Music & Sound Retailer June 2017, Vol 34 No 6

SUMMER NAMM PREVIEW ISSUE SUMMER NAMM PREVIEW ISSUE SUMMER NAMM PREVIEW ISSUE THE NEWS MAGAZINE FOR MUSIC PRODUC TS RETAILERS

June 15, 2017 Volume 34, No. 6

BE SURE TO WATCH

Into The End Zone ATTENDING SUMMER NAMM CAN GET YOUR STORE WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE

Amp Up, Speak Out

Leading Amp And Speaker Executives Dissect These Categories

By Dan Ferrisi As something of a companion to last month’s pro-audio cover story, “Speaking Of Sound…,”

by Anthony Vargas, we present this month a more narrowly focused look at the amp and speaker segments from the perspectives of two of the market’s heaviest hitters: QSC and Peavey Electronics. Although the conversation touches briefly on guitar amps and other MI-specific products, our focus is centered more on livesound gear of the sort that brick-and-mortar music stores might look to demo and sell, and perhaps rent or even install.

We asked our two respondents, who will tackle the same questions in turn, to take off their “manufacturer” hats and objectively analyze the trends that currently prevail in the amp and speaker categories. Then, we discussed essential strategies for full-line music stores that want to be successful in the live-sound world. Finally, we asked (continued on page 29)

By Dan Ferrisi Ever since attending my first Summer NAMM in Nashville TN in 2011, I’ve always considered the show the professional highlight of my year, giving me an unparalleled opportunity to mingle with our industry’s most influential people. And make no mistake: If you’re a dealer, you should be there, too. We know that almost all industries like to believe that they’re unique in having a close-knit connection among members, with a reunion-like vibe prevailing during trade expositions and other industry gatherings. In the music products business, however, this isn’t warm-and-fuzzy myth—it’s fact. And nowhere is our collective community spirit more clearly on display than at Summer NAMM, where, although the exhibit hall can’t match January’s extravaganza in Anaheim CA, enthusiasm nevertheless runs high, friends and colleagues greet each other warmly, and the entire industry celebrates the creativity, innovation and passion that suffuse this crazy business we call MI. (continued on page 24)

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L AT E S T

D’Addario Foundation Awards Music-Education Grants The D’Addario Foundation, a 503(c) non-profit that partners with transformative music-education organizations, handed out more than $17,000 in grants to six Chicago IL-area musiceducation non-profits on April 28. The event was held at Quinlan & Fabish’s Burr Ridge IL location, and George Quinlan, the Owner, was on hand to present the checks alongside D’Addario Foundation Director Suzanne D’Addario Brouder.

The organizations present to accept the checks included Chicago Jazz Philharmonic’s Jazz Academy Program, Chicago West Community Music Center, DePaul’s School of Music’s DePaul Community Music, El Valor’s Music Program, Intonation Music Workshop and The People’s Music School.

“Handing out grants to notfor-profit organizations like these is really my favorite part of my job,” Brouder said to the group in her opening remarks at the event. “Our purpose as an organization is not only to

Suzanne D’Addario Brouder (far right) bestows a check to support Chicago West Community Music Center.

support organizations like yours, but also to recognize and raise the visibility of the tireless and incredibly impactful work you’re doing in expanding music-education possibilities.” She added, “I want to take a moment to thank

Hal Leonard’s Mardak Makes $2.5 Million Challenge Gift

George Quinlan and the people at Quinlan & Fabish, who have been partners of D’Addario for a very long time. I know the folks here at Quinlan feel very strongly about supporting music education, as well, which is why we choose this location to host the presentation.”

Brouder continued, “As grant

makers, we have pioneered a process of supporting grassroots efforts to bring music back into underserved communities, particularly in Illinois, where our education system is so challenged.

Because of this, independent not-for-profits are vital to closing the achievement and access gap for music and arts education.”

Chicago IL’s VanderCook College of Music—the only college in the country that’s dedicated solely to music education—has received the largest donor gift in its history, courtesy of Keith Mardak, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Hal Leonard. The $2.5 million challenge gift requires the college to raise an equal amount from other donors, with all funds designated to help the college to complete renovation of its performance center. The center, located on the college’s campus at the Illinois Institute of Technology, will be the college’s first dedicated performance space in its 100-plus-year history.

“This opportunity is unprecedented in VanderCook’s history,” Dr. Charles T. Menghini, President, stated. “We will soon be embarking on raising the $2.5 million necessary in order to realize Mr. Mardak’s gift.

Once we attain this goal, we will have an incredible space to continue our work in preparing music teachers.”

In announcing the challenge gift, Mardak noted that he chose VanderCook College of Music both because of its role in music education and because of his association with Menghini. Mardak is also close with Herman Knoll, a former longtime Hal Leonard employee, and George Quinlan, President of Quinlan & Fabish Music Co., one of the country’s leading school music retailers and a longtime Hal Leonard supporter. Both of them are members of VanderCook’s Board of Trustees.

