Music & Sound Retailer March 2021, Vol 38 No 3 by Music & Sound Retailer

March 2021 Volume 38, No. 3

THE NEWS MAGAZINE FOR MUSIC PRODUC TS RETAILERS

35TH ANNUAL MUSIC & SOUND AWARDS, MANUFACTURER DIVISION, WINNERS

TREASURE TROVES

OF ADVICE FROM BELIEVE IN MUSIC WEEK

By Amanda Mullen, Anthony Vargas and Brian Berk

THE MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER OFFERS COVERAGE OF SEVERAL EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS INTENDED TO HELP MI RETAILERS BOOST SALES AND PRODUCTIVITY See Page 18

We ask Believe in Music Week Attendees what they thought of NAMM’s virtual trade show

Virtual’s Reality By Brian Berk See Page 42

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Drum Workshop’s Drum Day LA Introduces Many New Products, Pays Tribute to Neil Peart Drum Workshop (DW) introduced a plethora of new products across its entire portfolio of brands, offered guest appearances and much more on Feb. 5 during its Drum Day LA 2021 event. “One thing that hasn’t changed is the quality of our drums,” DW chairman Don Lombardi said during a video that was streamed live on YouTube. The event included a look at new Gretsch, Latin Percussion, Pacific Drums and Percussion, and DW products, including the announcement of signature models the company is releasing with Gergo Borlai and Keith Carlock. DW Custom Shop also announced the addition of Purple Core hybrid drum shells to its lineup of customizable shell options. Regarding Purple Core technology, DW senior executive vice president John Good said, “This is a big breakthrough for us. We’ve been searching for a way to make a shell from mostly short-grain veneers for a long time, but wanted it to be something that would stand the test of time. The nature of Purpleheart allows us to do this. With only one horizontal ply throughout the shell, we’ve created a drum with really low frequency, but with all of the attack and presence we wanted. Can’t wait for drummers and engineers to hear it for themselves.” Much of the two-hour Drum Day LA event was led by Good, which culminated in a tour of DW’s Oxnard, Calif., factory. The most touching moment of the factory tour was the end, when Good showed the drum set the late Rush legend Neil Peart used on his last factory tour.

Gibson Launches KRK Kares

Gibson and its charitable arm, Gibson Gives, is launching KRK Kares, a giving initiative that will provide top-performing studio gear to schools and other non-profit organizations to promote learning through music creation using KRK solutions. KRK understands that studio monitors and headphones are some of the most crucial pieces of gear when producing music. In November, KRK shipped 46 ROKIT 5 G4 studio monitors and 46 KNS headphones to Music Has Healing Power. These KRK solutions are to be deployed in Shriner’s Children’s Hospital’s in-house studios, which are currently being built. KRK is also currently working on additional giving opportunities with organizations such as the Ryan Seacrest Foundation and Notes for Notes.

“The bright yellow cones of KRKs are instantly recognizable,” Phillip Gilley, CEO and co-founder at Notes for Notes, said. “When youth walk through the doors of any Notes for Notes studio, they know we have the tools to help them make their music, and they recognize the partners that have supported their dream to do so. We are so grateful for the support of KRK Kares and Gibson Gives, which has helped outfit our N4N studios around the country and believe in our message of ‘Producing Tomorrow’s Musicians.’”

Shure Petitions FCC to Reverse Wireless Microphone Decision

Shure petitioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reverse its recent decision and ensure that at least one “vacant” 6MHz UHF channel is designated in each market for wireless microphone use. The FCC recently terminated the “Vacant Channels” rulemaking that was opened during the 600MHz incentive auction and declined to authorize a dedicated UHF TV channel for wireless microphone use. Shure disagrees with the FCC conclusions and rationale for terminating the proceeding and asked the Commission to reverse the decision. Shure’s petition argues the wireless microphone community needs clear spectrum now more than ever, as the 600MHz band has been reallocated to mobile phone use and the DTV repack has moved many TV stations into the 500MHz spectrum. At the same time, broadcast, performance and sporting productions continue to demand more channels of wireless microphones than ever before. The “alternative” frequencies identified by the FCC in 2017 for wireless microphone use at 900MHz, 1.4GHz, and 7GHz fall far short of addressing the needs of wireless microphone users. These bands do not have the same characteristics and operational flexibility as UHF frequencies.

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

VOLUME 38, NO.3

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35th Annual Music & Sound Award Winners, Manufacturer Division

MI Spy

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Shine a Light

Veddatorial

Also in New York City, Brothers Guitar Shop is a new MI store that opened in Manhattan’s Upper East Side in November.

The Final Note

If Natalie Morrison, PR strategist for D’Addario & Co., could see any musician play, alive or deceased, it would be Amy Winehouse. “I have such a love for her. She is one of my biggest musical influences,” she said.

COVER STORIES

Treasure Troves of Advice from Believe in Music Week

Virtual’s Reality

The Music & Sound Retailer offers coverage of several educational sessions intended to help MI retailers boost sales and productivity.

We ask Believe in Music Week attendees what they thought of NAMM’s virtual trade show.

BUZZ Latest People Products

Dan Vedda recaps Believe in Music Week. “As alternate virtual experiences go, NAMM delivered a better-thanaverage product compared to a lot of the digital reboots I’ve observed,” he wrote.

Martin Seidl, CEO, Austrian Audio and Bryan Bradley, president, Group One Ltd. join us to talk about growing Austrian Audio in the United States, the future of the company, and much more.

MI Spy concludes a tour of the New York City metropolitan area by crowning “the King of Staten Island.” Next month, the Spy moves on to another region.

Imagine if a grocery store decided that each customer must now buy $1,000 in groceries each quarter, and until you hit the $1,000 mark in the first three months, your groceries will cost 15-percent more. Unfortunately, Allen McBroom says this is one of the travails of being an MI retailer.

As part of its 75th anniversary celebration, Fender just announced the launch of its American Acoustasonic Jazzmaster.

COLUMNS In the Trenches

FEATURES Under the Hood

Five Minutes With

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The AMERICAN ACOUSTASONIC JAZZMASTER shown in Ocean Turquoise. Iconic acoustic voicings. Big electric tones. One powerful Blend Knob.

EDITORIAL

Protecting the Hallowed Ground A house of worship, government building, national park, landmark or even a sports stadium may be considered “hallowed ground,” depending on whom you talk to. Well, to me, an MI store is hallowed ground. It is where dreams are born, and even sometimes come to fruition. That’s why I feel, in a time of never-ending outside distractions, the MI store is where people come to get away from it all, and it must continue to be such a refuge. Many retailers are doing a fantastic job of this very thing. When customers are outside your doors, they can talk about politics, COVID-19, the economy or whatever else suits their fancy. But when they enter your doors, the outside world ceases to exist for a short period of time. More and more customers will soon come into your stores for a host of reasons. First, more people are playing instruments due to the pandemic. Second, more and more vaccines are being distributed, meaning people are receiving their second doses and, after a waiting period following said second dose, will likely feel more comfortable leaving their houses. And third, people miss the experience a store provides. Some of your customers have probably not entered your store in a year since COVID-19 first sadly exploded onto the scene. They miss the experience of entering the MI “candy store” and being transported into a new world. I know I greatly miss the experience of entering stores. Sure, I like ordering online, but it’s good to get out of the house. I also realized, as a father of young children, kids are not meant to stay in the house all day. Believe me, I am often reminded of this fact. As more customers enter your store, they should figuratively check everything else at the door and enjoy

the ride. Although economics come into play when buying an instrument, once a customer enters your hallowed ground, their world should be focused on one of the greatest things in life: music, something that has outlived several wars, economic crashes and even pandemics. Music is enjoyable and fun. Yes, it is that simple for the customer. Although I, of course, hope you enjoy this magazine, I am way too modest to call it “hallowed.” However, I do incorporate a similar philosophy of keeping our coverage focused on the joy of making music and the tools that make that possible, rather than dwelling on the world’s many outside distractions. A majority of compliments I receive from readers is that the Music & Sound Retailer leaves the world behind once you open its pages. That is the goal and always will be. Anyone who wants to learn about politics or finance has many options. This publication is not one of them. Our goal is to transport the readers to another place. That is why we include some jokey headlines and end the magazine with a fun, easy-to-digest interview. As the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States now surpasses its one-year anniversary, the Retailer will continue to be the same fun place, but packed with important information for your music retail business, just as it always has been. I hope this magazine allows to you to avoid thinking about the outside world, at least for a few minutes. If so, we have done our jobs.

March 2021 Volume 38 No. 3

THE ALL NEW RADIANT PAR SERIES

BRIAN BERK Editor bberk@testa.com ANTHONY VARGAS Associate Editor avargas@testa.com AMANDA MULLEN Assistant Editor amullen@testa.com DONOVAN BANKHEAD ROBERT CHRISTIE KIMBERLY DEVERELL JEFF KYLE JR.

JANICE PUPELIS Art Director STEVE THORAKOS Production Manager CIRCULATION circulation@testa.com FRED GUMM Digital Art Director

ELLEN LEVITT MICHELLE LOEB WILL MASON ALLEN MCBROOM

ROBERT L. IRAGGI Advertising Director riraggi@testa.com RICKY PIMENTEL Art/Production Assistant rpimentel@testa.com ROBIN HAZAN Operations Manager rhazan@testa.com VINCENT P. TESTA President/Publisher GABRIEL O'BRIEN MIKE & MIRIAM RISKO TIM SPICER DAN VEDDA

Editorial and Sales Office: The Music & Sound Retailer, 25 Willowdale Avenue, Port Washington, New York 11050-3779. Phone: (516) 767-2500 • Fax: (516) 767-9335 • MSREDITOR@TESTA.COM. Editorial contributions should be addressed to The Editor, The Music & Sound Retailer, 25 Willowdale Avenue, Port Washington, New York 11050-3779. Unsolicited manuscripts will be treated with care and must be accompanied by return postage.

CONTACT JMAZ LIGHTING FOR MORE INFO (626) 380-0883 sales@jmazlighting.com www.JMAZLIGHTING www. JMAZLIGHTING.com .com

Sound & Communications • DJ Times • Sound & Communications Blue Book The Music & Sound Retailer • The DJ Expo • IT/AV Report The Retailer Report • Convention TV @ NAMM • InfoCommTV News VTTV Studios The Music & Sound Retailer (ISSN 0894-1238) (USPS 0941-238) is published 12 times a year for $18 (US), by Retailer Publishing, Inc., 25 Willowdale Ave., Port Washington, NY 11050-3779. Periodicals postage paid at Port Washington, N.Y. and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Music & Sound Retailer, PO BOX 1767, LOWELL MA 01853-1767.

MARCH 2021

Charlie Parker – The Complete Scores

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This deluxe hardcover Complete Scores book features note-fornote transcriptions of 40 classic performances for saxophones, trumpet, piano, bass and drums. Songs include: Anthropology • Au Privave • Bird Feathers • Blues for Alice • Chasing the Bird • Ornithology • Steeplechase • Yardbird Suite • and more. A must-own for all Bird fans! 00304599 Keepsake Hardcover ...$60.00

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Bernice Ash Memorial Award Announced

Industry leaders Fred and Dinah Gretsch, Jerry Ash, and members of the Ash Family and The NAMM Foundation have announced the creation of the Bernice Ash Memorial Award. The award honors the life and legacy of Bernice Ash, a music retail visionary who spearheaded the expansion of the Sam Ash family-owned music stores, broadening inventory for the chain across multiple new categories. The idea for the award was led by Fred and Dinah Gretsch, who, to start the fund, offered a donation of $50,000, matched by Jerry Ash and donations from the Ash Family, Larry Morton of Hal Leonard and other industry supporters. Fred Gretsch expressed that the long, shared history between the two families inspired the donation: “Dinah and I have worked in the music business for an amazing 98 years together,” he said. “Bernice and Jerry Ash have that number beaten by a mile. What terrific mentors they are to the Gretsch family and to the music industry as a whole.” Bernice Ash passed away on Dec. 1 at the age of 90. She began working at the Sam Ash Music Store in New York City in 1947, one year before marrying the founder’s eldest son, Jerry. Bernice and Jerry continued the tradition of keeping the retail store in the Ash family. To continue her commitment to excellence within the industry, the award will annually recognize one or two winners each year with a one-time grant in the amount of $5,000 for use in continued college-level or trade-related studies and a travel stipend to attend The NAMM Show in Anaheim, Calif. Recipients will also receive a one-year mentorship through the NAMM Young Professionals organization. To be considered, award applicants must be current employees of a NAMM member company, nominated by that company’s owner or manager, and identified as an up-and-coming industry leader seeking further professional development to enhance their career and service to the industry. The inaugural award application will open on June 15 and close on Sept. 30.

