Music & Sound Retailer May 2021, Vol 38 No 5

THE NEWS MAGAZINE FOR MUSIC PRODUC TS RETAILERS

May 2021 Volume 38, No. 5

TESTA COMMUNICATIONS MOURNS ITS VISIONARY FOUNDER, VINNY TESTA See page 7

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Music China’s 20th Anniversary

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Music China, which will take place from October 13-16 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre.

With an exhibition space spanning 10 halls, Music China is gathering momentum toward this major milestone, with a large number of brands already confirmed to exhibit at the anniversary edition. Over the last two decades, the show has developed from an event with 274 exhibitors into what is today one of the world’s largest trade fairs for musical instruments.

According to Judy Cheung, deputy general manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd., “Since its launch in 2002, Music China has grown from strength to strength, and has quickly established itself as a renowned trade platform within the musical instrument industry, confirming the show’s overall strength in generating meaningful business results for both local and overseas industry players, as well as providing an ideal destination for brand building, education and networking. Music China offers a unique platform which is indispensable and irreplaceable.”

To help participants seize every possible business opportunity, this year’s Music China has added a “recording and studio equipment” category to enhance its product profile and open doors in the live streaming

market, which has soared in popularity in China. It is believed the new addition will attract musicians, teachers, artists, music lovers and KOLs to explore new business prospects with suppliers at the show.

Music China is organized by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, the China Musical Instruments Association and Shanghai Intex Exhibition Co. Ltd. The organizers will closely monitor the pandemic situation and will strictly follow the local government’s protection guidelines.

NAMM Foundation Names Best Communities for Music Education

The NAMM Foundation celebrated and recognized 686 school districts in 40 states as among the Best Communities for Music Education (BCME). In cooperation with researchers at the Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas, the BCME program, now in its 22nd year, evaluates schools and districts based on funding, staffing of highly qualified teachers, commitment to standards and access to music instruction. In addition to the districts receiving Best Communities for Music Education recognition, 80 individual schools across the nation are being awarded the SupportMusic Merit Award (SMMA), which recognizes support for school-based music education programs.

“In past years, schools and districts had to work hard to create successful music and arts communities,” said Mary Luehrsen, executive director of The NAMM Foundation. “But never before has the battle been so hard-fought against silence and a feeling of isolation.

We applaud with all our hearts the commitment of so many to assure students continue with deep and rich music learning.”

Kindergarten-12 music teachers have found creative solutions to make music come alive despite schools moving online or to in-person settings where masks were required not only for student musicians, but often for instruments. In 2020, as districts shut down for in-person learning, teachers began sending sheet music, videos and audio to students via the internet. Classes went from the band room to Zoom.

Music education became much more individualized and difficult.

“The truth is, music is not meant to be done alone,” said Samantha Sarli of the Bristol Public School in Bristol, Conn. “Our students miss their large ensemble experience. Music is very much about the feeling of being in a room with 70 to 90 other students and physically feeling the vibrations, following the conductor and learning where your part fits into the larger picture.”

Playing together is possible, but hard to manage online. The technology tends to lag and distort the sound. The camera also is a problem for teachers because it generally only shows one angle. Yet in the schools and districts recognized by The NAMM Foundation, dedicated and creative music teachers, supported by a wider community, have succeeded in reinventing music instruction. In so doing, they have brightened the MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

lives of thousands of students, breaking down isolation. “Countless hours have been spent creating virtual ensemble performance, delivering music to students’ houses, repairing instruments on students’ front porches, and more,” said Allison Rakickas of the Aptakisic-Tripp Community Consolidated School District 102 in Buffalo Grove, Ill. Breaking out of the routine also has advantages. “I believe that teaching in a hybrid educational system has forced us to think outside the box of what a traditional music performance class is,” said Chris Clouthier of the Port Washington School District in Port Washington, N.Y. “Teachers are able to teach more in-depth about theory, ear training and creating music,” said April Pickrell of the Santa Fe Public Schools in Santa Fe, N.M. “Many times, teachers are so wrapped up in the next concert that these other skills are not as prominent.”

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Editor’s note: An industry tribute to the Music & Sound Retailer publisher Vinny Testa, as well as “The Good Stuff: Great Things Going on MI Today,” will appear in the June issue.

CONTENTS F E AT U R E S

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18 Light at the End of the Tunnel Why band and orchestra product sales and rentals are set for a resurgence.

26 Five Minutes With

Chris Martin IV, who in July will become executive chairman of C.F. Martin and also end his eight-year term on the NAMM Executive Committee, looks back on career highlights, what C.F. Martin seeks in its next CEO, plus much more.

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30 MI Spy

MI Spy makes one more virtual “trip,” this time heading to Utah to look for B&O products.

36 Shine a Light

When Lindy Campbell opened Music on the Hill in July 2013, she had no business training or experience, and no idea how valuable her store would become to the music community of Washington, D.C. Learn how her store became a true standout in the nation’s capital.

38 Under the Hood

MI retailers are saying keyboards are so hot that they cannot keep them in stock. Help has arrived from Dover, N.J.-based Casio America Inc. via its release of three new Casiotone models: the CT-S1, CT-S400 and LK-S450.

46 The Final Note

Gibson Brands Inc. brand director Cesar Gueikian offers fascinating stories about concerts he attended, being a professional tennis player, surfing 30-foot waves in Hawaii, plus much more.

38 COLUMNS 32 In the Trenches

If you’re a retailer, you know we’re no longer living in the “need it, order it, get it” world of 2019. That cozy world has been replaced with the “need it, who has it, who do I bribe to get it” world of 2021, and you need to shake it up to keep your store stocked, says Allen McBroom.

34 Veddatorial

Dan Vedda has observed the return of a trend: impulse buying. It’s been a linchpin of the brick-and-mortar experience since before the pandemic, but now in-store customers seem to be shopping with a fresh outlook

BUZZ

3 Latest 8 People 12 Products

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MAY 2021

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

EDITORIAL

The Saddest of Sad Days It was an editorial I hoped I would never have to write. But sadly, I have to.

Vinny Testa, the founder of the Music & Sound Retailer in 1983 and its publisher ever since, passed away on April 19 at the age of 76. His impact on the MI industry, as well the sound reinforcement industry via Sound and Communications and the DJ industry via DJ Times, was profound. The name “Testa” was a household name in MI. Most knew him, and as our cover story in June will show, many have fond memories of him.

I want to share some of my own fond memories of Vinny. First, I never realized it before, but after reflecting on my time spent working for Vinny, I guess there is something about me he must have liked. How else can you explain the fact that he hired me to be the editor of this magazine twice? Vinny was someone you would jump through hoops for. His loyalty to his employees and love for all things music was off the charts. That is something that cannot be taken for granted in this day and age.

I will always recall the conversations we had in his office about his family, the MI industr y and how we could make the Music & Sound Retailer even better.

We had high standards for this magazine, and since I had so much respect for him, I never wanted to let him down.

But what I will remember the most are the little things: The holiday parties at our New York office; dressing up at The NAMM Show in tuxedos to present the Music & Sound Awards with him; Vinny being the first to console me after my father passed away in

2005, only two weeks after I took on this job for the first time; and simply being a fly on the wall when I joined him on NAMM meetings with manufacturers.

Vinny was an incredible salesperson and an amazing person to learn from.

I also wanted to mention something that many would consider to be a tiny detail but that had a big impact on me. Vinny liked to pay compliments when I wrote witty headlines in the Buzz section of the magazine. He loved that the Retailer had a bit of an edge to it, and he felt that these headlines were one place where the publication’s personality truly shone. I recall one headline specifically though, and how much Vinny got a kick out of it. I do not recall the exact year, but it was during the heart of UPS’ “What can brown do for you?” campaign.

In came an email from TASCAM, who had recently hired a person with the last name Brown. I felt I had too good an opportunity to pass up, so I had to write the headline, “What Can Brown Do for TASCAM?” After he read it, Vinny came to my office, beaming from ear to ear, not just laughing but guffawing, and telling me how great a headline it was and that it was truly one of my best. That really meant a lot to me and left me with a smile on my face the rest of the day.

We have lost a true titan of the MI industry. Vinny Testa can never be replaced. I can only carry on his legacy by editing this publication the best way I know how, and the way Vinny taught me to: with heart and humility.

May 2021 Volume 38 No. 5

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. ELLEN LEVITT

JANICE PUPELIS Art Director STEVE THORAKOS Production Manager CIRCULATION circulation@testa.com FRED GUMM Digital Art Director MICHELLE LOEB WILL MASON ALLEN MCBROOM GABRIEL O'BRIEN MIKE & MIRIAM RISKO

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 Founder and Publisher TIM SPICER DAN VEDDA Contributors

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.

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MAY 2021

Vinny Testa 1944-2021

In loving memory of Vinny Testa, Publisher of the Music & Sound Retailer and President of Testa Communications.

Vinny molded the Music & Sound Retailer into what it is today with his vision and integrity, as well as his unshakable commitment to editorial independence.

He’s survived by his beloved family, friends and employees, who’ll never forget our one-of-a-kind Vinny.

Our June issue will offer a tribute to Vinny, featuring the wonderful outpouring of industry comments we received following his passing.

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Music & Arts Acquires Be Part of the Music

Music & Arts acquired Be Part of the Music, a music education advocacy organization led by Scott Lang and Andrew Hrynyshyn.

Now under the umbrella of Music & Arts, the free services offered

by Be Part of the Music will be more accessible to music educators nationwide than ever before. The announcement was made by Music & Arts president Jeff Gottlieb and reflects Music & Arts’ ongoing mission of expanding the scope of the resources it is able to offer the music education community.

Founded in 2011 and currently celebrating its 10th anniversary, Be Part of the Music provides a wide range of free content (videos, documents, advocacy materials) and “done-for-you” solutions (website builders, automated solutions, pre-built campaigns) for the recruitment and retention of music students. “This strategic acquisition represents a significant and long-term investment into not just advocacy, but music education. As one of the nation’s leading school music providers, we felt it was important to add this crucial piece of the puzzle, in order to continue building a cohesive and forward-thinking advocacy program that provides value to music educators and the students they serve,” said Gottlieb.

The idea for the acquisition was born in early 2020, when Music & Arts national sales director Brian Wilson identified a need to provide better tools for Music & Arts’ educational representatives and a better experience for their educators. “During various discussions, we realized we could better serve our educators if we had two components that were

missing before: a formalized recruitment and retention program, and a more intentional advocacy program. Once we understood this, acquiring Be Part of the Music became the obvious solution,” stated Wilson.

Added Be Part of the Music Founder Scott Lang, “From the very beginning, we identified Music & Arts as the ideal strategic partner.

We knew we had the content and materials to help start and keep more kids in music, but we lacked the resources and extensive national reach needed to truly move the needle. Music & Arts gives us the ability to move our mission forward in a way we could never do without them. This partnership truly is a win-win!”

As a part of the acquisition, Lang has joined the Music & Arts team in a newly formed role as director of advocacy. He is reporting to Wilson and serves on the School Services team. Hrynyshyn has also joined the School Services team, where he is serving in the role of product manager, advocacy.

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Forever DeYoung

Spector Musical Instruments, a Korg USA Inc. company, hired William DeYoung. An established luthier, production manager and multi-instrumentalist, DeYoung will leverage his expertise in various areas of instrument production to further Spector’s goal of delivering heirloom-quality instruments to distributors and retailers nationwide.

DeYoung joins the Spector team after six years at Fodera Guitars in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he served as luthier and production William DeYoung manager. In addition to being involved in all areas of production, DeYoung took on the managerial duties of overseeing the production staff, developing instruments and business planning. He can be also seen on multiple demo videos showcasing his chops on Fodera’s latest builds.

Jerry Joins KHS

Jerry Andreas joined KHS America as director of sales and marketing, Education division. Andreas is an MI veteran, having spent his last 15 years as senior vice president of SKB Corp., where he led all sales and marketing activities for the Music ProAV division. Prior to joining SKB, he spent over 18 years at Yamaha Corp. of America, where he started as the drum product manager for marching and Jerry Andreas concert percussion and rose to the director of marketing for the Pro Audio and Combo division.

In his new role, Andreas oversees all sales and marketing activities for KHS America’s Education division, including Jupiter, XO and Azumi Winds, Mapex and Majestic Concert and Marching Percussion, Sonor Orff, and the recent addition of Nuvo Instruments.

“Jerry’s belief in the power of music to change lives for the better and passion for music education align extremely well with our core values,” said Andy Strayer, vice president of sales and marketing for KHS America.

