggest concern I have is that we remain flexible enough and have the forward thinking and energy required to adapt to whatever comes at us. 38 MMR

DECEMBER 2009

Fifty Dealer Fifty State Review & Forecast Outlook 2010: Our entire staff is probably working harder than ever. So, although it has not been easy, 2009 has been pretty good. Recently we are even seeing more of the higher end purchasers returning to the market. If the holiday season comes through for us, we expect to be slightly ahead again this year. And that will make us all happy. Product of the Year: Yamaha acoustic guitars.

INDIANA W.H. Paige & Co., Inc. Indianapolis Mark Goff, president 2008 vs. 2009: We ended 2008 on a very positive note, and so far 2009 is up about five percent. So, our business is moving in the right direction.

Highlights and lows of 2009: The highlight of 2009 has to be the attitude and performance of our staff in implementing a disciplined plan to achieve bottom-line growth this year in spite of the challenging economic circumstances around us. Concerns: With things going so well, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m concerned that we will be tempted to let down the discipline that has delivered such positive results. Outlook 2010: We expect to carry a positive momentum into 2010 and continue to improve our customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, and financial performance.

IOWA Uncle Ikeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Music Dubuque Kevin Hedley, owner 2008 vs. 2009: We are up over 10percent, although most all of the gains have been with online sales, an area that we are still learning our way in. In-store sales have been right on course with 2008. We carry a large selection for our store size, which presents a whole set of problems. Highlights and lows of 2009: Locally we had a great start to the year with IBM announcing 1300 new jobs here in Dubuque. The effect has been an overall positive attitude in the town. Instore as I mentioned, we are starting to understand the online business, so that has brought some nice sales our way. We have been very fortunate; the lows are mostly just us trying to learn how to polish up our act. I look at other industries along with some of the big box stores and admire the organization and systems that give people a warm confident feeling about doing business there.We sometimes seem a bit slocky in the way we operate so that can get you down. 40 MMR

DECEMBER 2009

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Fifty Dealer Fifty State Review & Forecast Concerns: The race to the lowest price on nearly every item concerns me. So you’re left on your own when it comes to margins. You have to fight for every point, watch every item, negotiate for free freight, take the quick pay discounts, maybe wait and buy in larger shipments, anything to add on a few extra GP points. We carry a large selection for our store size, which presents a whole set of problems from extra insurance costs to outdated stock. Merchandising can be a challenge. Outlook 2010: We should be fi ne in the next few years. We have been around for more than 20 years, and our store is fairly established. Not that things can’t change and change quickly, but we work hard every day so they don’t. We have some great people on staff right now. Probably the best we have ever had. So that helps tremendously. Product of the Year: Ibanez products.

2008 vs. 2009: The first three quarters of 2008 were great for us, but you could definitely see signs of a slow down by the fourth quarter. 2009 has been down five to 10 percent in most product categories. Highlights and lows of 2009: We’ve just completed a great back-toschool season - our beginner band and orchestra rental numbers are almost equal to what we did last year, which was a strong year. This was somewhat unexpected, but very encouraging. Our education (lesson) department has remained very strong this year, as well. Piano sales and step-up instrument sales are off over last year. School bids instruments, and sales to schools of print music and accessories are also down due to decreases or uncertainty in school budgets. Concerns: Keeping the “cash pump” pumping! Keeping expenses in line with revenue levels and keeping inventory turning.

KANSAS Senseney Music, Inc. Wichita Lori Supinie, president

Outlook 2010: I’m expecting 2010 to be like 2009 - maybe some growth in the second half of the

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year. I don’t think anybody has a clear picture on this, though.

Product of the Year: Zoom digital recorders.

KENTUCKY Bizianes Music Louisville John Bizianes, co-owner 2008 vs. 2009: Our business was down from the previous year. We are a mom and pop music store. My parents opened the business in 1965. Many stores have come and gone. What has sustained our business through the retail downturn has been our teaching studios and recording studio. When we saw the retail decline on the horizon, we chose to move toward education and recording - elements that can’t be purchased on the Internet or mail-order. We thought about going the direction of being a mail-order retailer but, frankly, there’s not much fun in that. No personal relationships - just pushing boxes for low margins. No thanks. Highlights and lows of 2009: Not much new in the way of new product innovation. I guess the R and D budgets of manufacturers have taken a hit with the recession. The highlight of our business has been the way our family has been able to weather the storm of the economy and even become closer as a result. Being in a family business has its challenges, but we are stronger than we have ever been. Concerns: What concerns me most is legislation that will hurt small businesses. Health care over-regulation and big government will make it difficult to stay profitable in the near future. Outlook 2010: I am anticipating big things for 2010. We are ramping up for bigger sessions and more business with the recording studio. I’m hoping that we will experience growth there Product of the Year: Kurzweil. DECEMBER 2009

Fifty Dealer Fifty State Review & Forecast LOUISIANA

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Shreveport Music Co. Shreveport Don Teach, president

Midtown Music Biddeford Nick Noiseux, president

2008 vs. 2009: Overall business has been down, but I have great hopes for a better ending. Guitar sales have been about the same for both years in the high end models and the low end models. The middle has really slowed down. The low end guitars are much better today than they were ten years ago. Acoustic piano sales for us have slowed to a trickle with electric piano sales staying steady. One of the biggest markets for acoustic pianos in our area were churches. Now churches are using electronic keyboards for their services.

2008 vs. 2009: After the price of gas hit $4 per gallon in June of 2008, our numbers dropped 30 - 40 percent. The numbers are still down but we’ve discovered ways to cut our overhead. We continue to be hopeful and continue to look for ways to improve our services and sales.

Highlights and lows of 2009: 2009 started off great and then it slowed in the summer. In our area there was a big economic boost with the discovery of natural gas. There was a rush by the gas companies to lease land that resulted in many churches and land owners gaining instant money to spend. The biggest rush was in the first couple of months of 2009. In August the gas companies had leased all they wanted to lease and the price of gas had dropped so the big rush was over which was the low of the year. Concerns: Lack of young musicians or first time musicians seem to be declining. We still have plenty of students but this summer we had lots of vacancies in the lesson program for the first time in several years. The age of our student population seems to be young adults and teenagers. Outlook 2010: Hopeful. We feel that sound systems sales will be good in 2010 as that is the one department that gains every year. We hope to expand our sales in sound systems. Small systems are our specialty. Product of the Year: Yamaha sound systems. 44 MMR

Highlights and lows of 2009: The personal highlight for me was when, upon talking to a customer about his lessons, he exclaimed, “I can’t wait to come back!” That brought the revelation to me that we need to cultivate that emotion in all of our customers and serve them to bring that end. Corporate highlights for 2009 were finding manufacturers and suppliers eager to sell and not be as greedy with their minimums. Our low for 2009 was when we had a sewer line check valve break just when the city pump timers turned on and pumped thousands of gallons of sewer water into our store. It shut us down for eight days and cost $50,000 in clean-up and repair costs. That customer who exclaimed, ‘I can’t wait to come back’ was in the store that day when the sewer line blew and helped us bail for an hour and a half. Concerns: Marketing. We’ve got to find the most effective ways. Finding the time to dedicate to this end is very hard for me. It’s so important, and there is so much for us to do, but sometimes we just don’t know where to begin. Outlook 2010: Great question! We needed to be asked that! Thank you! Aside from trying to figure out how we’re going to pay for Christmas and survive the winter, I think we have got to move forward step by step to get the word out. We offer everything everyone else offers at competitive prices, and we love to serve. Loving our customers is what we’ll do. That means putting DECEMBER 2009

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Fifty Dealer Fifty State Review & Forecast them first, even if we have to send them to a competitor. As long as we serve, I believe theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll always want to come back!

Product of the Year: Anything Peavey.

MARYLAND Bender Music Elkton Kathryn Bender-Jones, owner

2008 vs. 2009: 2009 has been a tougher year for sales, but our customers are loyal and wonderful. They take music seriously so our lesson programs have increased. Our customers always send their family and friends. Over the years they have seen we already have the products they want and our prices marked as low

as or lower than Guitar Center, Musicians Friend, and all the box stores. If there is ever a doubt, we simply go online and look it up to find that 90 percent of the time we are matching or beating the competition. We continue to grow the Bender School of Music with ten private studios, 23 teachers, and over 300 students.

Highlights and lows of 2009: Our two biggest highlights were, at the request of our customers, adding Paul Reed Smith Guitars in the spring and C.F. Martin Guitars this October. We are so excited that we were able to partner with these wonderful companies and look forward to a long successful relationship. Our lows have to include the hardships our customers are facing with the shut down of several large companies in Maryland and Delaware and seeing some of our students leave the music program due to overall fi nancial burden. Concerns: Our economy and government policies that go against small businesses like ours. Outlook 2010: I believe we will continue with a tough economy. Music is necessary for good living, and we will be here for our customers to share in their hopes and dreams through music. Product of the Year: All Takamine Guitars.

MASSACHUSETTS Guitar Stop Cambridge Jeanne Oster, proprietor 2008 vs. 2009: Overall my business is down approximately eight percent from last year. It seems like things are turning around. Highlights and lows of 2009: The customers seemed to be getting more optimistic as the year has been progressing. As opposed to last year, when people 46 MMR

DECEMBER 2009

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seem to be getting more pessimistic as the year progressed.

Concerns: I am mainly concerned with maintaining my student base for lessons and providing quality merchandise and service for my customers. Outlook for 2010: I have a positive outlook for 2010. I think that business will be better next year as our overall economy improves. Product of the Year: Fender brands.

MICHIGAN Mid-Michigan Music Midland/Bay City Rick Allen, CEO 2008 vs. 2009: Obviously the collapse of our economy in 2009 affected everyone especially those in the retail world. Highlights and lows of 2009: I am a land lord for two other businesses which helps subsidize my income and helps with the cost for the real estate I use for my own retail business. This enabled me to weather the storm that we all had to deal with for the last year. We have a large brick and mortar presence and do a lot of lessons, audio repair, instrument repair, and sound installations for schools and churches. We sell on eBay and have a Web site where we are selling products out the back door every evening to customers all over the world. I feel that my employees deserve all of the credit for making my operation a success; I have people that share a sense of ownership in what they do. This is one of the most important things I look for when I hire. Concerns: I had concerns for those who run their businesses on debt. I have some very close friends that are no longer in business because they were floor planning their merchandise and could not keep up with the monthly payments they had. 48 MMR

DECEMBER 2009

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Fifty Dealer Fifty State Review & Forecast Outlook 2010: I see things getting better for the music industry and expect 2010 to be better for us in Midland/Bay City. We have a few large companies in our community that are making plans to open up new manufacturing facilities in the next couple of years. I am very thankful to be in this community.

MINNESOTA Sarlettes Music Morris Del & Carlene Sarlette, owners

2008 vs. 2009: 2009 is a little down from 2008, but not as bad as we feared. Highlights and lows of 2009: Band rentals were somewhat lower than last year, but step-up sales and repairs continue to do well.

Concerns: Student-level instrument rentals and sales will probably dip due to economy plus shrinking school enrollments and budgets. We’re losing a few school music teachers in the area due to budget cuts, and that is, of course, reflected in band programs. Outlook 2010: Schools won’t fare any better next year in this area, some worse, but music parents are very supportive of their kids, which should translate into continued participation in band programs and piano lessons. I do instrument repair, so when the economy dictates more horns coming out of the closet, I can still keep the cash flow going. Most piano teachers in the area have waiting lists, so piano methods and related literature will continue to do well. Our local college, the University of Minnesota, has a very strong music department, so that always bodes well for us.

2008 vs. 2009: 2008 was on par until October, and then the bottom dropped out. We had an average last quarter. 2009 has been a tough year with the summer being as tough as we can remember. Things have seemed to have picked up here in the last quarter, and we are optimistic for Christmas. Highlights and lows of 2009: Our pro audio contracting division was very steady with large church installs making up for slower traffic in the stores. Concerns: I am concerned about the unemployment rate. If America can get back to work the economy will fi x it self.

Product of the Year: Faber Piano Adventures piano method.

Outlook 2010: My outlook for 2010 is positive because I believe we have already bottomed out.

MISSISSIPPI

Product of the Year: Taylor 200 Series guitars.

Magnolia Music Center Gulfport Tony Strong, owner

MISSOURI Lacefield Music St. Louis Steve Lacefield, vice president 2008 vs. 2009: Unit-wise, Lacefield Music is even. Margin wise we are even. Dollar wise we are down. People are still buying but spending less. 2008 was the best year in Lacefield Music’s 13 year history. In 2009 we reduced expenses without eliminating any staff. Our goal was to increase our level of service, so we worked hard to bring our expenses down. We actually added a staff member. Highlights and lows of 2009: Highs were our Lowrey Magic recreational music classes. The Lowrey program keeps customers coming through the door and gets them excited about their products. Lows were the inconsistencies in promotions. We had great suc-

50 MMR

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Fifty Dealer Fifty State Review & Forecast cess with the Roland E-80 promo. Highend grands have gone cold.

Concerns: The mindset of the consumer. All the average person hears is negative news on television, the Internet, and in the papers. The consumer has already tightened their belt.

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Outlook 2010: Cautiously optimistic. We have reduced overhead and expenses. We have maintained advertising and promotions. Our people work hard in the store and outside the store. Product of the Year: Kawai CP series digital pianos.

MONTANA Outlaw Music Inc. Missoula Sam Catalona, owner 2008 vs. 2009: 2009 was very good sales were up by 15 percent for the year.

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Highlights and lows of 2009: We specialize in guitars and amps. This year Gibson, Fender, and PRS sales were very strong, while pro audio was our low point. Concerns: Consumer perception of the economy in the Northwest, which I hope remains steady and good. Outlook 2010: I predict continued growth due to the addition of PRS, Vox, Line6, and Fender amps to our line up. Product of the Year: Gibson.

NEBRASKA Columbus Music Columbus Mike Moser, owner 2008 vs. 2009: 2008 was a good year, so it was hard to top, due to the economy. 2009 has seen

some months better and some worse than 2008. Strong fourth quarter sales could make the difference in beating last year. We have seen some encouraging sales spurts beginning in September.