Ron Manus Wins Award

Alfred Music’s Ron Manus was a recipient of NAMM’s annual Believe in Music Award, which recognizes the dedication of individuals and businesses that demonstrate a commitment to music and music-making. Joe Lamond, president and CEO of NAMM, and Dan Del Fiorentino, music historian at NAMM, presented the awards. “Ron’s contributions to our family, to our industry and the Oral History program have been priceless, and we could not be more proud to have him in our family, and us in his family — it’s enriched all of our lives. It’s been fantastic to work with him,” said Lamond. Del Fiorentino added, “Brother Ron has helped us with so many things over the years. His passion is inspiring, and I can look back at the Oral History program as just one example of people like Michael Feinstein and John O’Reilly and so many others that were made possible thanks to Ron.” “I feel truly lucky to receive an award for doing something that I love in an industry that I love,” Manus said of the honor. “My grandfather Sam Manus started Alfred Music in 1922, 99 years ago, and I feel so blessed to be able to continue to be a part of the dream he started. I owe so much to my awesome parents, Morty and Iris, who turned Alfred into an educational powerhouse. And now, with our partnership with MakeMusic, Alfred is once again evolving and writing an exciting new chapter.”

Georgia Southern University Establishes the Fred and Dinah Gretsch School of Music Georgia Southern University established the Fred and Dinah Gretsch School of Music, making it the newest addition to the Gretsch family. The naming of the university’s school of music comes after Fred and Dinah Gretsch pledged substantial funding to the institution in addition to their Gretsch Collection of historic drums, guitars and company archives. While the School of Music will now bear the Gretsch name, the company’s influence will be felt across all Georgia Southern campuses and in several academic departments, the museums and the library. Georgia Southern will be able to catalog and display Gretsch’s storied instruments — a collection estimated to be valued in the millions — that tell a story of musical history, from American jazz to English-born rock to modern worship bands in Australia. Downtown Savannah has already been identified as an exhibit venue for the Gretsch Collection. Georgia Southern is establishing the Fred and Dinah Gretsch School of Music Performance Stage at the Atlantic Building of the new downtown Plant Riverside District. Within that building, exhibit space will highlight Gretsch instruments and storyboards with QR code links to the Gretsch history and legacy. Similar exhibits will be planned at the Georgia Southern Museum in Statesboro, as well as the Fine Arts Hall at the Armstrong Campus, and can be packaged for partner shows around the world. “The generosity and vision of this transformational gift from Fred and Dinah Gretsch is truly a milestone in Georgia Southern’s history; for the university, for the communities we serve and for our school of music,” said Georgia Southern University president Kyle Marrero. “This collaboration with the Gretsch family, the Gretsch Company and its commitment to excellence exemplifies our goal to elevate and further enhance extraordinary programs, like our music program at Georgia Southern.” The Gretsches have long been involved in music education programs, and lending their name and their history to Georgia Southern was an appropriate way to honor the company’s legacy. “We are so very enthusiastic about this partnership. Our vision is that Georgia Southern will be recognized as the very best music school in the Southeast,” said Fred Gretsch. “We are impressed with the university’s dedication to transforming lives and communities, and with their eagerness and ability to appropriately catalog our collection. This collaboration allows us to appropriately honor our company’s influence with many of the icons that are dear to us who have shaped the music industry.” MARCH 2021

PEOPLE

SURE, THERE ARE OTHER PERCUSSION BRANDS. NONE OF THEM ARE LP. THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS.

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GC Appoints Diversity Director

Guitar Center appointed Paul Gimenez to the position of director of diversity, inclusion and belonging. This appointment comes as the result of a months-long search that began last year when the company’s executive team made a commitment to improve its diversity and inclusion efforts both internally and externally within the MI industry. In his new role, Gimenez partners with key stakeholders across the Guitar Center enterprise in order to design, develop and lead the company’s diversity and inclusion initiative and related programs. He also provides strategic advice and counsel to the organization’s senior leadership on diversity-related issues. Gimenez will contribute thought leadership, perspective and vision to create and implement programs that champion Guitar Center’s core diversity and inclusion mission: to cultivate an inclusive organization composed of individuals with diverse backgrounds at all levels, while simultaneously prioritizing diversity of thought and action. “I am happy to announce that, through much care and deliberation, the position has been filled by Paul Gimenez,” said Ron Japinga, Guitar Center president and CEO. “Paul brings a wealth of knowledge and proven experience in developing and executing strategies that drive diversity, equity and inclusion across an ever-evolving landscape. While evaluating the course of action for the position, we discovered that it is just as important for Guitar Center to be a place of belonging for all as it is a workplace that strives to promote and practice diversity and inclusivity. As such, ‘belonging’ was added to the responsibilities of the position and will be another vital component of our diversity and inclusion mission. On behalf of the Management Committee, we are ready to work alongside Paul to launch diversity, inclusion and belonging initiatives that support a positive workspace and workplace for all.”

In Memoriam Thomas C. Walter

A sales and marketing force behind many of the top names in pro audio, Thomas C. Walter passed away on Jan. 16. With a career spanning six decades, Walter was widely recognized for his efforts on behalf of Community, JBL Pro, Sound Advance, Quam and others. Walter was a graduate of the Philadelphia College of Art, where he studied graphic art and illustration, two disciplines that would serve him well along with his communication skills to promote the very best the industry had to offer. An early disciple of Don and Carolyn Davis’ SynAudCon principles, Walter worked tirelessly to improve the professionalism of the industry and took an active role in the objective scientific documentation of loudspeaker performance while working with many audio luminaries. A lover of all genres of music, especially jazz, Walter is survived by Barbara, his wife of 40 years. He will be missed by countless friends and colleagues spanning the globe, who remember him for his quick wit, wry quips, soaring language and a sardonic sense of humor that always MARCH 2021

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LPMUSIC.COM

Mr. Jones and Me

Audient augmented its team with the recent hire of Tim Jones, who provides business development and support for its consoles in the United States. With broad experience working as a staff engineer at Barefoot Recording (formerly Crystal Industries) and freelancing at various Hollywood landmark studios over the years, Jones is comfortable working with the smallest production rooms to sprawling multi-studio facilities. A musician and high-achieving California State University graduate, Jones originally cut his teeth on the Audient console at Fullerton College, where his music education began in earnest. Cementing his relationship with Audient after graduation, he built his own 140-square-meter studio in a converted industrial warehouse, where he writes and produces using his own ASP4816. As such, Jones is perfectly placed to help other studio owners find the right Audient console for them. “I am honored to help build the brand that has been an integral part of my workflow as a producer/engineer,” Jones said.

expressed the truth regardless of whether it was uncomfortable or not. “Thomas was supremely knowledgeable when it came to audio and acoustics technology,” former longtime business partner and good friend John T. Wiggins remarked upon hearing of Walter’s passing. “He truly understood how things worked and fit together synergistically. He was a critical thinker, visionary, and mentor who brought color and life to even the most bureaucratic companies. His inner voice was much more real than anything in the material world. He made me laugh every day, and I, like so many others, will miss him dearly.”

Frank Hackinson

Pioneering music publisher Frank Hackinson passed away on Feb. 6. He was 93 years old. Hackinson received the Music Publisher Association’s Lifetime Achievement award in 2012. He began his career in music publishing working for Charlie Hansen in New York. Hackinson learned so much from Hansen, who himself pioneered many practices still commonly used in the industry today. Hackinson kept his eye on the quality of products and on producing meaningful publications for music teachers and students. And music education was always a main focus for Hackinson and his own company, FJH Music Co. Inc. MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

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Robert Rivera

In Memoriam

Odyssey Innovative Designs announced the passing of longtime Odyssey employee Robert Rivera due to COVID-19. Rivera began his career in the early 1990s in retail operations at a record store in Los Angeles owned by John Hsiao, who would eventually launch Odyssey Cases with Mario Montano. Rivera had a passion for vinyl records and the growth of the DJ movement, moonlighting as a mobile DJ playing weddings and events. In 2000, he joined Odyssey as an operations generalist, where he was able to find a professional career that aligned with his love for the DJ community. Between sales, product management, supply chain and customer success, Rivera found a home for the next two decades, becoming a staple at Odyssey alongside co-founders/owners Hsiao and Montano. In late-December 2020, Rivera began experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, at which point he was permanently working remotely from home. His symptoms progressively became worse over the next several weeks, and on Feb. 9, he sadly lost his battle with the virus. Rivera was 47, and is survived by his sister-in-law and nephew, having tragically lost his parents and his only brother in years past. “We are completely devastated and heartbroken over the loss of our dear friend, colleague and brother, Rob Rivera. As our Odyssey family mourns, along with our community, we’re comforted knowing that Rob is resting peacefully, and has made us all better people for having known him,” said Montano and Hsiao.

Henry Goldrich

Henr y Goldrich, owner of Manny’s Music in New York City, passed away on Feb. 17. In his time in the MI industr y, Goldrich saw it all. Playing a vital role in Manny’s world-renowned reputation, Goldrich expanded the store’s product line and promoted up-and-coming innovations, which created a strong celebrity customer base. He related stories of selling guitars and accessories to icons such as Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan, as well as hosting instore clinics with the likes of Buddy Rich and Paul Simon. Goldrich’s passion, passed down to his children, was a source of inspiration to many of his employees, who have gone on to other careers in the music industr y, keeping his legacy alive.

PEOPLE

Colleen Summerhays

Colleen Summerhays of Summerhays Music in Utah passed away in February. During her 2009 NAMM Oral History interview, Summerhays recalled the day in 1940 when she walked into a local music store to inquire about a clerical position. She met the owner, her future husband, Hy Summerhays, who had opened the retail shop just four years earlier. The young couple got married and worked together during the difficult years after World War II, when

Stan Lindenbaum Stan Lindenbaum passed away from COVID-19 in December at the age of 93. He was just 19 years old when he went to Chicago for the first time to attend The NAMM Show, and he bought his first suit for the occasion. This first show for Lindenbaum was also the first show for NAMM following World War II in 1946. The eager and passionate attendees of that ver y historic show, including young Lindenbaum, were a key factor in the rebuilding of not only NAMM but the music industr y, stated NAMM’s Dan Del Fiorentino. “The excitement and success of that show marked the beginning of the reconstruction of the music products industr y, which not only suffered during the war but also through the Great Depression in the years just prior. In 1946, people were ready to make music again, and the industr y responded with innovative products and a boom in music stores that popped up from coast to coast,” he said. Del Fiorentino continued, “Stan grew up in Brooklyn and developed many thoughts and ideas about selling. While working for several different industries during his career, Stan studied the idea of incentive marketing, a concept that worked out well for him in his years in the music industr y. He worked for the Thomas Organ Co. just as the designer, George Thomas, signed a deal to have the instruments made. Stan later worked in the consumer electronics industr y before returning to MI as a regional manager for North American Music selling acoustic pianos.”

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instruments such as the piano were very difficult to obtain. Summerhays reminisced about her husband traveling to nearby states to buy used pianos and bring them back to Utah where the market was beginning to flourish as soldiers returned home to marry and start their families. Her passion and dedication to her family and community made Summerhays an inspiration both within the music industry and in her community.

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Take It to the Bank

The Music People, a division of Jam Industries USA LLC, introduced its PS1000 Rechargeable Pedal Power Bank. It allows players to fire up their pedalboard anywhere without the inconvenience of running an extension cord or finding an outlet. The Pedal Power Bank also provides the freedom to use pedals with a battery-powered amp outdoors. It avoids the buzz and hum caused by grounding issues in a venue or home. Several pedals or an entire small pedalboard can be powered using the PS1000 thanks to the included daisy chains, so there’s no need for individual adapters. The compact enclosure can be unobtrusively mounted under a pedalboard. An LED battery-life indicator light ensures players never run out of charge, and a built-in flashlight illuminates the work area during setup and tear down. Two nine-volt outputs power guitar pedals with the two included two-plug daisy chain cables. Daisy chains that offer more plugs, such as the On-Stage PSA800, may also be used to power even more pedals. A five-volt USB output powers mobile devices, and a micro-USB charging cable is included. Battery life varies depending on the total current draw being used. When at maximum current draw, the board boasts six hours (one nine-volt output), three hours (two nine-volt outputs) or one hour (two nine-volt outputs plus fivevolt output). Most applications will use less than maximum power consumption, increasing battery life. Full recharging time takes five hours. The PS1000 measures 5.8 inches by 2.6 inches by 0.7 inches and comes complete with a micro-USB cable and two daisy chains. musicpeopleinc.com

FLEX Appeal

CHAUVET DJ knows sturdy, flexible stands are the backbone of any lighting toolchest, and according to the company, its new FLEXstand defines strength, durability and flexibility. FLEXstand is a multi-purpose, telescoping stand that safely supports both lighting and audio gear. It has different pole diameters to accommodate various clamps, and the pole tapers into a speaker mount on top. A trigger-style safety release allows the pole to descend safely, and setup and tear down is easy without the need for any tools. The threaded pole can be inserted into multiple positions for different applications. The cast-iron base includes rubber feet that won’t scratch delicate floors. chauvetdj.com

Shock the Monkey

Gator Frameworks released two new universal studio mic shockmounts to save content creators’ recordings from unwanted noise caused by micstand vibrations and accidental nudges during takes. The GFW-MIC-SM4248 fits large condenser-mic diameters ranging in size from 42 to 48mm, while the larger GFW-MICSM5560 accommodates mics 55 to 60mm in diameter. A soft, EVA foam-lined interior ring gently grips the mic, keeping it secured during sessions. The stand adapter on both models features an angle-adjustment knob and allows end users to connect the shockmounts to most mic stands on the market. According to the company, the universal shockmounts are handy in professional podcast, broadcast and radio applications, where maintaining clear spoken audio is a must. gatorcases.com

Get Ripped

Electro-Harmonix has unveiled the Ripped Speaker, a fuzz pedal that pays homage to one of the ways early distorted guitar and bass sounds were made. At low-fuzz settings, the Ripped Speaker emulates the lo-fi distortion sounds of yesteryear, the kind of sounds created by a razor blade applied to a speaker cone, a loose tube or a faulty channel on a recording console. With the Fuzz knob dialed up, the sound is transformed, and the pedal delivers a modern, fully saturated, searing tone. Its Rip knob is a bias adjustment that sets the amount of clipping at the top and bottom of the signal. As the knob is turned clockwise, the pedal produces a hard gating effect, and the signal sputters before the gating fully engages. It’s ideal for emulating a dying battery effect, stated the company. Turning the knob counter-clockwise produces a smoother gating effect where the signal fades out quickly. The Tone knob is an active control providing a tilt-shift-type EQ. That means at “noon,” the EQ is flat. As a user turns the knob counter-clockwise, the bass frequencies are boosted and the treble is cut. Going clockwise boosts the treble frequencies and cuts the bass. The Ripped Speaker features true bypass switching, comes equipped with a nine-volt battery and accepts a standard EHX nine-volt power supply. ehx.com MARCH 2021

I Believe in Music... And the people who bring music to the world. For a decade, I’ve talked weekly to stunningly gifted and brilliant music creators. The music that inspires, challenges, enlightens, educates, marks our history and brings us together. Thank the Lord!