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MAY 2021

PEOPLE

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

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Taking Flight

Hal Leonard announced that John Mlynczak has been promoted to vice president of music education and technology. Previously the managing director of Noteflight, a Hal Leonard company, Mlynczak has been consistently involved with Hal Leonard’s music education and technology initiatives. This new position expands upon these duties and allows Mlynczak to lead Noteflight, Essential Elements Music John Mlynczak Class, Essential Elements Interactive, as well as Hal Leonard’s overall music education growth strategy.

Mlynczak has an extensive range of experience in music education and the music industry. He has taught music, music technology and music business at the elementary, secondary and collegiate levels. He is an active performer and is a highly sought-after clinician on music technology and music advocacy. He is a graduate instructor at VanderCook College, advocacy chair of the Massachusetts Music Educator’s Association, serves on the NAMM Support Music and State Advocacy Coalitions and the NAfME Advocacy Leadership Force, and is past president of TI:ME (Technology In Music Education). Mlynczak holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from Virginia Commonwealth University and master’s degrees in both music performance and educational leadership from Louisiana State University.

Two New Music People

The Music People (TMP) appointed Stephen Kriksciun and Ana Dobrian as national account managers. As members of the sales team, Kriksciun and Dobrian assist customers with gear selection, provide system design support and develop long-lasting relationships with the company’s MI, install, rental and production channels.

Before joining TMP, Kriksciun previously served as an inside sales rep at Fender and, most recently, a key account manager at Stephen Kriksciun KMC Music. His prior experience in the music industry will help Kriksciun as he expands On-Stage’s footprint in his territory.

“The Music People is an outstanding organization, and I am very excited to now be a member of the team and grow with them,” Kriksciun said. “I couldn’t be happier.”

Dobrian joins TMP from MI online retailer American Musical Supply, where she managed the pro-audio tech team as well as the returns facility for more than five years.

“I’ve always had a passion for the music Ana Dobrian industry,” Dobrian said. “Music connects us to one another through one language, and as a bilingual, first-generation American, that’s how my love affair with music began. On-Stage has been a constant in my journey in that it has always been the product line that I’ve relied on to provide myself, my partners and venues with solid construction, design and reliability to get the job done. As a member of the TMP team, I’m now excited to provide the same for On-Stage dealers.”

“We are continually looking for ways to grow and expand our dealer base,” said Tom Tedesco, TMP vice president of sales and business development.

“I could not be happier with the recent additions of Stephen and Ana.” MAY 2021

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Mike Hader

Pat Kroll

Meg Madison

Bruce Skof

LPMUSIC.COM

Shure’s Fantastic Four

Shure Inc. announced that four executives have been promoted to vice president and senior vice president roles at the company.

Mike Hader has been promoted to vice president of global software in the Product Development division. He joined Shure in 2019 with more than 30 years of experience in planning, executing and delivering technology-driven solutions during his time at such companies as Continental Automotive, Zebra Technologies, Motorola and Nokia.

He has dual bachelor’s degrees in computer science and mathematics from the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse.

Pat Knoll has been promoted to vice president of global facilities.

She leads an international team that oversees all Shure properties worldwide. Knoll joined Shure in 2005 and today leads a global team responsible for all acquisition, leasing, construction, maintenance, disposition and security activities associated with the company’s offices, manufacturing plants, warehouses, distribution centers and other facilities.

Meg Madison has been promoted to senior vice president of human resources. Since joining Shure in 2005, Madison has held positions of increasing responsibility in HR. She oversees Total Rewards, Training and Development, Talent Acquisition, HR Information Systems and Shure’s HR Business Partner team. In addition, she has been a member of the executive staff since 2016 and plays a key role on various cross-functional teams, including the global Crisis Management Team.

She has a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Illinois-Champaign.

Bruce Skof has been promoted to senior vice president of corporate finance. In addition, he remains the company’s chief financial officer.

Skof joined Shure in 2000 and has held numerous positions in its Finance division, including controller, manager of financial analysis, and senior director of FP&A and treasury. He was a strategic member of the Corporate Management Committee and a key driver in the expansion of Shure’s presence around the world through his involvement in the opening of new offices around the globe. He has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from St. Mary’s College of Minnesota.

“I want to express my congratulations to Mike, Pat, Meg and Bruce on their well-deserved promotions,” said Chris Schyvinck, Shure president and CEO. “They have each brought strategic leadership and vision to their respective areas, and their collective expertise and accomplishments have been instrumental in Shure’s success. We are fortunate to have these impressive leaders on the Shure team.”

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

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PRODUCT

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Cannonball celebrates 25 years in 2021 with a new special-edition model of the Big Bell Stone Series saxophones. Each of these models is handcrafted with a nickel silver bell, bow, original neck and FAT Neck, and is further enhanced with an oversized, solid titanium neck screw and lyre screw. An intricate pattern selected from Cannonball’s catalog of premium hand engravings, White Tiger, is carefully carved onto each bell and bow.

Seventeen semi-precious Snakeskin Jasper stones adorn each saxophone.

The saxophone is finished in polished black nickel plating and acoustically handcustomized as with every pro Cannonball instrument. Available in alto (A5-25) and tenor (T5-25). cannonballmusic.com

Premiere by Hite High Performance.

Modest Price.

Imagine the possibilities!

For the student player, professional results are within reach with Hite Premiere mouthpieces.

Popular as “step up” mouthpieces for players who would benefit from better mouthpieces but are put off by higher prices, these personally hand-crafted and finished mouthpieces deliver exceptional

over

performance and value.

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Hey Mr. Tambourine Man

The Music People rolled out four new products. The TMB3200 Tambourine features 0.8mm-thick stainless-steel jingles, producing a rich sound that complements a wide range of styles and genres. The high pitch and bold character of the semicircle-shaped tambourine cuts through the mix. A grooved handle provides a natural grip that reduces hand fatigue for long-lasting comfort while playing. The HPWB2700 Woodblock boasts a bold yet musical tone, ideal for a wide range of musical styles, featuring a high pitch that is designed for both on stage and in the studio. The HPCS3500 Cabasa features a loud, full sound that “shines” through any mix and complements a variety of musical genres. The cabasa features a textured steel cylinder wrapped with steel-bead loops, which offers a variety of percussive sounds. A contoured handle reduces hand fatigue for long-lasting playing comfort. And the five-inch HPCB2500 Cowbell possesses a bold, musical character that cuts through the mix — whether it’s being used for live performances or studio recordings.

It boasts a powder-coated steel construction, ensuring dependable performance and consistently great sound, stated the company. musicpeopleinc.com

Stand in the Place Where You Live

Gator Frameworks released a new desktop microphone stand with round weighted base and adjustable height. The GFW-MIC-0501 desktop microphone stand provides a functional and simplified mic stand solution for streaming, podcasts, broadcasts and desktop audio production. One can achieve the perfect mic position using the locking twist clutch to adjust the height from 9.5 inches to 14.5 inches, the company stated. It satisfies a wide range of mic placement needs with its compact 5.88-inch round cast-iron base and low-profile design, making it excellent for both studio and live applications ranging from desktop recording to kick drums or combo amps. Rubber feet underneath the base keep the stand from slipping and reduce noise transference. The stand also features a removable 5/8-27 threaded adapter to accommodate both U.S. and Euro mic clip sizes. gatorcases.com

MAY 2021

PRODUCT

Cable Guy

Warm Audio announced a new line of cables that exclusively feature cable stock from Swiss manufacturer Gotham AG. The offerings are split into Pro and Premier ranges. The Premier range offers features like Starquad assembly, Double-Reussen shielding, gold connectors and a braided outer wrap. The Pro range features silver

Big Burst

Adding to the company’s line of custom instruments, b3 Guitars added the SL59 to its model lineup. What began as the set-neck SL Deluxe has become the ultimate in late ‘50s-styled guitars, stated the company. Handcrafted from the finest materials and incorporating vintage correct appointments, the SL59 is the definition of “Burst Killer,” the company added. The b3 SL59 features an authentic old-growth Eastern maple top, oldgrowth one-piece mahogany body, Brazilian rosewood fretboard, holly headstock veneer, deep setneck tenon, 17-degree headstock angle, tortoise side dots, TonePros AVR-II bridge, aluminum tailpiece, large steel anchors, Bumble Bee capacitors, b3 PAF pickups and a silkscreen logo. It is customizable with a list of bespoke options. b3guitars.com MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

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connectors, Gotham’s three-conductor cable and a flexible PVC jacket. Both the Premier and Pro ranges feature a limited lifetime warranty.

Warm has already begun the process of adding additional SKUs to the portfolio, and the line will continue to grow and expand over the next few years, the company stated. warmaudio.com

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Get Carter

ProMark Drumsticks launched the Carter McLean signature stick. It is made from hickory with a custom designed wood tip and measures .571 inches in diameter and 16 1/8 inches in length with a lacquered finish. The custom tip shape developed with McLean provides a range of sonic possibilities on any playing surface, depending on the angle of attack, stated the company. Carter Mclean is a highly regarded educator, top Broadway drummer, and live/studio drummer with the likes of Charlie Hunter, Melvin Sparks, and Anthony Hamilton. He is particularly respected for his musical and nuanced approach to sound, touch and groove. daddario.com

Holy Howitzer!

Electro-Harmonix announced a new ultra-compact 15-watt guitar preamp/amp with Volume, Gain, Bass, Mid and Treble controls plus a Bright switch and a built-in Effects Loop. Designed with extreme portability in mind, the 15-Watt Howitzer can be mounted on a pedalboard or tucked away in a gig bag and will work with any speaker cabinet rated at eight or 16 ohms. The 15-Watt Howitzer comes equipped with its own 24VDC/1.0A power supply. ehx.com

Get Onboard

Luna Guitars’ Vineyard Series ukuleles, available in concert and tenor sizes, feature Fishman’s Kula Ukulele Onboard Preamp System with onboard tuner, so players can be ready to dial in their sound quickly, plug into an amp and hit the stage. Whether the player has a solid musical foundation or is simply looking to make an artistic impression, Luna’s Vineyard Series ukuleles are designed for creative growth. The Uke Vineyard Koa Bevel Tenor has a 17-inch scale length and traditional tenor cutaway body, while the Uke Vineyard Koa Bevel Concert offers a 15-inch scale length and traditional concert cutaway body. On both models, the solid koa A-grade flat top, along with koa back and sides, offer a warm tone and an ergonomic bevel that provides rest for the picking arm.

Single-ply rosewood binding adds a finishing touch of sophistication, while Gloss Natural finish allows the tonewoods to shine both aesthetically and sonically, stated the company. Both ukuleles in the Vineyard Series are designed with a comfortable C-shape mahogany neck and set-neck construction that helps transfer the resonance between neck and body more freely.

The 1 3/8-inch nut width offers ample string spacing for comfortable chord formation and fingerpicking. lunaguitars.com/ukuleles

Driver Wanted

Celestion announced the new 32-ohm version of the AN2075, a low-profile twoinch compact array driver, particularly well-suited for large-scale mini-array applications which require multiple drivers connected together. The 32-ohm AN2075 joins others in the Celestion AN range of compact and lightweight full-range neodymium loudspeakers that are a popular choice for portable or discreet, low-profile sound reinforcement applications. In common with the rest of the range, it utilizes an efficient neodymium magnet assembly and features a stiff and light aluminum cone that remains rigid to higher frequencies in order to deliver a smoother response. All the drivers in the AN Series have been built using a tough but lightweight, glass-reinforced ABS chassis designed for maximum free air movement, with a square mounting frame to facilitate close coupling of multiple units. And each of the drivers in the AN Series has been optimized using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) techniques to give a wider dispersion characteristic than conventional loudspeakers of this size. celestion.com

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MAY 2021

I Believe in Collaboration...

And the people who bring music to the world.

As President of NASMD, the Board and I are really looking forward to hosting our NASMD 2021 Convention in conjunction with Summer NAMM in Nashville.

While so much has changed in the past year, the desire to gather as an industry, sharing best ideas and practices, has not. Budgets are tight, but connecting with NAMM, NASMD members will get a double bang for their buck. We’ll still have the wonderful opening gala and a full day of sessions with special guest speakers.

Plus, attendees will then have the opportunity to explore Nashville and experience Summer NAMM!