Highlights and lows of 2009: April and July are always the slowest months of the year. Acoustic guitars from $200 to $500 have sold well. Concerns: Having everyone collect sales tax on mail-order and internet sales to make a level playing field. Outlook 2010: I’m planning for a good year. I pPlan to continue to update our look on the sales floor and Web site. Product of the Year: Peavey Vypyr amps.

NEVADA Kessler & Sons Music Las Vegas Chuck Kessler, president 2008 vs. 2009: Overall, our business was pretty even. We saw an increase in our local business. The one area where sales were weaker was high ticket sales. Highlights and lows of 2009: The highlight of our year was the success of our private label Kessler Custom instruments. The low of the year was the high end sales. We are fi nding that customers are looking more for the best value rather than just the best. This is one of the reasons why our private label instruments have been such a good item for us. They offer customers the value that they are looking for. There were other brands/items that saw an uptick in sales numbers, and they too were items that we considered to be better value instruments. A great example of this is the Classical Strings brand of orchestral DECEMBER 2009

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Fifty Dealer Fifty State Review & Forecast string instruments. They have been absolutely wonderful instruments at a great value.

Concerns: My concern is the Las Vegas’ local economy and housing market. The Las Vegas housing market was one of the hardest hit. There is a very high foreclosure rate, and the general local economy is weaker with a very high unemployment rate. Outlook 2010: Overall good. Even with our weaker local economy, our local business was up over 2008. We work hard to offer our customers the best values that they can find locally, whether it is on instruments, repairs, rentals or reeds. Customers are shopping more for the best value than ever before. So rather than just visiting the closest store, they are willing to take the time to find the best value and are more willing to drive a little further if it means even a small savings.

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NEW HAMPSHIRE Rockingham Music Supply Derry Craig O’Leary, owner 2008 vs. 2009: We are having a better year this year than 2008. Highlights and lows of 2009: The highlights for 2009 were not losing any students, and are rental business was up. We were able to branch out into new school districts and make new contacts. As far as lows go, I don’t see as much impulse buying.

pay for the band instrument rental or that extra money for lessons.

Outlook 2010: I really believe that 2010 is going to be a good year for us. We are going to build on what we have been doing and have a few really good ideas we been throwing around for a while that we will implement. Product of the Year: Vineyard guitar.

NEW MEXICO Marc’s Guitar Center Albuquerque Marc Foman, owner

Concerns: I think my biggest concern is the economy. If people are not working they can’t

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Fifty Dealer Fifty State Review & Forecast students and semi-professionals. We’ve given over 200,000 lessons over the last 31 years so we get a lot of repeat business, even during slow times.

Highlights and lows of 2009: 2009 has been challenging. We’ve had to watch our inventory levels very closely. We’ve been stocking less and relying on our vendors to fi ll our orders quickly with few backorders. Fortunately, we’ve had a busy back to school season, considerably better than usual. People are buying more quickly and easily then they have been since the beginning of the recession. Concerns: Our main concern is that the major lines have increased their demands on how much product we carry during the worst economy we’ve seen in the last 31 years. We’ve dropped most of them and are actually doing better with off brands that are much more profitable. Thank you big guys. Outlook 2010: I think the recession will get better for 2010, although I don’t see us getting back to pre-recession levels for a long time. Product of the Year: Samick guitars.

NEW JERSEY Eighth Street Music Pennsauken Randy Segal, vice president 2008 vs. 2009: Our business was down 15 percent from 2008. Highlights and lows of 2009: Many changes within the industry has been the most challenging so far to date for us. We keep things rolling by adjusting to the flow and needs of the economy. Concerns: Too many outlets selling traditional MI products that were in the past primarily handling through MI stores only. Our products are becoming too widely distributed, and margins are falling. Many dealers will find it hard to keep there doors open and support their customers as needed. DECEMBER 2009

Outlook 2010: I see things slowly picking up and hope for the best for our industry, especially with all the recent law suits and inquiry’s into MI selling practices.

NEW YORK Dick’s Country Store & Music Oasis Churubusco Tony LaClair, manager

2008 vs. 2009: 2008 and 2009 have been rather steady, most recently purchases have been up, and higher priced items are starting to move a little better. Highlights and lows of 2009: Our highlight was adding 2000 Square feet onto our store, but I would also say that many companies in the industry changing their buy in policies to suit the economic conditions, making it easier for us to carry their products. One of the lows would be a couple of companies continuing to make it difficult for small businesses to sell their product and of course losing Les Paul. Concerns: What concerns us the most is that people will consider musical instruments a luxury, and sacrifice them in an uncertain economy. Another concern is the trend of some companies to cater to the big box stores, under the false assumption that musicians don’t care about customer service, and knowledgeable staff. Outlook 2010: The outlook for 2010 is positive. We see a trend of more spending in our region, and enjoy the more proactive approach the industry seems to be taking to promote their products, and get the word out. Product of the Year: VOX VT series amplifiers. MMR 55

Fifty Dealer Fifty State Review & Forecast NORTH CAROLINA Burrage Music Company Raleigh Deedy Neville, president 2008 vs. 2009: The last half of 2009 seems to be slowly coming around. Customers seem to be spending more for back to school and for their own enjoyment.

Highlights and lows of 2009: There seemed to be more students renting instruments and starting piano lessons this fall. School budgets have really been cut, and any money the music programs can get has to be through fundraising ac-

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Concerns: Competition from the Internet makes it difficult to maintain our numbers. Outlook 2010: We hope for improvement in school budgets and a better economic outlook for all of us. Product of the Year: Print music — movie and Broadway songs

NORTH DAKOTA Kenny’s Music Grand Forks Kenny Holweger, owner 2008 vs. 2009: 2009 was pretty much level with 2008.

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Highlights and lows of 2009: We did well with some of our higher end amps, acoustics, and a lot of accessories. I also saw an increase in repairs on used equipment. Because of mailorder and the Internet, electronic sales were down. Concerns: One of my concerns would be box stores getting into musical instruments. Outlook for 2010: I have been in business since 1982 and have seen ups and downs before. It seems that people always go back where they get good service. So I look for 2010 to turn around. Product of the Year: Line 6.

OHIO Blue Eagle Music Athens Frank McDermott, owner

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2008 vs. 2009: 2009 was up slightly - around 5% over 2008. Instrument sales were down a bit, but sales of accessories led the increase. DECEMBER 2009

Fifty Dealer Fifty State Review & Forecast Highlights and lows of 2009: Highlights: Considering the general state of the economy, a small amount of growth is a good thing. We also managed to increase our inventory 5-10 percent over the last year. Nothing comes to mind on the low side. Concerns: We have a disproportionately large population of musicians for such a small town. My main concern is to keep them supplied with everything they need to keep our diverse music scene moving smoothly.

2008 vs. 2009: We are down 20 percent from 2008. Highlights and lows of 2009: Lows: no more inventory flooring. What highlights? Concerns: The trend for quality manufacturers that used to support independent dealers to believe that it is in their longterm interest to make their products not only avail-

able everywhere online and in the big box music stores, but now even at Best Buy or Bed Bath & Beyond. My concern for the independents is that eventually there won’t be any. My concern for the customer is low quality decision making environment and purchasing experience leading to fewer repeat or expanded purchases.

Outlook 2010: I see no reason why 2010 shouldn’t be at least as good as this year. The state of the economy at large doesn’t seem to be reflected in our little niche. We’re plunging boldly forward! Product of the Year: Recording King Guitars.

OKLAHOMA OKC Music and Sound Oklahoma City Robin Venters, owner 2008 vs. 2009: Just opened in October or 2008. So 2009 was much better. After a year open, we are just now starting to break even. Highlights and lows of 2009: Highs would be Peavey, Collings Guitars, and Kala Ukuleles. Concerns: Suppliers maintaining brand equity, by avoiding poor distribution practices. Outlook 2010: Very optimistic. Product of the Year: Kala Ukuleles.

OREGON Music Makers Bend Dan McClung, owner DECEMBER 2009

MMR 57

Fifty Dealer Fifty State Review & Forecast Outlook 2010: It’s the year of decision for me: either keep doing what I love - providing a quality, personable, hands-on, and educational experience, building long term relationships with our local music community, or go ahead and acknowledge that the musical instrument industry has in general become a shipping and receiving industry at which time I’ll move on. Product of the Year: Eastman guitars and mandolins.

PENNSYLVANIA Market Street Music Mechanicsburg Jimmie Johansen, owner 2008 vs. 2009: The first half of the year we were slightly ahead of 2008, but August, Sept and October of this year we have only half the sales we had in 2008. Highlights and lows of 2009: Grandma spending over $1,000on her granddaughter who is one of our students. It was after hours, and I was in the store doing paperwork and let them in to look around. The low is we really thought the Gong would sell by now [laughs]. Concerns: In these tough economic times, people think of music lessons as a luxury when they should be a necessity. Rock Band 2 is not a music lesson. Outlook 2010: I want to to increase our student base with the Christmas sales. Product of the Year: Vox VT series amps.

RHODE ISLAND Robert’s Musical Instruments West Warwick Terri Viveiros, president 2008 vs. 2009: So far for 2009, revenues are up from 2008, which was up from 2007. Some of 58 MMR

our teachers have seen some attrition due to the economy, but instore traffic and purchases have stayed healthy.

Highlights and lows of 2009: We were happy to see people’s commitment to making music. With the economy so questionable, we didn’t have a good sense for what would happen this year. Many of our customers made music a priority and bought the things they needed. Whew!! As a low point, we saw a long standing Rhode Island music store have to close its doors. Our store will see more business because of this, but it was sad to see. Most Rhode Island musicians, ourselves included, had worked with that store over the years. It was also a reminder of how fragile business can be and how diligent and determined my husband Rob and I need to be as the owners. Concerns: Rhode Island is suffering right now. Our unemployment rate is 13.8 percent, and from the state down to the local schools, most budgets are looking at major deficits for 2010. I hope that some of the creative tax ideas, revenue ideas, and business boosters that the state government is exploring will come to fruition. I don’t know how many more cuts the school music programs can handle. Verbally, everyone seems to support music in the schools. Let’s hope they can financially continue to do so. In store, my biggest concern is a rise in expenses. From healthcare costs to the electric bill, I expect costs to rise significantly going into next year. We’ve got to make sure we have the business to support that. Outlook 2010: I’m optimistic. Every day we see new customers come through our doors. We’re seeing an increase, not just in our core customers (the families with middle and high school age kids), but also with local professionals and recreational music makers ages 45 and up. We have to be diligent. I think if we can stay focused, only act on good growth opportunities, and watch expenses then 2010 will be a good year. It better be; we’ll be celebratDECEMBER 2009

Fifty Dealer Fifty State Review & Forecast ing the 10th anniversary of us buying the business.

Product of the Year: Yamaha’s 82Z saxophone.

SOUTH CAROLINA The Music Store Columbia John D. Futch, Jr. and Bobbie J. Futch 2008 vs. 2009: It was not too bad. It could have been better. The overall economy caused people to tighten their belts and put food on the table. Highlights and lows of 2009: The highlights were businesses and individuals who could afford musical equipment and who have saved for the future. The people who were saving for college and the downturn in the economy caused them to be extremely aware of spending habits. The upside of the business is that there seems to be some light at end of the tunnel, whether it is from higher end guitars and equipment to medium priced equipment.

in the beginning of the third quarter with the fourth quarter continuing the trend. The band and orchestra department followed the same decline as our piano and organ business. Our rentals were down slightly as were purchases of band and orchestra instruments. Those that did sell, followed the piano market and were low margin or of lesser quality.

Highlights and lows of 2009: Our celebration of our store’s 50th Anniversary was the highlight. The low was definitely the decline of the South Dakota economy in the second half. Concerns: What concerns us most is the vendors not keeping the margins high enough for brick and mortar businesses to compete. When MAP is set there is a trend to make MAP just a few points over online pricing. These prices make it difficult

for music stores to compete. Now major manufactures are starting to put sites up and setting the price there and making its dealer accept those prices. These practices are going to be the demise of the local music store and the decline in the music industry as a whole.

Outlook for 2010: Our store’s outlook for 2010 is a shift to more institutional selling than consumer. The consumer continues to be more educated (which is a good thing) and will try the instrument in the store, then purchase it online at a “mega-site.” I believe that if the manufacturers don’t regain the pricing control, then we will continue to lose market share to those companies. Product of the Year: Casio Privia line.

TENNESSE Paradise Music Clinton Bryan C. Loy, owner

Concerns: Manufacturers continue to mass produce their product whereas the product could become less and less important. It could be that the product could become less important, or no longer exist. Outlook 2010: I believe the market is rebounding and beginning to become stronger, but if all of the products are sold everywhere and not protected by local music dealers, we will all continue see shrinking profit margins.

SOUTH DAKOTA Batchelder’s Plummer Piano and Organ Co. Rapid City Matt Batchelder, owner 2008 vs. 2009: 2009 is showing to be about 10 percent slower than 2008. The economy in South Dakota started normal in the first and second quarters, but then started to slide DECEMBER 2009

MMR 59

Fifty Dealer Fifty State Review & Forecast 2008 vs. 2009: We were down a bit from 2008. Highlights and lows of 2009: High point for the year was discovering and joining the IMSO. Even after 24 years in music retail, I have learned plenty from my fellow members, and I am learning more about how to survive as a dealer every day. The low this year would be overall flat sales. Concerns: The continuing race to the bottom on prices and the lack of a level playing field when dealing with manufactures concerns me. At some point, we all have got to say enough is enough: if I can’t buy it from you at the same price everybody else gets, then I will go elsewhere. Outlook 2010: It’s going to be better. It’s time this sluggish economy turned itself around; we’ve all been down long enough. Product of the Year: Crafter Guitars.