Believe in Music Week? Oh hell yeah! It’s awesome!

Herb Trawick Executive Producer/Co-Host at Pensados Place

namm.org/believe Don’t Stop Believing! • Select content is available on NAMM.org Learn more at namm.org/believe

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Top of the Charts

Taylor Swift brought some much-appreciated joy to 2020 for her millions of fans thanks to not one, but two surprise album releases. She released “Folklore” in July, and then a five months later in December, she released its companion recording, “Evermore.” With these two releases, Swift became one of the rare artists to score two No. 1 albums in the same year and the only woman to ever have albums sitting in the first and second spots at the same time on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart. In a year where not much of anything was selling, Swift sold more than one million copies of “Folklore” to date, and “Evermore” has already sold over 300,000 copies in its first weeks out. Hal Leonard announced that both Piano/Vocal/ Guitar and Easy Piano editions of “Evermore” are already available thanks to the dedicated work of their top transcribers, editors, and printing crews. The books include matching artwork to the albums and all 17 songs, including the initial chart-topping single “Willow.” Both editions include complete lyrics for all the songs as well. halleonard.com

Man Up

Hughes & Kettner’s AmpMan series of compact pedal amps feature all-analog Spirit Tone Generator technology. AmpMan Classic’s two channels cover everything from vintage clean to classic rock tone with authority and assertiveness. AmpMan Modern’s two channels sweep across a wide tonal range from “pristine clean” to girthy high-gain and grinding metal sounds. Designed to fit into every gig bag, the new AmpMan models offer a wealth of premium features and a muscular 50-watt power amp in a compact chassis. Engineered specifically for pedal compatibility, these fully-fledged guitar amps play nice with every breed of effects device, stated the company. A sensitive input stage like that of a classic tube amp lets old-school stompboxes shine, and a modern switchable effects loop provides a professional-grade interface for reverb and delay units. The latest version of Hughes & Kettner’s cabinet emulator, the RED BOX AE+, is also onboard to transform the hassles of onstage mic’ing and silent recording into an exercise in convenience and an experience in glorious direct sound. There are eight ultra-realistic, zero-latency cabinet models to choose from, and users can opt for outboard IR filters. yorkville.com

Excel With Exile

Dean Guitars reaches the “next level” with the introduction of the Exile Select Floyd Fluence Black Satin. It is equipped with a set of Fishman Fluence Modern Series pickups that enable the player to add additional sounds utilizing dual modes through a push-pull tone knob. Along with its sleek and stylish all-black finish and hardware, the Exile Select Floyd Fluence Black Satin is designed to bring the most out of end user playing and performance. The Exile Select Floyd Fluence Black Satin represents the latest addition to Dean’s revamped Exile Select Series, introduced nearly one year ago with high-performance players in mind. Dean balances the guitar with an alder body and top, providing a good balance of low, mid and high frequencies. Meanwhile, the arm contour improves playing comfort, while a Black Satin finish, a new addition to the Exile Select Series, is the coat of choice. The three-piece maple neck is a bolt-on with dual-action truss rod. The Slim D neck offers a thin profile that’s preferred among shredders, but with enough roundness so players won’t shred their hand on the edges, the company stated. The sleek ebony fingerboard (16-inch radius) offers 24 jumbo frets with discrete pearled small offset dot inlays. deanguitars.com

XPND Some Energy

D’Addario introduced XPND, a telescoping pedalboard. With its patented telescoping technology, XPND lets end users instantly change the size of their board and the number of pedals, expanding sonic potential and creating a board that continually adapts to one’s needs. XPND features a unique cable-management system with aircraft-quality rails that easily adjust in and out. XPND is also fitted with hook-and-loop fastener tape, keeping everything neat while making swapping pedals super easy, the company stated.  Available in one or two-row configurations, these two models cover the size capabilities of more than a dozen comparable products. Boards will also come unassembled for shipping efficiency, taking up less space, all in a visually distinctive package that can be transformed into a striking display at the point of purchase, stated the company. The XPND product line will also include an optional Pedal Riser, allowing the player to elevate individual pedals that may be hard to access, and premium-quality, optional Backline XPND Pedalboard Transporter bags for both models. The transporter bag will adapt quickly to any size pedalboard, with customizable partitions that easily adjust to create a uniquely snug and secure fit. daddario.com MARCH 2021

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TREASURE TROVES OF ADVICE FROM BELIEVE IN MUSIC WEEK

THE MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER OFFERS COVERAGE OF SEVERAL EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS INTENDED TO HELP MI RETAILERS BOOST SALES AND PRODUCTIVITY

By Amanda Mullen, Anthony Vargas and Brian Berk Just because The NAMM Show was virtual this year did not mean there was any lack of actionable advice for MI retailers. Last month, we covered some Believe in Music Week educational sessions. This month, we offer many more insights from Believe in Music Week that might help to improve your business.

Defining Company Culture Let’s start with AMRO Music President CJ Averwater, who presented “How to Systematically Improve Your Customer Experience” on Thursday, Jan. 21. This session was dedicated to the importance of establishing a strong company culture in order to improve the customer experience at your retail business. According to Averwater, Amro Music saw a noticeable improvement in its customer reviews after he and his leadership team undertook deliberate efforts to codify and enforce their business culture. Averwater began this session by discussing what we mean when we discuss the “culture” of a business. “There’s a business leader here in town that defines culture as ‘the boss when the boss is not around,’” Averwater said. “Culture is the compass that guides our decisions. It’s the metric that we use to hire people. It guides our daily interactions with our team and our customers. It’s really who we are as a company.” Averwater first decided to really focus on his company’s culture and its impact on the customer experience after he read “The Amazement Revolution” by Shep Hyken. “The Amazement Revolution” features several case studies about what real companies are doing to create amazing customer experiences. 18

MARCH 2021

Averwater considered Hyken’s book so insightful that he instituted a company-wide book club for employees to read the book and discuss how they could apply some of the ideas it contained to Amro’s business practices. Later on, Averwater attended a presentation by David Friedman, author of “Culture by Design,” in which Friedman offered a framework for defining culture through behaviors, rather than values. This inspired Averwater to think of his company culture less in terms of lofty ideals he and his employees aspire to and more in terms of concrete behaviors that embody those ideals. Averwater explained that “Values are conceptual, and they can mean different things to different people,” whereas when it comes to a behavior, either you do it or you don’t. Averwater offered the example of a value like “do good” vs. a behavior like “solve problems with urgency.” In the former case, what it means to “do good” can mean different things to different people, and if someone asked a supervisor to observe an employee and say whether they “did good,” that is clearly open to interpretation. However, the latter concept, “solve problems with urgency” is much less open to interpretation. “If you get an angry customer on the phone, you either call them back with a solution in an hour, or you call them back in three or four days,” Averwater said. In that sense, either you solved the problem with urgency, or you didn’t. Inspired by the work of Hyken and Friedman, Averwater decided that Amro Music needed to codify its company culture into a list of behaviors that, if followed, would ensure that the company’s ideals are upheld in all customer interactions. “Our culture has always been good. But I felt like it was important that we define it in specific, measurable terms,” Averwater said. “We can’t expect our team to live up to our culture if we haven’t defined it.” Averwater pulled his management team together and MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

"OUR CULTURE HAS ALWAYS BEEN GOOD. BUT I FELT LIKE IT WAS IMPORTANT WE DEFINE IT IN SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE TERMS." —CJ AVERWATER

THANK YOU FOR VOTING THE K SWEET CYMBAL PACK AS THE BEST CYMBALS OF 2020, AND FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT.

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asked them to come up with some “behaviors we aspire to as a company.” They went to their individual store teams and came back with 50 or 60 ideas. Those ideas were then refined down to “23 core behaviors that make us who we are today,” Averwater said. Averwater had these 23 behaviors printed on an oversized poster, and at the next all-team meeting, all of his employees signed the poster; he said there were two reasons for this: “One, to symbolize that they were the group that created these fundamentals that would guide us for years to come. The second reason was that it was a pledge, it was a commitment to each other that we were going to live these fundamentals each day.” Averwater then offered the following lessons for establishing a company culture that he learned from this process: 1. Be intentional. Don’t just leave your company’s culture up to chance; be intentional with how you establish and uphold your principles. 2. Create buy-in from your entire team. “One of the easiest ways to do this is to involve them in the process early on,” Averwater said. ”They have to be a part of the process. […] Otherwise they’re just going to see it as another initiative that management is pushing on [them].” 3. Provide absolute clarity. “Don’t leave any room for interpretation. […] It’s a yes or no, pass or fail type of thing,” Averwater said. 4. Accountability. “Once you’ve come up with something, it’s important that everyone holds themselves accountable to it, and to each other. We have to commit to having the tough conversations when people fall short of these expectations,” Averwater said. 5. Incorporate it into your regular routine. Averwater offered some examples from his own business: At each weekly meeting, an Amro Music team member will recite the “Fundamental of the Week” (selected from the company’s list of 23), and the team will spend some time discussing it. In addition, each internal company email sent during the week automatically has the “Fundamental of the Week” included below the signature. Averwater also mentioned the importance of finding ways to recognize employees who go above and beyond in embodying your fundamentals.

The Good and Bad of How the Pandemic Has Changed MI Retail Less people in the store, increased dollar size of transactions and a huge explosion of online sales are the major changes Melissa Ceo, business development manager for C.A. House Music, has seen since the COVID-19 pandemic began, she stated during “NAMM YP: Lessons Learned and Moving Forward From the Pandemic.” C.A. House Music, which has four locations in Ohio and West Virginia, has been forced to make several changes, she added during the NAMM Believe in Music Week session. “When we were shut down, we went to curbside sales and delivery,” she said. “We were able to reopen in six weeks, but we still have curbside and delivery.” Regarding online sales, Ceo said Reverb sales have increased tremendously to the point where before, she could ship all online orders herself. Now, the retailer needs a plan to make those shipments. “The pandemic is so difficult, but it has shrunk the country,” stated Ceo. “We have seen sales come from places we have never seen before, like the west coast. Customer acquisition used to be expensive, but that has changed.” Another boon to C.A. House Music’s sales is that old inventory is now selling quickly, unlike ever before, because new products are simply not available to customers, said Ceo. MARCH 2021

However, C.A. House Music’s business development manager acknowledged these positive trends all pertain to combo sales. Band and orchestra (B&O) sales are a different story. Jeremy McQueary, president of Indianapolis-based Paige’s Music, said B&O business has not been as stellar. “There is no shortage of instruments. There are not as many kids starting out [in music],” he said. “And B&O sales are different online, so we have had to double down on customer service. 2020 was not stellar, but could have been much worse.” Jeremy Payne, brand director and national accounts manager at The Music People, added he has been “really proud of retail. It has rebounded so well.” But with live music nonexistent, production professionals are hurting badly, so only some segments of MI are doing well. In the future, the pandemic will change some things for good, relayed McQueary. This will likely include fewer largescale in-person events, as people will not immediately be comfortable around a large group of people. Virtual instrument rental nights are another thing that are likely here to stay. This may not be a positive for sales, McQueary said, as retailers are used to having contracts signed on these rental nights, which often take place in January. Now, he expects these monies to come in several months later in the year. Ceo noted that addressing safety in schools is going to be another thing MI retailers must prepare for in the future. For example, she pointed out that the state of West Virginia is mandating bell covers. This will change C.A. House Music’s inventory, but could also allow for additional sales, she said. Lastly, the three panelists were asked what they would tell themselves 12 months ago if they knew the pandemic was coming. “I would go to a desert island and drink margaritas,” responded Ceo, to which Payne responded he would buy every hard-to-find pro-audio product, resell them, buy a desert island with the proceeds and drink any libation of his choice. On a more serious note, Ceo answered that she would have utilized MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

C.A. House Music’s staff more to advance long-term projects. “Much like Melissa said, people are our greatest resource,” Payne agreed. “I would utilize all people inside and outside the organization.” “I would have taken action sooner,” concluded McQueary.