Whitney Brown Grisaffi President Ted Brown Music

namm.org/attend We Are Better Together! • July 15-16, 2021 • Music City Center • Nashville, Tennessee

PRODUCT

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In Synth

KORG’s MS-20 FS (full-size) Monophonic Synthesizer is a 1:1 scale reissue of the MS-20, reborn in four limitededition colors (green, white, blue and black). Recreating the original MS-20 while adding powerful new features, the MS-20 FS is a 37-key classic analog monosynth with patch bay, external signal processor, MIDI IN and USB. The original MS-20, unveiled in 1978, played a vital role in KORG’s histor y as a synthesizer brand. This full-size reissue consists of limited numbers of the four different powder-coated color variations. korg.com

Going on the Record

TASCAM announced the TM-250U USB Condenser Microphone. Designed for capturing crisp, accurate audio when interfaced with personal computers, the TM-250U is a solution for high quality, direct connection computer audio for podcasting, dialog and vocal recording, music recording, conferencing, and other forms of online audio, stated the company. Featuring a super cardioid polar pattern and a frequency response of 20Hz〜20kHz, it functions via industry-standard USB-C connectors on the Windows, Mac, and Chrome OS platforms. Compatible with USB class compliant devices, the microphone makes a direct connection to computers with a USB cable, so no special driver is required. Record voice-over or music directly to the computer's recording software with stream optimized 16-bit/48kHz sampling and achieve pristine audio quality for any application where clean and natural sounding audio is required. The package ships with the following included accessories: a microphone clip, a six-foot USB C-A mic cable, and a desktop mic stand. tascam.com

A Puerto Rican Tradition

Latin Percussion launched Barriles De Bomba traditional drums, which have been used for more than 400 years in the Puerto Rican folkloric music called Bomba.

Available in two sizes, the higher pitch Primo or Subidor is played as the lead drum to follow the dancers and the larger Buleador is used to provide a steady, hypnotic rhythm. The 26-inch tall Barriles are constructed from two-ply Siam Oak with natural rawhide heads fitted using traditional rims. Plus, they feature decorative metal bands that are reminiscent of traditional drums from the island. The Latin Percussion 14-Inch (LP2614-MS) and 16-inch (LP2616MS) Siam Oak Barriles De Bomba have chrome plated heart side plates with 5/16-inch diameter tension rods and are supplied with a bag. lpmusic.com

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Fender Musical Instruments Corp. introduced the acoustic Joe Strummer Campfire and Joe Strummer Esquire guitars in celebration of the legendary British singer, guitarist, lyricist and co-founder of The Clash who continues to influence the way musicians worldwide shape their sound today. The signature models come more than 40 years after the release of The Clash’s landmark “London Calling” album and hot on the heels of the new, remastered collection of Strummer’s solo songs, “Assembly.” Created in part as a tribute to the diversity of Joe Strummer’s music, the new launches include a Campfire acoustic-electric guitar and a limitededition run of Master Built Esquire guitars from the Fender Custom Shop.

In addition, fans can get their hands on a new range of Strummer-inspired playing accessories, including a replica of his favorite guitar strap.

A punk poet, musician, composer, actor and style icon, Strummer spent his life smashing musical and cultural boundaries both as the front man of The Clash and as a solo artist. Songs in his catalog include “Know Your Rights,” “London Calling,” “Rock the Casbah,” “Straight to Hell” and “Coma Girl.” fender.com

I’m All Ears

Minuendo Lossless earplugs allow musicians and live performers the choice to control sound levels throughout practice and rehearsals. This may prevent potential adverse effects from occurring as a result of excessive exposure. Key features of the product include variable passive HiFi filter, stepless manual adjustment (7 to 25dB reduction), natural flat frequency response, patented adjustable membrane and no electronics or batteries. Minuendo’s mission is to increase awareness about hearing loss prevention and to provide a product that musicians can use to make the auditory experience safe, while at the same time retaining audio quality. The development of some hearing loss conditions are cumulative over time. This includes Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL).

Moderate sound levels in practice situations can also be harmful over time, including for acoustic instruments.

For those who have continued this practice regimen for years or decades, it often results in hearing damage and tinnitus. minuendo.com MAY 2021

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What are your best tips for band & orchestra rentals and sales based on your pandemic experience?

“You must be able to adapt regarding how your customers want to do business. Do what you need to get the instruments in the kids’ hands so they can learn, no matter what is going on in the world.”

“Emphasize the need for all students to participate in music. Few parents realize how important music is to their children in times of stress, and few realize what the Every Student Succeeds Act says about music in schools. Give options with easy returns, offer extras like bell covers with rentals, and be sure you use safe and sanitary practices. Use social media!”

“We really put more effort into the availability of access to our online rental program. We also did virtual/ Zoom meetings. Our [band] directors struggled, and we kept encouraging them. We changed how we processed and packaged orders. The deliver y system worked great, and directors loved it.”

“Make sure the online rental [process] is simplified and easy. I suggest directors move their rental meeting to the gym to ensure the meeting still happens.”

How should retailers plan for recruiting this fall?

“We are expecting most of our demos and testing/fittings to be done in store, with ver y little [done] at schools.

We are doing this by appointment, so we can clean in between [sessions] and have adequate staff and spacing.

We are expecting not to be allowed into schools, as is currently the case. We will also use social media to get kids excited about music class.”

“We are hosting ‘Spirit Nights’ for some of our schools in the store, so the students come in while the band director is there to test instruments in our COVID-compliant tryout rooms.”

“They should be creative in their marketing efforts so they can find new ways to reach the parents. The next step is to find new ways to get the instru-

ments into the hands of the kids.

Be it drive-through rental nights, delivery, shipping or in-store, we need to open every avenue to make it easy for the parents to get the needed instruments for the kids.”

“Have plenty of personal protective equipment (PPE), shields, etc. Tape instruments shut with ‘Sanitized by’ stickers to make customers comfortable.

Anticipate what to do if you get a crowd: [Conduct business] out-

doors? Spacing? Take a number?

Also promote online rentals to keep parents comfortable. Be prepared for any and all eventualities.”

“We are hosting ‘Drive Thru’ rental nights, where customers can rent online and then pick up their instruments at the school on a specific night.”

What are your ideas for preparing for the Fall 2021 semester when some school

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districts will have full inperson schedules while others retain a stay-at-home or hybrid approach?

“We must be able to adapt to the needs of our customers. If we need to, we will safely take the instruments to the students. It is all about adaptability.”

“Prepare for any and all eventualities. Be sure to promote private lessons, include PPE for instruments and musicians in rentals, encourage parents as to

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“I anticipate all our schools will be hybrid/stay at home, so we will be doing much of what we have already done this year: communicate with teachers, share information and help support their struggling programs.”

And concluded this retailer: “Full steam ahead! Why on earth

would any retailer plan for diminished business? Schedule meetings. Be ready for all this quarantine stuff to go away, and plan/ prepare to rent horns in full force come fall. If that’s not possible, change gears and do the best you can. Cross that bridge when/if you come to it.”

B&O Manufacturer Panel

We also asked some B&O manufacturers for their thoughts. Five panelists joined the Music & Sound

Retailer to talk about the state of the B&O market: Dan Roberts, president, Manhasset Specialty Co,; Rob Hanson, director, John Packer; Tevis Laukat, president, Cannonball Musical Instruments; Keri Armendariz, marketing director, Lyon & Healy and Salvi Harps; and Brian Petterson, senior marketing manager, winds and strings, Yamaha Corp. of America.

Let’s kick it off with the tough stuff. Several MI retail-

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ers have reported a challenging environment during the COVID-19 pandemic due to uncertainty surrounding inperson schooling. How much has this affected your business? What have you done to weather the storm during the past year-plus period since the pandemic started?

Dan Roberts: “We all know that MI retailers in many states were under very strict guidelines about opening their businesses during the early months of the pandemic. At Manhasset, we recognized that filling our distributors’ orders even quicker than usual was important so that MI retailers could get the products that they needed to take care of their customers’ needs as quickly as possible. As a result, we ran up significant inventories of our best-selling music stands and stand carts. And concurrently, we ran larger inventories than we normally carry of other music stand models and related accessories so that we could fill orders faster. Our distributors have worked very closely with us during the pandemic to make sure that they had sufficient stock of Manhasset stands to fill their MI retailers’ orders. We also secured as much polycarbonate material to make as many protective shields as possible to meet the increased demand created by the COVID-19 pandemic. We did notice (and continue to see) that our export business has been steadier than domestic business.

Many of the major countries that Manhasset sells into seemed to have been relatively less impacted by the pandemic, and as a result, they have been able to continue to do business on a more normal basis.”

Rob Hanson: “There is no question the last 12 months has been a challenge. The pretty much global shutdown of in-person lessons for wind instruments, combined in certain parts of the world with bans on ensemble playing or, at the very least, a huge reduction in willingness to take part in any kind of wind ensembles, has had a devastating effect. While we have done our best to engage with our customer base during these times, the most effective method has been to literally batten down the hatches and ride out this storm the best we 21

“We recognized filling our distributors' orders even quicker than usual was important so that MI retailers could get the products they needed to take care of their customers' needs as quickly as possible.”

—Dan Roberts, Manhasset

Pull quote are manhasset “We remain optimistic about the future due to the resilient nature of the school music market. The community has overcome immense challenges in the past year!”

—Brian Petterson, Yamaha

22

can. The end is in sight, though, and we are looking forward to being let loose and getting back to what we all do best.”

Tevis Laukat: “MI is such a great industry to be in! We have all participated in lifting each other up during phone calls, Zoom meetings and other correspondence during this period.

It’s been inspiring to me to watch the positive attitude that exists in our dealers’ approach. Music is fulfilling and uplifting, and they continued to portray this even through a challenging year. We are all ready to move on.”

Keri Armendariz: “We did have a decline in sales, but also our expenses were down due to cancelled events.”

Brian Petterson: “We believe these times call for proactive solutions. As soon as the shutdown started, we curated resources for teachers to shift to online teaching. Over the summer, we partnered with Disney Pixar to use promotion of the movie “Soul” to encourage parents to involve their children in musicmaking. More recently, we partnered with AMRO Music, the Music Achievement Council, Noteflight and educators to produce a 16-week program — the “Post-pandemic Planning Guide” — to give teachers easy-to-follow checklists, templates and success stories to enlist administration, engage this ‘lost year’ of students and recruit more. Right

now, we’re giving dozens of webinars on ESSER, the federal COVID relief funds. It is billions of dollars that most music teachers do not know they have access to, to improve their programs and address learning loss from this year. And of course, we’re using all our platforms to disseminate these resources and information as widely as possible in the dealer and educator communities.”

Many areas of the United States have now returned to in-person schooling or a hybrid system. There is an expectation September could bring a more “normal” school environment. If this is true, are you optimistic about the future for your company and B&O segment of the MI industr y in a postpandemic world? Let’s first get the European outlook from Hanson, and then switch to a U.S. view.

Hanson: “In the UK and Europe, we are still a little way off [from] in-person schooling as far as wind instruments go, and there are still large elements of lockdown still in effect. Our retail store in the UK has been closed since December but could reopen. I think there is no doubt, though, of pent-up demand being unleashed, and I am hoping, with a following wind, that [during] this school MAY 2021

season we could be seeing record demand.”

Petterson: “We remain optimistic about the future due to the resilient nature of the school music market. This community has overcome immense challenges in the past year!

The educators, administrators, parents, students and dealers involved in school music are extremely passionate and resourceful individuals, and we are confident our music community can work together to drive growth in participation and student engagement. We are looking forward to assisting our dealers and educator customers with important recruitment and retention efforts this summer and beyond.”

Laukat: “We are ver y optimistic about the future and believe that school music will grow positively and with vibrancy before September.

Families and kids are itching to move on to experience the joy and happiness of school band and orchestra. The absence of school music as we knew it before has made the heart grow fonder.”

Armendariz: “Yes, we are optimistic and have already seen more activity and inquiries.”

Roberts: “We are very happy to see children being able to return to school on an in-person basis. It was sad to see kids graduating from their respective schools without having been able to celebrate their accomplishments with their friends and families last year. We are bullish about the B&O segment in the future because we think that kids have missed the social element of school during the pandemic and the opportunity to participate in school band, as part of a team.

Making music together will seem even more important to kids and parents. We think that parents will play an even more important role in encouraging their children to participate in music and the arts in the future so that their kids’ school experience is well rounded. We think there will be great interest in hearing live music again, too, when the opportunity becomes available. People are ready to go out and enjoy live entertainment! And that can help create interest in playing an instrument.”

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

Now let’s take a more positive outlook. What areas of your business have shown the most strength and/or growth recently and why?

Laukat: “In our business, we have unique opportunities for customers. We have many models and finishes from which to choose, as well as premium engraving options. This is always a great draw for customers.”

Armendariz: “In the first quarter of 2021, we have seen an

increase in the number of student instruments being sold.”

Petterson: “Products that allow musicians to minimize the disruption to family members during a ‘play-at-home’ school and work environment have been very popular. This includes instruments like the YDS-150 Digital Saxophone and the Electric and Silent Strings series. It also includes accessory products like the Silent Brass mutes. Being able to plug headphones into

your instrument to practice at any time of day or night without disturbing others in the household is a big benefit for these players and their families.”