TEXAS Arbor Music Magnolia Eric Williams, owner 2008 vs. 2009: In some ways it was better. We have added teachers to our teaching studios, so that part is growing. I think sales are even up a bit due to the fact that we are a young store and we are growing. We are located in a suburb of Houston and there are lots of kids who want to learn how to play music. We added some teaching rooms to our store in 2008 and that has paid off. Highlights and lows of 2009: Beginning with the low, our guitar sales came to a screeching halt in the spring of 2009. The highlight is that we have a great teaching staff, and our reputation as a place to learn to play is growing. And our accessory and sheet music sales grew. Accessory sales out-paced instrument sales. We are selling more strings, picks, cables, and things that have a good margin. So, instead of buying more guitars, I am stocking more accessories and sheet

music. Being a teacher I have an affi nity for sheet music anyway.

Concerns: At the risk of being politically incorrect, I am concerned that if the “Cap and Trade” bill passes it will further destroy the economy, especially here. My customers work in oil and energy related industries. It will drive up energy costs and hurt business and consumers. Also, with the national debt, we are about to be taxed out of what is left of discretionary income, which will hurt a retail business even more but that probably won’t happen until after next year. On the other side of the coin, I do think that a lot people will keep sending their kids to music lessons until they are down to their last penny because music is important them. Outlook 2010: I don’t think 2010 will get any better, but we will make it through by tightening our belt and focusing on our strong points. Not having a lot of debt is the best way to ride out a recession. And I will take the advice of the champion bull rider, who once explained what he does to prepare for the gate to open, “Get a firm grip and a far away look.” Product of the Year: IMT 500 clip-on tuners.

UTAH ®

Park City Music Park City Dr. Fredric Cook, owner

The Humidiﬁer That Lets You See When It’s Ready For Reﬁll

2008 vs. 2009: 2008 and 2009 have not been good years since the recession began at the end of 2007. We have struggled to maintain our clientele, especially since much of our business is competing with the internet.

Guitar Humidifier Humidiﬁes 7-10 Days Before Being Ready For Reﬁll

Filled

Patent Pending

Ready For Reﬁll

Dealer Inquiries: 866-263-7965 www.oasishumidiﬁers.com dhepple@oasishumidiﬁers.com 60 MMR

Highlights and lows of 2009: Our only highlight was the beginning of school in August and September. However, the local school district discontinued the fifth grade music programs, so we have several band and orchestra instruments unrented, which reduces our DECEMBER 2009

Fifty Dealer Fifty State Review & Forecast income substantially, actually cutting it in half. So with the highs come the lows.

Concerns: The economy and the devaluation of the dollar, which will skyrocket our inventory costs, as much of our guitar inventory comes from China. Outlook 2010: We are hopeful, and yet, cautious, not to overspend on inventory. Our rental program should pickup in the Fall, as the students will begin their sixth grade music programs. Product of the Year: Indiana guitars.

VERMONT Advance Music Burlington Jeff Wheel, general manager 2008 vs. 2009: We are down roughly 10 percent from 2008.

DECEMBER 2009

Highlights and lows of 2009: Despite a faltering economy, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve maintained a good level of activity. High end sales in most categories are down, acoustics continue to sell well as do electrics and drums. Our audio/visual installation department and lesson program have helped counter the decline in retail sales. Taylor guitar sales remain strong, we have taken on Yamaha guitars, PA, and drums, which are doing well. Concerns: We are concerned with increasing operational costs such as health care, insurance, and utilities. Most of our accessory vendors have relocated, increasing delivery time, so we need to be more accurate in anticipating our needs. Outlook 2010: We are cautiously optimistic with regards to 2010. We continue to examine

all departments and focus our energies on customer service and the more viable profit centers. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re excited by the new Bose compact PA systems and Yamaha products.

Product of the Year: Taylor guitars.

VIRGINIA Bang Music Stafford Joe Kane, president 2008 vs. 2009: 2008 started well and ended down. 2009 has been down all year. A few bright spots like the band rental season were encouraging. I am not expecting more than an average month totals for November and December. We have been repositioning ourselves for the new low income levels.

MMR 61

Fifty Dealer Fifty State Review & Forecast Highlights and lows of 2009: Band season was the only high sales area. We experienced losses in all other categories. Concerns: The second round of bank and corporate failures worries me. There is no way to tell how many companies can be absorbed into the bail out companies. Without real jobs in construction and disposable goods sales, we cannot expect to put five percent of the American people back to work anytime soon. Outlook 2010: No recovery. It’s up to us to recreate our business and operate with the available resources. The common wisdom is that 2010 will be tough as well. I am looking for the third quarter to stabilize and settle into a level of business that we can count on. I expect that the new economy will be one of consumer spending that is more in line with actual family income than in the past 20 years. The false economy of credit card debt and home equity debt is over. Product of the Year: Our lessons.

WASHINGTON Moore Brothers Music Sammamish Scott & Troy Moore, owners

2008 vs. 2009: Exactly the same. Highlights and lows of 2009: The highlight was our five year anniversary concert in front of our store featuring instructor and student bands. We gave away thousands dollars in swag and donations from other local businesses. We had a one-day sale that was extremely successful. One gentleman heard the music from the grocery store across the street, saw the tent, and spent over $1,000 in our store that day. He never knew we were here before. We heard over and over all day: “You should do this every year.” The low was watching the other stores in our strip mall close and lay vacant. Two spaces have been vacant all year. One restaurant was replaced within six months.

Last week, the restaurant next door closed, and we’ve seen a dramatic drop in walk-in traffic.

Concerns: Maintaining our student base. We haven’t seen any growth in student counts this year. After our remodel in 2008, we added capacity for another 100 students per week, though never hit above our peak counts prior to the remodel. Now we’re adding to the types of instruments taught. Outlook 2010: Very positive. We have spent all year building our e-commerce Web site and finally made it available to the public this month. In 2010, we will focus our attention on improving the site, promoting the site, and increasing our products offered online. Product of the Year: Taylor guitars.

WEST VIRGINIA Showtime Music Bridgeport Harry Gillum, president 2008 vs. 2009: 2008 was our record year, so we had some pretty big numbers to go up against. 2009 is flat and somewhat off from 2008, but has been more like 2006-2007. Highlights and lows of 2009: West Virginia has faired better than most other states during these tough times. The continued growth of Independent Music Store Owners (IMSO) organization has been a tremendous plus. The lows for 2009 have been seeing the cut back of purchases of high ticket items and the national slow down of piano sales. Concerns: I am concerned about there being fewer new, young musicians entering the entry level market. They are our seeds of tomorrow. Outlook 2010: I feel we will see a continued slow down through the first three quarters of 2010.

62 MMR

DECEMBER 2009

Fifty Dealer Fifty State Review & Forecast Product of the Year: Peavey viper 75.

WISCONSIN

Outlook 2010: I hope it will be better. Keeping music fun, getting everyone excited to play (and keep playing) a musical instrument, and personalized service are key.

Steve G’s Music Connection North Prairie Steve Gunther, owner

Product of the Year: Samick guitars.

2008 vs. 2009: Seems 2009 possibly on the up turn for the better! Highlights and lows of 2009: The highlights were better band and orchestra rentals, improved music lessons, and guitar setups were way up this year. Internet sales were good too. The economy is still tight, and sales still need to improve. Concerns: I am hoping that things keep getting better, that music stays in the schools, and to get people interested in adding music to their lives.

DECEMBER 2009

WYOMING The Hill Music Casper Dan A. Hill, president 2008 vs. 2009: We are down about three percent. 2008 was a record year for us.

lature funds school on a bi-annul, and the funding will be on a smaller scale for 2010 – 2011.

Outlook 2010: A more conservative spending populous will put us at a flat growth rate. Product of the Year: Yamaha professional and step-up band instruments.

Breaking News

Highlights and lows of 2009: Rental income was up, but piano sales were down significantly Concerns: Wyoming is usually several years behind the trend for the rest of the nation. We have just now begun to feel the effects of the economic downturn. Our legis-

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

MMR 63

28th Annual

America’s

Top Music Chains S

o what’s different between 2009 and the previous year? Well, for one, the U.S. welcomed a new presidential administration – one that spearheaded some fairly radical “economic stimulus” government spending, too. So why are the numbers in this report and the sentiments expressed by MI retail owners so very similar to 2008’s results? “Cautious “For us, 2009 was pretty even with 2008,” says Randy Welch of Boise, Idaho’s Welch Music. “In 2008, it felt like someone put on the brakes. I hope to see small, solid growth in the coming year.” Bruce Bannister of Samuel Music in Effi ngham, Ill. shares such unassuming hopes for slight improvement in the coming year: “2009 was mediocre, but the last half of the year has come back rather nicely… Hopefully this recent trend will continue and we will see modest growth in 2010.” 64 MMR

optimism” was the name of the game at this time last year and, 12 months later, that still seems to be the common theme. Maybe we’re just turning the corner now and haven’t yet seen those big, positive results everyone’s been holding their collective breath for. Whatever the case, the MI marketplace – and many aspects of the economy in general – seems stuck in a bit of a holding pattern.

The 69* dealerships (on par with last year’s total of 70) included in our 28th edition of “America’s Top Music Chains,” field a total of 774 units. Significant departures from our “Top Chains,” listing three or more stores in the past year include the venerable M. Steinert & Sons operation, as well as Mom’s Music. In 2009, there were no epic implosions of mammoth chains, nor were there significant entries into the field from potentially giant competitors, as with last year’s Best Buy evolution. In a lot of ways, really, 2009 was a whole lot of “more of the same.”

This isn’t the best of news, given that “the same” has been, for the most part, fairly bleak in the past couple years. However, if one considers what many feared might transpire in these past 12 months – especially when folks were first trying to come to terms with the colossal economic meltdown of 2008 – then it’s fair to say that finding ourselves in roughly the same position of “cautious optimism” and “wait and see” isn’t necessarily all that bad. * Not Counting Best Buy DECEMBER 2009

Closed ’09

Volume (est. ’09)

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

Opened ’09

Guitar Center

Total Units

America’s Top Music Chains

311

$2.0 billion

$440 MM

$28.5 MM

DP,PC,FA,SR,EK,DJ,LT,IN *Best Buy MI Store

7601 Penn Ave. South, Richfield, MN 55423 www.bestbuy.com (612) 291-1000 CEO: Brian Dunn

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

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

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@muiscgoround.com • www.musicgoround.com Tim Kletti - director

John K. Riley Fletcher Music Centers Clearwater, Fla.

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

Fletcher Music Centers

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

“2009 was a disappointment. We had a 15 percent decrease in volume. I am concerned that artiﬁcially low interest rates will have a negative, long term impact in areas of recovery and inﬂation.”

$15 MM

$31 MM

$45 MM

home organs

Daddy’s Junky Music

1015 Candia Road, Manchester, NH 03109 (603) 623-7900 • Fax (603) 623-7995 www.daddys.com CEO: Fred Bramante

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

Butler Square 100 N. 6th St., Ste. 850 B, Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 339-4811 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

$62 MM

$12.5 MM

Piano & Organ Distributors

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

PO,DP,EK

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 2009

$6.1 MM

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

Piano/Organ Piano Digital Piano Band Instruments Percussion Fretted Instrument/ Amplification Sound Reinforcement/ Recording Equipment Electronic Keyboard Print Music DJ Equipment Lighting Installation

*As the majority of the dealers represented in

this report are privately held, in most cases data being presented in “America’s Top Chains” was supplied by the companies, themselves. MMR 65

Tim Kletti Music Go Round Minneapolis, MN

66 MMR

Opened ’09

Closed ’09

Volume (est. ’09)

“2009 looks to be slightly ahead of 2008, which was our best financial year in the hiﬆory of our brand. Our dedication to our competitive advantage is one of the main reasons behind our continued growth. At the store level, we had two of our highest revenue stores move into new locations that doubled their size in 2009. We have a few more looking to move into much larger locations in 2010. I am concerned about the impact that this economy is having on traditional music stores and the rapid depletion of independent MI retailers across the country. I also spend time concerned with managing our growth. Business has been very solid and growth opportunities are available everywhere. We just need to choose the correct avenues for long-term, sustainable growth and not just a quick hit. In January 2010 we will be opening a new location in the Boston market, which we will be putting a lot of resources behind.”

Total Units

America’s Top Music Chains

$23.0 MM

$20 MM

$19.0 MM

Brook Mays Music

Jordan Kitt’s Music

$38 MM

$8.0 MM

$7.0 MM

$8.9 MM

$9.1 MM

$19.5 MM

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

DP,SR,EK,PC,BO,FA,PM,IN,LT Sherman, Clay & Co.

1111 Bayhill Dr., Suite 450 , San Bruno, CA 94066 (650) 952-2300 • Fax (650) 952-0171 eric@sclay.com • www.shermanclay.com CEO: Eric Schwartz

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

8805 Carpenter Fwy., Dallas, TX 75247 (214) 905-8614 * Fax (800) 637-9399 www.brookmays.com CEO: Bill Everitt, Jr. 9520 Baltimore Ave., College Park, MD 20740 (301)513-1212 • Fax (301) 474-3648 www.JordanKitts.com

PO,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 Willis Music Co.

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

P,DP,PC,FA,EK,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

P,DP,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

Quinlan & Fabish Music Co.

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

BO,PM

DECEMBER 2009

Closed ’09

Volume (est. ’09)

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

Opened ’09

Nick Rail Music

Total Units

America’s Top Music Chains

$8.8 MM

$20.0 MM

$10.2 MM

$13.0 MM

$6.0 MM

$30.0 MM

$5.5 MM

DP, BO, PC,FA,SR,EK

Marshall Music Co. Inc.

3240 E. Saginaw St., Lansing, MI 48912 (517) 337-9700 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 paulr@riemans.com • www.riemans.com CEO: Paul F. Rieman

P,DP,SR,EK,PC,BO,FA,PM,DJ,LT,IN Jacobs Music Co.

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

P,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

West Music Co.

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

PO,DP,BO,PC,FA,SR,EK,PM,DJ,LT,IN Falcetti Music Inc.

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

$8.0 MM

$10.5 MM

“Sales were down 10 percent in 2009, mainly due to low keyboard sales. And due to the economic crisis, we saw a decline in the higher priced instruments. Right now I’m very concerned about the budget cuts in public schools and universities. Looking ahead to 2010 I think we will see an increase in some departments. Honestly, we will be glad if we are flat with last year. The holiday will be a good indication.” Rosi K. Johnson Mississippi Music, Inc. Hattiesburg, Miss.