Highlights From “Tech Tips for Virtual Music Lessons” In “Tech Tips for Virtual Music Lessons,” presenter Fernando

Jones offered practical tips for beginners who are looking to start a virtual music lessons program. This session took place on Jan. 21. Jones is the founder of Blues Kids of America and Blues Camp, Blues Ensemble director at Columbia College Chicago, and an international recording artist with a wealth of experience teaching virtual music lessons. During this session, Jones broke his virtual lesson

tips into three categories: Technology, Presentation Prep and Production. Here are some key points from his presentation: 1. Technology When it comes to choosing a device for creating video content, a desktop equipped with a dedicated webcam should be your first choice, followed by a laptop or tablet. Avoid relying on a cell phone for video if you can. Make sure your internet con-

Thank you dealers. We’re looking forward to putting the boom back in the room with you very soon. Here’s to a great 2021!

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"COMPANIES ABLE TO ADJUST AND SPEAK TO THEIR AUDIENCES AUTHENTICALLY ON SOCIAL MEDIA WERE IN A UNIQUE POSITION TO FIND SUCCESS." —MALLORY NEES

nection is as stable as possible, particularly when it comes to live video. If possible, use a hardwired Ethernet connection instead of relying on Wi-Fi. A hardwired connection will be more stable than a wireless connection, which will prevent your video from appearing jittery, and it will be much less likely that the connection will drop. 2. Presentation Prep You may want to choose a signature look or outfit for when you record your videos. (Jones gave the example of one of his favorite television personalities, Rachel Maddow, who almost always wears simple black blazers, which conveys consistency and a businesslike approach to being on camera. Similarly, when Mr. Rogers put on a sweater, you knew it was time for him to start the show.) Although you may be tempted to dress flashy in order to stand out, avoid wearing outfits that will distract the viewer and take away from your subject matter. According to Jones, “Your backdrop setting is equally as important as your face. It is a partner to your face and the information that you are delivering. So you don’t want to have a backdrop that will upstage what you are talking about.” Jones added, “You don’t want to be talking about major chords and minor chords, and your student is too busy reading the 12 posters that you have in the back. And when you ask them if they understand, they say ‘Oh, I see The Doors played the Fillmore East. What year was that?’” Jones weighed the pros and cons of three common video background choices. A plain white background makes the subject of the video “pop,” allowing for clearer, more detailed shots (for example, a white background would be a good choice for a teacher who is playing an instrument on camera). A green screen allows for more effective use of virtual backgrounds. And a plain black background creates what Jones calls “the Charlie Rose effect,” which adds a feel of seriousness and professionalism. Lighting is extremely important for capturing video. A common ring light positioned behind the camera is an easy lighting solution for most video applications, including virtual music lessons. If you don’t have a ring light, a typical table lamp placed behind the camera will suffice. 3. Production You can build your own virtual lessons studio using your desktop or laptop computer, a webcam with a built-in mic (or a separate, dedicated mic), a set of speakers or monitors, and a pair of headphones or earbuds (which are important to use for music lessons and other video chat applications where the participants need to really focus in on the audio and avoid any feedback). Remember to make sure your camera is at eye level and that you focus on it when recording. For virtual music lessons or songwriting classes, you may want to use a DAW (digital audio workstation), teaching app or other software. If possible, all participants should use the same software. GarageBand is a common solution for Mac users, and there are other programs like Pro Tools that can be used for other platforms.

Five Ways to Improve Your Social Media Strategy If you’re operating a business in the year 2021, one thing is certain: You need to be on social media. Gone are the days of doing the bare minimum when maintaining an online presence; with the COVID-19 pandemic limiting companies’ means of connecting with their customers, leveraging social media to reach your audience is more critical than ever. That’s something Reverb social media strategist, Mallory Nees, emphasized during her “Social Media in 2021: 5 Ways Your Strategy Must Evolve” education session at NAMM’s Believe in Music Week. Nees also underscored the need to evolve alongside the internet’s popular platforms. Read on to learn her five tips for boosting your social strategy in the coming year, even as the way consumers use the internet continues to shift. 1. Assess Which Channels You’re Using One of the first tips Nees offered during her Believe in Music Week session was 22

MARCH 2021

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

to their audiences authentically on social media were in a unique position to find success,” she explained, adding that this “will remain true in 2021.” A big part of maintaining authenticity with your audience involves being relatable, and unfortunately, there is sometimes a gap between “what consumers want and what marketers think consumers want,” Nees said. Oftentimes, going overboard with memes

and pop-culture references isn’t as effective as simply offering basic interaction. 5. Diversify Your Profiles Companies hoping to reach new audiences must put effort into diversifying their social media profiles, making them more accessible to consumers from all backgrounds. “Representation matters, and especially in our industry, it’s important to remind ourselves that music-makers are as diverse as

music itself,” Nees explained. Of course, this means showing social media users content that they can see themselves in. “People are much more likely to engage with you on social media if they see themselves and their interests represented on your page,” Nees said. “So, if you want to keep growing your brand, it’s your responsibility to set the table and make sure new faces feel comfortable when they arrive.”

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for companies to give some thought to the social media platforms they’re expending time and money on. There’s no shortage of social media sites these days, but according to Nees, attempting to juggle all of them “might not be sustainable or fruitful.” Instead, she suggested evaluating the pros and cons of the platforms your company uses, and reviewing that information to determine where your efforts will be most effective. 2. Leave Your Comfort Zone Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube are the four social media sites most companies have been using for years, but Nees advised retailers and manufacturers to “explore new horizons” online. There are several platforms gaining in popularity, and businesses shouldn’t let fear of the unknown prevent them from signing up and reaching new audiences. Nees outlined the four upand-coming social networks businesses should have on their radars (and maybe even experiment with before they really blow up): Pinterest, TikTok, LinkedIn and Twitch. 3. Don’t Fight the Algorithm When it comes to everchanging social algorithms, business owners and marketing managers may be tempted to push against the current. Nees, however, urged them to go along with it, advising, “Don’t fight the algorithm.” “Each platform has their own specific algorithms, but there are a few universalities that really do apply everywhere,” she explained. “And once you figure out how to work within that box, you might find that the algorithms actually work for you.” Nees offered some overall tips for keeping up with the algorithms on most social media platforms, including using live video, avoiding clickbait and interacting more. 4. Be Authentic With Your Followers As Nees pointed out during her session, the past year has been particularly difficult given the increased stress and isolation created by COVID-19. “Companies that were able to adjust and find ways to speak

U N DER T H E HOOD

Fender’s American Acoustasonic Jazzmaster By Brian Berk Fender Musical Instrument Corp., in coordination with the company’s 75th anniversary this year, is going back to the 1960s for a reissue of one of its classic models — with a lot of modern enhancements, of course. Fender on March 16 announced the launch of its American Acoustasonic Jazzmaster, which the company states is the brand’s “most sonically diverse guitar to date.” Launched in the ‘60s, the original Jazzmaster guitar model was one of Fender’s first body shapes and was a hit with end users thanks to its tremolo string system — an arched string system that makes acoustic sounds louder — which many in MI called original and groundbreaking at the time. Now considered an iconic guitar by many artists, the design has been refined for more than 60 years to create the American Acoustasonic Jazzmaster, which features Fender’s most versatile, modern and ground-breaking technology, the company stated. The American Acoustasonic Jazzmaster’s appeal is its ability to sound like 10 different Fender guitars: five acoustic, five electric and any combination in between, all accessed via a single Blend knob. The technology to deliver these sounds took five years of research and development from Fender, which developed many new features, including an acoustic engine, ergonomic nuances to enhance playability, hybrid tone options and new colorways that are exclusive to this model. “The Jazzmaster has amassed an avid following for the past 63 years with artists like

MARCH 2021

J Mascis, Troy Van Leeuwen, Nils Lofgren and Kevin Shields using it as their guitar of choice on stage and in the studio,” Andy Mooney, CEO of Fender, told the Music & Sound Retailer. “Since 2019, our American Acoustasonic Telecaster and Stratocaster guitars have opened up new sonic possibilities for players, and this time, we wanted to get Fender offset lovers in on the fun.” He added, “The Jazzmaster model is unlike any other Acoustasonic instrument we’ve released, because it unlocks all-new tones uniquely voiced for the instrument. As more players get their hands on this guitar, we can’t wait to see what soundscapes they discover and create.” The Acoustasonic Jazzmaster is the latest example of Fender’s sonic innovation breathing new life into one of its most iconic guitars, joining the American Acoustasonic Stratocaster and American Acoustasonic Telecaster. New features exclusive to the American Acoustasonic Jazzmaster model include: • A larger body shape that sends more acoustic information to the processor to create the “warmest and most natural tone” Fender has ever offered. • A Tim Shaw-designed humbucking pickup that provides the most high-powered Acoustasonic electric sound to date and complements its acoustic models • Four new acoustic voicings that use the unique resonance of the offset body to produce new unique tones ranging from the booming lows of the country music classic jumbo body shape, to the precise, studio-ready sound of a Triple O. Features available on the Jazzmaster, as well as the entire Acoustasonic family, include a Blend knob that allows access to infinite new tones never heard before in a single instrument. “A few turns toward the right, and you can dial in the rich acoustic tones of Joni

Mitchell’s early albums. A few turns toward the left, and you arrive at the raucous feedback of Thurston Moore and Sonic Youth, as well as everything in between,” stated Fender.

And all Acoustasonic models also feature a car ved neck heel that gives players easier access to the higher frets, which is a direct response to feedback from the Fender artist community.

Editor’s note: For an in-depth look at Fender’s 75th anniversary, check out a special story that will appear in the April issue of the Music & Sound Retailer.

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THE 35TH MUSIC & SOUND AWARDS, MANUFACTURER

Lifetime Achievement/Hall of Fame

Best Cabled Microphone of 2020

Best Mixer/Console of 2020

Best Effect Pedal of 2020

Best Lighting Product of 2020

Best Accessory Product of 2020

Best Percussion Accessory of 2020

2020 Outstanding Community Service Award

Best Strings of 2020

2020 Outstanding MI Service Provider

Best Non-Guitar Fretted Instrument of 2020

Best App/Website of 2020

Best Acoustic Drum Product of 2020

Best Book/Video/Software of 2020

2020 Manufacturer of the Year

Best DJ Product of 2020

Best Bag/Case of 2020

Best Electric Guitar of 2020

Best Speaker of 2020

Best Cymbals of 2020

MARCH 2021

DIVISION, WINNERS This year’s Music & Sound Awards, Manufacturer Division, featured many highlights. Among these are four wins for Shure, including Product of the Year for its SLX-D, Manufacturer of the Year and a Lifetime Achievement/Hall of Fame award for the recently departed Mark Brunner. Another big winner was Roland/BOSS, which took home three awards. And on the service side of things, D’Addario won the Outstanding Community Service Award for the eighth straight year, while Reverb won the Outstanding MI Service Provider award for the third straight year. Congratulations to all of the winners, and thanks to our readers for casting your votes! Best Keyboard/Sound Module of 2020

Best Electronic Drum Product of 2020

THE BEST OF 2020 Acoustic Guitar Taylor Guitars Builder’s Edition 324ce

Bass Guitar Fender 60th Anniversary Roadworn ‘60s Jazz Bass, 3-Color Sunburst Electric Guitar PRS S2 McCarty 594 Guitar Accessory Peterson Strobe Tuners StroboStomp HD Effect Pedal BOSS RC-500 Loop Station Non-Guitar Fretted Instrument Fender Billie Eilish Signature Ukulele Strings Ernie Ball 2224 Turbo Slinky Nickel Wound Electric Guitar Strings Band & Orchestra Product Yamaha YDS-150 Digital Saxophone

Best Multitrack Recorder of 2020

Best Band & Orchestra Product of 2020

Keyboard/Sound Module Roland RD-88 Amplifier Supro Blues King 10 Speaker QSC KS118 Mixer/Console Avid S1 Multitrack Recorder PreSonus Audio Electronics Quantum 2626 Acoustic Drum Product TAMA Limited Edition STAR Mahogany Kit Electronic Drum Product Roland V-Drums Acoustic Design Best Guitar Accessory of 2020

Cymbals K Zildjian Sweet Cymbal Pack

Best Amplifier of 2020

Percussion Accessory Zildjian Chroma 4 for 3 Drumstick Value Pack 5A: Assorted Colors Wireless System Shure SLX-D

Cabled Microphone Audio-Technica AT2020V Lighting Product CHAUVET DJ GigBAR Move DJ Product Pioneer DJ CDJ-3000 Bag/Case Gator Guitar Closet Bag Series Book/Video/Software Alfred Music Flex Series Accessory Product D’Addario & Co. Mic Stand Accessory System App/Website Fishman Transducers; fishman.com

Best Bass Guitar of 2020

Best Acoustic Guitar of 2020

2020 Outstanding MI Service Provider Reverb 2020 Product of the Year Shure SLX-D 2020 Rep of the Year Frank J. Gutwein, Yamaha 2020 Outstanding Community Service Award D’Addario & Co. 2020 Manufacturer of the Year Shure Lifetime Achievement/Hall of Fame Mark Brunner, Shure (posthumous)

Best Wireless System of 2020 2020 Product of the Year

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

2020 Rep of the Year

FI V E M INUTE S W ITH

Martin Seidl

CEO, Austrian Audio

Bryan Bradley President, Group One Ltd.