According to Mardak, “Over the years, my work at Hal Leonard has been widely supported by those in music education, and I want to help music education continue to flourish.”

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

3

VOLUME 34 NO.6

THE NEWS MAGAZINE FOR MUSIC PRODUC TS RETAILERS

Features ON THE COVER

Into The End Zone

In the music products industry, our close-knit connection isn’t warm-and-fuzzy myth—it’s fact.

And nowhere is our collective community spirit more clearly on display than at Summer NAMM, where, although the exhibit hall can’t match January’s extravaganza in Anaheim CA, enthusiasm nevertheless runs high. Friends and colleagues greet each other warmly, and invaluable networking and training take place.

ON THE COVER

Amp Up, Speak Out

As something of a companion to last month’s pro-audio cover story, “Speaking Of Sound…,” by Anthony Vargas, we present this month a more narrowly focused look at the amp and speaker segments from the perspectives of two of the market’s heaviest hitters: QSC’s Ray van Straten and Peavey Electronics’ Fred Poole.

Columns

30 The Music & Sound Independent Retailer 32 Five Minutes With

Somewhat rare in the music products industry are companies that boast equal strength on the manufacturing and distribution sides, let alone with brands whose names are iconic and widely respected in musician circles. Korg USA is in that small group. It’s that company’s leader, Joe Castronovo, whom we sit down with this month.

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34 MI Spy

For decades, Austin TX has been known for its uncanny ability to be the hippest spot for most types of music. It’s almost like there’s a vortex that sucks musical talent into the city limits. This month, however, that vortex must be on the fritz, because it’s sucked in our resident super sleuth, who’s searching high and low for guitar amps.

36 Special To The Retailer

Attracting more people to music and involving them in it is the dream for most music store owners, right? Well, if you haven’t considered cultivating programs for beginner musicians of a mature age, you’re probably missing out.

38 From The Trenches

The ideal new revenue stream produces revenue for your store while requiring no financial stake on your part. Yes, no-risk revenue is the first cousin of unicorns and leprechauns. However, it can be achieved.

40 Confessions Of A Retailer

Continuing in the “Keepin’ It 100” vein, Donovan Bankhead reveals some of the things he worked on to turn himself around and embark on the journey to become the leader his employees and his business deserve.

42 Shine A Light

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At Wentworth Music, in the heart of British Columbia, Canada, Noel Wentworth is making musical dreams come true. That’s been his goal, and his job, since opening the Wentworth Music Education Centre in 2004.

44 Retailer Rebel

Most independent music stores are searching for ways to wring dollars of margin out of each and every sale. Accordingly, many brick-and-mortar retailers try to maximize their profits by selling used instruments and other equipment.

46 Veddatorial

People choose to visit a physical store; it’s no longer the default option. The shopping environment we create, along with our offering of goods and services, determines whether we make the list and, crucially, how often consumers visit.

54 Under The Hood

Peavey’s first entry into the speaker and sound-reinforcement arena was with its field-replaceable Black Widow speakers. The company continues today with the release of the 1,500-watt RBN 112 speaker enclosures and RBN 215 powered subwoofers.

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EDITORIAL

The Long Goodbye

I write this letter with a swirling blend of melancholy and excitement that, in six years as Editor of The Retailer, I’ve never previously felt. As many of you have heard by now, I’ve been appointed Editor of our sister publication, Sound & Communications, effective June 19. That’s a huge step for me, career-wise, and it means that new opportunities are available to me even as, happily, I get to stay at what has become my home: Testa Communications. Sadly, though, it means I must step down as Editor of The Music & Sound Retailer, thereby closing a chapter not only in my professional life but in my personal life, as well. I’m a sentimental person—the guy who gets misty during the farewell toast on a cruise ship, knowing that the experience is coming to an end—and it’s never easy for me to say goodbye. Now, though, I must.

When I started at Testa Communications on November 1, 2004, I was a novice when it came to putting together a magazine. During my six-and-a-half years working on Sound & Communications, however, I learned more than my four years at journalism school even hinted at. I was trained to have editorial integrity, thereby giving our readers a fair shake; I learned to have a zero-tolerance policy for errors, because 90-percent correct might be an “A” on a test but it’s an “F” in real life; and I was taught the mechanics of gathering the components of an editorial package, weaving them together and delivering them on deadline—because you expect no less. David Silverman, for whom I worked and whom, as he retires, I now replace, was my mentor and greatest teacher. It’s a true honor to succeed him.