Roberts: “The demand for Manhasset music stands has continued to be strong. Sales of music stands for home studios and for young musicians to practice with continue to increase every year. Manhasset now makes 20 colors of our music stands to give consumers an opportunity

Pull quote are manhasset “It's our 25th Cannonball anniversary this year! We have done special videos, including a concert, a tour of the factory, an engraving video, a flute video and a Cannonball virtual video.”

—Tevis Laukat, Cannonball

“We did have customers Pull quote arelimited manhasset during the first lockdown that decided to fulfill their lifelong dream of playing the saxophone, etc. We would hope that has been successful, but I think it's a little early to say.”

—Rob Hanson, John Packer

is really the only growth we have seen over the last 12 months.

Mainly this is down to retail stores being closed extensively the last 12 months. And even when open, testing wind instruments when there is a mask mandate is pretty difficult. Web sales have been growing the last few years at the expense of traditional retail sales. One of the many legacies of COVID will probably be that the slow changeover to more web than retail sales has been accelerated by several years.”

Growing the Market

to choose the color and finish that they deem best for their home studios or practice areas.

Manhasset introduced new models of protective shields in 2020, and they continue to sell well in 2020 and 2021. Music stand accessory sales have also been strong, as musicians have added LED lamps, accessory shelves and floor protectors to their music stand equipment for at-home use or for performances.”

Hanson: “UK retail web sales 24

Although the B&O market struggled since the dawn of the pandemic, have you seen new B&O players enter the market like what has been seen in the guitar, keyboard and at-home recording markets? If so, how do we keep these new B&O players active and engaged in the market?

Petterson: “We were very excited to introduce the new YDS150 Digital Saxophone in the fall.

This instrument is designed to help the player get a great sound from the very first time they play. It has been a great example within B&O of the ‘play-at-home’ phenomenon. The appeal of this instrument isn’t just for adult amateurs, though. The Digital Saxophone is also a great way for people who left the market to come back into it — reengaging people who were musicians

earlier in life and quit because life just took them in a different direction. The next step is keeping these new or returning musicians engaged, and that’s by taking away pain points and building a community of users. On the Digital Saxophone, customers can play with a good sound from the start and easily adjust settings so they can focus on making music with friends and family.”

Roberts: “Manhasset has enjoyed strong demand for our music stands for use by guitar and keyboard players and home studio use during the pandemic.

We all hope that new players will continue to practice to master their instruments or recording interests in the future. Judging from our distributors’ orders for a broad assortment of Manhasset stands and related accessories, demand has been increasing for B&O instruments in recent months. All of us in the industry need to keep up our communication links through websites and keep active with social media to keep these new players’ interest in learning to play music alive.”

Hanson: “We did have limited customers during the first lockdown that decided to fulfil their lifelong dream of playing the saxophone, etc. We would hope that has been successful, but I think it’s a little early to say. Wind instruments are a communal hobby. Until we can start playing as a community again, we won’t know for sure if those impulse purchases will be long-term investments.”

Laukat: “We have ramped up our social media, and that has engaged players. This community has encouraged each other to practice and to improve their equipment.”

One way to grow the industr y is via trade shows like The NAMM Show and NASMD. Although both are expected to return as in-person shows in July, neither has been able to take place in person for quite some time. So what have your companies done to make sure their products are front and center for both retailers and end users during this time?

Hanson: “Communication, communication, communication.

That’s all we have really been able (continued on page 42) MAY 2021

FI V E M INUTE S W ITH

CHRIS MARTIN IV CEO, C.F. Martin

By Brian Berk

July will be a time of much change for Chris Martin IV, CEO of C.F. Martin. At his company, he will assume the role of executive chairman, with a search currently underway for a new CEO of C.F. Martin. Martin will also end an eight-year tenure on the NAMM board of directors, including the past two years as NAMM chairman. Clearly, there are many questions to ask of Martin, who has spent more than 40 years in MI. If you want both honest and informational answers to our questions, you have come to the right place. So, let’s dig right in.

The Music & Sound Retailer: It is certainly hard to think of just a couple of memories from your time at C.F. Martin. But can you think of any really important moments for either you or the company in the past 40 years?

Chris Martin: Let’s go back to the beginning of my career. My parents were divorced, but by high school, I was beginning to show interest in the business. So, I would come visit [the factory] and generally stay with my grandfather. One summer, I followed a guitar through production. That was fascinating. That’s when I really got into it. I thought, This is something. People are really dedicated to making this thing that makes music.

Then, I went off to college, and at that point, it was the tail end of my dad’s career. He joined the business, catching the folk boom.

He made a few acquisitions. Darco Strings was brilliant. The other three did not work out very well. Through that time, I saw a bunch of stuff happen. My dad saw his career peak, and he was challenged by the fact that business was getting more difficult. It wasn’t just how many more D-28s can we make, because the world wants them.

Music was moving away from the acoustic guitar and going to disco and digital sampling keyboards. It was a really challenging time for the company. In hindsight, I said to myself, Are you sure you really want to do this? It was the tail end of someone else’s life — my dad’s life and my grandfather’s life. But, although my dad and I had an awkward relationship, my grandfather and I became very close. He saw in me the next Mr. Martin. I saw in him the Mr. Martin who was going to keep this business going no matter what. That helped me.

My father retired under duress, and my grandfather passed away because he forgot to retire. That’s when the board [of directors] put me in charge. I said, “OK, I am doing this because I am a Martin.”

I felt an obligation to at least try to help the business, to see if the business could survive. At that point, it was just survival. My dad hobbled the company with a lot of debt. Our banks fired us. They said, “We are done with you.” There was a lot of bank consolidation, and the people who bought the local banks did not know my dad, looked at the books and said, “This is a mess.” So, we ended up working with a little bank in Reading, [Pa.]. We would get calls every day from the CFO [chief financial officer] about whether the bank could send us money or if we needed us to send them money.

That [daily] discipline was good because it made us understand that business is precarious. There isn’t a guarantee success will continue into the future. That was a really good thing for me to learn very early in my career.

The Retailer: You announced you will be transitioning to an executive chairman role at the company in July. How is the CEO search going, and what qualities are you looking for in that person?

Martin: I have been talking about retirement, off and on, for about five years. I am also concluding as NAMM chairman [in July], and I looked beyond those commitments and asked myself if I still want to be Mr. Martin, CEO. I said, “No. I don’t.” [My daughter] Claire, who is 16 and just got her driver’s license, said to [my wife] 26

MAY 2021

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"If you walk down the street with a big smile in a very friendly way, stop someone randomly and ask, 'Do you believe in music?,' the answer is 'yes.'

It is a bit of a rebranding, but the message is more understandable to those of us who do not know what NAMM is. Our audience is beyond NAMM. Our audience is anyone who believes in music."

Diane [recently] that “I am thinking about minoring in business when I go to college.” I said “Oh, OK” [in an enthusiastic voice]. But she is not ready. She is only 16. Even if she wanted [the CEO job], she is not ready. So, we need an interim CEO. It is not unusual in a family businesses, depending on where the generations are. So, the challenge is to find someone who understands it is a business, but it is a very special business. The candidates we have interviewed are quite intrigued by the special nature of the Martin Guitar business. They all have an understanding of the value of music and the place the Martin guitar has in that history of American, and particularly British, music. The next step is to look at all the people we interviewed and determine how many we should meet in person, because so far, it has just been by Zoom. I hope to have someone help me run the business as I come out “the other side” as executive chairman and [end my term] as NAMM chairman.

The Retailer: I certainly need to meet Claire if she may be the future CEO of the company…

Martin: We have done a lot of estate planning. We want to keep the business in the family. We told Claire, as the only heir, that she will end up owning a majority of the company someday. We told her if she does not want to run the business, that is fine. We told her she will have seat on the board someday and she can be chairperson of the board if she is so inclined. “If that’s enough, hire good people, hold them accountable, and I think it might work out,” I told her.

The Retailer: We previously asked you last year about how you handled the pandemic. So let’s take another angle. According to MI SalesTrak, guitar sales were up 15 percent in 2020 versus the prior year. Are you impressed guitars have done so well when people could have chosen other hobbies during the pandemic instead?

Martin: Let’s go back to the pre-pandemic [period]. Where were these new customers then? Why weren’t they buying guitars then? I mean no disrespect by this, and it is my personal opinion: Of all of the other previous guitar booms that I have experienced in my career, and watching my dad and grandfather, all of them were driven by the music. Again, I mean no disrespect, but this one

28

MAY 2021

I think is driven by boredom. I am not sure how durable boredom is.

When it is music [driving guitar sales], I get it. “I am buying my guitar hero’s guitar because I love their music.” Now, “I am buying a guitar because I am bored.” Will those people who bought their first guitar actually learn to play it and stick with it? I hope so. Time will tell. None of these booms last forever. I never experienced the boom and bust my dad and grandfather did back in the ‘70s and ‘80s. But I have seen ups and downs throughout my career. I think, someday, this will end, particularly if all of us [manufacturers] increase production and try to catch the bus at the same time.

The Retailer: There is certainly no way MI can keep all of these new players involved and engaged. But is there a way to keep some of them?

Martin: As an example, let’s talk about [NAMM’s virtual trade show in January] Believe in Music Week. As NAMM chairman, I suggested to my colleagues that we jump in with both feet. I knew it was novel and never had been done before. If I were not NAMM chairman, we probably would have looked at it from the outside and said, “Yeah, maybe we will participate, but we are not sure what it is.” I think it is an industrywide concern [regarding keeping new players playing]. As [NAMM president and CEO] Joe [Lamond] says, “it is not just more to start, it is fewer to quit.” We have the “more to start.” Now, how do we keep them from quitting? That is a big question we need to keep talking about. The guitar is hard to learn. It is not a simple instrument to learn to play well. That is why people lock themselves into their bedrooms [while learning] and say, “I am not ready for primetime.”

The Retailer: You decided this year to make a big push into the ukulele market. Why did you decide to do so, and how has it worked out thus far?

Martin: I have been watching the uke market for a long time. We have been in it. We never got out of it. But it was not a big part of

our product line. The customer that kept us in the business was our Japanese distributor. They told us 10 or 15 years ago that there was a demand in Japan for high-end ukuleles. They basically kept us in the business. The problem was, we were using old fixturing, so we had to look and see if we should redo old fixturing for low volume. We said “yes,” because we have to. That helped us every time demand would pick up a little bit.

I finally ended up calling Brian Majeski [editor of Music Trades] and asked him how big he thought the market is. He said he thought it might be $150 million worldwide. I looked at our sales and said, “Here is Martin Guitar, the oldest ukulele manufacturer on earth, and we own 1 percent of that market.” I said, “I see opportunity. I think we can double our share.” That is our goal for this year. And I said to our colleagues, “You know what our goal is next year? It is double our market share.” [Laughs.] We’ve got some runway here.

The Retailer: Let’s talk about the future of C.F. Martin. When you hire a new CEO, what will you tell him/her are the company’s opportunities for growth?

Martin: I am going to be boring, because sometimes boring works.

It has worked for me. One of our directors asked me this relative to all of the CEO candidates we interviewed. I said, “I want to do what people want us to do. I want us to make great guitars, great ukuleles and great strings. That actually keeps us pretty busy.”

My other concern from a competitive standpoint is, I bet our competitors would love it if the new CEO got distracted by some shiny object. “Look at how green the grass is over there Mr. New CEO. Maybe Martin Guitar should start making solid-body electric guitars because they are in demand and we make guitars.” You could get distracted very easily, and our competition would love it if Martin Guitar got distracted from making dreadnought guitars. I am sticking to my knitting. And that is what I hope the new CEO does. We certainly can build on our foundation, like the new 13 Series model. It is an acoustic guitar, but it is different enough that people got excited who have in the past have said “Martin is my dad’s guitar.” Not this one. This is not your dad’s guitar.

The Retailer: Let’s switch gears and put on your NAMM hat.

Your executive NAMM tenure is also ending in July as mentioned before. In your last nearly two years as NAMM chairman, you have certainly faced challenges. But can you provide any highlights during this time?

Martin: Well, being NAMM chairman is an eight-year commitment. It is not a two-year commitment. You start as secretary. So, seven and a half years ago, I was secretary of NAMM for two years.