MARCH 2021

By Brian Berk On Sept. 2, Austrian Audio, a Vienna, Austria-based pro audio manufacturer, announced that Group One Ltd. would be its exclusive U.S. distributor. “We are confident that Group One’s experience, enthusiasm and reach into the market will enable us to take Austrian Audio to the next level of growth in the U.S.” Martin Seidl, CEO of Austrian Audio, said of the new partnership in September. “My team and I are looking forward to working with Group One very much, and I anticipate this to be a successful relationship for both companies.” The Music & Sound Retailer talked with Seidl and Bryan Bradley, president of Group One, about the history of the Austrian Audio brand, how they plan to grow the business in the United States, plus much more; Austrian Audio has already been nominated for Music & Sound Awards the past two years, so perhaps the four-year-old brand is well on its way. For this discussion, Seidl joined us from Austria, while Bradley conversed with us from California. For a Zoom version of this interview, visit msr.io/austrian-audio-us-growth-plan.

The Retailer: You already have a flagship product. In fact, you have been nominated for two Music & Sound Awards. Tell us about your flagship OC818 product and why it is cool. Seidl: I refer to Austrian Audio being a startup company with more than 350 years of experience. That is rare. Our flagship recording product is a large-condenser mic. We started from scratch. We started by developing the heart and soul of a microphone; what a microphone should be. After more than a year, a beautiful largecondenser capsule was coming to light. We all know the heritage sound of the ‘60s and ‘70s: a capsule that produces this warmth and a smooth high end. The capsule is the heart of our 818, [which] has a housing made of ceramic. What is the great thing about ceramic? It has this specific weight of the old brass capsules. But it is easier to manufacture, and the quality can be granted continuously. The other advantage: It is non-electric leading material. It is an isolator. So, all the electric problems you had in the good old microphone days are not a problem. So, it is leaning toward a more traditional sound, but in a modern way. The other thing we thought: What can you do to improve a largediaphragm mic? Austrian Audio will not make me-too products. We wanted to have this analog traditional sound. It is a pure acoustic microphone using the best materials in class, utilizing what we call open acoustic technology, so the largest possible cage. We have a diffuser in the microphone above the electronics, so you do not even have reflections inside the microphone body. We absorbed this to create the best possible free-field acoustic, which is the most wanted MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

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The Music & Sound Retailer: Martin, let’s start with why you began your company and what Austrian Audio is all about. Martin Seidl: I get questioned often about how crazy it is to create a company in this environment. But I think the history explains a lot. I have spent more than 25 years in the pro-audio industry. I have been with some large companies in the industry, including a wellknown microphone and headphone name that comes from Austria and has a heritage of 70-plus years. But things change. This company was going more in an automotive direction. The headquarters, here in Vienna, where the whole research and development, product management and basically where everything was based out of, was closed in 2017. I myself spent 16 years at Harman. I knew the people there, including the research and development team. It is a great team. They were the heart and soul of the company and offered a lot of expertise. So, the idea came up: Why don’t we regroup with the R&D team in Vienna and form something new, while clinging to the heritage and expertise of analog and high-end acoustic, and combine with a more modern approach [and] modern workflow? And that was the birth of Austrian Audio in 2017.

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acoustic. We created the 818 as a dual-member microphone, where you can choose your patterns [by pulling] up patterns in standard switches. But then, we thought there must be more. So we gave this microphone an extra outlet where you can record both capsules separately. Why would you do that? Because in post-production, you can decide after “Despite the crisis, recording the event: Was this more of a every month in 2020 cardioid or an omni? You can mix both in post-production. [This is] somewas a record sales thing you would have decided before month in microthe recording [when using a different phones. We have microphone], because you [would have steadily grown.” to] switch the microphone pattern. If —Martin Seidl you have both patterns on your board, you can now, in post-production, create the pattern after the recording event. We also created a very smart plugin that works with all workstations. Also, something that is completely new is that we gave it a Bluetooth input. There is nothing digital in the microphone. There is a nothing digital in the audio path. But you can plug in a Bluetooth dongle, and with an app, you can remote control the mic. So imagine you have a recording of an orchestra or choir somewhere high up where the microphones are not easy to reach. You can now switch your patterns on your mobile device. You can even add filters or create your own pattern and store [them] in the microphone, even without the remote control. You can create an additional pattern that can be anywhere between a figure of eight and an omnidirectional mode. You can do this in 254 steps. That is much more than the four switches you have on a usual selectable microphone. It is what we refer to a modern workflow. You sit in your studio, the creative process is happening in the recording room, and [if you need to make adjustments,] you do not have to go in, stop the creation of the microphone and go back to your mixing position. You can really experiment, where you are switching the pattern that works best for a voice without going into the recording room. So, these little things really help your workflow and recording. And apart from that, it is a really great-sounding microphone.

The Retailer: Martin, although we have been going through a global pandemic, it seems that pro-audio products have sold well to the stay-at-home crowd. So have things been solid for your business lately? Seidl: Yes, [sales] have been solid. We also have headphones, and there was an even bigger boost there, as a lot of people work from home, isolating themselves and doing home recording. Even artists who did not do much home recording before bought into some equipment, and headphones were really good. We struggled to make enough. Ask Bryan [laughs]. He knows about the shipping situation at some points. With microphones, I would say yes also, but Austrian Audio is not made for the low-end of home audio recording. But despite the crisis, every month in 2020 was a record sales month in microphones. We have steadily grown. We probably would have grown bigger without the crisis, because what we are missing is usage in live situations. The mics did not get used for these professional productions. But the bright side is [live events] will [return], so there is a lot more room to grow. The Retailer: Br yan, can you tell us when you met up with Martin and how your companies made a connection? Br yan Bradley: I have known Martin a long time. I also was heavily involved in an Austrian microphone company that was around for 70 years. At one point, I was overseeing the company for Harman and was ultimately part of strategy that had to move that operation out of Vienna. I have known the company and all of its people a really long time. When I left Harman, I went to Group One, which has a strategy that focuses heavily on European brands and distributing those brands in the United States. Martin’s company, Austrian Audio, was an early target for us. We knew the product and the people well. We were 30

very fortunate we were able to get together. I think we were really lucky with the timing, because just before COVID hit, at [The 2020] NAMM Show, we had our first discussions about it and got far enough along before everything got [too] crazy to get a deal done. We really have a lot of high hopes for this brand. It has been going very well for us. It is an incredibly well-built product. The roadmap, as they start to unveil it to the world, is really going to impress a lot of people.

The Retailer: Can you highlight some of the goals you have for Austrian Audio in the United States? Bradley: As you touched upon earlier, one of the positives of the pandemic has been home recording. People have a lot more time at home, and interest in this has increased. So those types of products have done really well — not just microphones, but across the board. However, on the flip side of that, there is a live business and broadcast business, both of which Austrian Audio has product and will create product for. This is really an opportunity for us. Unfortunately today, this segment of the business has been slow, but we are doing all the groundwork now [with Austrian Audio] to position ourselves to really take advantage of these markets with both headphones and microphone products as soon as it starts to open up. When will live concerts happen again? When will we go back to broadcasting sporting events and actual productions with live audiences to be captured? That’s where we see a big opportunity, and [it is] one of the reasons we thought partnering with Austrian Audio would be a great idea. With DiGiCo, Calrec, SSL and other brands, we have good fingerholds in those markets. The Retailer: Without events like an in-person NAMM Show, how do you get out the word about Austrian Audio in the U.S.? Bradley: Austrian Audio does a fantastic job on the marketing end, especially on social media. For us, all we have to do is amplify that message. Their brand is strong. Martin and his team do a fantastic job of telling the story. So, all we really have to do is repeat it. In terms of outlets, that is a throw-it-against-the-wall thing right now. Every other week, we have marketing meetings [with] Austrian Audio, us and U.S. PR firms, trying to tell the story of the “wins” that happen as they do. We are really trying to get product in people’s hands. Another positive, if you want to call it that, during the pandemic, is that with all of this down “There is a live busitime, front-of-house engineers and auness and broadcast dio engineers really have some time to business, both of kick the tires on certain products. So, if which Austrian Audio we can [get] products in their hands, it has product for. really helps. In the old days, they were This is really an so busy that maybe they could check opportunity for us.” out a product on the weekend. Now, —Bryan Bradley they have the time. That is an easy win for us, because Austrian Audio’s product is so strong that every time we put [it] in somebody’s hands, it is a sale. In fact, before this [Zoom] call, I had three different requests for Austrian Audio products, headphones and microphones, with all three in the broadcast environment, that we are in the process of sending out product to. Martin, now I need you to ship it all. I need a lot more of it. [Laughs.] Seidl: We are working 24/7 for you, [Bryan]. I want to add that, just before the lockdown period, NAMM 2020 gave us the chance to show our product for the first time ever at our own NAMM booth. A lot of people came to our booth. We had retailers, broadcasters and sound engineers come by. The lucky piece in this unlucky situation was that, before the lockdown, we had a presence at The NAMM Show. Bryan and his team have spread the message everywhere. It is so fantastic to work with people who know the local industry so well. As a European brand, you have an idea where to go, but [it] is really great to have the Group One team, and we have a fantastic relationship. Bradley: I also want to mention that, regarding your getting-themessage-out question, the retailers are really good at it. We’ve done a (continued on page 40) MARCH 2021

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M I SPY

THE KING OF STATEN ISLAND

Staten Island, the southernmost borough of New York City, doesn’t get enough respect, especially when it comes to music. There’s a reason it’s sometimes called the “forgotten borough”; when most non-New Yorkers think of New York City, Staten Island’s sleepy suburban neighborhoods don’t immediately come to mind. And New Yorkers themselves tend to treat Staten Island as an afterthought at best. Even proud Staten Island residents and those who were born and raised there tend to look at their home borough in a self-deprecating light; look no further than “The King of Staten Island,” a movie starring “Saturday Night Live” cast member and native Staten Islander Pete Davidson, which does not exactly always offer a positive portrayal of the borough. But Staten Island does have some impressive musical credentials. The best-known performers from the borough include rap greats the Wu-Tang Clan, rock legend David Johansen (best known as a member of the New York Dolls) and folk music star Joan Baez. The St. George Theatre has served up a variety of amazing musical performances over its nearly 100-year-long history, and clubs like Adobe Blues and Mother Pug’s Saloon are known for being fine live music locales. And Staten Island boasts a fine assortment of independent musical instrument stores, as well. These tend to be modest-sized shops that serve the local community and help make the music go ‘round in “the Borough of Parks.” This month, the Chief tasked me with writing up a report on some of these small shops, so I called a Staten Island-based friend of mine codenamed “Big B the Lawyer” to see if he had the scoop on which ones would be worth checking out. With Big B’s recommendations in mind, I grabbed a mask and some hand sanitizer, hopped in the MI Spy Mobile, and hit the Staten Island Expressway to see if I could show Staten Island some of the love and recognition it deserves. 32

Norm’s Music z 4401 Arthur Kill Road z Staten Island, NY 10309 z 718.376.0910 I was particularly interested in checking out Norm’s Music, even though it was waaaaay out in a more rural section of Staten Island. Full disclosure, readers: Although I was visiting Norm’s new location on this trip, I was already familiar with its former location and its old ownership; in fact, one of the owners used to be a very chatty guy, and we actually knew a few people in common. I was kinda bummed out when Norm’s left its old location (I think a small grocery store moved into that spot), but it was good to see that the store lives on. I didn’t want any of the workers to recognize me, on the off chance that some of the old staff had made the transition to the new location, so I zipped my coat all the way up and covered my face with a nondescript mask (a truly spy-like move that isn’t as suspicious now as it used to be in the pre-pandemic days). Being familiar with the old location, I had some expectations about Norm’s and some notes to compare the new location to. One plus over the previous location: Norm’s now has a few parking spots right out in front of the store. The old location had no parking lot to speak of, only curbside, metered parking, which made it difficult to haul out and load the bigger purchases, such as amps. But I did notice that the store is now smaller. The old location was a lengthier store that had more room to display instruments on the walls. This smaller space had less on display. Norm’s does, however, still carry a little bit of everything: guitars, amps, accessories, percussion, books of sheet music, sound equipment, keyboards and such. Everything was neat and prices were clearly displayed. There was even an inexpensive steel pan with mallets for sale (and for a long, strong minute, I was tempted to buy it). And Norm’s does carry a good amount of sound and DJ equipment. But the musical instrument selection was limited, especially compared to the old location, which had more to offer. (The website does have a bigger selection that shoppers can browse as well, so maybe it’s a sign of our world becoming ever-more digital.) I also did not get much of a welcome when I walked in. There was one guy on the sales floor, and after he said “Hi. How can I help you?” he just went back to working on his laptop. It was also much quieter in the store than I was accustomed to; in the past, Norm’s was always playing loud rock ‘n roll on the speakers, and customers would be loudly trying out guitars or other instruments. It was too quiet this time around, but that was likely due to the pandemic. Although I preferred some things about Norm’s old location, the current store does, however, maintain a kitschy touch that made me smile. Two fake flash pots dangled from the ceiling, with faux flames dancing from them. And Norm’s does have a cool logo.