During the six years that followed, though, I learned something perhaps even more valuable than how to be a good editor. In the half-dozen years I helmed The Retailer, I learned to be a better, more open, more othersfocused person. Since my teenage years, I had been the epitome of introversion: reluctant to let people get too

close and fiercely protective of my personal side. After immersing myself in the music products industry—a community driven by passion and creativity, philanthropy and societal betterment, fun and interconnectness—I became, as if through osmosis, a more extroverted and openhearted person. In many cases, my dealer and manufacturer contacts became not just acquaintances but, rather, friends. We greeted each other not with perfunctory handshakes but, rather, with warm hugs. I cannot overstate the personal growth I credit to the music products industry and its members.

If I’d gone back in time and told the high school version of me that I’d be playing Words With Friends with business colleagues once I got into the workforce, my younger self would have been surprised. Not only because I’d be speaking to my from-the-future doppelgänger, who’d be talking about an app that didn’t exist yet, but also because I wasn’t even that chummy with my own friends in high school! So, to those with whom I’ve forged relationships, thank you not only for your friendship, but also for helping me grow. Years and decades from now, I’ll look back on my tenure as Editor of The Retailer and I’ll smile. And please keep in touch, because it’s difficult now to remember a time when you all weren’t part of my “inner circle.”

As for The Retailer itself? I can assure you it’ll remain in good hands. The returning Editor, Brian Berk, will work tirelessly to maintain our leading position among dealer-focused MI trade magazines. Our President and Publisher, Vinny Testa, won’t settle for any less.

For now, I raise my glass to you. Thank you, and farewell.

June 15, 2017 Volume 34, No. 6

DAN FERRISI dferrisi@testa.com Editor

ROBERT L. IRAGGI riraggi@testa.com Advertising Director

ANTHONY VARGAS avargas@testa.com Associate Editor

RICKY PIMENTEL rpimentel@testa.com Art/Production Assistant

BRIAN BERK Contributing Editor

ROBIN HAZAN rhazan@testa.com Operations Manager

GEORGE HINES SKIP MAGGIORA Editorial Advisors

VINCENT P. TESTA President/Publisher

DONOVAN BANKHEAD SUZIE HAMMOND JEFF KYLE JR.

MICHELLE LOEB ALLEN MCBROOM GABRIEL O’BRIEN

JANICE PUPELIS Art Director STEVE THORAKOS Production Manager CIRCULATION circulation@testa.com FRED GUMM Digital Art Director MATT VAN DYKE Editorial/Social Media Coordinator mvandyke@testa.com 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.

Sound & Communications • DJ Times • Sound & Communications Blue Book The Music & Sound Retailer • The DJ Expo • IT/AV Report The Retailer’s Vnewsletter • 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

JUNE 2017

Drum Workshop, Inc. has appointed Hal Leonard as their exclusive U.S. distributor of Gretsch Drums*, Gibraltar, KAT, Percussion Plus, and CB Percussion lines.

Contact your Hal Leonard sales representative to start placing orders today!

www.halleonard.com

1-800-554-0626

*Import line, including Renown Series, Catalina Series, and Energy Series

L AT E S T

Yamaha Cares Tops The $110,000 Mark For the ninth consecutive year, Yamaha Cares participated in the Southern California Half Marathon and 5K races to raise money for type 1 juvenile diabetes research at Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC Children’s). Earlier this year, more than 10 Yamaha staff members and friends completed one of the two races, and more than 100 individuals made donations. A few months later, Yamaha Cares and KatrinaKures presented CHOC Children’s with a check for $15,640, bringing the grand total of overall donations from the annual event to more than $110,000.

“This fundraising effort keeps getting bigger and better each year,” David Jewell, Marketing Communications Manager, Yamaha Corp. of America, said. “The money we raise has no strings attached, and 100 percent of it goes directly to research, which we hope will one day lead to a cure for this disease.” Jewell is personally invested in the cause, as his daughter was diagnosed with type 1 juvenile diabetes when she was just 13.

For the third year, Jewell ran a concurrent CrowdRise campaign, KatrinaKures, to encourage online donations. In addition, local merchants pitched in, most notably, The Corner Bakery in Anaheim Hills CA and Tempo Urban Kitchen in Brea CA, which donated food for the post-race celebration. Ninety guests attended the party at Jewell’s

(L-R): David Jewell, Marketing Communications Manager, Yamaha Corp. of America; his wife, Beth; Dr. Mark Daniels, Chief of Endocrinology at CHOC Children’s; and Winnie Tran, Senior Associate Director, Special Events, CHOC Children’s.

home after the race.

The 10th anniversary effort promises to reach even greater heights.

Manheim Auction has agreed to raise funds for KatrinaKures this coming November and December.