PO,DP,FA,EK,PM

White House of Music

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

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.

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

DECEMBER 2009

MMR 67

Volume (est. ’09)

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

Closed ’09

Randy Welch Welch Music Boise, Idaho

Portland Music Co.

Opened ’09

“For us, 2009 was prett y even with 2008. In 2008, it felt like someone put on the brakes. By preparing for 2009, even though sales were flat, we were able to be profitable after changes were made. People are still fearing the future. I hope their conﬁdence will start to come back. I hope to see small, s olid growth in the coming year.”

Total Units

America’s Top Music Chains

$5.6 MM

$5.0 MM

$19.0 MM

$11.5 MM

$12.6 MM

$3.5 MM

$5.0 MM

$9.0 MM

$4.6MM

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

696 10th Ave, New York, NY 10019 (212) 397-4201 • Fax (212) 397-4205 marilyn@rinconmusical.com • www.rinconmusical.com CEO: Amalio Santos Jr.

PC,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

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

PO,DP, EK

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 Grisaffi

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

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

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

Trombino Music Centers Inc.

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

P,PO,DP,PM

Firehouse Guitars

“I think that we will see a good last quarter in 2009 and an increase in 2010. I’m mostly concerned that the unemployment rate will continue to drop.”

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

PC,FA,SR,EK,DJ,LT Mr. E’s Music

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,DJ,LT 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

Tony Strong Magnolia Music Gulfport, Miss. 68 MMR

DECEMBER 2009

Closed ’09

Volume (est. ’09)

3304 100th Street Urbandale, IA 50322 (515) 278-1000 fax: (515) 278-4770 www.critchetts.com CEO: David R. Brown

Opened ’09

Critchett Piano & Organ Co.

Total Units

America’s Top Music Chains

$2.8 MM

$5.9 MM

$6.5 MM

$7.3 MM

$9.6 MM

PO, DP, EK

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 Tarpley Music Co., Inc.

2420 Commerce, Amarillo, TX 79109 (806) 355-0795 www.tarpleymusic.com CEO: David Tarpley & John Tarpley

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

222 Main St., Hattiesburg, MS 39401 (601) 544-5821 • Fax (601) 544-5841 rosij@missmusic.com • www.mississippimusic.com CEO: Rosi K. Johnson

PO,DP,BO,PC,FA,SR,EK,PM,DJ,LT,IN Heid Music Co.

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

“Sales over the past year were a bit down and things were much more challenging. In South Carolina, the schools have no money, and unemployment is at 13 percent. I’m very concerned about the lack of f unding for our schools. I see no increase in sales for us in 2010.” Scott Peck Pecknel Music Co. Greenville, S.C.

P,DP,BO,PC,FA,SR,EK,PM,DJ,LT Buddy Roger’s Music, Inc.

$5.2 MM

Bob and Elliott’s Piano Shoppe

$4.0 MM

Ace Karaoke

$10.0MM

Piano Music Center 3 3386 Tyler Street, Riverside, CA 92503 (951) 687-9800 sales-riverside@pianomusiccenter.com • www.pianomusiccenter.com CEO: Anthony Siciliano

Steinway Hall

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

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

285 West Central Parkway, Suite 1720 Altamonte Springs, FL 32714 (407) 774-2667 www.bobandelliottspiano.com s 161 S. 8th Ave., City of Industry, CA 91746 (888) 893-7464 • Fax (626) 820-0625 info@acekaraoke.com • www.acekaraoke.com

P,DP,PM

109 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019 (212) 246-1100 • Fax (212) 239-7462 info@steinway.com • www.steinway.com CEO: Thomas Kurrer

DECEMBER 2009

MMR 69

Closed ’09

Volume (est. ’09)

Bruce Bannister Samuel Music Effingham, Ill.

Opened ’09

“2009 was mediocre, but the last half of the year has come back rather nicely. We’ve been working very hard to make things happen and it seems to be paying off. We really felt the decline of the high end purchases. By shifting our focus even more toward the beginner and the hobbyiﬆ, we were able to somewhat overcome the loss of the high end sales. Hopefully this recent trend will continue, and we will see modest growth in 2010. Rampant inﬂation may be extremely diﬃcult for the entire industry.”

Total Units

America’s Top Music Chains

$3.1 MM

$27.0 MM

$10.4 MM

Jackson’s Music

$4.5 MM

Jent’s House of Music

$4.8 MM

Instrumental Music

$6.0 MM

$7.6 MM

$8.0 MM

$4.9 MM

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 Alto Music

180 Carpenter Ave., Middleton, NY 10940 (845) 692-6922 sales@altomusic.com • www.altomusic.com CEO: Jonathan Haber

BO,BK,PC,DP,SR,FR,PM,LT,IN 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

1409 S. Stratford Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27103 (336) 760-9635 www.jacksonsmusic.com CEO: Douglas J. Dryden P,PM,DP,EK,BO,FA,SR 2646 34th Street, Lubbock, TX 79410 (806) 795-5579 www.jents.com CEO: Ray Jent P,PM,DP,EK,BO,FA,SR 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 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

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

70 MMR

DECEMBER 2009

Opened ’09

Closed ’09

Volume (est. ’09)

Prosser Piano & Organ

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

Total Units

America’s Top Music Chains

$4.2 MM

$7.2 MM

$5.8 MM

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

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

Ted Eschliman Dietze Music Lincoln, Neb.

Pecknel Music Co., Inc.

$6.2 MM

Meyer Music

$7.5 MM

Piano & Organ Center

$3.0 MM

Kessler & Sons Music

$3.2 MM

1312 N. Pleasantburg Dr., Greenville, SC 29607 (864) 244-7881 • Fax (864) 244-7894 www.pecknelmusic.com CEO: Scott N. Peck DP,BO,FA,SR,EK,PM,IN 1512 W. Highway 40, Blue Springs, MO 64015 (816) 228-5656 • Fax (816) 228-6059 www.meyermusic.com CEO: Ted Meyer

“This past year we exceeded lowered expectations, even though people were more cautious and less likely to use credit. I am cautiously optimiﬆic about the coming year. I think we will make more of a profit, perhaps with less gross sales. We will win by controlling costs.”

P,PO,BO

Great Northern Mall, Clay, NY 13039 (315) 622-3926 • Fax (315) 652-5030 musmanmel@aol.com • pianoandorgancenter.com President: David Constantino 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

Welch Music

8255 Franklin Rd., Boise, ID 83709 (208) 322-3388 • Fax (208) 322-2553 cary@welchmusic.com • www.welchmusic.com CEO: Randy Welch

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

DECEMBER 2009

MMR 71

Print Publishing: Review and Forecast “The print music market once again showed its resilience compared to other segments of the MI business,” notes Hal Leonard’s Larry Morton, when reflecting upon the past year. That’s good news for publishers – and good news for dealers who stock any of the top titles outlined in this report. Though challenges remain and no one, single answer is the cure-all for the market’s woes – or for MI retail, in specific – things do seem to be looking up. As Alfred Music Publishing’s Andrew Surmani puts it, “It’s a tough economy right now and it will be a slow recovery, but we are already seeing signs that things are turning upwards.”

Hal Leonard Top Sellers 2009 O

Twilight Soundtrack & Score

Glee (TV show)

Hannah Montana - The Movie

Kings of Leon

Taylor Swift

At a Glance (book/DVD series)

Beatles Publications

Guitar for Kids

Sound of Music (40th Anniversary)

Essential Elements for Band & Orchestra

Despite the tough economy, the print music market once again showed its resilience compared to other segments of the MI business. Our songbooks, methods, and instructional materials continued with steady sales in 72 MMR

2009 and we’re anticipating a growth turnaround in early 2010. Our focus for next year is to provide even more expanded services to our dealers, particularly with merchandising, and also to stay focused on new

publications that encourage more people to play music. Larry Morton President Hal Leonard Corp. DECEMBER 2009

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CUSTOM SPINNER Display Books, DVDs, Software, or a combination! CASCADING RACKS Choose from 32 or 64 facings!

CONTACT YOUR SALES REP TODAY! PHONE (800) 292-6122 FAX (800) 632-1928 WEB alfred.com/dealer E-MAIL sales@alfred.com

Alfred Music Publishing Top Sellers 2009 O

Alfred’s Adult Piano Course, Book 1

Alfred’s Adult All-in-One, Book 1

Alfred’s Basic Piano Library, Lesson 1A

O O

Led Zeppelin Mothership – Guitar Tab

Premier Piano Course, Lesson 1A

Alfred’s Basic Guitar Method, Book 1

Michael Jackson Number Ones – Piano/Vocal/Guitar

Suzuki Violin School, Book 1 Revised Edition

Accent on Achievement, Trumpet Book 1 & CD

Alfred’s Basic Prep Course, Lesson A

Customers want to buy books with play-along CDs or DVDs. It’s now expected that we provide audio or video and tone and tempo adjusting software along with our books. They also want to easily find information about our products online, where they can view sample pages and recordings. This is why we just launched our new Web site, which also allows a mechanism for dealers to fulfill those orders.

Social media is the buzz these days, but you have to be careful that you are providing something of value to customers or they’ll just tune you out. We are active on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, and iTunes podcasts. We are seeing a great interest in digital print music sales through our TotalSheetMusic.com Web site, especially from dealers who are selling this to walk-in customers and are very happy

with being able to offer this service. And for those customers who still prefer a printed book, our digital printing technology allows us to keep slower sellers in print so there is no reason for a book to go out of print anymore. It’s a tough economy right now and it will be a slow recovery, but we are already seeing signs that things turning upwards in our business. Andrew Surmani Senior Vice President, Marketing Alfred Music Publishing

Mel Bay Top Sellers 2009 O

Modern Guitar Method Grade 1

Mastering the Guitar Book 1A

Modern Guitar Method Grade 1, Expanded Edition

Electric Bass Method Volume 1

Guitar Chords

Modern Guitar Method Grade 2

Ukulele Chords

Guitar Class Method Volume 1

First Lessons Ukulele Book/CD Set

First Lessons Banjo Book/CD Set

January, 2009 brought an unwelcome, unexpected, and significant decline in sales as compared with January, 2008. While the economy precipitously declined from September onwards, our sales held steady... until January. Sales for us did not begin to recover until late

spring (‘09). Since then we have been climbing steadily upwards, but not at the same rate at which sales fell. Interestingly, sales of our Modern Method series have leapt and continue to be stronger than expected.

Additionally, we continue to see substantial growth in international markets. Bryndon Bay President Mel Bay Publications, Inc.

Kendor Music Top Sellers 2009 O

Pink Panther - various arrangements of instrumental solos and ensembles

74 MMR

Contest Series for Percussion by Murray Houllif

Effective Etudes for Jazz (with per-

formance/play-along CD) by Mike Carubia and Jeff Jarvis O

Kendor Concert Favorites (with full DECEMBER 2009

charts by Bob Brookmeyer, Thad Jones & Sammy Nestico

performance CD) - 10 selections for young string orchestra O

Flextrios for Brass of Woodwinds arranged by Lennie Niehaus

Kendor Recital Solos (with performance/play-along CD) - instrumental solo collection, separate piano accompaniment book available

Inside the Score (with full performance CD) by Rayburn Wright - analysis of classic jazz ensemble

As an independent publisher, focusing primarily on performance works for school instrumental programs, I have seen over the past couple years a decline in the number of retail print music dealers that actually stock and promote our products. Many dealers are happy to rely on just-in-time purchasing, which is fine, but we have lost a great deal of showroom space. As in all industries, as the larger companies continue to grow through acquisitions, it becomes increasingly challenging for the smaller in-

Wedding Masterworks (with playalong CD) arranged by Frank Halferty - instrumental solo collection, keyboard accompaniment included

Today’s Sound for Drumset by Murray Houllif - drum set method

The Jazz Educator’s Handbook (with 2 CDs) - by Doug Beach and Jeff Jarvis

dependents to maintain market share and remain competitive. We are continually looking at ways to streamline our operation to reduce expenses, and have additionally made the decision to reduce the number of new publications we annually produce. There was a time, in the not too distant past, when we recouped all of our production costs with the dealer New Issue Program. This is no longer true for all product lines. So our editors are charged with being extremely selective in our search for

quality new products, and we plan on re-promoting many of our standard jazz ensemble and string orchestra publications with future marketing campaigns to the educators. We started our re-promotion efforts this fall with our jazz ensemble demo CD package, and we have already realized a sizeable increase in the sales of these established titles. Last year the economy had a noticeable effect on our business, but we are optimistic as we see sales climbing this fall. Craig Cornwall President Kendor Music, Inc.