Rustic Music Center z 531 Forest Avenue z Staten Island, NY 10310 z 718.727.5950 With a name like Rustic Music Center, I wondered if this store would be a log shack hiding a moonshine still out back. But nope, Rustic Music was more like a really cool duplex apartment with a heckuva lot of musical instruments popping out of every nook and cranny. Like Norm’s, this store had a few parking spots, tucked around the corner. The walls were covered in guitars, both electric and acoustic, and there was a mini-room of amps and more guitars. The street level had a very impressive amount of other instruments as well, including a freestanding selection of ukes, displays for drums and percussion instruments, and more. The lower level had many acoustic guitars, banjoleles and a few mandolins, too. It was a crowded setup, but definitely not overwhelming, and I didn’t feel like I was about to slam into everything. Rustic Music Center also had a super-special guitar pick size for sale; I bought three of these as a gift for a college student acquaintance of mine, Agent J, who plays jazz guitar. The guy who was working there was very helpful and knew his stuff. He showed me the variety of acoustic and acoustic-electric guitars he had in stock. He pointed out that some were especially made for classical music, and others more for folk and rock. One guitar caught my eye because the sound hole was shaped differently than a typical acoustic. The worker explained why that brand makes it that way, and he also pointed out the store’s thinner-body acoustic guitars. Upstairs, he told me about the different types of hollow-body electrics the store stocked. Also for sale were lots of effects pedals, which were displayed at the main counter. As I went to leave, the salesguy cheerfully told me to “Check out our selection online!” and handed me a business card. (I did check out their website later on, and it is a well-designed site.)

Castellano’s House of Music z 1013 Richmond Ave. z Staten Island, NY 10314 z 718.982.8548 If I thought Rustic Music was like a duplex apartment, then Castellanos was like a crowded house full of musical instruments, accessories and other goodies. Unfortunately, there was no dedicated parking for MARCH 2021

the store; I had to park in the parking lot of the nearby supermarket. To be honest, I was a tiny bit spooked by the location, because Castellano’s is across the street from a cemetery. I was a little bit worried about the possibility of bringing home a haunted or otherwise cursed instrument, but I shrugged that off and headed inside. Castellano’s is a longish, narrow store. Somehow, despite the narrowness, the store features two aisles; it does get a bit crowded, since nearly every available inch of space is in use. As soon as you enter the front door, you are greeted by wall displays of sheet music and music books. A slightly ripped, inspirational poster taped to the door to the second floor, with a newspaper clipping in the middle of it about a local musician who competed on “American Idol,” offered a quaint touch. And another homey touch was the green street sign reading “Marion Castellano Way.” This shop had a lot of guitars of many different types hanging from the walls, and some in boxes. Also on display were amps, keyboards, a few stacks of drums (with a humidifier puffing away on top of one set), a large assortment of guitar picks (including a set emblazoned with the logo of the NHL’s New York Islanders), ukuleles, violins and more. Castellano’s also stocked lots of accessories, including some for brass and woodwind instruments. While I was there, an older man was playing some jazzy licks on an electric guitar. He and one of the two workers on duty were discussing the features of that guitar as compared to another. I approached the front counter, and a friendly younger guy greeted me. He and I talked a bit about the kitschy Ed Sheeran guitar displayed on one wall. “The pickups are really good, and the sound is really nice,” he told me. Someone who works here is probably an AC/DC fan, because I saw more than a few accessories (gig bag, picks, etc.) for sale with the band’s logo on them.

Mode Music z 1238 Bay Street z Staten Island, NY 10305 z 718.816.4888 If Rustic Music was the duplex apartment, and Castellano’s was the house, then Mode Music was Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe/Instrument Menagerie! The store gave off a distinctly museum-like feel. In fact, several items on display were in glass cases (and I wasn’t always sure if they were for sale or just for show). Among these were acoustic guitars, a few electrics, a uke, a bass and a washboard for percussion. Another case held a saxophone, violins, guitars and more. There was a partial wall that was chock full of tambourines and small percussive pieces, and on the floor was an arrangement of drum pedals, lined up as if they were shoes. Also arrayed in various places on the floor were congas, chimes, accordions, bongos and more. There were neat piles of drums, amps and recording equipment (including an Akai tape player that looked decades old). In one obscure corner, there was a lit-up sign that read “Harmonicas and Melodicas by Hohner” with a drawing of each. There was also a high shelf that held instrument cases and toy figures. This was kind of an odd touch: Occasionally, when browsing through the displays, I encountered mannequin arms that were wrapped around certain instruments. Simply put, Mode Music is a mighty atypical store with a lot of personality, and the mannequin-arm displays are just one example. Sure, the stock of vintage musical instruments was impressive, but I was more impressed by the unusual displays. The offerings are plenty, and not always the run of the mill. This is a shop where you want to hunt and discover something different. But at first, I wondered if I’d even get to go inside, because a small sign on the door stated that the owner was on a break. I began to walk away, but then a man came to the door and said “I’m here! Come on in.” We actually had a cool discussion of the music that was playing in the store; I liked one older-sounding jazz track and asked if we were listening to Lionel Hampton. The owner replied, “Yes, and listen carefully; he often made noises as he played.” I told him that I’d actually seen the late, legendary vibes player participating in parades in Manhattan when I was a kid. (My parents would say, in a hushed tone, “There’s Lionel Hampton!” We would wave at him, and he’d wave back). We also chatted about Oscar Peterson and other jazz greats of old. Besides offering a fine setlist of ambient music, Mode Music also offers music lessons and three studios for recording and rehearsal (under the name Phrygian Studios). The store also does repairs.

The Sale

For most Staten Islanders, Rustic Music Center is a great choice for instruments of any level, beginner through professional. It has a wide variety of guitars and percussion in particular, although not much for brass, woodwind or band and orchestra. The service is friendly, and there is a very good price range. Therefore, I am awarding it the victory this month. Mode Music is more of a destination, to be honest. This is the kind of store that people from outside Staten Island would go to on a pilgrimage, because it really is unusual. It’s an eye-opening place, and the kind of store where you can have a deep chat about jazz music with the owner. Norm’s Music is the kind of place that will serve its immediate area well, and Castellano’s is also really good in this regard. I have to say, Staten Island peeps, your independent music store scene rocks. This is especially heartening to see in this day and age, when small businesses are often in peril. I hope that Staten Islanders (and those from neighboring locales) will patronize these local stores and keep making music! MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

I N T H E T RENCHE S

By Allen McBroom Imagine you’ve just gone to your favorite grocery store. You know the store. It’s got the cool cheese shop, some gourmet bread and that really great storebrand coffee that costs less than the big-name brands. The freezer section has the roasted pecan caramel ice cream that nobody else in town carries. You know where everything is, and shopping there is a pleasure. It’s affordable, it’s fresh, and it’s a break from the rest of the world. All you came in for was a loaf of bread. You stand in line, and when the nice cashier scans your purchases, she asks you where the rest of your groceries are. “That’s all I need today, thanks” seems like it should be

a good answer, but the cashier instead puts your selection to the side and calls a manager. The manager explains that the store has decided that each customer must now buy $1,000 in groceries each quarter, and until you hit the $1,000 mark in the first three months, your groceries will cost 15-percent more. Also, the store now has a $75 minimum purchase policy, so you can no longer buy just bread. Would you like to add some frozen halibut to your order? That would get you to the $75 mark, the manager says, and then they can sell you the bread you came in for originally (with the 15-percent penalty charge added, of course).

You’re not sure what happened, but your favorite grocery store now seems to be operated by interplanetary visitors from a totalitarian world where the supply overlords intend to dictate all facets of your purchasing habits, based solely on an arbitrary plan designed in some dark backroom by sub-overlords who have never shopped in a grocery store themselves. Isn’t that an absurd scenario? You’d break up with that grocery store on the spot if they pulled a stunt like that, wouldn’t you? Sure you would. A family of six may hit the $75 mark each visit, but you live alone with your dog and a goldfish. You rarely need that much in groceries. Lucky for you, there are several other grocery stores in town, ones who are very glad to get 100 percent of what you are willing or able to spend, rather than end up with zero percent of some arbitrary buying target. What I’m describing above is an absurd situation for a grocery store. Any grocer that tried the plan described above would be out of business in short order. Yet, our industry has companies that operate just like the grocery described above. We all get those calls or emails, the ones that congratulate us for choosing their company, and then tell us we have to spend (or schedule) $5,000 to $15,000 in the first quarter, or we’ll no longer be allowed to buy from the company (or, we’ll still be allowed to buy, but at a higher price or a higher freight charge). From the viewpoint of someone at the company, I suppose that plan makes perfect

sense, but in the world of retail shops, especially smaller retail shops (the backbone of the MI industry), the company seems a lot like it is stuck in 1980, and not living in 2021. Back in 1980, when dinosaurs still roamed the music world, there were fewer guitar suppliers, amp suppliers, piano suppliers, whatever-you-sell suppliers, and the supply companies would send reps to each retailer, and those reps would work with the individual retailer to design some plan that made sense for the company and the retailer. The reps knew the retailer, their market and the area. They also knew the needs of the company they represented. It was in the rep’s best interest to form a plan that would serve all involved. But 1980 was a long time ago. In 2021, there are plenty of guitar makers, piano brands and other companies who operate like the friendly grocer. They have no buy-ins (or very reasonable buyins), low or no order minimums, and they will shop the freight to get you the best rate. These companies also often have healthier margins than the companies who operate like the fictitious grocery store described earlier. They have a small office crew, and they will be glad to work with you to get you a look at their wares. These friendly grocer types aren’t unicorns, they are real. The names they represent may not be household names right now, and even as a music retailer you may be unfamiliar with them. But today’s MI shopper is bombarded on social media with brand names they don’t recognize immediately; MARCH 2021

this means they are being educated to believe that there is quality outside the names they recognize. The days of having only a “big three” in guitars is gone. Today, lesser-known companies are often offering profitable margins, favorable shipping, and store-friendly buying minimums on products that hold up very well in terms of price and quality against the big names. How do you find these friendlygrocer suppliers? I’d say start with your independent reps. Give them a call and ask, “If you were me and looking for a new line of (fill in the blank), what lines would you look at?” They may know a line like the one you’re looking for, and if they don’t, they may know who does. We picked up a relatively unfamiliar line (we’ll call it Acme) about six months ago. For the two years prior, I had resisted my rep’s urging to look at the line. The prices and nearanonymity of the Acme line just didn’t sound like something we wanted to be involved with. Then one day, another retailer, one I respect greatly, told me point blank that, if I didn’t get on the Acme train, I was missing out on a lot of money. According to him, he’d get in some Acme product, and it would sell out in a week. His biggest problem with Acme was keeping it in stock. Oh, and the line had a good margin and freight deals. That got my attention. We finally ordered some Acme, and it was just as good as we’d been told. I later mentioned Acme to one of my independent reps, and he told me he’d been trying to get onboard with Acme as a rep, but his territory was already taken by (you guessed it) the rep who initially urged me to try Acme. NAMM is also a huge research opportunity, so the next time you attend (this will happen again; keep the faith, it’s just a matter of time), take advantage of your time there and cruise all the edges of the show. The huge displays are probably not what you’re looking for. If a company can afford huge displays and lots of square footage at MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

NAMM, they probably aren’t the next big thing you’re looking for. Instead, stop at the booths you don’t recognize. Go to the small booths, look critically at the inventory, and try to have the same conversation at each booth. Describe your store and area; ask about margins, availability projec-

tions, shipping arrangements, discounts and buy-ins. Ask if their guidelines are flexible to meet your needs. At dinner that night, ask your dinner companions if they know anything about these booths you visited. Chances are, you’ll find a company or two that has the

groceries you like — companies that would be glad to sell you just a loaf of bread and carry your bag to the car. According to Omar Khayyam, a great relationship can start with a loaf of bread, and the good companies know that’s still a good start. Happy trails.

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V E D D AT O R I A L

BELIEVE IN MUSIC

By Dan Vedda

During an in-person NAMM Show, it's far easier to unhook from daily chores. This year, during Believe in Music Week, I was still working the store for all the usual hours. Thankfully, it was a January as busy as last year's prepandemic January.