Americans For The Arts To Honor Guitar Center Americans for the Arts has announced that Guitar Center has been named a BCA 10: Best Businesses Partnering with the Arts in America honoree for this year. Presented annually by the Business Committee for the Arts (BCA), a division of Americans for the Arts, the BCA 10 honors 10 U.S. companies, business leaders, and arts and business partnerships for their commitment to the arts through grants, local part-

8

nerships, volunteer programs, matching gifts, sponsorships and board memberships. The BCA 10 awards will be presented on October 11 at a black-tie gala at the Central Park Boathouse in New York NY. Guitar Center, which has more than 280 stores nationwide, provides instruments, lessons, repairs and rentals to music-makers. However, for decades, Guitar Center has also given musicians of all skill levels a chance to shine and find their sound through impactful partnerships and initiatives, which serve to give back to musicians across the country.

Giving back is fundamental to Guitar Center’s core values.

In 2016 alone, Guitar Center donated hundreds of thousands of dollars toward musical equipment for musicians of all ages within diverse music genres.

The retailer has partnered with celebrity ambassadors, such as Colbie Caillat, Vince Gill and Cody Simpson, as well as national charitable organizations like Little Kids Rock, The Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation and Girls Rock Camp. By doing so, Guitar Center has helped dozens of schools improve their music-education offerings, provided musicians with careerchanging grants and donated music equipment to be used as therapy for veterans.

JUNE 2017

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L AT E S T

Sweetwater Preps For Annual GearFest Terry Bozzio’s huge drum kit will be on display at GearFest this year.

Crowds thronged the popular DealZone to enjoy the great deals during GearFest 2016.

Sweetwater will present GearFest ’17 on June 23 and 24, from 9am to 6pm, at the Sweetwater campus, located at 5501 U.S. Hwy. 30 W. in Fort Wayne IN. GearFest is free and open to the public. Spread out over more than a quarter-million square feet, GearFest combines a gear expo, entertainment events, a musicians’ flea market and musical demonstrations, along with seminars and workshops by some of the biggest names in the music industry. GearFest also offers two days of great deals on music instruments and pro-audio gear.

Sweetwater’s Founder and President, Chuck Surack, said, “Music trade shows are traditionally reserved for music industry insiders.

GearFest is unique in being free and open to musicians and audio enthusiasts. We’re particularly proud that GearFest has such a reputation that it is now bringing people from literally all over the world to

Sweetwater’s campus in Fort Wayne.”

GearFest will feature more than 400 product lines, including new instruments, music technology and audio equipment, all on display in dozens of tents and several semi-trailers. With so many manufacturers on site, attendees can enjoy one-on-one time with master guitar luthiers, drum builders, microphone designers, acoustic engineers and others; test drive cutting-edge audio equipment and instruments; and gain technical and musical insights. Attendees will, of course, also experience Sweetwater’s own music store. One of the largest musical instrument and audio equipment stores in the Midwest, it has the largest on-site inventory of any music store in the country.

Register online at sweetwater.com/gearfest/register.

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This summer, Sabian is heading off on a cross-continent Meet the Masters tour, bringing on-site cymbal making to 22 locations throughout North America. Following a kick-off in Tacoma WA, the tour will roll on until July 15, finishing in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. Each stop of the tour will feature more than 50 one-of-a-kind prototypes, on-site cymbal making, and the chance to learn about cymbals and sounds from the masters.

Meet the Masters offers an opportunity for drummers to immerse themselves in Sabian cymbal-making culture, arming them with the information they need to select the proper cymbal set.

For detailed information, including a full tour schedule, visit sabian.com/meetthemasters.

JUNE 2017

L AT E S T

Music & Arts Opens Colorado Springs Location Music & Arts has announced the opening of its Colorado Springs CO location. The new location is part of the company’s 65th anniversary celebration, which will include additional new store openings across the U.S. throughout the year.

The Colorado Springs store, located at Marketplace East at 2872 N. Powers Blvd., serves the residents of El Paso County CO and nearby areas. It offers private and group lessons, instrument rentals, repairs, and a wide assortment of top-name instruments and accessories.

School music programs throughout the county are also served.

“Services have always been an important part of our offerings

to the communities we serve, ever since our company’s founding,” Music & Arts’ President, Steve Zapf, said. “Sixty-five years later, we are proud to provide students, teachers and parents the same high level of quality and value that can be found in our lessons, repairs and rental programs.”

Music & Arts is composed of 147 retail stores, more than 120 educational representatives and more than 350 affiliate locations.

St. Louis Music To Distribute WMG Instruments

St. Louis Music has announced a new partnership with Warwick Music Group (WMG), whereby it will distribute its complete range of instruments in North America. WMG is the maker of the pBone, which is among the bestselling trombones over the last few years.

WMG also manufactures other quality plastic instruments, such as the pTrumpet and the pBuzz for beginners.

Mark Ragin, St. Louis Music’s President and CEO, commented, “We are excited to represent the full line for this range, designed by British musicians. We see tremendous potential, which will complement the...offering for St. Louis Music customers.”