Sher Music Co. Top Sellers 2009 O

The Jazz Theory Book by Mark Levine

Jazz Piano Masterclass: The Drop 2 Book by Mark Levine

The Jazz Piano Book by Mark Levine

The Real Easy Book - Vol. 1

The Serious Jazz Practice Book by Barry Finnerty

The New Real Book - Vol. 1

101 Montunos by Rebeca Mauleon

The Standards Real Book

The Real Easy Ear Training Book

The Latin Bass Book by Oscar Stagnaro and Chuck Sher

Of course, 2009 was greatly impacted by Wall Street’s looting of our economy. We are a bit dismayed that the Obama administration still believes that the “top-down” approach of giving more money to the already well-off will fix things, as opposed to strengthening the economy from the DECEMBER 2009

bottom up. Nonetheless, we’re hopeful that Sher Music Co., and the rest of our partners in the music industry, can ride out the downturn until things improve. Economizing, like dieting, is good for you, and we’ve done our share of that, but we are very grateful that people still look for Sher

Music’s high quality products when they shop for music books. Chuck Sher Owner Sher Music Co. MMR 75

charts by Bob Brookmeyer, Thad Jones & Sammy Nestico

performance CD) - 10 selections for young string orchestra O

Flextrios for Brass of Woodwinds arranged by Lennie Niehaus

Kendor Recital Solos (with performance/play-along CD) - instrumental solo collection, separate piano accompaniment book available

Inside the Score (with full performance CD) by Rayburn Wright - analysis of classic jazz ensemble

Wedding Masterworks (with playalong CD) arranged by Frank Halferty - instrumental solo collection, keyboard accompaniment included

Today’s Sound for Drumset by Murray Houllif - drum set method

The Jazz Educator’s Handbook (with 2 CDs) - by Doug Beach and Jeff Jarvis

Sher Music Co. Top Sellers 2009 O

The Jazz Theory Book by Mark Levine

Jazz Piano Masterclass: The Drop 2 Book by Mark Levine

The Jazz Piano Book by Mark Levine

The Real Easy Book - Vol. 1

The Serious Jazz Practice Book by Barry Finnerty

The New Real Book - Vol. 1

101 Montunos by Rebeca Mauleon

The Standards Real Book

The Real Easy Ear Training Book

The Latin Bass Book by Oscar Stagnaro and Chuck Sher

Music’s high quality products when they shop for music books. Chuck Sher Owner Sher Music Co. MMR 75

RETAIL

Daddy’s Junky Music: Holiday Vacation at the Mall

hen talking about the MI market in New England, one name says it all: Daddy’s. Daddy’s Junky Music has been around for over 36 years for a reason. The chain has won numerous awards, including “Retailer of the Year”

Still, awards don’t help the bottom line and with the economy wreaking havoc on retailers, Daddy’s is no excep-

from the Retail Merchant Association of New Hampshire, and is proud to boast that their service department has been honored with so many “Best Service in the U.S.” awards that the category was retired after Daddy’s won eight consecutive times.

tion. “It’s been tough, our business is down and it’s been challenging,” says Fred Bramante, CEO of Daddy’s Junky

Music. “We’re trying to do some out-ofthe-box type things to help us get back to where we need to be.” Candi Bramante, the head of promotions and artist relations is optimistic. “We’re taking it one day at a time, and so far so good.” Her father agrees, adding, “These times force creativity.” MI dealers take notice; Fred Bramante is not one that needs to force the creative juices as he always seems to know where to look for inspiration. To combat the oppressive economy, Daddy’s is temporarily opening up a retail store in the Burlington Mall.

The New Digs The new location is just under 2,000 sq ft. and has four to five employees on the floor at any given time. “It’s a former Ritz Camera,” says Fred. “The Burlington Mall is an upscale mall that had restrictions on what [the store] was going to look like, so we got a nice sign and I 78 MMR

DECEMBER 2009

“We’re still finding that the customers coming into the store don’t know who we are, so it’s a different audience.” think they were very happy with how the store came out.” When asked what prompted Daddy’s to look to the mall, Fred is quick to answer, “I was thinking more and more about the Halloween stores that pop up every year. We’ve all seen those kinds of seasonal stores before and I thought, ‘Let’s give it a try.’ So we went looking and found a spot that we liked and moved in.” “It’s actually just a holiday store,” explains Candi. “We’re here for all of November and all of December and we’re just trying to catch all of those mall shoppers. We have a permanent location less than a mile down the road from here, but the Burlington Mall over the course of the holidays, I believe has close to five million shoppers. We’re just trying to capture those that are in the mall and maybe try to make it a little bit easier for them to get all of their shopping done in one place.” Fred agrees: “The Burlington mall is the number one mall in New England. DECEMBER 2009

“This store is mostly for the holiday guitar and bass packages,” says Candi. “We’re selling lots of accessory-type stuff. We do have lots of guitars and basses here but it’s really geared towards that shopper who’s not coming in to noodle. Mass Marketing They know what they want or In their attempt to pick up they come in to talk to somebody some more business, Daddy’s to get an idea of what it is that has had to market to a comthey want and we just kind of pletely new clientele. “At the point them in the right direction. mall store, we’re really caterWe don’t have any used gear like ing to a different audience,” a typical Daddy’s location, so it’s says Fred. “It’s geared towards very much the packaged gear, a Christmas crowd and this is ready to go,” says Candi. “This the rst time we’ve ever done is denitely a test run for us. The this. We’re still nding that the Candi Bramante exposure alone – obviously, with customers coming into the store that many shoppers – is quite extraordidon’t know who we are, so it’s a different nary for us and it will certainly give a lot audience. The Burlington Mall has huge of visibility to our company and the store trafc coming through it, so we think down the street, as well,” explains Candi. that there’s something to capitalize on “I think we’ll just have to wait and see there. We’ll see how it goes and I’ll tell how we do this holiday season. We’re takyou at the end of December whether it ing it one day at a time.” worked or not!” So, we went there first, took a peek and found a space. We’re doing what we can to pick up some of the business from the mall.”

MMR 79

17th Annual

Dealers’ Choice Awards This year, MMR’s annual survey of MI retailers to determine top products yielded some familiar results (Yamaha’s Disklavier as Product of the Year, Hal Leonard as Print Publisher of the Year) as well as some fairly surprising upsets (Gibson’s Les Paul trumping longtime Electric Guitar Line of the Year winner, the Fender Stratocaster). Selections were solicited via e-mail, online, and in a ballot appearing in the October issue of Musical Merchandise Review. Much like 2008, this year’s replies were widely varied, reflecting the continued (though possibly/hopefully on the way out) economic upheaval throughout the market. Our thanks go out to all retailers who participated in 2009’s What’s to say that hasn’t already been said? Yamaha’s Disklavier series has been the clear winner in this Dealers’ Choice voting.

Product of the Year

Yamaha Disklavier

Yamaha Corporation of America category since George W.’s first year in office. With an exhaustive array of Grand Pianos, Uprights, and the distinctive Elton John Limited Edition Signature Series Red Piano, Disklavier consoles offer a wide range of options for users at a number of price points. With ongoing improvements and innovations, Yamaha’s likely to be in the running for top honors in 2010, as well.

80 MMR

DECEMBER 2009

17th Annual Dealers’ Choice Awards Electric Guitar Line of the Year

Electric Bass Line of the Year

Acoustic Guitar Line of the Year

Gibson Les Paul

Ibanez

Martin Guitars

Last year, Ibanez’ SR Series came out ahead in this category. In this year’s balloting, many respondents simply replied, “Ibanez,” speaking to the company’s wide array of popular models that resonate with players of all types.

Martin Guitars continued its winning ways, once again claiming victory in the Acoustic Guitar category in convincing fashion. With a storied history, a reputation for impeccable quality and workmanship, and a dizzying lineup of available styles, the venerable Pennsylvania guitar manufacturer is tough to beat.

Amplifier Line of the Year

Recording Equipment Line of the Year

Sound Reinforcement Line of the Year

Peavey Vypyr

Zoom H4n Recorder

Yamaha

An exceedingly tight race in this category nonetheless once again saw Peavey’s popular and affordable line of modeling guitar amplifiers eke out a win.

In 2008, Zoom’s H4 emerged as the leader in the world of the handheld digital recorders. The newer H4n with increased functionality built upon the appeal of the previous model and came out tops in 2009’s voting.

Yamaha’s comprehensive sound reinforcement offerings at a variety of price-points were a hit with churches, schools, arenas, and other venues.

Gibson Guitars

Breaking the Fender Stratocaster’s formidable stranglehold on this category, Gibson’s iconic Les Paul model comes out on top in 2009. Whether due to an increased number of signature models and high tech improvements, or an uptick in interest after the passing of the legendary guitarist who shared his name with these instruments, the Les Paul made quite an impact.

Peavey Electronics

DECEMBER 2009

Hoshino USA, Inc.

Samson Technologies

C.F. Martin & Co., Inc.

Yamaha Corporation of America

MMR 81

17th Annual Dealers’ Choice Awards Microphone Line of the Year

Band & Orchestral Instrument Line of the Year

Acoustic Piano Line of the Year

Audio-Technica 2000 Series Wireless

Cannonball A5-L

Kawai K-3

In one of the upsets of 2009, A-T’s versatile 2000 Series Wireless system unseated longtime category winner, Shure SM57/58.

One of 2009’s Dealer’s Choice Awards’ tightest races was won by Cannonball’s popular A5-L alto sax.

Kawai’s K-3 Upright connected with performers and educators of all types. Dealers once again noted that brand loyalty, quality, and value make the K-3 a compelling option.

Home Digital Keyboard Line of the Year

Pro Digital Keyboard Line of the Year

Percussion Line of the Year

Yamaha Clavinova

Roland RD Series

Pearl Drums

Yamaha’s impressive winning streak continues in this category with the venerable Clavinova taking the top prize in ‘09. Players of virtually all ability levels and budgets can find something that matches their needs within the extensive line of models.

Last year saw Roland’s FP-7 emerge as the winner in this category, but this time around the RD digital pianos – RD-300GX and RD700GX – get the nod. A number of onboard pianos and EPs make this highly portable stage piano a hit with players.

Consistently one of the most hotly contested categories, this year’s Percussion Line of the Year honors go to Pearl Drums.

Audio-Technica

Yamaha Corporation of America

82 MMR

Cannonball Musical Instruments

Roland Corporation

Kawai America Corporation

Pearl Corporation

DECEMBER 2009

17th Annual Dealers’ Choice Awards Lighting Line of the Year

DJ Line of the Year

American DJ

Gemini/GCI

Print Music Publisher of the Year

GCI Technologies Corp.

Hal Leonard

DJ Line of the Year this time goes to Gemini. Readers point to variety, quality, as well as cutting edge technological features as strong selling points.

Even more so than Yamaha’s Disklavier, Hal Leonard seems to have sewn their category up tight. Print Music Publisher winners each and every year since the very first MMR’s Dealers’ Choice Awards, the company’s exhaustive library of high profile, popular titles makes it a hard competitor to best.

Software Line of the Year

Accessory Line of the Year

Web Site of the Year

Finale 2010

D’Addario

The Music People

Finale’s music notation software is a resounding hit with educators and students. The newest incarnation of the title offers greater automation and enhanced functionality.

D’Addario was given the nod by dealers in this category. Guitarists and bassists continue to be drawn to the strings’ durability and quality, while an assortment of tuners, drumheads, straps, and more appeal to musicians of virtually all types.

Visitors to Music People’s online portal can easily browse a number of categories to gather general (or more detailed) info, review product offerings, and interact with the company directly.

American DJ Supply, Inc.

American DJ snags their fifth consecutive win as Lighting Line of the year. Dealers and end users alike appreciate ADJ’s extensive product catalog and continued spirit of innovation.

MakeMusic, Inc.

DECEMBER 2009

D’Addario & Company

Hal Leonard, Corporation

The Music People, Inc.

MMR 83

SHOW REPORT

PASIC 2009

he Percussive Arts Society’s 2009 International Convention (PASIC), took place in Indianapolis, Indiana from November 11-14. The three-day event included performance clinics, roundtables, and an exhibition floor featuring wares from many of the top percussive instrument and accessory manufacturers, Adjacent to PASIC’s Indianapolis Convention Center location is Lucas Oil Stadium, which was hosting the Bands of America Grand National Championships Finals Competition. The proximity of the two events boosted the number of young people teeming the PASIC show floor, and the many school groups in attendance abetted the typical deafening 84 MMR

music publishers, and several retailers. While some exhibitors opted to scale back their booth sizes and displays as compared to years past, there was no shortage of foot traffic on the exhibition floor, and the mood was decidedly optimistic about the future of the percussion, and greater MI, industry.

cacophony of eager drummers testing gear. The convention also featured the soft opening of a new PAS museum, the Rhythm! Discovery Center, which, located in downtown Indianapolis, houses percussive instruments from around the world along with interactive displays, videos and other multimedia. The center-

piece of the new museum features original drum sets of two of the all-time legends, Buddy Rich and Gene Kruppa. Back on the convention’s showroom floor, MMR caught up with a few exhibitors who shared their thoughts on the 2009 show, and what to expect from the economy – as it pertains to the percussion market – going forward. DECEMBER 2009

Shawn Lafrenz

Pearl Corporation It’s been a great show so far. We’re really pleased with the number of people through the show early on. We like to think it’s because of the draw we create at our booth, of course, but obviously there are many drummers here. There is a very positive feeling and a lot of people who are really excited about music. We’re having a great time. There’s still money being spent out there, and the trick in any business is to be the one that people spend their money with, to create the need for them to come to you. That’s what everybody’s charged with. There are some areas of the market that are coming out of the recession and there are other areas that are going to feel it for a long time. The school market is probably going to be affected for a couple of years because of the way that the funding cycle against taxes happens. [Economic downturns] tend to have a much longer-term effect in that end of the market.

The Percussive Arts Society’s debuted their new museum, the Rhythm! Discovery Center, in downtown Indianapolis.

Wenger’s Kim Steinbauer.

Remo’s Remo Belli.

Wayne Wilburn and Tim Shahady of Paiste America, Inc.

Lauren Westendorf, Berklee College of Music.

WGI’s Jim Haskell.

Kevin Jahoda and Jeffrey Meegan, Mike Balter Mallets

John Sorenson

Avedis Zildjian We’ve seen some really good traffic here at the show, and a good diversity of players – everyone from orchestral to the drum corps guys. It’s always an enthusiastic crowd here at PASIC, and this one’s definitely right there. It’s obviously a challenging time for everyone. I think the percussion and musical instrument market may have gotten hit harder than some others, and in other ways perhaps not as hard as others; we’ve certainly taken our lumps. The types of products that Zildjian sells are – I wouldn’t say recession proof, but – a little more recession resilient than other products. A cymbal is a great way for someone to freshen up their sound without having DECEMBER 2009

Jerry Smith, Sarah Malaney, Debbie Zildjian, Matt Read, and Ron Allman of Avedis Zildjian Company.

Rich Lakowski, Alfred Publishing.

Yamaha Corporation’s Bob Terry.

James Sajeva of Korg with the new Korg Wavedrum.

Bruce Schneider of Gator Cases.

Chris Crockarell of Row-Loff Productions. MMR 85

to make a major financial investment – it’s not like shelling out a thousand dollars. For a couple hundred dollars, drummers can freshen up the sound on their kit and I think that’s what people are looking for. Also, the economy is making everyone get back to value and as the market leader, we’ve benefited from that because people have tended to go with the tried and true – with the things that they feel comfortable with and that they know are going to bring them value. They know that if they’re buying Zildjian, they’re going to get value for the money that they’re spending. We consider ourselves fortunate to be in that position, but then again, it has made us work a lot harder to earn the customer’s business. We can’t take as many fliers in terms of innovation thing and crazier projects that we might have done in the past; it really is a correction back to basics, and that has put our R&D and promotional efforts into high gear. We have to work harder to make the sale.