If you’ve ever been to The NAMM Show, I suspect you were missing the winter edition of the event this year. I give NAMM president and CEO Joe Lamond and the entire NAMM crew all the props in the world for MacGyvering up a digital virtual show that delivered added value (to the extent that the digital component may survive as a tool for NAMM attendees long after we can congregate in person again) and for doing it at “Operation Warp Speed” scale in a year when everything had to be re-thought. As alternate virtual experiences go, NAMM’s Believe in Music Week delivered a better-than-average product compared to a lot of the digital reboots I’ve observed. I certainly value the opportunity to browse a vast library of content at my leisure in the comfort of my own chosen space. I appreciated the opportunity to connect with new companies, reps and longtime suppliers, even over my sometimes bandwidth-challenged tether to the various video chat platforms. The virtual conversations I was able to have provided me with more information, product knowledge and ideas than anything I’ve done since the pandemic hit. To be sure, there are some things about the in-person NAMM Show that I didn’t miss. My tolerance for hours of pounding, high-decibel sonic abuse has never been great, and spending days traversing football fields worth of sensory overload in overly dry Anaheim air laced with fog-machine residue isn’t something I’ve longed for, even during the shutdown. That said, much of what I did during January’s Believe In Music week reminded me that, despite the physical toll it takes, I miss being at NAMM, and a digital version won’t replace it for me. Benefits aside, a fully virtual NAMM Show presents its own set of challenges. The first challenge to effective participation was time (as in, finding the time to devote to the digital offerings while working normal work hours). During an in-person NAMM Show, it’s far easier to unhook from daily chores, phone calls and all the tasks I do every day. This year, during Believe in Music Week, I was still working the store for all the usual hours. Thankfully, it was a January as busy as last year’s pre-pandemic January. But that also made it impossible to sit through any virtual presentations live, and even my pre-scheduled rep calls faced interruptions. If you have a staff that can shield you for hours while you “think tank” over video chat, more power to you, but that is absolutely not my reality (particularly since I had a key staffer out sick with COVID-19 and another who had to piece together coverage for me around her teaching schedule). In addition to the fragmented and unfocused timetable I was faced with, there was an additional pile of email and social pings from companies grasping for any sales contact they could glean from the Believe in Music Week registrations. I hope these companies had a decent show, but I wasn’t excited to be getting emails and private messages from companies I had no interest in, particularly the repetitive ones. These just added more clutter to an already busy week. I mention these issues not to take anything away from NAMM’s herculean and largely successful offering; we’ve all been making lemonade for the last year, and it is far better to try than to throw up our hands and say nothing can be done. So, the silver lining, so to speak, is that the pandemic has forced the MI industry to come up with new communication tools and content that, in a normal year, might have been dismissed as too time-consuming, too risky, or too resource-intensive to be worthwhile. Necessity remains the Mother of Invention. And, armed with these new tools, we can do that much better when we can meet in person again. But we’ve also realized that “in person” has a value and efficiency that is no longer just assumed, but proven. Sure, we can get a lot done remotely, and there are things that definitely can work better, cheaper, or easier if we don’t have to be herded together into a room to do them. Yet, there are some things, including trust, relationships, and the serendipity of mutual discovery, that flourish when we inhabit the same physical space, share meals and just hang out. Studies have shown that the opportunity to play — leisurely, unstructured, free-associative time — produces some of the most creative solutions and concepts. In that sense, we need to play together, and the couple of times each year that the industry meets for a NAMM Show afforded us the chance to do just that. Video calls, Zoom meetings, and other “collaborative” platforms all attempt to replicate what “in person” can achieve, with some measure of success. Yet, this is a compromised success; there’s always an asterisk that indicates it’s the best we can do “under these conditions.” I stress this point because some of the people I hear from have already assumed that “pandemicnormal” is the way things will be moving forward. I’ve heard some say that “Lessons will now be virtual forever. You won’t get students into a studio again.” Not true; in my store, we’ve already experienced a surge in lesson enrollment to pre-COVID levels, and over 90 percent of our inquiries aren’t MARCH 2021

just willing to take lessons in person — they insist on it. They’re still concerned about masking and safety, but they are convinced, usually by experience, that remote learning is a compromise, and they are confident that we can deliver an educational experience while keeping them and their family members safe. So my biggest takeaway from Believe In Music Week — and for that matter this whole year we’ve endured — is that people do “believe in music,” significantly more than many in our industry expected, and they will continue to believe under even the most adverse and dire conditions. And, if we do our jobs, they will turn to us for help in their musical endeavors. We sometimes lose sight of the power of what we provide, becoming overly focused on units and margins and the sizzle of the goods we sell. I continue to insist that what we really sell is the experience of making music, whether through products, education, repair, advice or community outreach. People continue to prove that making music matters to them, and we see the power of music throughout our history and reinforced with every academic research paper. The brain has a very special place for music that’s older and more primal than our speech center, entwined with our cognitive development from birth, and still able to be activated in Alzheimer’s patients. And we in the MI industry are the gatekeepers, the facilitators, and the guardians of that experience in ways no other entity can address. I think that is our role as we reach out into our communities. We’ve seen absolute proof: The big surge in demand that companies like Sweetwater and Amazon serviced during the last year came in part from a significant influx of new music makers. I don’t believe that surge was a glitch like the run on toilet paper early in the pandemic. I am convinced it is a trend that will continue, and as people move about the world more freely postpandemic, they won’t put that When it comes to musical instruments, there is always a pinnacle, an apex; a metaphorical guitar or violin aside. Instead, top of the mountain, and for TAMA, that summit is STAR drums. The STAR philosophy is they will look for new ways to one of uncompromising commitment to exceptional sound, refined innovation, and expert enjoy music, including meetartisanship. It’s these principals, coupled with over 45 years of experience in drum design ing people IRL (that’s “in real that make STAR drums a uniquely inspired and superior drumming experience. life”) to share their interests. We’re in a position to help and benefit. Be ready. Thank you to everyone who voted the TAMA Limited Edition MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

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Brothers Guitar Shop 316 E. 84th St. New York, NY 10028 646-559-8771 www.brosguitars.com Mon. – Sat. 8 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Sun. 10 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Shawn and Frank Gorelik, Co-Owners

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Shawn Gorelik and his older brother, Frank, have been in the retail business their entire lives. They watched their father run a hardware store that they eventually took over, and went on to open a second shop of their own. The two brothers are also both music lovers. Shawn was a guitar player from a young age, and Frank took it up about four years ago. “Once he learned to play, we were able to jam, and it got a lot more fun,” said Shawn. The worlds of music and retail collided when Shawn and Frank decided to hire an experienced guitar technician named Joey Rodriguez for a position in the family’s hardware stores in 2017. Rodriguez, whom Shawn calls “a brother from another mother,” had previously worked on guitars at Sam Ash, and having that 38

skill on his resumé piqued the brothers’ interest. “We were passionate about guitars and collecting to begin with. One thing led to another, and the next thing you know, we have 50 guitars in the hardware store to repair,” said Frank. “So, the business grew organically.” The repair business flourished in the back of the hardware store, eventually growing to also include buying and selling guitars online. Soon, the music business needed a space of its own. With that, Brothers Guitar Shop was born. The fact that Shawn and Frank sought to open their first MI shop during the height of a global pandemic brought some challenges, as well as some lucky breaks. “We got lucky that, because of the pandemic, rents are so low

right now. We were able to take advantage of that,” said Shawn. The 800-square-foot shop opened on Manhattan’s Upper East Side in November 2020. According to Shawn, the railroadstyle store was an “empty canvas,” and the brothers designed a retro-themed store with 1970sinfluenced flourishes and fixtures that they built themselves. “Our vision is straight from the heart,” he continued. “It’s a representation of ourselves, and that’s really rewarding.” The store’s staff of five includes the Gorelik brothers, Rodriguez (who is now the lead guitar tech), a part-time helper and a part-time social media person. The narrow shop isn’t ideally shaped for social distancing, but the brothers were able to take advantage of a recent New

York City initiative to open up shopping on city streets. “We love street fairs and that kind of atmosphere, so we set up tents outside and applied for outside vending,” said Shawn. “We had a grand opening with a concert outside and held another outdoor concert around Christmas,” added Frank. “We open the door and greet people as they walk by because we want to interact with people on a personal level.” Those who enter the shop find a continuation of that warm, personal atmosphere in what Shawn calls a “stigma-free zone.” “Our customer service philosophy is that anyone who is interested shouldn’t feel awkward coming in,” he continued. “We want to help everyone, whether you have no experience or if you’ve played for 50 years.” MARCH 2021

“In other guitar shops, people can feel uncomfortable. It can be intimidating when all you see on the wall are $5,000 guitars and up. When beginners come in here, we sit down with them and teach them chords,” said Frank. “We have a product offering for everyone,” he continued, adding that the shop likes to extend its local, family-run philosophy to the instruments they stock, spotlighting New York-based manufacturers like Electro-Harmonix and D’Addario. With an eye toward always cultivating and expanding the music community with their shop, Shawn and Frank have continued to find new ways to expand the store’s reach, including adding lessons programs and workshops. They designed an open-platform concept where customers can walk right up to the guitar tech and see what he’s doing. “It’s very different speaking to the tech versus speaking to someone at the counter,” Shawn explained. When the pandemic began, the brothers recognized that people were stuck at home, and they tapped into an idea from the hardware industry and offered a pickup and drop-off service for guitar repairs. “We realize New Yorkers want the most convenient option, so that’s where the delivery idea came from,” explained Shawn, who plans to continue and expand the program in the future. The brothers also have plans to offer production services, set up live streams for local musicians “because they have no outlet right now,” and build more custom instruments, while documenting the process for social media, of course. “A lot of our success has to do with our online and social media presence making us visible for people to see us. We’ve been active with customers on social media, putting out content every day,” said Shawn, who has made sure the store has a presence on platforms like TikTok and Instagram to reach up-andcoming generations of players. “It seems like the music industry is a kind of old-school MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

business, like [the hardware business], but we want to use the technology available to us. We want people to know we’re here and what we’re about.” Having grown up together in retail, becoming partners in business and music alike has been a rewarding experience for Frank and Shawn Gorelik, with Frank

noting, “Brothers working together can sometimes be hectic. It’s a complicated thing, but we love working with each other.” Tapping into that brotherly love and shared passion for music has helped Brothers Guitar Shop to quickly become an integral part of New York’s music community. “We’re on the same page for the

business and how we envision it growing,” said Shawn. “We look at each other and smile when a customer has a good experience. It’s a joyful thing to listen to music all day.” Frank concurred, “It’s not about money; this is a passion project. We want to bring the community together. Music is life.”

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FIVE MINUTES WITH

(continued from page 30) lot of partnering with them to use their channels and mechanisms to talk to their customers. I find that, from the big guys all the way down to independents, in MI, most of the businesses are very good at developing relationships with their customers. Whatever way they find is most successful to communicate with those customers, we want to partner with them. I think it is one of the most effective ways to get the message out.

The Retailer: Let’s talk about Believe in Music Week. How did you handle the virtual show? Did you set any goals or decide instead to see what happens? Bradley: I believe that NAMM plays a critical role in our industry. I liken it to the town square of a small town where everybody gets together and exchanges ideas. For several of our brands, and all brands that are appropriate, we participated in Believe in Music Week with virtual stands and live streaming events. We believe in NAMM and will always support NAMM. As for its effectiveness as a tool, I do not think it is as effective as a regular show. It is just very difficult to build virtual relationships online. To me, The NAMM Show is all about building those relationships. But this is a pandemic, and [this] is what we can do. NAMM is doing everything it can, and we will do what we 40

can to support it. But because of [being a virtual show], we did not set any sales targets. We did not hold it to a strict return on investment like we would with other shows. We looked at it as: we supported the show, and hopefully next year, it is back to live, and we can pick up where we left off. Seidl: I can echo that. NAMM has always been the big thing happening every year and is a great way to build new relationships. It was great being at The NAMM Show last year in just the second year we were selling products. We were also lucky that the trade show in Europe took place. [But] NAMM is the most critical show for us to build relationships and introduce products. We have a lot of plans to introduce products and show our road map to dealers and friends in America. We did utilize the virtual show to tease [this information] a little bit, but it is not the same thing. If you can present live and put a new product into the hands of a guy or a girl, who can feel, touch and [even] smell what a product can do, that is simply different than creating a video. Some of the money we would have spent creating a booth was spent creating video. It is as good as it can be, but it is not the same as being live. We will support NAMM. NAMM supported us. It is a great relationship. I really hope to be at The NAMM Show next year with a nice booth. I do

not know when travel will start again. I am a little bit skeptical it will be before summer as some people hope, but next year for sure, it will be the family coming together again.

The Retailer: Let’s look ahead. What does the future look like for Austrian Audio? Seidl: The company has grown steadily at a reasonable ratio. It will continue to do that. We have four products out on the market now, the OC818, OC18 microphones, and the HIX50 and HI-X55 headphones, as well as some accessories. 2021 will be a big year for us. Due to the lockdown, we had reduced opportunities. We have had to social distance in the laboratory and in manufacturing. We have to do shifts; we cannot have more than one person at a time in the laboratory or measurement room. That has slowed us down a little with new products. That is one side, though. The other side of the coin is there will be about 12 new products in 2021 coming from Austrian Audio. That is a lot of new products. It will be microphones. It will be headphones. We will have products for the live-event market. We also have very smart headphones coming to market in 2021. We are very optimistic 2021 will be as significant growth year for us. We even think we will double our [sales] numbers from 2020 to 2021.

Bradley: [Laughs.] I think this is probably the only time I have said this in my career, but Martin, I think you are right. I will actually sign up to double the business in a year because I believe that. The product is that strong. The number of retailers that have figured it out and are signing up for it is growing steadily. It is a great brand as a retailer to have in your high-end arsenal. It is unique and establishes you as a smart retailer that finds new and exciting stuff. We are getting that message out. I am signing up for doubling the number. That is not a problem.