Branislav Zivkovic, Warwick Music Group’s COO and President– North America, added, “Trade partners, artists, educators and parents continue to support us, and they’ve already enabled tens of thousands of children to begin their musical and brass journey with our instruments. We are delighted that St. Louis Music is offering the entire line of instruments.”

High School Nation Bolsters Arts And Music Budgets

High School Nation, a secondary school touring music festival, topped the $2 million mark in donations to high school arts and music programs this year when its 2017 60-city Festival Tour kicked off. The goal of High School Nation is to promote both the arts and music programs in high schools across the country. This year, the festival has expanded its donation program to include the establishment of recording studios in each of the schools where it appears.

During the Festival Tour, High School Nation takes over football stadiums on each of the campuses visited and presents a two-hour concert, as well as events that celebrate the arts in public schools.

In addition to music programs, it supports journalism, film, fine and performing arts, fashion, photography and stage production.

Corporate sponsorships for the festivals are being provided by more than a dozen companies; among them are Sparkling Ice, Guitar Center, Crayola and Mars. Pepsico, Microsoft and Sony have all participated in the tours. As part of the festival, students will interact with products and educational programs; these include the Truth Zone, the Full Sail University Media Zone, the Hollister Style Zone, Guitar Center Music Zone and the Crayola Sidewalk Chalk Zone.

“We are thrilled to partner with High School Nation with its mission to make musical instruments easily accessible to students,” said Brian Berman, Guitar Center’s Vice President of Marketing.

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

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L AT E S T

Alfred Music’s Ron Manus Receives Dorothy Award

Rejino Photography

Alfred Music’s Chief Business Development Officer, Ron Manus, was the recipient of the 2017 Dorothy Award at the annual Retail Print Music Dealers Association (RPMDA) Convention, which took place in April in Atlanta GA. The 2016 recipient, Eric Strouse of Stanton’s Music, presented Manus with the award. The Dorothy Award is named for Dorothy Hutchinson, former Executive Secretary/Treasurer, and a charter member, of RPMDA. Candidates are nominated by current RPMDA members, and the honoree is selected by a committee composed of past Dorothy winners.

The Award Committee considers the following criteria in selecting the award winner: a lifetime of service to friends and family, community and the print music industry; promotion of ethical business standards and policies; setting high standards for customer relations and service, as well as dealer/publisher relations; personal integrity; encouragement and support of music education; and innovation in business, combined with a vision for the future.

Manus has always been a huge supporter of the RPMDA. He never hesitates to support the association financially and by investing in staff attendance. He has been a speaker, served on panels, visited and called dealers to talk up RPMDA, and written for its newsletter. Two years ago, he began a tradition of inviting all the new attendees for dinner: not strictly as an “Alfred Music” event but, rather, as a welcome on behalf of RPMDA and the print music industry. In addition to those, there are many other examples of Manus’ willingness to assist and support the organization.

NAMM’s Chairman, Mark Goff, and NAMM’s President and CEO, Joe Lamond, flank Menzie and Summer Pittman of Contemporary Music Center, which was last year’s biggest winner.

Top 100 Music Retailers To Be Honored

In May, NAMM announced the list of enterprising music products retailers that have been recognized in this year’s Top 100 Dealer Awards. The annual awards program celebrates the industry’s outstanding music retailers…the ones who demonstrate exceptional commitment to their stores, neighborhoods and customers, and who share a vision of creating a more musical world through their local communities.

“At the heart of every music store, there is a story of inspiration, dedication and a pursuit to create a more musical world,” Joe Lamond, NAMM’s President and CEO, shared. “The Top 100 dealers exemplify a commitment to their communities, their staff and the industry to create a space that welcomes and inspires music-makers through their products and services.”

The Top 100 dealers will be honored at an awards gala on July 14 at Summer NAMM, which is being held at Nashville TN’s Music City Center. From the Top 100 honorees, seven music retailers will be recognized in “Best Of” categories.

Those categories are as follows: Best Store Turnaround, Best Customer Service, Best Store Design, Best Marketing and Sales Promotion, Best Online Engagement and Best Emerging Dealer/Rookie of the Year; in addition, one recipient will be honored with the Music Makes a Difference Award. Finally, the coveted Dealer of the Year Award will go to one of the recipients in the aforementioned categories.

Following a self-submission process, an independent panel of judges rated the Top 100 dealers across several categories, including customer service, music advocacy, store design and promotions. Each submission was scored to determine the Top 100 list, the category award winners and the Dealer of the Year Award winner.

The Top 100 Dealer Awards will be held in the Karl F. Dean Grand Ballroom at Music City Center during the Summer NAMM. All badge holders are invited to attend the celebration.