And then, when [West Music’s] Robin [Walenta] moved up, I moved up and became treasurer. The value of being treasurer is you get to peek under the hood of NAMM in terms of the finances, and you get a real understanding of the value of a trade show and how the trade show provides fuel for NAMM to reinvest in making music. And then, I became vice chairman. Under normal circumstances, the vice chair’s job is to watch what the chairman does, because you are going to do that [in the future]. I was watching Robin. She was traveling throughout the world with Joe [Lamond] and going to all the trade shows. In the meantime, NAMM’s attorney said, “By the way, NAMM has this foundation, which is really great, but is part of NAMM. That’s not good. This foundation needs to be independent of NAMM. Having it as part of a trade association is problematic from the standpoint of the IRS. They need to be two separate entities and never comingle funds.

So, guess what I became? The first chairman of the NAMM Foundation as an independent entity, something I am really proud of, because I am at the point of life where I believe in philanthropy and I can help. It has been a joyful thing for me to be involved with.

We had a great trade show in [2020]. Then, all hell broke loose. I ended up sitting in my chair and talking to a TV [on Zoom calls] for a year. The one advantage I had was, I already had the opportunity to travel the world as Mr. Martin. So, as much as I miss traveling with (continued on page 43)

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

29

M I SPY

We could all use a little shot in the arm now and then — these days especially! As of this writing, your MI Spy has received both doses of my two-dose vaccine, and now that I’ve got that good stuff percolating through me, I’m feeling optimistic that we may be nearing the end of this pandemic. However, I still have to wait the requisite two weeks before the vaccine reaches full efficacy, so the Chief insisted I remain quarantined in the MI Spy Cave for this month’s mission. You know what that means: another virtual report!

Unfortunately, HQ has been reluctant to invest any of its operating budget in upgrading my at-home workspace, so the Wi-Fi and food options in the MI Spy Cave are nothing to write home about. But to make it up to me, the Chief gave me carte blanche to pick whichever region of the country that I want to cover. Given the band and orchestra

(B&O) theme of this issue, as well as the huge amount of basketball I’ve been watching while quarantined, I decided to take a cue from one of the NBA’s more musically themed teams, the Utah Jazz.

So for this mission, I will be focusing my attention on four Utah-area MI stores and their selection of B&O instruments, the weapon of choice for many of the all-time greatest jazz musicians.

I’ll be determining which of these stores’ websites offer the best online shopping experience as well as the best B&O offerings.

And fortunately, the virtual nature of this visit will allow me to cover the entire state of Utah in a single trip without leaving my MI Spy Cave, bouncing around from town to town like a skilled jazz master jumping from note to note. Just call me the armchair Louis Armstrong.

ONLINE IN UTAH: SEARCHING FOR B&O PRODUCTS Summerhays Music Layton 547 N. Main St. Layton, UT 84041 summerhaysmusic.com

I started off near Salt Lake City with a well-known retailer who is often on NAMM’s Top 100 list of best retailers, Summerhays Music in Layton (the retailer also has a location in Murray). If you want a B&O instrument, you found the right place. Summerhays offers a great selection in brass, which was easily found in the upper-left corner of its website: euphoniums, flugelhorns, tubas, French horns, trombones and trumpets. Some of these instruments were further sorted into selections of intermediate, professional and student models.

I decided to click on euphoniums, because it is not an instrument that is talked about much in the pages of this magazine, although perhaps it should be. Given the rarified nature of this particular instrument, I expected there one euphonium for sale.

To my surprise, there were two, both made by Yamaha, with the YEP-321S offered at a sales price of $2,745.99 and the YEP-642TSII for $7,399.99. I also saw two flugelhorns for sale. Other brass offerings varied, including one student tuba, two bass trombones, three intermediate trumpets and more.

I then switched to the brasswind section of the website, and the offerings were bountiful. Bassoons, clarinets, flutes, oboes, piccolos

30

and saxophones are all available, many in intermediate, professional and student models. I clicked on another instrument not discussed often in the pages of this magazine: piccolos. I found three intermediate piccolos for sale, one professional piccolo and three student piccolos. Then, I checked out the saxophones, an instrument I tried to learn how to play but failed miserably at when I was young. For sale were 11 alto saxes, one baritone sax, one soprano sax and nine tenor saxophones. And I didn’t even mention the plethora of harps Summerhays Music also has on offer. This was easily one of the better selections of B&O products I have seen recently.

As for the Summerhays website itself, it is not flashy, but it has a clean, white background with an excellent use of store photos and photos of students with instruments. The first thing I came across on the website near the top was a PayPal Credit logo with the words, “No Interest if Paid in Full in Six Months on Purchases of $99+.” Below this was a promo for “Employee Pricing Sales Events,” and below that was a link to rent instruments online.

When you click on this link, it offers an excellent question-andanswer section regarding questions parents may have on school instruments, including “What if my child doesn’t stay in band?” and “What if the instrument breaks or is stolen?”

Clearly, Summerhays has been successful since 1936 for a reason. Many reasons, in fact.

MAY 2021

Riverton Music Locations in Sandy, West Jordan, Clearfield and Kaysville, UT rivertonmusic.com

If I was conducting this mission in person, I would need to choose among Riverton Music’s four different Utah locations, but that is no problem this go around. I can visit all of them — virtually, of course.

In the middle of the website’s homepage, Riverton offers separate links for band and orchestra products. I first clicked on the “Band” tab and found 55 products — very impressive indeed. The selection was not organized into individual instruments like on Summerhays’ website, but you could filter your results by plugging in the name of the instrument you desire. I decided not to do so, since I wanted to see the entire selection instead. On offer were clarinets, flutes, trombones, trumpets, piccolos, saxophones, oboes, French horns and yes, a euphonium, from several manufacturers including Gemeinhardt, Pearl, Buffet and Jupiter.

I moved my cursor over to the “Orchestra” tab and found 49 products waiting for me there. Like Summerhays, Riverton has an impressive selection, with violins, cellos and violas available, from companies including Aragona, Archer, Knilling and more. Again, you can filter the results by the type of instrument, by manufacturer and even price range if you wish. I found all of these to be cool features.

After looking at the instruments themselves, I clicked back to the homepage. It also had a clean look. The Riverton website featured more of a “traditional” look than Summerhays, however. It also lacked the eye-catching photos of the in-store experience that Summerhays

offered, instead opting for more generic instrument photos, as well as some smaller images of the retailer’s four storefronts.

One thing you cannot dispute is the success Riverton has had. In the middle of the website was a blurb stating that Riverton is “Celebrating 50 years of making music.” However the blurb wasn’t very eye-catching for such a praiseworthy achievement; it was rendered in small, subtle font. If this was my store, I would want this anniversary to be noted at the top of the website where it will stand out more, with bold text and an attention-grabbing graphic. Minor quibbles aside, staying open for 50 years is a tremendous accomplishment, and I congratulate Riverton on all of its success.

Bert Murdock Music 981 North 1200 W. Orem, UT 84057 bertmurdockmusic.com

About 45 miles south of Salt Lake City is Orem, Utah, where Bert Murdock Music is located. Its website also has a clean white background, but with red and black splashed throughout. To the upper left of the page, I moused over to the “Band” tab and discovered dropdowns for woodwinds, brasswinds and accessories. Woodwinds appeared first, so I started there. There were pages for flutes, piccolos, oboes/bassoons, clarinets and saxophones. I clicked the flutes link, and the site provided separate links for student, intermediate and professional-level instruments. I clicked oboes/bassoons, and I found four products for sale: three oboes and one bassoon, from Jupiter and Fox. (continued on page 44)

I N T H E T RENCHE S

Shake Things Up

By Allen McBroom It’s time to shake things up.

If you’re a retailer, you know we’re no longer living in the “need it, order it, get it” world of 2019. That cozy world has been replaced with the “need it, who has it, who do I bribe to get it” world of 2021. The promotional events we held in the past are either forbidden by government edict or unlikely to draw real numbers due to folks’ desire to avoid crowds.

Our familiar customer base is now alternately strapped for cash due to lower work hours and no place to gig, or completely flush with money due to various government stimulus checks and reduced spending on dining out and entertainment.

The really frustrating part for smaller retailers is the new problem of having customers walk in, flush with cash, but not having the inventory they’re wanting to buy. Grrrrrrrrr.

Online sales are up, too, but delivery delays are causing us 32

to spend more time than usual holding the buyers’ hands and assuring them the items will eventually arrive.

In other words, we’re working in a retail world that doesn’t know up from down, or right from left, and it’s beyond tiring.

Rather than fret over the absence of the world as we once knew it, let’s spend our time and energies on making the world we’ve been handed a better place to live and work. Let’s start by looking at promotional events.

Getting your name out front and center at someone else’s venue is easy to do, and relatively inexpensive. We recently began sponsoring an Open Mic Night at a local tavern. “Sponsoring” means we get to hang a banner with our logo on the stage, we help promote the night on social media, and we pay the night’s master of ceremonies. Sponsoring someone else’s event means you don’t have to worry about social distancing, masks, air exchange or anything else related to having a safe gathering. The people who see the banner came for music, and the musicians playing the show are getting to gig, and that’s the perfect place for us (or you) to be involved.

When you order accessories, order deeper than usual, and reorder earlier than usual. Accessories like strings and sticks seem to be easier to get than serialized instruments, and they are certainly bought more often, so make sure you don’t run out.

Heck, don’t even run low. Bulk up the low-cost inventory, and keep the shelves as full as possible. If some SKUs just aren’t available right now (Elixir is making less than 20 SKUs as I write this), pull those empty hooks off the wall, or at least hang a “not available due to COVID” tag in place of the inventory. That way, to the customer, you’re not out, the product is just temporarily not available.

But if every SKU in the store looks skimpy, you can blame that on COVID-19 for only so long.

Take a walk around the inside of your store and look in the corners and look at the baseboards. If they need cleaning, get on it. Take one corner, pull ever ything out, clean ever y inch of carpet/baseboard as if your mom was coming by to inspect, and then put things back in a different order.

Move things around. Move drum world to the other side of the room (it’s easier if you’re a five- kit store, and a lot harder if you’re a 20-kit store, but do it).

Come in while the store is closed if you have to, but move things around. You’ll discover some inventory that really needs to leave, so discount it heavily and get it a new home. Don’t just mark it down, check the calendar and use the earliest excuse you can find to get old inventory gone.

We recently decided to get rid of a green guitar that had been here too long, so on St. Patrick’s Day (March 17), we tagged it $317. It went on layaway a few days later.

We didn’t make much on that piece, but it freed up $317 that we could use to buy some other guitar that would sell quickly.

Call your reps and ask what they’ve got that they can sell you to keep the shelves full. If you’re having trouble with the 2019 method of restocking, switch to the 2021 method, which is “Hey, I know you’re still out of the XYZ model I love so much. What else do you have that would work for us?” If all else fails, ask your reps what they would do if they were in your place and needed inventory. The answer might be just what you’re looking for.

Shake things up. My bride and I recently flew to Baltimore on Southwest airlines. This was our first plane trip since COVID began, and we weren’t sure how this would work out for us. To compound matters, the flight was 100-percent sold. Every seat was filled. Once we were seated wearing the requisite masks, the pilot came on over the intercom and greeted us in a thick Scottish brogue. He reminded all us lads and lassies to wear our masks, and have a nice flight. On the return flight, a flight attendant went over the passenger rules in a very serious tone, and worked into his talk the admonition that all purses, no matter how cute or expensive, had to be stored under the seat in front of us. He mentioned that we were in for a very smooth six-and-a-half-hour flight (it was a two-hour flight), kidding (continued on page 45) MAY 2021

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V E D D AT O R I A L

POST-PANDEMIC

By Dan Vedda I’ve noticed something interesting during the first quarter of 2021. A number of factors lined up to increase our store traffic: better weather, increasing vaccine distribution and fewer COVID-19 cases in Ohio all seemed to be influencing consumer willingness to go out and shop.

Even while remaining masked and distancing, there were still more consumers coming through our door.

But that isn’t what I found interesting, although it was a relief. The trend I observed with new eyes was impulse buying. It’s always been a linchpin of the brick-and-mortar experience, but now customers seemed to be shopping with a sense of renewal, or at least a fresh outlook. People were browsing books more and buying things they did not specifically come to the store to buy. They were adding on items at the counter as they checked out. Startlingly, we had several people discover the store for the first time and walk out with guitars, amps or a slew of books, having entered the store simply out of curiosity.

Praise be, they were shopping!

Impulse buying has always fascinated me. There are, of course, hundreds of books on the subject, from the most scholarly math-based analyses to pop-psychology babble. But when I searched for some examples specifically about brick and mortar vs. online impulse buying, most of the articles and references were not only pre-pandemic, but almost a decade old. So much has happened since 2013!