The Retailer: Anything you would like to add? Seidl: Thank you to all the people who have entrusted in us so far and gave us the opportunity. There are a lot of people in America who gave us a chance and tested it. A lot of producers are using our products. They are making a lot of nice statements. I am ver y happy. Both the OC818 and HI-X55 were nominated for TEC Awards. That is a great achievement after such a short time. We are really grateful for being nominated for these awards. I want to thank ever yone who trusts in us, believes in us and makes nice statements about us. Keep doing that please, and I promise we will come up with great products that will support that. MARCH 2021

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The show must go on. Unfortunately, for many reasons, there was no way there could be an inperson NAMM Show this year. So, we asked both retailers and manufacturers what they thought about the virtual Believe in Music Week, which took place Jan. 18 to Jan. 22. The questions we asked were: How was your Believe in Music Week experience? What did you like most about the virtual show? Do you think could be improved upon if we have future virtual trade shows? Here are the responses we received:

“Our contacts were very few (less than 10), and most of those were people were looking to sell us something or looking for endorsements. I only engaged in the site to look at a couple of video sessions — one by Dan Erliwine, who I can watch forever. I checked my page daily, and then did other things that were more productive. I don’t want to judge NAMM too harshly, nor do I want to criticize the platform. I just do not see it as a worthwhile replacement or good investment of marketing dollars and hours. In my opinion, I prefer driving traffic to our website, where we have much better materials for presenting our products and we don’t have to reinvent it for a virtual trade show. Our lack of contacts may also have to do with us selling accessories. We are not a ‘destination’ booth, more of a stop-by-while-walking-around for most of our traffic at the normal shows. We wanted to be involved to support the industry, but the results were dismal to say the least.” —Patrick J. Bovenizer, Vice President, Peterson Electro-Musical Products Inc.

“I liked Yamaha’s combination of content. I think most of the manufacturers did a great job. If there was a way to have a similar look to scheduling of workshops and manufacturer demos, it would be nice if it could happen — maybe some kind of loose boilerplate script.” —Tom Fonner

We ask Believe in Music Week attendees what they thought of NAMM’s virtual trade show

Virtual’s Reality By Brian Berk

MARCH 2021

“As someone who has been attending the NAMM show for the past 30 years (since I was 16!) and has been both an exhibitor and a buyer, nothing replaces that in-person experience to me of the show. I just didn’t enjoy the virtual show, but do appreciate the effort that went into trying to make it happen. The one thing that I did like, though, was having a quiet space to place orders with my reps as opposed to in person (LOL). I look forward and pray that Anaheim will welcome us back with open arms next year, because this crew can’t wait to get back there!” —Nicole Castellano, Castellano’s House of Music

“The week was OK. I like the opportunity to reach new visitors to NAMM. The booths should be virtual; you click and go to a virtual booth. It needs to be interactive. Also make the booths live, not prerecorded. The training modules were helpful.” —Randy White, Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center

“ “While nothing can replace the energy and excitement of the physical NAMM Show, Believe in Music Week’s virtual platform proved to be a valuable experience for our brands. The most value came from the engagement and ability of attendees to watch sessions live or on demand. I was able to consume so much more content than if I was on the show floor working. The overwhelmingly positive connections and correspondence we received from the global music community proved how strong our industry is and how fierce our desire to connect with fellow music-makers is. I think NAMM really created a unique social network specific to our industry with the Believe in Music Week platform. While I cannot wait to be back on the NAMM Show floor, I think Believe in Music Week opened up new possibilities for us to incorporate more virtual elements into our show. Believing in music is an important sentiment. By supporting this event, we support NAMM’s mission to strengthen the music products industry and promote the benefits of making music. The more we can support getting instruments into more hands, the more we can support our dealers. That is why KORG USA chose to support Believe In Music Week. “One thing I felt was missing this year was the enormous hype that surrounds The NAMM Show, from the buildup, to the actual event, to the post-NAMM buzz. It just felt like the dial was turned all the way down this year — understandably so, because of COVID-19 and everything else going on in our country. Looking back now at how rich the virtual event was, I think everyone involved could have done more to communicate to their audiences globally to get involved with the Believe in Music Week platform.” —Morgan Walker, Director of Marketing Communications, KORG USA Inc.

“As an exhibitor, [Believe in Music Week] started early, so we could tweak our offerings. We can email people after the show — that's nice. More artists than usual could get involved since they did not have to attend [in person]. So, as a consumer, I liked the sessions a lot. To see our industry rally around good people and innovation was uplifting. I love that part of what our usual January gatherings produce.” “Believe in Music Week was not much of a ‘trade’ show. We have to find a way to separate buyers from everyone else. As a businessperson, I found it frustrating. It did not offer a value that we did not already have. Most of my trade business was done outside of Believe in Music Week. So, it was a novel consumer experience which has value, but it never can be close to a ‘trade’ show. That was a little disappointing.” —Brad Smith, VP, MI Products, Hal Leonard

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“No travel, no crowds, no noise and hearing damage, no waste of time, ease of communicating with our reps, cost savings. All future shows should be virtual. Get rid of the fluff, frivolity and gimmicks; work on communication between NAMM, members and vendors. This has much potential and brings us into the 21st century to do business on our time, in our way.” —Richard “Gus” Guastamachio, Dynamic Percussion

CASIO......................................... C-IV DRUM WORKSHOP................. 10 DRUM WORKSHOP................. 11 FENDER..................................... 5 FISHMAN .................................. 35 GATOR CASES.......................... 25 HAL LEONARD........................ 7 HOSHINO................................... 37 IK MULTIMEDIA...................... 9 JJ BABBITT............................... 29 JMAZ LIGHTING...................... 6 MANHASSET SPECIALTY COMPANY.............................. 3 NAMM........................................ 15

“While this year was much different than previous NAMM Shows, it was still very inspiring to see the gear community come together to collaborate and learn. This past year was a tough one for our industry, and the fact that dealers, brands, musicians and more still found a way to gather in January to support people’s love of music really demonstrates the resilience of this community. The educational sessions featured through NAMM U are a favorite of mine. I’m energized by how willing the community is to share their learnings and best practices in the name of lifting the entire industry. This year, I was thrilled to see these sessions live on virtually, and I was excited that several Reverb team members got the chance to speak on topics like how to grow your online sales, social media marketing and diversity in the musical instrument industry. “We are in contact with our seller community all year, but the NAMM Show is always a fantastic opportunity to meet face to face and discuss how we can connect more music makers with gear that inspires them. While these meetings were virtual this year, they were as important as ever. Musicians have been increasingly buying musical instruments online over the years, but 2020 sped up the shift from buying in-store to buying online significantly. In fact, last year, more people bought musical instruments from Reverb sellers than ever before. Now that buyers have experienced how easy it is to buy a guitar or keyboard online, we expect that they’ll continue to choose to buy online, and as they do, we’ll be here to partner with our sellers to help get their gear in front of anyone looking for musical instruments online.” “If we have future virtual trade shows, one thing I’d like to do is encourage even more of our team to participate. When the show is in Anaheim or Nashville, we can’t send our entire team, but when the show is virtual, we have an incredible opportunity to involve anyone who wants to participate, from our customer support agents who speak with our community daily to the tech and marketing team members who work each day to help our sellers grow their sales. It really is an incredible opportunity to be able to experience a version of The NAMM Show regardless of where you are.”

PETERSON ELECTRO-MUSICAL

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“I appreciated all the effort put forth by NAMM headquarters and the participating vendors. I did enjoy the quick upfront conversations and product displays. I actually made a sizable purchase to a vendor as a result of these virtual shows. Well done, NAMM headquarters! Adding some ‘NAMM’ floor noise might be a cool, albeit odd — but heck, very cool — way to instill the ‘vibe’ of a live NAMM Show.” —John R. Borja, Principal, Systems Integration Engineering

While every care is taken to ensure that these listings are accurate and complete, The Music & Sound Retailer does not accept responsibility for omissions or errors.

MARCH 2021

COMING in the April Issue of the Music & Sound Retailer:

• Our annual Guitar Update looks at the tremendous recent growth of this MI segment • Guitar amps and PA speaker update • Fender celebrates its 75th anniversary • Five Minutes With: Gibson’s “JC” Curleigh • Shine a Light: Ray’s Midbell Music And much more! THE FINAL NOTE

(continued from page 46)

The Retailer: What’s your favorite activity to do when you’re not at work? Morrison: I love yoga, exploring the city I live in, visiting museums, attending concerts and Broadway shows, but most importantly, spending time with those who mean the most to me. Especially now, with COVID-19, I’m so grateful for the moments I have with my friends and family. The Retailer: What is the best concert you’ve ever been to? Morrison: Gosh, these questions are so hard to answer because I don’t have just one. In 2019, I got to see Sara Bareilles at the Bowery Ballroom — an intimate venue, but I got to see one of my favorite artists. That same year, I saw Carole King at the Global Citizen Festival, another favorite artist. “Tapestry” is one of my all-time favorite albums. But, if I had to pick one, I had the absolute honor to attend the 2016 Grammy Awards as a seat filler. I got to sit in the second row and watch artists from The Eagles, to Adele, to Kendrick Lamar and so many more. The Retailer: If you could see any musician, alive or deceased, play a concert for one night, who would it be and why? Morrison: Amy Winehouse. I have such a love for her. She is one of my biggest musical influences. I own multiple records and was gifted a book of photos of Amy taken by her best friend at the time. Fun fact: We happen to share the same birthday! The Retailer: What musician are you hoping to see play in the MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

near future (post-pandemic)? Morrison: That’s a really tough question because there’s a lot, but honestly, I’d probably see a Broadway show before I see live music. I want to be in the audience for Broadway’s opening night post-COVID-19.

The Retailer: What song was most memorable for you throughout your childhood and what do you remember about it the most? Morrison: I’m going to dig deep on this one. “Come and Sing” by Wallace Hornady. I sang this with a summer choir I participated in throughout middle school and high school, but the lyrics still live on: “People who make music together, cannot be enemies, cannot be enemies, at least while the music lasts. We are friends forever when we sing together. The whole world is better when we sing. So, let’s sing forever, hold our hands together, make the whole world better. Come and sing.” The Retailer: What are your favorite songs on your smartphone/iPod? Morrison: Gosh, it always changes. Right now it’s one thing, and next week it’s something else. I can’t just pick a song, so my favorite artists range from Amy Winehouse, to Sara Bareilles, to Elton John, to Prince, to Carole King, to H.E.R. and so many more.

stands out the most is from my first show. I was interning with the NAMM PR team and was stationed at the Digital Hub. That year, Colbie Caillat had been honored at the She Rocks Awards. I happen to be a big fan of her music. My colleague at the time knew Colbie was going to be interviewed by a radio station in front of where we were sitting, but didn’t want to tell me because she wanted to see how I would react. Colbie walked right past me, and I almost cried.

The Retailer: Tell us about your most memorable experience with an MI retailer (without naming them). Morrison: I spent many summers repairing violins and violas for the rental season at my local music store, and I have to say, I have some of the funniest memories. To this day, it still blows my mind what students do to their instruments. However, the music shop’s No. 1 priority is their customers and making sure their students get the best instruments for the school year. The Retailer: What is the best thing about the MI industry? Morrison: The people. I have never felt more at home than I do working in this industry. Everyone is incredibly passionate about the work they do, and we

all have the same common love for music.

The Retailer: Who do you admire most outside of the music industr y and why? Morrison: I admire anyone who works to make the world a better place. We are living in historic times right now, and some incredible people are devoting their time to leaving an impact on the world. The Retailer: Tell us about your hometown and why you enjoy living there. Morrison: I grew up in a suburb outside New York City, but I currently live in Manhattan. I grew up traveling to the city to explore and immerse myself in the culture. I’ve lived in other cities, but New York will always be home. The Retailer: What’s your favorite book and why? Morrison: My all-time favorite book is F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby.” The 1920s brought an element of mystery, style and glamour, and I’ve always been enamored by it. “The Great Gatsby” takes you out of reality for a little, and I could never get tired of that story. I’m not going to lie: I did very much enjoy the movie adaptation with Leonardo DiCaprio.

1/6 VERT.

The Retailer: What’s the most fun thing you saw/did at a NAMM Show? Morrison: I have so many amazing memories from NAMM, but the one that 45

THE FINAL NOTE

By Brian Berk The Music & Sound Retailer: Who was your greatest influence or mentor and why? Natalie Morrison: I’m fortunate enough to have surrounded myself with some incredible mentors. If I had to choose, I have to say, my parents. I’ve learned a lot from my mother through her patience and passion when teaching music to elementary students, but she’s also shown me a love of music and how much of an impact it can have. I grew up in the music industry, thanks to my father. His drive and passion for music and arts education are truly remarkable, and I’m proud to have him guide me as I follow in his footsteps.

Natalie Morrison

PR Strategist, D’Addario & Co.

The Retailer: What was the best advice you ever received? Morrison: I have two things that I tr y really hard to live by: Be ready for anything and never give up.

The Retailer: What was your first experience with a musical instrument? Morrison: My parents introduced me to the piano when I was five. When fourth grade came around and all the students got to pick their instruments, I was dying to play the violin. I don’t know why, because no one in my family plays a string instrument. I switched to the viola when I was entering high school and went on to minor in music at Ithaca College. In my free time, I enjoy singing, and I’m a self-taught guitarist. The Retailer: What instrument do you most enjoy playing? Morrison: I don’t think I can answer that because I love them all and enjoy playing them for different reasons. Unfortunately, due to an injury in high school, the viola has always been a bit more challenging to play. But there is nothing more beautiful than playing some of the greatest music in an orchestra, in some of the greatest concert halls around the world. (continued on page 45) MARCH 2021

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