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L AT E S T

CHAUVET DJ Now Distributing SoundSwitch Chauvet & Sons LLC has entered into an agreement with New Zealand-based Onesixone Ltd. to have CHAUVET DJ distribute the SoundSwitch hardware/software package.

Under the terms of the agreement, SoundSwitch will be sold through most of the CHAUVET DJ dealer network worldwide, including on an exclusive basis in the U.S. and its territories, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, Venezuela, Colombia, Guyana (French/ English), Suriname, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay, the U.K., Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and France. SoundSwitch allows DJs to trigger and keep their lighting in sync while playing any song, in any order.

“This is a game changer for DJs who wish to create their

own complete, live lightshow,” Chauvet’s CEO, Albert Chauvet, said. “SoundSwitch puts the total show experience under the control of the DJ by seamlessly integrating DMX lighting with live audio.”

DJs can use SoundSwitch to attach lighting cues to their audio tracks and video files, and then automatically play them back in sync while performing live from the mixing or controller board.

SoundSwitch works with any

DJ mixing board or controller equipped with Serato DJ. According to SoundSwitch’s CEO, Zak Meyers, teaming up with Chauvet will further accelerate the global adoption of the technology.

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(L-R): Jim Cavanaugh and Adam Blackstone.

Blackstone Visits Super-Sensitive

The corporate offices and production facility of Super-Sensitive Musical String Co. and Black Diamond Strings had a surprise visit in March from Adam Blackstone, a bass player and company endorser. Blackstone was in town working with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill on their upcoming tour, and he wanted to visit with the company’s President, Jim Cavanaugh. In addition, he enjoyed a tour of where his bass strings are made. Most recently, Blackstone is known for his work with Justin Timberlake.

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ADVERTORIAL • JUNE 2017 • NAMM.ORG

Note From Mary

Create More Music, and Customers Make Music Day, the global celebration of music, not only aligns with NAMM’s vision of a more musical world but also provides retailers the opportunity to create unique events, generate traffic to their stores, create new customers and grow sales.

Corresponding with the summer solstice on Wednesday, June 21, the longest day of the year is now filled with the sounds of music in all its many forms, and provides a platform for people of all ages and skill levels including professionals, amateurs, and first-time music makers to experience the joys of making music.

As the signature, national sponsor of Make Music Day, The NAMM Foundation worked alongside our partners at the Make Music Day Alliance to celebrate the special day’s 10th anniversary in the United States, last year in 2016.

NAMM members across the world have benefited from the media attention Make Music Day has generated, and utilize the opportunity to bring attention to their stores and the year-round opportunities they provide to learn and grow with music.

We have a number of resources available to retailers to benefit from this special day including a dedicated website and tool kit, and we are always able to help with ideas by emailing info@nammfoundation.org.

Associate your store with massive media coverage!

10 million unique social media posts in support of the one-day event

200 TV spots covered events of the day

1,400 print and online media articles told the story

HELP MORE PEOPLE MAKE MUSIC. MAKEMUSICDAY.ORG

Mary Luehrsen EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NAMM FOUNDATION

“We did a giant group guitar lesson for Make Music Day. We came in that morning and were worried that no one was going to show up. But suddenly all these people showed up and it was all over the news.

It was a really nice vibe.”

Mike and Miriam Risko, Risko Music

GET INVOLVED WITH MAKE MUSIC DAY!

Table of Contents Section 1

Visit MakeMusicDay.org The Make Music Day Alliance exists to serve Make Music organizers around the world. Its goals are to promote Make Music participation and provide tools to help manage the event in each community.

Through the support of The NAMM Foundation, the Alliance has become a global hub of activities across the U.S. and world.

What is Make Music Day?

Section 2

Ideas to Get Involved

Section 3

Ideas for a Public Relations Timeline

Section 4

Ideas to Engage the Media

Section 5

Resources

• Press Release Templates

• Recommended Social Media Posts

• Questions

Download the Make Music#MAKEMUSIC Day Toolkit Presented by

nammfoundation.org @nammfoundation @namm

NAMM has created a special marketing toolkit complete with in-store merchandising and social media graphics to celebrate this special day, and engage your community to kick-off a year-long love of music making.

View the 2017 PSA To encourage more people to learn and grow with music, NAMM’s national PSA campaign will continue this year with the message that “Music Follows You” throughout our lives. Our 2016 PSA garnered millions of impressions through print, TV and outdoor placements. youtube.com/nammorg

Need more inspiration?

Summer NAMM is right around the corner, featuring products across music and pro audio and industry-best education including an opening keynote with Doug Stephens, the Retail Prophet, and events such as the NAMM Opening Night Party featuring the American Eagle Awards honoring Crystal Gayle, Patti Smith and Harry Shearer. The NAMM Foundation will host

Opening Keynote Speaker Author of The Retail Prophet Doug Stephens

American Eagle Awards Honoree Crystal Gayle

Register Now namm.org/summer/2017 JULY 13-15, 2017 • MUSIC CITY CENTER RETAIL BOOT CAMP • JULY 12 NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE • NAMM.ORG/SUMMER

a series of forums with ideas on how to advocate for music education in your state as well as policy roundtables and music-making circles.