James Sajeva

Korg USA My impressions of the show are fantastic. This is actually our first PASIC in a very long time. Korg USA hasn’t been to PASIC since we used to distribute Sonor many years ago, but for our first time back with this great new product, the energy is great, a lot of people are attracted to the booth, the Wavedrum is getting a lot of attention at the show, and we’re very happy to be here. If you watch the economic trends, there are some green sheets out there. The thing you have to remember is that it’s not just one industry struggling, it’s the whole economy and you just have to persevere. That’s why it’s so important to keep coming out with innovative products that are going to capture the attention of the consumers, and that’s what we’re hoping to accomplish with

the Wavedrum and many other products from Korg.

Gerren Young

Generation Custom Drums This is my first time here as a vendor. It’s a little interesting being such a small-time drum builder surrounded by giants like Sabian and Pearl, among others. I defi nitely have a product that’s different from anyone else. I’ve sold a few things, but it’s a little early to gauge the success of the show at this point. It’s really great to be able to show my product to people that will recognize the quality and care about it. There are a lot of younger kids, so that makes it a little more challenging for me, seeing as college students probably don’t have the money to throw at custom drums, but there is also a lot of excitement, too.

Chad Brandolini, Chad Cunningham, Alan Vater, Drew Davey, and Bill Morgan of Vater Percussion.

Recording and touring artist Felix Pollard presented a drumset clinic on Friday, November 13 th.

Davis Douglas and Josh Touchton of D’addario/Evans.

Bill Youhass, Fall Creek Marimbas. 86 MMR

Mark Schafer and Mark Reynolds, Dynasty.

Dr. Nick Patrella of Sabian.

Mike Berg of Humes & Berg Mfg.

Scott Strittmatter and Rusty Membreno, OnBoard Research Corporation.

Regal Tip’s Carol Calato.

Vic and Tracy Firth of Vic Firth.

Ben Patterson and Nathaniel Dominy, Malletech/Marimba Productions. DECEMBER 2009

This might be a bad time to be trying to sell custom drums, but that’s where I am in my life, so I figure that if I can make it through the next few years, after that the market for MI will grow and I’ll grow with it.

Neil Grover

Grover Pro Percussion I think this is a terrific show. It started out with a real bang and attendance seems to be really strong. You’d never know that there’s a recession from the turnout here at the convention. I personally think the market has bottomed out and we’re starting a very slow recovery. I see signs of turning. It’s going to be a slow recovery, but we’re defi nitely heading in the right direction. Accessories remain strong throughout. I’m guessing what might have taken the biggest hit are the big ticket items – high end

drum sets and things like that – but as far as 50- or 60-dollar items, they have remained strong throughout.

whoever can purchase their products, and that really is going to be good for everyone.

Anthony Merlino

Garwood Whaley

Malletech/Marimba Productions It’s great seeing all of the artists, employees, workers and the students coming out and working together. It’s a great event for everyone. This is the most cohesive and smoothest run show of any PASIC, or any convention, really, that I’ve been to. I think a lot of companies are catering to the economy right now, and that’s good for everyone. The more people buy, the more the companies will grow and the better the economy will be. Some companies are lowering their prices a little bit, or even just showing up and helping out students or

Staci Stokes, Steve Beck, Pat Brown, Don Click, Bruce Salyers, and Mark Petrocelli of Pro Mark.

Meredith Music This show has been unbelievable. The opening of the museum was really incredible. I can’t believe how it turned out – far beyond anyone’s expectations. The attendance here is great, the board meetings have been very positive and uplifting, so it’s a very positive show. I think the beginning of the year, as we know, was not a good one for the economy in general, but there’s such positive vibes here at this convention that I’m sure that it is going to spill over and help sales for our industry. We are going to leave this show really upbeat, so I see really great things ahead.

George Balmaseda and David Kelley, Tycoon Percussion.

Chris Pennie of Dillinger Escape Plan and Coheed and Cambria performs during a PASIC drumset clinic.

John Norris and Chris Labriola of Peterson Electro-Musical Products.

Leslie May and Micheal Boyt, Randall May International.

Hal Leonard’s Marylin Fleenor and David Cywinski. DECEMBER 2009

Nick Cole of Drumsense.

Shawn Lafrenz and Raymond Massey of Pearl/Adams.

Tabor Stamper, Mapex/Majestic

Will Wernick of Wernick Musical Instruments.

Bob Henry of Ludwig/ Musser. MMR 87

Holidaybuyingguide Korg’s WAVEDRUM Digital Percussion Synthesizer

The Official Vintage Guitar Price Guide 2010

Korg’s WAVEDRUM Digital Percussion Synthesizer can be used as a stand-alone percussion instrument, or integrated into an existing drum kit or percussion rig. Unlike digital trigger-based systems, WAVEDRUM uses a real drum head as the playing surface, providing a familiar feel. This allows the performer to employ sticks, brushes, mallets, and/or traditional hand-drum techniques to play. There are two playing surfaces on WAVEDRUM: the head and the rim. Under the head is an audio transducer,

Published annually by Vintage Guitar magazine The Guide not only includes historical data, it is the only book that lists values derived from comprehensive research and realistic market analysis on thousands of vintage and recent-model guitars, amps, basses, effects pedals, mandolins, lap steels, ukuleles, and banjos. The Guide includes information on more than 1,800 brands supplemented by over 1,100 photos, along with an in-depth look at the factors that drive the collectible instrument market. The Guide retails for $29.95. www.vintageguitar.com

striped mahogany back wood. The guitar will feature the new 59/09 treble and bass pickups and a PRS tremolo. The body shape and electronics for the 25th Anniversary Dragon are modeled after one of Paul Smith’s early guitars which was most recently featured on the Howard Leese Private Stock guitar released in 2009. Dragon models painted by renowned artist Jeff Beasley are also being planned as part of this exclusive run. Limited quantities will be available in the fourth quarter of 2009 with the remainder being completed in 2010. www.prsguitars.com

B-Band U-Series Ukulele Pickup Systems The new U-Series ukulele pickup systems from B-Band and UKKO brand pickups, in alliance with Belcat Co., Ltd, China, will be available in 2010. The U-Series preamps will be partnered with a newly

Paul Reed Smith 25th Anniversary Dragon Model similar to a microphone. This transducer drives WAVEDRUM’s DSP and PCM sound engines. The rim is outfitted with different-sized raised patterns on the left and right sides. In addition to using the rim as a traditional playing surface, rubbing a stick or mallet over these raised patterns can create percussion effects, similar to an afro-cuban güiro, for example. By combining 36 advanced DSP (Digital Signal Processing) synthesis algorithms with 200 PCM samples (100 for the head; 100 for the rim), WAVEDRUM provides a wide palette of sounds, ranging from traditional drum and percussion instruments to complex synthetic tones and sound effects. WAVEDRUM also re-creates a vast array of instruments.100 preset programs and 100 user programs are stored in memory, with 12 favorites available for instant access. The Korg WAVDRUM Digital Percussion Synthesizer will be available in January 2010. www.korg.com 88 MMR

In celebration of the model and in honor of PRS Guitars’ upcoming 25th anniversary, a special 25th Anniversary Dragon model featuring a new complex dragon fretboard exotic multi-material inlay will be available later this year in very limited quantities. The headstock will feature a green ripple abalone Modern Eagle with a black composite shadow veneer. Appointment highlights include 24 frets, 24-1/2” scale length, rosewood neck and fingerboard, carved curly flame maple Private Stock top and African

developed ukulele specific UST undersaddle pickup produced with the same Emfit material found in all B-Band pickups. The U1.0 single input preamp is an all-in-one matchbox size assembly with preamp, output jack, and a disc battery holder included. The B-Band U1.3T sidemount single input preamp with fully chromatic tuner has small dimensions to fit at the side of most any ukulele. The preamp also features rotary controls for volume, bass, and low battery LED. The preamp is a one-piece, drop-in installation format and comes supplied with remote output jack and battery holder assembly. www.b-band.com DECEMBER 2009

Wiggles N’ Tunes’ Music Instrument Shaped Lollipops Wiggles N’ Tunes musical instrument lollipop shapes include violins, violas, cellos, trumpets, saxophone, harps, drum, accordions, guitars, and musical eighth note. All lollipops are available in a multitude of flavors and a variety of sizes. Wiggles N’ Tunes also offers various advertising specialties such as imprinted egg shakers and maracas. www.wigglesntunes.com

ToneRite’s Play-In Accelerators ToneRite’s play-in accelerators rapidly accelerate the opening up of an acoustic instrument. The ToneRite safely recreates the same physics that occur naturally while playing and through its efficient transfer of energy is able to bring about the same developments in a matter of only days. After as few as 72 hours of treatment with the ToneRite, improvements in tone, clarity, resonance and volume are said to be noticeable. As the treatments continue instruments begin to increase in playability with greater tonal balance across the strings. Small enough to carry in a case and nearly silent in operation, the ToneRite is easily attached or removed from an instrument without any modifications. ToneRite models are available for guitar, mandolin, violin, viola, cello, and double bass. All ToneRite products are backed by a 30-day money back guarantee and three-year full warranty. ToneRite models retail for $185 - $300. www.tonerite.com

New Titles from Sher Music Co. Foundation Exercises for Bass, by Chuck Sher, features a creative approach to learning the fundamentals of acoustic or electric bass. The book covers the basic scales and chords used in contemporary music; how to count rhythms and improvise around them; correct hand positions, fingerings, and shifting; training DECEMBER 2009

your ear to identify music that’s inside you, or that others play; a way to learn to read music, starting with fingerboard diagrams; and how to connect the roots of chord progressions to create a solid foundation for a band Foundation Exercises for Bass is appropriate for beginning/intermediate bass method. Jazz Guitar Voicings: Vol. 1 – The Drop 2 Book, by Randy Vincent, includes a thorough discussion of all the basic principles of drop 2 melody harmonization, including passing tones and extension tones, as well as basic chord tones. Also covered are practical, guitarfriendly methods for creating modern sounds by tweaking the basic drop 2 voicings. Vincent explains how to create an organized practice routine, including fingerboard diagrams as well as standard notation, to fully develop all of the above, with a minimum of theory. The book includes two CDs demonstrating each exercise. www.shermusic.com

SBr Cymbal from Sabian Sabian’s SBr is a new series of brass cymbals designed to offer improved quality and value for the entry level drummer. Produced from a special-formula brass alloy, the budget-priced SBr is available in a full range of popular sizes and models, each featuring deep, large-peen hammering and pinpoint lathing. SBr is available exclusively in Natural Finish. The SBr series includes hi-hats, splashes, crashes, and rides. Also available are Sonically Matched pre-packs including the Performance Set (14” hi-hats, 16” crash, 20” ride), the First Pack (13” hi-hats, 16” crash), and the 2-Pack (14” hi-hats, 18” crash ride). www.sabian.com

Hal Leonard’s New TrackPak Titles for GarageBand The latest titles in Hal Leonard’s TrackPak line of software/songbook packs were designed for use with Apple’s GarageBand recording software. The three new titles are Acoustic Rock, Hard Rock,

and 1970s Rock. Part of Apple’s iLife suite of applications, GarageBand is a digital recording program that comes standard on all iMac computers. Hal Leonard’s TrackPak titles feature software plus a songbook with sheet music notation for reference. Users can manipulate the tracks in any way they wish, such as removing the part for their instrument so they can jam along with the song. They can remix and modify any or all of the tracks and use them as a springboard to create their own music. GarageBand-compatible TrackPaks retail for $29.99 each. www.halleonard.com

Rico Reserve Classic Reeds The Reserve Classic reeds differ from the original Rico Reserve reeds in that they feature increased warmth of sound and lightened articulation by way of a newly designed tip radius. So players can fi ne tune their exact strength, the Classics have been specially measured to offer hard-to-find desired strengths including 3.5+ and 4.0+. In addition, the Reserve Classic reeds use a special cane treatment process to help reduce reed warping. www.ricoreeds.com

The Ring Ligature from JodyJazz The Ring ligature is designed for the DV and DV NY series of saxophone mouth-

pieces. The Ring’s self locking CNC machined taper touches on three points only - the left and right side of the reed and on top of the mouthpiece. The ring has no moving or added parts, and is said to thereby increase the efficiency of vibration. The optimum wall thickness has been chosen to create the most freedom and vibration for the reed which increases the amount of harmonics present in the saxophone sound. The Ring will MMR 89

Holidaybuyingguide be available in a blackened brass finish as well as 24 karat gold plating on brass. Retails prices are $69.95 - $79.95. www.jodyjazz.com

Peavey IPR Power Amps with Waves’ DSP Technology Peavey Electronics’ IPR DSP Series of power amplifiers feature the Waves’ MX5010 semiconductor. The Waves MX5010 features proprietary Waves’ technologies such as MaxxBass; Bass Extension; MaxxTreble; High Frequency Enhancement; 7Band Paragraphic MaxxEQ; MaxxStereo; MaxxVolume; and Level Control. Weighing as little as seven pounds, the Peavey IPR Series utilizes a design that allows a reduction in weight while increasing

thermal efficiency and output power (up to 6,000 watts at two ohms stable). IPR Series amplifiers are designed with a resonant switch-mode power supply and a highspeed class D topology that yields the highest audio resolution and efficiency available. Four DSP-equipped models feature 32-bit, floating-point digital signal processing with program-specific EQ presets. The Waves MX5010 semiconductor integrates a 24-bit DSP core with preprogrammed MaxxAudio algorithms for a cost-effective sound enhancement solution. MaxxVolume will protect the speaker and electrical components from electric surges and speaker fatigue without requiring a dedicated limiter. The unit’s Delay function can be used to create programmable speaker arrays and delay towers without an external delay module. MaxxTreble can be used to enhance high frequencies dynamically without painful high end. MaxxEQ and MaxxBass can be used for designing efficient and programmable active crossovers for both amplifiers and powered 90 MMR

speakers. The MX5010’s router section can be used to control levels for multiple speaker outputs, also allowing the user to create presets for various I/O scenarios. www.peavey.com