In brief, impulse buying exists on both platforms, unquestionably. But the in-person version of impulse buying — the sort that I witnessed in my store over the last three months — is more sensory driven, touchy-feely, “ooh, shiny object” purchasing. Online shopping seems to have more reflexive “click a suggestion” or “I need another $10 to get free freight” impulsiveness to it.

Online, a sudden popup offering another product can be simply an annoyance. There’s also growing hesitation when a sponsored Facebook post or a margin ad shows something engaging: “Is this legit? Is someone stealing intellectual property? Will I even get the merchandise if I order it?” But in a store, catching sight of a counter display or walking in and immediately seeing a promotional endcap captures consumer attention in a good way, without invoking the hesitation that online promotions can. Shoppers are more likely to feel they “discovered” items in-store, while more likely to feel manipulated online. Of course, there’s plenty of manipulation going on in a well-merchandised store, but the psychology seems less overt in person.

I was happy to see these impulse purchases in my store, of course, and it started me thinking specifically about how in-person impulse buying may now be amplified by the pandemic. Certainly, online sales exploded last year as people huddled in the safety of their homes and bought...and bought, and bought. Skewed consumer demand for personal devices has contributed to the currently scrambled goods and raw materials pipeline — to the extent, for example, that Ford 34

and Chevy are having trouble getting the processing chips they need to manufacture certain models, reducing product availability in classic “For the want of a nail…” fashion. (Chip maker shutdowns and hesitation ordering components in the face of accelerated consumer demand have affected the MI market as well. Our industry is no stranger to these very same forces and faces similar shortages, with audio manufacturers particularly affected.)

But now that people are leaving their homes at last, I believe that shopping (like almost every non-home experience) is novel for a lot of people. Being back in a store, actually handling the products, seeing what the color really looks like in person and playing a new guitar are all vivid sensory experiences. Suddenly, we are viewing goods in full 360-degree surround-sound non-haptic glory. It’s virtual reality, without the virtual! The products are real and present, and maybe the fresh air has gone to our heads, but shopping is a thing again!

I also don’t discount the “support local business” ethos. There’s been increased awareness on that front; so many people coming in and asking how we’re doing. It’s gratifying, and something I never would have seen during the “your guitar strings are 25 cents more than the guy down the street” days in the ‘80s.

But can this all be chalked up to the novelty of getting back into stores after a pandemic, or is it a trend? Honestly, I feel it’s both: While these shopping behaviors are driven by novelty, physical stores of all types have an opportunity to reinvigorate the shopping experience and grow it into a trend. I’ve always said that online shopping caught on in part because the shopping experience in physical stores had been trashed for 20 years before online carts were a thing. If a year in quarantine has left consumers hungry for an out-and-about shopping experience, let’s give them a memorable one, and keep them coming back.

I really think that the stores that provide a positive shopping experience are going to do just fine. But I’m already hearing, in our industry and others, that a year in quarantine has caused some retailers’ skills to atrophy. So just to play it safe, here are a few things we all can do to goose this hoped-for trend: Put your best foot forward. I’ve looked around my store and noticed a batch of things — housekeeping, displays, overall clutter — that have slipped when it was just us kids in the store most of every day. I’m pushing to make the store as visually appealing as possible — particularly the view customers see as they stand at the entry.

Put your best people forward. I’m already hearing thanks from customers simply because they heard a friendly voice on the phone or because a knowledgeable person answered their questions. While receiving this type of service shouldn’t be a surprise to consumers, it seems that a number of small businesses have become embittered or (continued on page 45) MAY 2021

S HINE A LI GHT

HITTING A HIGH NOTE IN THE HEART OF D.C.

By Michelle Loeb

When Lindy Campbell opened Music on the Hill in July 2013, she had no business training or experience, and no idea how valuable her store would become to the music community of Washington, D.C. Campbell had studied music education and classical percussion, and previously worked at Middle C Music as a sales associate and as a teacher, doing both private drum classes as well as developing a curriculum for early childhood education. Based on that background and experience, Campbell originally conceived of Music on the Hill as a private lesson business, originally located in a second-floor walkup. The space consisted of four rooms for lessons and a waiting room.

“The retail footprint consisted of sheet music and accessories designed to support a lesson program, but we had immediate and strong demand for more retail,” explained Cambpell. “People wanted to buy ukuleles and guitars and rent band and orchestra instruments right away.”

Quickly finding that her modest space lacked the size, accessibility and signage necessary for proper retail, Campbell found a centrally located, two-story former townhouse that became Music on the Hill’s new home in November 2015.

“It featured a beautifully designed front room with an exposed brick wall, which we hang our

Music on the Hill 801 D St. NE Washington, D.C., 20002 (202) 733-3158 www.musiconthehilldc.com Mon. – noon – 6 p.m.

Sun., noon – 4 p.m.

Lindy Campbell, Owner

Lindy Campbell with “Uke-n-More” students.

Lindy Campbell

36

One of Music on the Hill’s guitar teachers jamming.

An outdoor “Uke-n-More” lesson with COVID-19 safety precautions.

Owen Campbell receives a pedal demonstration from a Music on the Hill employee back in 2018.

MAY 2021

acoustic and electric guitars on,” said Campbell. “The space features two huge bay windows, which let in a lot of natural light. We also have a hardwood floor and tin roof, so there are natural surfaces everywhere you look. And because it was a former real estate office, the upstairs already had six small offices, perfect for private lessons.”

Upon moving into the new space, “our sales and lesson registrations went through the roof,” said Campbell. Music on the Hill now employs two fulltime and two part-time staff, as well as 16 private teachers.

Campbell’s 9-year-old son, Owen, is also an honorary staff member, acting as the store’s self-appointed chief morale officer. He’s been a fixture at the store from the beginning, said Campbell, “making friends with my staff and sneaking upstairs for piano lessons from one of our teachers. He would fall asleep in the showroom.”

She continued, “I think this strongly contributed to our identity as a family-friendly business. I think that my success in creating a loyal customer base among the families in my community is strongly connected to me being a parent in the same community.”

Campbell’s ability to tap into her real life experience like this has helped to make her business stand out, especially without any business experience to lean on. “I think my lack of formal business training has been both a challenge and an asset. I faced a steep learning curve, and basically learned on the job,” said Campbell, who has also learned a lot from the NAMM Idea Center, Retail Boot Camp and the NAMM Young Professionals mentorship program.

“I have also seen how powerful it is to not be limited by ‘this is how things are done,’” she continued. “Some of our business practices defy conventional wisdom, but I didn’t know that when I put them into practice. I was just doing what

worked best for us at the time.”

One such unique program was a preschool ukulele class designed to give kids 3.5 to five years old instrumental music lessons. This is an age range for which “there are fewer activity options available,” said Campbell.

“So, I am able to bring more

families and students into Music on the Hill, and get them started on playing music, than I would if we waited until 6 or 7 [years old] to start offering educational opportunities.”

Campbell also created a rental program that lets beginners rent an instrument for eight weeks for

the nominal fee of $50, an amount that gets converted to a rental credit if they decide to continue playing beyond the trial period.

“A large number of first-time customers are wary of investing in a quality instrument just to try it out, and can end up with (continued on page 45)

U N DER T H E HOOD

Casio America Inc.’s Casiotone CT-S1, CT-S400 and LK-S450

By Brian Berk

Sales of keyboards are red hot right now, as consumers continue to purchase a product that is excellent for at-home use. In fact, in recent interviews the Music & Sound Retailer has conducted with retailers, we have heard a common refrain. “I wish I could receive more keyboards because I will sell them.” Well, help has arrived from Dover, N.J.-based Casio America Inc via its release of three new Casiotone models: the CT-S1, CT-S400 and LK-S450.

Casio’s minimalist design, sound quality and connected features in each keyboard are intended to bring to life the company’s concept of “Make Music, Anytime, Anywhere.”

“Casio is passionate about bringing the joys of making music to as many people as possible,” said Stephen Schmidt, vice president of Casio’s Electronic Musical Instruments Division.

“Staying true to that, our new Casiotone models have broad appeal that spans generations and skill levels and are designed CT-S1 to seamlessly fit into users’ increasingly diverse lifestyles.

Sometimes, players just want to play for the pure joy of playing; that’s what our newest Casiotone introductions will inspire.”

The new Casiotone models have a slim, minimalist chasCT-S400 sis and design that seamlessly integrates with the style of users’ homes. Simplicity is the key — 61 keys, built-in speakers, multi-functional buttons and weighing only nine pounds. The CT-S1 is ideal for players of varying skill levels and convenient for casual play at any time, stated Casio. Ensuring LK-S450 a great fit in any space, the CT-S1 also arrives in three color variations, white, black and red, with 38

a matching fabric speaker net that adds to the overall clean and simplistic design, the company added. Similarly, the CT-S400’s selection of buttons is intended to provide superior operability while featuring an LCD screen with sharp visibility.

Geared for beginners, the LK-S450 features a similarly slim profile, as well as step-up lessons and a key lighting system that guides users as they practice at their own pace. The new Casiotones have built-in strap locks to equip a guitar strap and convert the keyboard to a keytar, intended to bring even more enjoyment for the end user.

Despite the slim designs, each new Casiotone model boasts Casio’s AiX Sound Source to ensure sounds come to life with clarity and expression previously unparalleled in portable keyboards, stated the company. (continued on page 45) MAY 2021

THE FINAL NOTE

(continued from page 46) surfer and kite surfer. I love extreme sports.

Always have. I used to tow surf 30-foot waves in Hawaii. I promised my wife I would not tow surf 30-foot waves again [because] we now have three children.

The Retailer: What’s your favorite activity to do when you’re not at work?

Gueikian: Play guitar. I have three boys and spend a lot of time with my family.

My family is my priority, but my free time is dedicated to playing instruments and continuing my obsession of learning how to play instruments. I also like buying vintage Gibsons. I learn something new with each new guitar I buy. That fire is as relevant as it has ever been.

The Retailer: What is the best concert you’ve ever been to?

Gueikian: The most memorable for me was the last concert Guns N’ Roses played after “Use Your Illusion” in the ‘90s. I saw them in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where I grew up. That was the last concert Guns N’ Roses did until they got back together recently. That was an epic night. I remember it as if it were yesterday.

I will add my second-best concert: Megadeth’s first concert in Argentina in ‘94 after “Youthanasia.” On the riff for “Symphony of Destruction,” a chant was born: “Aguante Megadeth!” I was there that night! I talk to Dave [Mustaine, co-founder, lead vocalist and lead guitarist of Megadeth]. He cannot believe I was there that night.

The Retailer: If you could see any musician, alive or deceased, play a concert for one night, who would it be and why?

Gueikian: Les Paul. I never got to meet Les. The Retailer: What musician are you hoping to see play in the near future (post-pandemic)?

Gueikian: I can’t wait to see Tool, Megadeth, Metallica and Alice in Chains. The bands I truly love. I also can’t wait to see Slash [featuring Myles Kennedy] and The Conspirators. I really want to see some inyour-face hard rock and heavy metal.

Tool album. I have been able to learn three songs, and I am almost done with “Tempest.”

The Retailer: What’s the most fun thing you saw/did at a NAMM Show?

Gueikian: The 2020 NAMM Show was so amazing, with our young artists opening with our G-3s on stage. Then, it was our emerging icons coming on stage, followed

by Slash, who shared the stage with Don Felder playing “Hotel California,” and then they shared the stage with Billy Gibbons [of ZZ Top], and then Rick Nielsen [of Cheap Trick] came on the stage. Lzzy Hale also came on stage, and Richie Faulkner of Judas Priest. That was an epic day. Also, the road and the journey to get to that moment to make it all happen was incredible. And it was amazing how excited the [musicians] were as well. You do not take for granted how busy they are. A lot of them were on tour. They saved the time to come and be part of The NAMM Show and support the rebirth of Gibson.

Adam Jones of Tool did not perform at the show. Tool was in the middle of a tour.

They had just played in Texas. But he got on his tour bus overnight to come to a signing event and be with us in our NAMM booth and then get back on the tour bus and go out the next night and make the next concert.

The Retailer: If you had to select three people, past or present, to have dinner with, who would they be?

Gueikian: Les Paul, John Lennon and my father. I would love to have a dinner with the four of us. But if I could get Jimi Hendrix to come to dinner also, my dad would totally understand it. He would tell me, if the table is only for four, it is all good.

The Retailer: What song was most memorable for you throughout your childhood and what do you remember about it the most?

Gueikian: The [aforementioned] “Black Sabbath” by Black Sabbath was the source of inspiration for me to play. Beyond that, I listened to and wanted to play everything

by Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Tool and Alice in Chains.

The Retailer: Tell us about your most memorable experience with an MI retailer.