Events are free to NAMM members but you must register to attend. Register for badges and book hotel at namm.org

American Eagle Awards Honoree Patti Smith

American Eagle Awards Honoree Harry Shearer

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Jean-Luc Valentin

AES Preps For Huge New York Convention

Musikmesse Delivers Strong, Productive Show

With products that ranged from lighting drones to a 3D-printed violin, the product segments represented at Musikmesse and Prolight + Sound evinced remarkable innovation in the music and entertainment sectors. During the show, around 100,000 visitors traveled to the Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre. With 144 visitor nations, as compared to 130 last year, the exposition was even more international than normal. In total, 1,922 exhibitors from 55 countries presented products that included media, lighting, sound and stage technology, event equipment, musical instruments, electronic equipment, and hardware and software.

“Against the background of significant concentration in the musical instrument sector and a continuous process of development in the event-technology field, we give the course of business at the international trade-fair duo a positive rating,” Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt, said. “It is our responsibility to provide a future-oriented marketing platform with target-group-specific formats and events. We take this very seriously and, accordingly, we will once again enter into an intensive dialogue with exhibitors and associations with a view to 2018.”

To increase value for all visitors, Musikmesse was supplemented by new attractions, and the complementary program of events was extended. Together with the Musikmesse Festival, the fair offered more than 1,000 events, inclusive of concerts, live performances, workshops and master classes. Accordingly, the level of satisfaction at Musikmesse was up as compared to previous years not only on the exhibitor side, but also among visitors. Eighty-three percent of visitors said they had achieved their personal targets for the fair. Retailers also confirmed the positive processes that have been set in motion by the exposition’s restructuring.

The next Musikmesse and Prolight + Sound will be held from April 11 to 14 and April 10 to 13, 2018, respectively.

The 143rd AES Convention, taking place this year in New York NY, is set to host a variety of new and exciting events and presentations from top names in the industry. It will emanate from the Jacob Javits Center from October 18 through October 21. The convention will host three days of gear exhibits, demos and exhibit floor special-event expositions, as well as four days of presentations and workshops, which will feature the biggest names in audio engineering, production, product design and other disciplines. In addition, an expected 15,000 media production professionals who will be on hand for the co-located and independent NAB Show New York 2017 will have access to the AES New York exhibition and special events.

Offering an in-depth look into professional audio science and applications, the AES New York Convention will offer several new exhibit floor offerings, including a Broadcast Audio Expo, Broadway Sound Expo, a Software.aes show area (in association with IMSTA), an Audio for VR Pavilion and more. Also returning is the popular Project Studio Expo series (in association with Sound on Sound and sponsored by Genelec, Focusrite, Adam Audio and Neumann), along with its counterpart, the Live Sound Expo. Both will be open to all attendees of the convention.

Shure Announces Wireless Rebate Offer

Shure has announced a rebate program of up to $500 per channel on the purchase of new Shure wireless microphones and personal monitor systems accompanied by the trade in of wireless systems that operate in the 600 megahertz frequency band (614 to 698 megahertz).

Products from Shure and other wireless manufacturers are eligible for the trade-in program. The rebate is effective until April 30, 2018.

The rebate will help wireless users adapt to changing conditions that result from the reallocation of portions of the 600-megahertz band to mobile broadband services. According to FCC rules, wireless microphones and personal monitors that are capable of operating in the auctioned UHF spectrum (616 to 653 megahertz and 663 to 698 megahertz) may not be used after a transition period. If a local mobile broadband licensee begins to use these frequencies before that date, the wireless user must 16

change frequencies to avoid interfering with them.

“As a result of the recently completed Incentive Auction of UHF spectrum, wireless microphone users in the U.S. should plan for the retirement and replacement of systems that currently operate above 614 megahertz,” Mark Brunner, Shure’s Vice President of Corporate and Government Relations, said. “Our number-one priority is to help people make the transition from legacy products to new systems that will provide dependable service and comply with updated FCC regulations.”

Customers may submit rebate forms after having purchased one of the following new Shure wireless products: BLX, GLXD and GLXD Advanced, PGXD, PSM300, PSM900, PSM1000, QLXD and ULXD. JUNE 2017

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Sweetwater Supports National Association Of Music Parents

Sweetwater has donated $20,000 to the National Association of Music Parents to support the completion of a feature documentary film, “Marching Beyond Halftime.” The movie, produced and directed by Sara Flatow, is not about marching band, as such; rather, it’s about the benefits that come from participating in music programs “beyond” the time our young people are in school. It will showcase several band programs, but, more importantly, it’ll tell the stories of individuals who have become successful in . life due to what they learned in school music. This feature documentary comes at a time when schools are facing uncertainty regarding the funding of music education.