Hercules’ Deejay Trim 4&6 + Scratch Starter Kit The Deejay Trim 4&6 + Scratch Starter Kit allows users to mix with timecoded vinyl records and CDs. The Deejay Trim 4&6 audio interface includes the new VirtualDJ 6 LE Timecode software, along with two timecoded vinyl records, two timecoded CDs, and a set of cables to connect vinyl turntables and scratch-capable CD players to the audio interface. The Deejay Trim 4&6 + Scratch starter kit allows DJs to use their analog mixer and two vinyl turntables or two CD players (featuring jog wheels that can be used for scratching) to control the mixing of music files stored on their computer. The VirtualDJ 6 LE TC software reproduces the actions made by DJs using their vinyl records or CDs and applies the actions in real time to their digital music files, which allows the DJ to control music track and speed playback as well as the position in the track. It also allows DJs to apply different mixing techniques to their digital audio files that they use with their vinyl records or CDs, for different types of scratching. www.hercules.com

Daisy Rock’s Butterfly Jumbo Guitar Daisy Rock Girl Guitars’ Spalted Maple Butterfly Jumbo Acoustic-Electric is constructed from Spalted Maple, complete with white binding, and a butterfly on the 12th fret marker. The Butterfly guitar is designed to be lightweight and sports Daisy Rock’s trademark “Slim & Narrow” neck design, so females can pick it up and play with comfort and ease. The Butterfly features a mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard, and powered by a Fishman Isys system with volume, contour, and phase controls. The Butterfly Jumbo Acoustic-Electric guitar arrives fully set up and ready to play and is backed by a limited lifetime warranty. The Butterfly guitar is available in Bubinga, Zebrawood, and DECEMBER 2009

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the new Spalted Maple finish, each for a retail price of $589. www.daisyrock.com

monitor incorporates a sensitivity rating of -51 dB and a maximum SPL rating of 130 dB—making it well-suited for vocal performers who routinely fi nd themselves in loud performance surroundings. This back-electret condenser microphone provides off-axis rejection by using a front-facing capsule engineered to be positioned at the corner of the performer’s mouth. As the microphone’s cardioid polar pattern offers rejection at the rear of the capsule, the new DA15 provides isolation from surrounding noise. Integrated into the DA15’s ear cushion is the earbud monitor. This dual-driver earbud offers a full-range frequency response of 20 Hz – 20 kHz with a sensitivity rating of 102 dB—making this

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Brady Drums’ Spotted Gum Snares & Drum Kits Brady Drums’ new range of snare drums and drum kits are handcrafted from extremely thin shells of Spotted Gum, a very dense Eucalypt timber species (Eucalyptus Maculata) with an interlocked grain which can grow up to 230 feet high. The Spotted Gum range still retains musicality, but comes with projection in a wood

shell, while carrying a solid, low tone. All Spotted Gum snare drums, tom toms, and bass drums are available only in their natural timber finish and are adorned with a handcrafted inlaid parquetry Brady badge consisting of 31 individual pieces carved from 17 different species of timber. www.bradydrums.com.au

Hosa’s Da-Cappo In-Ear Mic & Monitor Hosa Technology’s Da-Cappo DA15 cardioid earset microphone with earbud DECEMBER 2009

monitor capable of handling high in-ear levels. With the earbud monitor’s ability to function equally well for both performance monitoring and IFB (interruptible feedback), the new DA15 is equally at home on the music stage or in the TV newsroom. The earbud is discreet and lightweight. The new DA15, like other Da-Cappo headset microphone systems, features a hypoallergenic ear cushion that is designed for long wearing comfort. This cushion conceals a flexible, sprung-steel mechanism that may easily be adjusted to fit ears of all sizes. Further, the DA15 features the same adjustable microphone boom, enabling adjustment of the microphone to find a good fit. The DA15 system includes a four-foot carbon Kevlar microphone cable (compact screw to same), a four-foot carbon Kevlar earbud cable (compact screw to 3.5 mm TRS), a single-cable clip for affi xing the microphone and earbud monitor cables to one’s clothing, and a lowdensity pop fi lter, all of which is stored in

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MMR 91

Holidaybuyingguide the included leatherette case. The retail price for the kit is $652. www.hosatech.com

Percussion Plus Drum Pedals Musicorp’s Percussion Plus is expanding its line with two new pedal models, the 2500P Drum Pedal and the 8500P Double Bass Pedal. Both pedals are heavy-duty bass drum pedals with dou-

ble chain drive systems that provide fast and smooth response. A side mounted clamp adjustment makes it easy to attach or remove the pedals from bass drums. Both feature adjustable stroke and tension, and include built-in stabilizing spurs with dual surface drum beaters. The 2500P retails for $99.95 and the 8500P for $299.95. www.musicorp.com

Zoom Q3 Handheld Video Recorder with HD Audio Zoom’s Q3 Handheld Video Recorder records stereo sound with two condenser microphones, which allow users to capture clear HD audio with their movies. The ability to capture audio at 24-bit/48 kHz is important for users planning to upload their footage to video share sites like YouTube, which compress

video but now allow fi les with stereo audio at 44.1 kHz, which is CD quality. Powered by two AA batteries, the Q3 will record for up to two hours in true stereo and clear 640 x 480 resolution refreshed at 30 frames per second. The Q3 features a 2.4-inch 320 x 240 resolution LCD that displays audio level meters, a battery indicator and time elapsed. The Q3 accepts up to a 32 GB SDHC card to deliver up to 16 hours of movie making capacity. Users can upload videos to a computer with the USB cable for immediate editing and sharing. www.samsontech.com

Call Toll Free

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or order online @ shsint.net

Vibration Tuning At It’s Finest!

Tunes Almost Anything! Guitars - Bass - Banjo - Mandolin Resonator - Violin - Viola - Cello Brass - Woodwinds

5 Models To Choose From! 92 MMR

DECEMBER 2009

Ultrasone HFI Series Headphones Ultrasone’s HFI Series headphones, the HFI-2400s, are the flagship headphones in Ultrasone’s HFI Series. These headphones feature Ultrasone’s patented SLogic technology. The HFI-2400 comes outfitted with MU Metal shielding, similar to all other Ultrasone headphones, which reduces the amount of magnetic radiation emitted from standard headphones by up to 98 percent. Each HFI2400 comes with a removable three-meter long, straight cable with 6.3 millimeter gold-plated stereo plug, a velvet carrying bag and the Ultrasone demo CD. www.ultrasone.com

Alesis’ DM10 Pro Kit Alesis’ new electronic drum kit, the DM10 Pro Kit, features a new sound module, new pads, new rack, and new pedal. The DM10

DECEMBER 2009

also features Alesis’ RealHead drum pads, SURGE Cymbals made of real cymbal alloy, and an ErgoRack mounting system. The drum sound module contains true drum, cymbal, and percussion sounds built from real samples of classic studio drums and prized cymbals. Multiple dynamic-level samples and articulations are all built in so as the drummer plays harder and softer, the drum or cymbal changes its timbre, not just its dynamics. The DM10 module not only has a collection of sounds on board, it also enables players to load new sound sets via USB connection to their computer. Drummers can also use the DM10 as a trigger-to-MIDI interface for performing and tracking with software drum modules such as BFD, Toontrack, and Reason. Drummers can play along with the tracks in the DM10’s internal sequencer, mix in an iPod, or other MP3 player and play

along. The DM10 module has 12 inputs, enabling drummers to create custom configurations. Its top-panel mixer gives easy access to creating custom mixes. The DM10 Pro Kit retails for $1,799. www.alesis.com

CAD Audio’s Condenser Microphone System The CAD Audio’s Astatic Commercial 1700VP is the first continuously-variable pattern condenser overhead recording microphone system with remote polar control design and a 56” carbon fiber boom with an exclusive clutch rotational system. The 1700VP’s variable polar pattern with remote control allows the user to precisely adjust the shape of the pick-up pattern to provide the best gain before feedback from a remote location using the standard mic cable. Designed to be

MMR 93

Holidaybuyingguide mounted on any microphone stand, the 1700VP’s carbon fiber boom is highly effective in the recording and sound reinforcement of vocal groups, orchestral point miking of instruments and general miking for recording, broadcast, and live applications. The remote variable polar pattern control uses a twoconductor shielded cable (max length 2,000 feet) between the microphone head and the pattern-control box (VPC-1), giving the installer or end user the ability to change polar patterns when installed, or from scene to

94 MMR

scene without inducing noise into the audio chain. Adjustments to the pick-up pattern can be made quickly without changing capsules or using additional microphone accessories. The large-diameter, low-noise elements produce a frequency response of 40Hz to 20KHz with a selectable, recessed 80Hz, 12dB/octave high-pass filter that removes unwanted low-frequency energy when engaged. The filter control is conveniently located on the control box. Up to six control boxes can be mounted in one rack unit. The polar-pattern dial is positioned for

easy adjustment and can be secured with a single “flat style” blank panel when rack mounted. The 1700VP has been designed to resist interference from cell phones, twoway communication devices, and lighting apparatus. www.cadaudio.com

Washburn Guitars’ Cracked Mirror Series Washburn Guitars has launched their new Cracked Mirror Series with the introduction of the PS1800CMK and WV1800CMK guitars. The cracked mirror concept for a guitar originally stemmed from an idea that Paul Stanley had in the 70s. The Washburn PS1800CMK is one of Paul Stanley’s signature models and is

DECEMBER 2009

crafted out of a mahogany body with a mahogany set neck, a rosewood fretboard, and abalone mother-of-pearl split block inlays. The guitar also features a Tune-O-Matic bridge, custom star tailpiece, Grover Exclusive tuners, Buzz Feiten Tuning System, Randall UL neck, and Ultra XL bridge pickups. The Washburn WV1800CMK offers all of the same features as the PS1800CMK, but with a stop tailpiece in lieu of the custom star. The PS1800CMK retails for $2,079.90 and the WV1800CMK for $1,599.90, both include a padded gig bag. www.washburn.com

Rhythm Tech’s Stickball The Stickball is a percussive shaker/effect that slips on and off any drum stick and offers a classic dry shaker sound. It slides on and off the stick and holds securely without the use of a wing nut or other tightening mechanism. www.rhythmtech.com

Teen’s Musical Theatre from Alfred Publishing Broadway Presents: Teen’s Musical Theatre Anthology is a collection of musical theatre songs from a variety of shows that span decades of theatre history. Using the original vocal scores, the songs have been selected and adapted with the ranges and skills of teen singers in mind. Historical and contextual commentary, audition tips, and 16-bar cut suggestions are included. Table of contents is different for both the female and the male editions and have been carefully chosen to suit each. www.alfred.com

quered yellow brass body and a two-piece 9.5” bell in either yellow or rose brass. They have a brass outer slide with nickel-silver crook and chromed inner slides three interchangeable mouth pipes and the XO Series wood-frame case. The 1600I trumpet features a .453” bore, silver-plated yellow brass body and a 4.8” hand crafted B1 bell with heavy bead to provide additional mass and resonance. It features a reverse leadpipe and professional two piece valve casing with nickel silver balusters. It uses stainless steel valves and a vertical 3rd valve stop. Players can customize their horn with the pearl inlaid and metal finger buttons, regular and light action springs, and standard and heavy weight bottom valve caps. The 1284 CC Tuba features a graduated .732”-.787” bore, an 18” yellow brass bell, and rose brass leadpipe. There are four front action stainless steel pistons with additional rotary valve with nickel silver rotor and metal linkage. It features elliptical tuning slide crooks and an adjustable thumb ring. www.jupitermusic.com

Helius Press’ The Savvy Musician The Savvy Musician, by Dr. David Cutler, is created to help aspiring musicians build a career, earn a living, and make a difference. It examines elements often overlooked or misunderstood by musicians, such as entrepreneurship, product development, branding, marketing, networking, the new recording paradigm, personal finance, funding, relevance, and legacy. www.helius.com

Jupiter Builds XO Series For 2010 the Jupiter’s XO series of professional horns continues to build by adding low brass, bass trombones, and a lead trumpet. The 1240L-T bass trombone features a .571” bore, open wrap design and incorporates an independent Dual Thayer rotor valve assembly. The XO 1242L bass trombone features a .562” bore, open wrap, offset dependent rotor, and mechanical-link tapered rotary valves. A D tuning slide is provided with the 1242 as standard equipment. Both models are available with a lacDECEMBER 2009

MMR 95

Supplierscene Vater Honors Memeory of Jeffrey Phillips In October, Vater Percussion brought Xavier Muriel, drummer for Buckcherry, to Weymouth High School in Massachusetts, as a guest speaker for the school’s music students. Xavier spoke to the 60 plus music students about his personal background, the history of Buckcherry, life on the road, his inf luences, and what his hopes and dreams were when he

was a high school music student back in Austin, Texas. Xavier also took some

time to answer questions and to sign autographs. The Xavier Muriel session at Weymouth High School was part of Vater’s ongoing involvement with the school in memory of Jeffrey Phillips, who passed away this past July. Phillips who graduated from Weymouth High in 1996, was an employee of Vater for 10 years. Additionally, Vater has donated $14,000 worth of drumsticks and percussion accessories to the school. For more information, visit www.vater.com.

Anthem Partners with D’Addario Tired of Paper?

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to provide Anthem with Rico mouthpieces, ligatures, and reeds for the entire Anthem line of woodwind instruments.

65amps enlists Mad Sun Marketing 65amps has contracted the services of Mad Sun Marketing, a marketing agency specializing in the music and audio industries. Mad Sun Marketing is run by veteran music industry marketer, Laura B. Whitmore. As the marketing manager at Korg USA, Whitmore handled strategic marketing, planning, and execution for the Korg, Marshall and VOX brands for the company. For more information, visit www.65amps.com.