Gueikian: I got this incredible opportunity that Michael Doyle from Guitar Center gave me to give a talk about the Crossroads Eric Clapton ES-335. Michael knew I own a 1964 ES-335 that is a few serial numbers off from the one Eric played. I am obsessed with that guitar and that era with Eric Clapton in Cream using that guitar, [which] Guitar Center purchased for nearly $1 million, with the proceeds going to the Crossroads Foundation that does such amazing work. Guitar Center let me host a 10-minute piece, where I not only talked about the guitar, but held it and got to play it for quite a while before I went on camera. That was a very special moment for me.

The Retailer: What are your favorite songs on your smartphone/iPod? Gueikian: I have been spending a lot of time listening to and trying to play the new

The Retailer: What is the best thing about the MI industr y?

Gueikian: What I like is that it is small. In a short period of time, you get to know each

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

other. Ever ybody wanted to see Gibson succeed and was positive. That developed into a great relationship with all of our partners. It has a lot to do with what ever yone in the industr y has done for us, along with changes we’ve made, that have gotten us to the place we are today.

The Retailer: Who do you admire most outside of the music industr y and why?

Gueikian: Having been one, I really look up to athletes. As a tennis player, I really admire Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. They not only have achieved everything they set out to achieve and more — it has not gone to their heads.

The Retailer: If you weren’t in the music industry, what would you be doing and why?

Gueikian: Before the I was in the music industr y, I was investing in companies and working to help them turn around a troublesome situation and move back toward growth mode. I really enjoyed doing that, working with owners that got themselves in trouble for some reason but still had a good brand and business that needed some help. That’s what I did for 20 years and how I got into Gibson. If I weren’t in MI, I would go back to doing that. But hopefully that never happens.

The Retailer: Tell us about your hometown and why you enjoy living there.

Gueikian: I grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I have lived in many different places, including New York, Miami, Chicago, London and spent some time working in Asia. But Nashville is home. I love it. I love the sense of community we have here. A lot of our artists live in Nashville, and I get to spend time with them. My family loves it here. My kids love their schools and friends.

It is a really happening town and evolving into a city.

The Retailer: What are your most prized possession(s) and why?

Gueikian: Well, beyond my family and a dog I am obsessed with, it’s my guitar collection. I put together my collection during the past 20 years.

The Retailer: What’s your favorite book and why?

Gueikian: I read a lot of books, so it is hard to give an answer. So, I am going to go with one of the most recent ones I read.

“Shoe Dog” by Phil Knight has the entire history of how he started Blue Ribbon [Sports], which evolved into Nike. What he went through — his work ethic and commitment to getting things done and having failure never be an option — was very similar to the experience of watching my father growing up.

39

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41

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

(continued from page 24)

“In the first Pullquarter quote of are2021, manhasset we have seen an increase in the number of student instruments being sold.”

—Keri Armendariz, Lyon & Healy

to do. It has now been 14 months since I flew anywhere, and with the current travel bans across Europe, it’s looking like the summer, at least, before we can start face-to-face events again.”

Armendariz: “We have been sharing more video performances and sound samples, both on social media and one on one with customers, and have also offered online appointments.”

Laukat: “It’s our 25th Cannonball anniversary this year! We have done several special videos, including a concert, a tour of the factory, an engraving video, a flute video and a Cannonball Band virtual video, to remind people of our 25 years. We were happy that NAMM did a virtual show to support all of us in this industry and keep us together.”

Roberts: “In the last several months, Manhasset has focused on improving our product information and images so that our distributors have the most up-to-date information about Manhasset products at their fingertips. That will help keep MI retailers and consumers better informed about our new products, product improvements and other Manhasset brand-related news. In addition, we have participated in numerous video conference calls with our export distributors over the last several months to help keep them informed about Manhas42

set’s new products and product line details. These virtual meetings have been quite productive for us in lieu of being able to meet in person.”

Petterson: “Our biggest priority over the last year has been to maintain strong connections with the market and to understand the evolving needs of Yamaha customers. This meant investing quickly and efficiently in new and existing digital communications and marketing efforts. Maintaining good communication with the dealer community has been critical, largely due to the uncertainty in the school music market.

We believe that being a stable partner for our dealers includes constant two-way communication, adding even more flexibility to our programs and promotions, and working hard to execute marketing activities designed to drive customers to our dealers.”

Let’s conclude by looking at innovation. What products are companies releasing to help keep the B&O market strong and vibrant?

Laukat: “We are very excited about our 25th Anniversary

model alto and tenor saxophone.

We’ve sold out in three different manufacturing periods. It has a nickel-silver bell, bow and neck.

It comes with a titanium neck and lyre screw. It’s my favorite model to play, ever!”

Roberts: “Manhasset has introduced several new colors with textured finishes: gold, hot pink, pink, purple, orange and yellow, for example. They look great, and their textured finishes are even more durable than our gloss finish colors! We have also added a new instrument hanger, the STANDMATE, which we expect will become a great seller.

It holds two brass instruments such as trumpets, French horns and cornets. And Manhasset has added more protective shields to its product lineup (Clear Shield and Clear Conductor Stand), which have sold well.

These products double for use as acoustic shields in B&O settings, and they help to protect against spreading germs. We added shelf systems that expand storage for our Regal Conductor Stand and for our Symphony stands. They hold cell phones, keys and other accessories that the musician

or band director wants to keep nearby. Also, a Voyager portable stand is now available with a Tote Bag for convenience. Both of these popular models have been available separately, but the new combo provides a cost savings if bought in a package.”

Petterson: “The virtual Believe in Music event that was hosted by NAMM was a great opportunity for our dealers to experience and learn more about many exciting new products for Yamaha. During the event, we showcased awardwinning products like the ‘Best in Show’ YDS-150 Digital Saxophone, which also won The Music & Sound Retailer’s 2020 B&O Product of the Year award. The Digital Saxophone will make playing a musical instrument more achievable than ever for amateurs and hobbyists due to its forgiving interface and features that make music-making fun and easy. We also highlighted products like the newly revamped line of Yamaha baritone saxophones and the new SS-3H concert snare drum stands, which won a ‘Gotta Stock It’ award. These products are designed for use in school music settings and allow the players using them to focus on what really matters: making music.”

Armendariz: “This past fall, Lyon & Healy Harps introduced the Drake, a light-tension 34-string lever harp. The Drake is strung with the new-to-market BioCarbon Strings, made using a blend of a recently discovered bioplastic derived from sugarcane. The sound of these strings delivers a powerful and bright tone that provides superior acoustic projection and sustain.

A new light-tension model by Lyon & Healy Harps had not been realized in 20 years, and we are proud to answer the demand from harpists for this high-quality, low-tension instrument. We are the North American distributor of Salvi Harps, who is introducing the new Delta C in carbon fiber in mid-April. It is a lightweight (8.3 pounds) instrument with a 29-string range of second octave C to sixth octave C. It can be played while sitting or mobile, using a pyramidal base, stand or a strap. It was launched on our site on April 11.”

MAY 2021

FIVE MINUTES WITH

(continued from page 29) Joe, it was not like I never got the opportunity to go to Japan.

In fact, I said to Joe, “When you and [next NAMM chairman] Joel [Menchey of Menchey Music Service] go to Japan, in the fall of 2022, I am coming on my own dime. I want to go to Hamamatsu with you and Joel. The NAMM chairman always goes to Hamamatsu to see all of NAMM’s good customers, particularly Yamaha.

The Retailer: I wanted to circle back to philanthropy, which you mentioned. Is that something you plan to focus on more heavily in the future?

Martin: I will. Diane and I are both of a like mind. We believe if we can, we should. So, we have been. But I am very conscious of the fact that just throwing money at a charity may or may not work. The organizations I currently work with, I know well. They know me. They ask me every year, and I say, “I believe in your mission.” For example, I support the Wildlands Conservancy. It has a practical view that the Lehigh Valley [of Pennsylvania] deserves to grow, but it also deserves to grow with some thought. For example, we have a lot of old rail lines near here. I wish they were still running and I could take the train to Philadelphia and Manhattan. I would if I could. Those rail lines have been repurposed as rail to trail. The key is to hook them together. Another example is, someone wants to give land. They want to preserve it and also get a tax deduction. The Wildlands Conservancy says, “You giving us this cornfield is certainly valuable. But, if we can hook your cornfield up to another cornfield, we can make a right of way for animals.” That’s where preserving land really works for rest of Mother Nature. That is a holistic way to look at the Lehigh Valley, and I am very involved in that and am conscious of the fact that, if we are not careful, it is going to be tough to put the toothpaste back in the tube.

The Retailer: Congratulations on all your great charitable efforts and good luck moving for ward. Let’s get back to NAMM. The trade group has stated the imporMUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

tance of a live trade show in Nashville in July (to be combined with the National School Music Dealers Association show at AIMM), as well as a live show in Anaheim in Januar y. What are your thoughts on that?

Martin: We are planning to have Summer NAMM. Nashville wants us to come. We made it shorter to have it take place on two days [July 15 and 16]. Joe was working with other groups to have their show take place on Tuesday and Wednesday [with NASMD and AIMM taking those slots]. Our viewpoint was, we would involve groups that were going to meet around that time anyway. We figured if you are going to meet anyway, why don’t we all meet in Nashville and get critical mass? We should all remember that, when you talk to someone who looks at the cost of calling on a customer, you can think, rather than me visiting all those customers where they are, if I come to a central location and they come to a central location, it is so much more efficient. It is actually cheaper to see all your customers in Anaheim than it would be to fly to see them the rest of the year. From a practical standpoint, it makes good business sense. Plus, we are a very social community. We love to hang. That is probably what everyone misses more than anything. I really miss seeing someone in person. We are all in this together. That will bring us back to The NAMM Show.

Think about when we go to Washington, D.C. [for the Advocacy Fly-In]. When we go into an office, maybe we get to meet the senator. Maybe we get to meet the congressperson. But we always meet the staff. Our message is compelling, because who doesn’t love music? Not all the meetings they have in their offices are as fun as ours. Sometimes, it is really some contentious stuff that there are a lot of opinions about.

That leads me to talk about Believe in Music and NAMM. I did not know “Believe in Music” was a subset of the NAMM logo, because it is hidden on the bottom. When we had the digital show, we gave it priority. I said during a recent NAMM board

meeting, if you are walking down the street, stop someone randomly and ask, “Do you believe in NAMM?” They will say, “I don’t know. What is a NAMM? Oh it is the National Association of Manufacturers.” “Not that NAM.” “Oh, it is the National Association of Medicare Members,” which is a real thing. But if you walk down the street with a big smile in a very friendly way, stop someone randomly and ask, “Do you believe in music?,” the answer is “yes.” It is a bit of rebranding, but the message is more understandable to those of us who do not know what NAMM is. Our audience is beyond NAMM. Our audience is anyone who believes in music.

The Retailer: Looking at MI overall, despite guitars enjoying incredible sales, as well as strength from other areas like stay-at-home recording gear and keyboards, other segments have been decimated by the lack of live music. What are your thoughts on what the future might hold for MI? Martin: Let’s remember this pandemic. It may not be the last one. We may be reliving this, but hopefully we will be a little bit smarter about it. Let’s go back to the ukulele, a microcosm of the market. The problem right now

is the ukulele circle. That was an important part of the experience of why people wanted to play the ukulele. They wanted to play it with other people. That is going to come back. The thing I scratch my head about is, everyone has a different opinion about when things will come back. When people talk about 2023, 2024 and 2025, I say, “Boy, I hope it doesn’t take that long.” The comeback will be slow. This summer will be slow. But everyone is willing to try. If you asked someone who worked a sound system if they are willing to do a concert with 25 people instead of 100 people, they would say, “When? I am ready. I am available. I got my equipment.

When do you want me?”

It will be a slow rollout this summer, but it has to come back.

It is so much about what music means to people. It is about sharing music collectively, [which] we have not been able to do. Musicians get a rush from receiving applause from an audience. You play a good song, and the audience claps. That is why they do it. We need to get back to that to inspire musicians. They want to be in a live venue looking at hundreds or thousands of people who tell them how much they like their music. That makes the musician want to write the next good song.