SONiVOX Worldwide Distributing Way Out Ware SONiVOX have acquired exclusive distribution rights to Way Out Ware’s existing product set as well as all future Way Out Ware products. SONiVOX will sell and market Way Out Ware’s existing products through its worldwide distribution channels as well as collaborate with Way Out Ware on a creative level. Moving forward in this partnership, Way Out Ware will shortly unveil the first of many new 96 MMR

DECEMBER 2009

America’s Premier Guitar & Bass Parts Supplier products being designed for the computer-based musician and producer. Way Out Ware’s current products, including the TimewARP 2600 and KikAXXE, are available now at www.sonivoxmi.com.

The Schimmel TwinTone Receives Award in France In the latest comparison of pianos, publicized by the French music periodical Classica, the Schimmel C 120 International TwinTone was awarded with the Choc de Classica. The Schimmel TwinTone is an integrated digital piano, which allows the pianist to switch the piano’s acoustic sound production to silent playing. The key movements are transformed into sounds by the digital piano and can be heard through headphones. Thus, the pianist can choose between classical piano sound and silent piano playing. Classica pronounced the judgment: “The German piano manufacturer Schimmel has made a masterly move by reconciling the German tradition with the Japanese technology by Yamaha.” To find out more, visit www.schimmel-piano.de.

The NAMM Foundation Invites Music Educators to Music Education Days The NAMM Foundation is inviting school music educators to attend the third annual Music Education Days event at the 2010 NAMM Show, held annually in Anaheim, Calif. in January. Although the NAMM show is closed to the public, the NAMM Foundation invites music educators on January 16th and 17th to learn about the instruments and accessories that can best help them teach their students how to learn and play music. Music Education Days events provide an opportunity for music teachers to interact DECEMBER 2009

with each other and music products industry professionals and address mutual concerns about access to music education for all children. This year’s Music Education Days also feature a Best Tools for Schools program developed by Symphony Publishing that will allow music educators to identify music products and materials that provide innovative solutions and opportunities for music learning. “School Band and Orchestra magazine is looking forward to presenting the Best Tools for Schools program,” said Sidney Davis, group publisher, Symphony Publishing. “Music teachers will make the product selections during the NAMM trade shows and a panel of their peers will present the items to the assembled educators on Sunday afternoon. The selected items will be profiled in SBO and serve as a guide to our readership of 20,000 band and orchestra directors in their selection of new items for their school music programs.” Some of the event highlights of Music Education Days include: a welcome reception and orientation at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday at the Anaheim Convention Center; the Sandy Feldstein Music Industry Roundtable, presented by Crane School of Music, at 4 p.m. on Saturday; Idea Center Session: Trends In Music Education on Sunday at 1 p.m.; and Idea Center Session: Top Ten Best Tools for Schools, presented by SBO magazine/Symphony Publishing Group on Sunday at 2 p.m. “The NAMM Foundation is very excited to be hosting music educators at the NAMM Show again this year as we celebrate their vital role as teachers, musical mentors and community leaders, “ said Mary Luehrsen, executive director of the NAMM Foundation. “The NAMM Show opens its doors to these music educators and encourages them to explore the instruments and musical products that could make a big difference in the lives and education for children and young people.” Music Educators that wish to attend may register before Jan. 1, 2010. Non-member housing opens November 4th. For more information and to secure a hotel room during your stay in Anaheim, visit the following site before December 11th www. namm.org.

Delta Series by GOTOH 1:21 ratio

AVAILABLE IN A VARIETY OF FINISHES & STYLES

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

MMR 97

Classifieds

Business Opportunities

Classified Advertising To place an ad, please call Maureen at 800-964-5150 x34 or email mjohan@symphonypublishing.com Payment by: Visa, MC, Amex or Check Classifieds must be paid in advance. Symphony Publishing 21 Highland Circle, Suite 1, Needham, MA 02494 • Fax: (781) 453-9389

Accessories At Big Bends, all our guitar accessories are: Handmade • Hand filled • Hand assembled Used by some of the top players in the world Made in the USA If not available thru your favorite distributor, call 888.788.2363 www.bigbends.com • sales@bigbends.com myspace.com/bigbends

Business Opportunities

• Band and Orchestra Rentals • New and Like New Educator-Approved Brand Name Instruments • Personalized Rent-To-Own Program • No Franchise Fee or Inventory Investment • No Shipping Costs • High Commissions Paid the 1st of Every Month • Exceptional Service

We Help People Make Music Music Store Wanted If you have a successful single or multi-location music store you would like to sell please contact us. Flexible terms offered. Send inquires to sales@wehelppeoplemakemusic.com or by phone at 510-584-6839

Business Opportunities

For Classified Sales Call Maureen • 800-964-5150 ext. 34 • mjohan@symphonypublishing.com 98 MMR

DECEMBER 2009

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

Business Opportunities

For Sale Music Store Owner Retiring

High trafď&#x192;&#x17E;c area, very successful. We are a full line music store, 10,000 sq. ft. free standing building, Band instrument rental program 14 lesson rooms with over 400 students major lines guitars, drums and accessories, Established 21 years, includes tuning business, piano moving with truck and band and instrument repair dept. Can be subdivided: 4,000 sq. ft. and 6,000 sq. ft. Call 631 495-3223 New York

CLASSIFIEDS on the MOVE! check www.mmrmagazine.com for daily updates!

DECEMBER 2009

MUSIC SCHOOL/STORE for SALE (in operation since 1986) Housed on its own PRIME REAL ESTATE property in a beautiful, affluent suburb of Houston, TX AWARD OF EXCELLENCE 2009 Recognized as HOUSTONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BEST by the US Commerce Association

27-plus teachers for almost 600 students; half-acre back lot ideal for store expansion or rental space. Call Owner at 832 445-5668 or BROKERS at 281 358-2222 or 281 973-0456 Real Estate and Music School/Store operation can be sold separately

Profitable Online Strap Business. Established and growing business making unique custom instrument straps. Fully operational e-commerce site, inventory, raw materials and machines included in sale. Can be ran from home. Ready for a dealer network. No brokers please. $15K www.guitarstrapsonline.com Steve @ 800-340-0809

For Classified Sales Call Maureen

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

MMR 99

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Help Wanted

HARD SHELL PLASTIC CASES Flute $9.00, Piccolo $6.00 Clarinet $10.00, Oboe $12.00

ELKHART CASES 1-800-582-0319

equatone@earthlink.net

Merchandise 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

ENDORSED BY HEART - LIVING COLOUR - LETHARGY

W holesa

le orders

d welcome

For Classified Sales Call Maureen 800-964-5150 ext. 34 • mjohan@symphonypublishing.com 100 MMR

DECEMBER 2009

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

Merchandise Oboes & Bassoons

We create the finest hand-crafted Oboes & Bassoons. Also replacement 5K Bassoon Bocals.

Linton Woodwinds Corporation, Jack Linton 1013 Alma St. Elkhart, IN 46514 U.S.A. PH: 1-866-220-2909 Fax: 574-266-7658 E-Mail: info@lintonwoodwinds.com www.LintonWoodwinds.com

YAMAHA窶適AWAI & 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

For Classified Sales Call Maureen

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

1,000,000+ And Counting! Over one million posts on our world famous Piano Forums, and growing. More than 11,000 unique visitors stop by Piano World every day. Be smart, advertise your piano related business on the most popular piano web site in the world.

PianoWorld.com Home of the world famous Piano Forums.

Ready to Advertise, or Still Need Convincing?

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www.mmrmagazine.com DECEMBER 2009

MMR 101

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Miscellaneous

Position Wanted

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

Fretted Instrument Specialist 28 yr. music industry pro w/ Retail, Wholesale & Manufacturing knowledge with Asian, European & USA experience - Willing to relocate Contact: Stringologist@aol.com

CLASSIFIEDS on the MOVE! check

www.mmrmagazine.com for daily updates!

Repair Tools 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

Reps Wanted 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

INDEPENDENT SALES REPS

Sales Reps Wanted Most territories open A Great Job! Hunter Music Instrument Inc. paul@huntermusical.com

“An industry leader since 1967” 467 Grant Avenue, Scotch Plains, N.J. 07076 Tel: 908-322-4469 Fax: 908 322-8613 e mail: info@bowrehairing.com

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

For Classified Sales Call Maureen 800-964-5150 ext. 34 mjohan@symphonypublishing.com 102 MMR

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.

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

DECEMBER 2009

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

Restoration PIANO KEY RESTORATION, .075 Tops w/Fronts - $175.00, German Tops w/Fronts - $215.00, Gloss Sharps - $100.00, Keys Rebushed: Premium Cloth - $150.00, Ivory installed $3000 set, $45 each (head or tail). Custom Made Keys, Other Services Available. Call/e-mail for price list. Free FedEx Gnd return excluding HI/AK. WALKER PIANO KEY SERVICE, 789 St Rt 94 E, Fulton, KY 42041, www.walkerpiano.com 1-800-745-6819, mail@walkerpiano.com.

www.mmrmagazine.com

Services

Shows

Wanted To Buy

ORANGE COUNTY WORLD GUITAR SHOW 2010 on NAMM Weekend in Costa Mesa Orange County Fair & Expo Center January 16, 10-5 * January 17, 10-4 I-55 South & Arlington Avenue *This 153rd Amigos show is not afliated with NAMM Just minutes away down Harbor Boulevard from the Anaheim Convention Ctr. NAMM Show. This is a vintage and new product show featuringthousands 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.TXshows.com

Vintage Instruments with Lone Wolf Trucking

is a “grand” idea!

An independent, long-distance Mover specializing in coast-to-coast residential Relocation.

1-800-982-9505

www.lonewolftrucking.com Alamogordo, New Mexico. 88310

ICC MC-256289

Store For Sale 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. Partner/investor okay. 321-725-3047 DECEMBER 2009

ANY CONDITION-CASH PAID THE TUBA EXCHANGE 1825 CHAPEL HILL RD. DURHAM, NC 27707 1-800-869-8822 WWW.TUBAEXCHANGE.COM

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

(615) 256-2033

fax (615) 255-2021

www.gruhn.com

MOVING?

Don’t miss a single issue of MMR... Let us know 6-8 weeks before your move so we can continue to send your magazine without interruption.

PASTE OLD LABEL HERE!

SHIPPING YOUR PIANO

Wanted USED TUBAS

NEW ADDRESS HERE! Name ___________________________

CLASSIFIEDS on the MOVE!

Address _________________________ _______________________________ City ____________________________ State ____________Zip ____________

check

www.mmrmagazine.com for daily updates!

21 Highland Circle, Suite 1 Needham, MA 02494 (781) 453-9310 MMR 103

Adindex COMPANY NAME

E-MAIL/WEB ADDRESS

PAGE

A Ac-Cetera Inc. Al Cass Alfred Music Publishing Allparts Amati’s Fine Instruments America Longxing Inc. American DJ Supply Inc. American Way Marketing LLC Anderson Silver Plating Antigua Winds, Inc.

www.ac-cetera.com www.alfred.com/dealer www.allparts.com www.Amatis.us www.huntermusical.com www.americandj.com info@americanwaymktg.com www.antiguawinds.com

www.jjbabbitt.com www.bedellguitars.com www.madarozzo.com; www.hoyerguitars.com

Oasis Inc Ohana Music OnBoard Research Corp. Optek Music Systems

36 53

28-29

D D’Addario & Co. Direct Import Assistance Corporation Dream Cymbals And Gongs Dunlop Manufacturing Inc.

www.daddario.com

jmtalty@hotmail.com www.dreamcymbals.com www.jimdunlop.com

76 92 14

www.eastwoodguitars.com www.eleca.com www.staggmusic.com

61 63 47

www.georgels.com www.chopsaver.com www.graphtech.com www.greatdivideguitars.com www.hailun-pianos.com

48 76 54 7 77

www.jackrabbittech.com www.JodyJazz.com www.jonesdoublereed.com

96 14 58

E Eastwood Guitars Eleca International EMD Music Inc.

J Jack Rabbit Technologies Jody Jazz Jones Double Reed Products

K/L Kawai America Corp. Kyser Musical Products Inc. Levy’s Leathers Ltd.

www.kawaius.com www.kysermusical.com www.levysleathers.com

cov 2 57 17

www.meiselaccessories.com www.melbay.com www.namm.com

55 11 18-19

M/N Meisel Accesories LLC Mel Bay Publications Inc. NAMM 104 MMR

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O www.oasishumidifiers.com www.ohana-music.com www.tuners.com www.fretlight.com

60 62 63 53

www.PearlRiverUSA.com www.masonhamlin.com www.qmpsales.com

59 23 50

www.retailup.com www.rocNsoc.com www.rolls.com www.rsberkeley.com

16 97 95 52

www.sagamusic.com www.samsontech.com www.shsint.net www.shubb.com www.skbcases.com www.stringswing.com

33 3 92 76 43 9

www.cavanaughcompany.com

www.tkl.com www.The StringCleaner.com www.tonerite.com

1 61 90

P/Q Pearl River Piano Group Piano Disc QMP Sales

Retail Up Roc-N-Soc Inc. Rolls Corporation RS Berkley Instruments

S Saga Musical Instruments Samson Technologies Corp. SHS International Shubb Capos SKB Corp. String Swing Mfg. Inc. Super-Sensitive Musical String Co.

T/U

G/H George L’s Good for the Goose Products Graph Tech Guitar Labs Great Divide Guitars Hailun USA

E-MAIL/WEB ADDRESS

National Educational Music Co. www.nemc.com NS Design www.NedSteinberger.com

48 96 73 97 39 54 13 93 94 40

B/C J.J. Babbitt Co. Inc. Bedell Guitars Creative Bags and Cases Ltd

COMPANY NAME

TKL Products Corp. Tone Gear Tone Rite

V/W Vandoren Vandoren Vandoren Vic Firth, Inc. Vic Firth, Inc. Visual Sound LLC Westheimer Wittner GmbH & Co. KG Wyman Piano Company

www.dansr.com www.dansr.com www.dansr.com www.VicFirth.com www.VicFirth.com www.visualsound.net www.cortguitar.com www.wittner-gmbh.decom www.wymanpiano.com

56 22 34 41 44 cov 4 37 51 42

Y Yamaha Corp. of America Yamaha Corp. of America Yorkville Sound Inc.

www.yamaha.com www.yamaha.com www.yorkville.com

35 15 49

DECEMBER 2009