MI SPY

Ad Index Company

Pg

AMAHI UKULELES................. 31 ARMADILLO ENTERPRISES......................C-II AUSTRIAN AUDIO / GROUP ONE......................................... 19 BOURNS PRO AUDIO.............. 14 CASIO......................................... 25 CE DISTRIBUTION.................. 27 CHAUVET LIGHTING.............. 8 CHAUVET LIGHTING.............. 9 DRUM WORKSHOP................. 10 DRUM WORKSHOP................. 11 EPIPHONE.............................. C-IV FENDER..................................... 5 HAL LEONARD........................ 17 IK MULTIMEDIA...................... 35 JJ BABBITT............................... 12 JMAZ LIGHTING...................... 6 KHS AMERICA......................... 33 MANHASSET SPECIALTY COMPANY.............................. 3 NAMM........................................ 15 NEW SENSOR...................... 20-21 PETERSON ELECTRO-MUSICAL PRODUCTS............................. 43 TONEWOODAMP...................C-III VOCOPRO.................................. 13 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.

44

(continued from page 31) I proceeded to switch over to the brass offerings, which featured trumpets, flugelhorns, French horns, alto horns, trombones and more. The adjacent accessories category on the website offered tuners and metronomes, music stands, reeds, mouthpieces, straps and more for sale.

Under a separate dropdown for orchestra products, I clicked the link for violins and found three violins for sale, one each listed under student, intermediate and advanced designations, ranging in price from $599 to $1,699.

Orchestra accessories are also available, including strings, rosin, bows and more.

I returned to the homepage, where two “Featured Products” were showcased in nondescript lettering. Below that was a reminder of “Your Recently Viewed Products,” where I saw a picture of the violin I had just seen.

Much like the previous two retailers, Bert Murdock Music has an excellent selection of B&O products. But the Bert Murdock Music website was simply not as appealing as the others. The few photos that do appear on the homepage of the website are small.

There are no photos of the store itself; instead, there is only a logo.

And there are no photos of the customers or the employees (a few images of some people in the store playing instruments or even just hanging out is always a welcoming touch). I thought the site needed to be spruced up graphically and made more inviting. The good news is that this is something that can absolutely be accomplished.

Music Village 4598 S. 700W Riverdale, UT 84405 musicvillageusa.com

Lastly, I made a virtual visit to Riverdale — which, no, is not the hometown of Archie, Betty, Jughead and Veronica, nor is it the setting for “Riverdale,” the perplexingly trashy yet compelling TV teen drama adaptation of the Archie comics. This Riverdale is just south of Ogden and lies where Interstates 15 and 84 intersect.

Immediately upon visiting Music Village’s website, I was impressed. Right at the top, there is an excellent collage of store photos with a logo and the words “Your Music Outfitter” and “Gear

& Service.” Below this are big, bold product photos that, when clicked, take you to dedicated pages for home recording, effects pedals and acoustic guitars.

(These are some of the hottest product segments in MI right now, so Music Village is doing the right thing by putting its offerings in these categories front and center on the homepage.)

Scrolling down further, I saw a few featured products and even a blog section with a few posts about new product releases and store promotions.

Music Village is admittedly more of a combo dealer, so I was expecting their B&O offerings to be slim. I hovered over the “Products” tab at the top left of the homepage and found “Band and Orchestra” appearing last among 10 categories. I clicked on this tab and first found a “Your Music Outfitter” graphic, featuring a guitar in an outdoor scene setting. I liked it. One thing is for certain: Music Village’s website is visually appealing. Subcategories under the “Band and Orchestra” tab were reeds, maintenance kits, violins, violas and cellos.

Browsing five categories is something I can handle (you can thank my years of MI Spy training for that), so I clicked on all five tabs. Under reeds, there were six Rico reeds listed for sale ranging from $8.99 to $17.99.

If you click on any individual product, a hi-resolution photo of the package appears, so you really know what you are getting when you buy it. There were also six Herco maintenance kits listed from $17.99 to $23.99. Under violins, a total of 15 products were listed, some offered as part of full outfits. Knilling, Cremona, Cervini and Anton Breton were all represented. Six of the violins were currently for sale, with the other nine asking the customer to “Contact us for availability.” As for violas, three were listed from Knilling and Cremona, all carrying a “Contact us for availability” tag below the product on the website. There were no cellos for sale at the time I visited the website.

I should note something very important: Music Village had an especially impressive selection of other products. For example, more than 100 electric guitars alone were listed for sale.

Acoustic guitars were available

in droves as well. The store also offers separate pages on its site for instrument amps, pro audio, recording, keyboards, microphones, drums and percussion, cables, and accessories, with plenty of products available in each of these categories. There is no question that overall, Music Village has an excellent website. However, my focus for this mission was B&O products, and unfortunately, this retailer was a little light in that category at the time of my visit.

The Sale

It was close. I was impressed by how expansive the B&O offerings were overall, especially in some less-appreciated product categories. Each retailer has clearly put hours and hours of work into their websites. I also want to note that each of these stores offered ecommerce sales options directly on their websites, something I consider a must-have.

To determine the winner, I considered product selection, ease of use (in finding the products I was looking for) and the visual appeal of the website. The answer that came to my mind was Summerhays Music. Although the number of its B&O offerings was rivaled by some of the other sites, I really liked the ease with which I could find the specific type of B&O instrument I wanted on the Summerhays site. I also liked the clean, photo-heavy look of the website itself. The site invited me in. After viewing it, I thought about how Summerhays Music was a store I would really want to visit in person.

The other three retailers certainly had their strong points. Riverton Music and Bert Murdock Music have tremendous B&O selections. And Music Village’s website is especially appealing, and its web designer should certainly be complimented. This is a store I would love to visit in person and review for mission focused on a full-line combo product like guitar, or even a proaudio-focused report.

And who knows — I just may get to see these stores in person sometime soon. If everything goes according to plan, the MI Spy should be back in the field next month for a road trip to the east coast and a visit to a certain Mid-Atlantic state. Stay tuned!

MAY 2021

SHINE A LIGHT

(continued from page 37) an unplayable guitar purchased off Amazon or Craigslist that will often result in them quitting, because playing it is unpleasant,” said Campbell. “I’ve found that, after an eight-week trial period, customers are much more likely to spend the necessary money to have a good-quality, entry-level instrument that they can play comfortably, and won’t have to upgrade in less than a year.”

Being cognizant of the needs of all players, especially beginners, is another business lesson that Campbell drew from her own life experience. “As a young woman in the ‘90s starting drum lessons, I often felt profoundly uncomfortable in music stores,” she said.

“The industry has changed a lot since then, but I’ll never forget how it felt to be dismissed by

the staff because I was a female percussionist. I make sure that no one feels spoken down to at Music on the Hill because they are new to making music.”

Campbell gives her staff a lot of autonomy to create their own unique roles at the store, because, she said, “no specific training is better than having happy, passionate employees who really care.” But one thing that remains consistent is a focus on good customer service.

“The majority of what they do learn from me is how to make a first-time instrument player comfortable, how to give them a basic knowledge of the instrument so they leave the store with the right instrument, and how to help them develop a plan to learn how to play,” said Campbell.

VEDDATORIAL

(continued from page 34) gutted by the events of the last year, which has lowered the bar. A little bit of post-pandemic saltiness is understandable at some level, but it won’t win customers back.

Embrace the newbies. So many people began or resumed playing during their shelter-inplace months. They’re liking their newfound affinity for music-making, and with careful and courteous nurturing they’ll be ready to expand their involvement in this new hobby, rather than go back to pre-COVID activities exclusively. This is the market growth we’ve been waiting for!

Rethink ever ything. I know this sounds vague, but I mean

it at face value. We don’t know what our customers will be looking for. Some will want curbside pickup and remote lessons forever. Some new players will be looking for help connecting to peers. Some school systems may see an enrollment surge.

There won’t be the hoped-for “return to normal.” And the “new normal” has yet to be defined. So much could still change. But if we’re ready and willing to change, and to ser ve our customers, we’ll enter the “new normal” ready to thrive.

It’s a different spin on “pay to play:” If we pay attention, customers will pay us. It’s that simple … and that hard.

UNDER THE HOOD

(continued from page 38) Inspired by the original Casiotone CT-201, the CT-S1 features 61 tones, with some classic Casio tones coming from the VL, VZ and CZ series. The CT-S400 and LK-S240 feature 600 high-quality tones, 200 rhythms and 160 builtin songs in addition to a diverse range of functions including auto-accompaniment. The AiX Sound Source combined with the speaker design ensures the best sound quality in its class, the company added.

All three new Casiotone models have a range of connectivity options, including a classcompliant micro USB MIDI port.

A USB HOST port is available MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

for the separately sold Bluetooth adapter (WU-BT10) that provides wireless MIDI communication and can effectively transform the keyboard into a wireless speaker.

Wired or wirelessly, users can link the keyboards to Casio’s dedicated Chordana Play, which will enable them to change the tempo or key of songs being played, in addition to displaying music scores and piano roll. Players can easily hook up a sustain pedal for even more expressive play, as well as use the headphone output to practice in private.

The three new Casiotone keyboards were available for sale as of mid-May at MI retail locations.

“Customers are coming to our store for our expertise,” she continued. “We have carefully curated our selection and will take as much time as necessary getting someone set up with the right instrument.”

Looking to the future, Campbell hopes to keep growing the business, whether that means opening a second location or moving

into a new larger space with even more possibilities down the road.

“There are so many things I’d like to do, and space is a consistent challenge,” said Campbell, “but I don’t want to push anything too fast or overextend myself or the store in general. That’s when things start falling through the cracks, and you lose the trust of the community.”

IN THE TRENCHES

(continued from page 32) to put us at ease. When we landed in Atlanta on the return trip, the same pilot from the first trip gave us disembarking instructions in a heavy Russian accent, and thanked us for choosing the “Southwest flying machine.”

You get the picture. You can shake things up in subtle ways, and put people at ease. Go by the bait and tackle shop, buy a halfdozen straw fishing hats, and let the staff wear those in the store all week this week. If you’re feeling really adventurous, get the hats with the green plastic visors.

What do the hats mean? Nothing.

Not a thing. But if you walked into a store, and everyone was wearing some silly hat or something totally out of place, wouldn’t it make you smile? Sure it would.

A smiling customer is a happy customer, and happy customers spend more money.

One of my good friends bought

a case of tube socks one day, and decided to give away a pair of socks with every instrument.

People wanted to show off their free socks on social media, and they did, and for next to nothing he got a lot of love (and word-ofmouth advertising) online. And that is the best promotion there is: having customers talking online about how happy they are that they came to your store.

Maybe the most important part of all this is this: If you’re busy promoting staff happiness, promoting customer happiness, wearing silly hats, sponsoring someone else’s event, or anything that creates joy for others, you’ll feel better and be a happier person yourself. Your joy will be contagious, and your store will reflect your attitude.

Get happy. Be happy. Get the stuff you can, promote it, and shake things up.

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

• A Tribute to Vinny Testa • The Good Stuff: Great Things Going

on in MI Today

• A Look Ahead to Summer NAMM • MI Spy is Back on the Road in Delaware • Shine a Light: Beacock Music And much more!

45

T H E FINAL NOTE

CESAR GUEIKIAN

BRAND PRESIDENT, GIBSON BRANDS INC.

By Brian Berk The Music & Sound Retailer: Who was your greatest influence or mentor and why?

Cesar Gueikian: My biggest learnings were from my father. I started working with him at about 11 years old. I would go to the showrooms of his business and sell, mostly on Saturdays and Sundays. Getting exposed to that experience and work ethic was great. My great-grandparents came from Armenia to Argentina, escaping from genocide. When they came to Argentina, they started from scratch. All they had when they landed was their clothes. The work ethic in my family was passed down each generation. I was exposed to that, growing up in a fairly humble environment. I saw my dad’s work ethic and the success he had.

The Retailer: What was the best advice you ever received?

Gueikian: “Work a little harder, a little longer and a little smarter.” My father also always said, no matter a meeting or interview, “If you are early, you are on time; if you’re on time, you are late; and if you are late, you are fired.”

The Retailer: What was your first experience with a musical instrument?

Gueikian: It was a guitar when I was about nine years old. We had a Spanish guitar at home, as well as an Epiphone acoustic. At the time, I was interested in the vinyl records my father had. I actually started to listen to the things he did not listen to often, like Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. He had this record that was unopened. It had the wrapping still on it. It was Black Sabbath’s “Black Sabbath.” I pulled it out, put it on and I heard the song “Black Sabbath.” That was the first time I thought, Oh my gosh, I need to play this. I wanted to master the guitar because of that song.

The Retailer: What instrument do you most enjoy playing?

Gueikian: Definitely the guitar. I now have about 120 guitars in my collection. The guitar is my obsession. And it’s not just the guitar. It has always been Gibson guitars for me. That is why it is such an amazing privilege to be in this position.

The Retailer: Tell us something about yourself that others do not know or would be surprised to learn.

Gueikian: Not many people know I played competitvely on the tennis tour. I am also a semi-competitive (continued on page 39) 46

MAY 2021

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