Sweetwater’s Founder and President, Chuck Surack, commented, “I have been committed to supporting music education for my entire adult life. Music is at the center of my life personally, it’s at the center of Sweetwater as a music retailer and it’s one of my top philanthropic priorities. I am personally very excited about the potential impact ‘Marching Beyond Halftime’ could have on prevailing attitudes about the importance of music education.

It’s every bit as important as academic subjects, and I believe this film will make that crystal clear.”

Scott McCormick, Founder and President of The National Association of Music Parents, said, “We, like most music educators and music parents, are concerned about the reduction or complete elimination of funding for public school music programs. Far too many of our children and grandchildren’s band, choir and orchestra experiences are being ravaged. Our children suffer as a result. Our schools and communities suffer. The future of our nation suffers from having a lack of individuals who are prepared to think critically and creatively, and communicate effectively. It’s time the world understood the importance of music education.”

BACK TO SCHOOL MEANS MORE PROFIT

Check out our in-depth look at Sweetwater next month!

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L AT E S T

their communities.

As a component of this partnership, Roland will make its artist relations centers all around the world available to Playing For Change to support the foundation with its local events and activities. Roland’s efforts will include supplying Roland, BOSS and V-MODA equipment, assisting the foundation with video content capture and supporting the upcoming Playing For Change Foundation 10th Anniversary celebration.

“We welcome Roland as a key sponsor partner for the Playing For Change Foundation,” Whitney Kroenke, Co-Founder and President, affirmed. “Not only are they committed to helping us achieve our fundraising goals for PFC Day, but their generous contribution of musical instruments will also greatly enhance the experience we provide to kids at our PFCF music schools worldwide. We look forward to nurturing and building upon this synergistic relationship.”

(L-R): Roland’s VP of Marketing, Chris Halon; The Playing For Change Foundation’s Executive Director, John McKenna; Roland’s CEO/President, Jay Wanamaker; and Roland’s Vice President of Artist Relations and Business Development, Brian Alli.

Roland Partners With Playing For Change

Roland Corp. U.S. has announced the formalization of its relationship as Official Lead Partner and Official 10th Anniversary Sponsor with The Playing For Change Foundation, a global non-profit organization that’s dedicated to creating positive change through music and arts education. The foundation develops and supports school music programs in underserved communities around the world, providing free classes in music, dance and languages that combine cultural traditions with technology. As the first official musical instrument partner of the organization, Roland will work closely with Playing For Change to positively impact the lives of children, their families and

BYOS Kicks Off Nationwide Clinician Tour

Evans and Promark by D’Addario have announced the kickoff of BYOS’ clinician tour, taking place across the U.S. at participating Guitar Center locations. Ralph Nader and Harvey Thompson, collectively known as BYOS (Bring Your Own Style), are an innovative drumming duo originally from Brooklyn NY. After years of honing their craft, they became YouTube sensations for their exciting drum covers of popular songs, garnering more than 10 million views. They utilized that platform to create the BYOS movement: an inclusive community of drummers performing to their favorite popular tracks and incorporating new drumming compositions and showmanship.

BYOS’ globally bestselling signature drumstick, the BYOS Showstyle Marching Hybrid Snare Stick, manufactured by Promark, is engineered in collaboration with Nader and Thompson to function as a traditional marching implement and a well-balanced, show-style trick stick. Featuring a medium taper and large round bead, the stick will provide the necessary output volume needed for the marching activity both indoor or out, and the grip ring on the butt-end provides a comfortable grip while executing stick tricks.

BYOS have also released a translation of the 26-letter alphabet into drum rudiments. The BYOS Alphabet lets drummers turn any work into a snare lick with a BYOS twist. Play your name, tell people where you’re from or even have a conversation with other drummers.

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JUNE 2017

L AT E S T

American Eagle Awards Honorees Revealed

The National Music Council has announced that country music legend Crystal Gayle; singer, songwriter and poet Patti Smith; and comic, actor, writer, musician and creators’ rights activist Harry Shearer will be honored at the organization’s 34th annual American Eagle Awards. It will Harry Shearer, who is an American Eagle take place on July 13 at Awards honoree this year.

Summer NAMM in Nashville TN. The awards are presented each year to recognize long-term contribution to American musical culture and heritage, the importance of music education for all children, and the need to protect creators’ rights both locally and internationally.

“Each year, the National Music Council carefully chooses a very small group of music creators, artists, educators and advocates to honor for their truly remarkable contributions to American and global musical culture,” its Director, David Sanders, said. “Those whose careers we have celebrated in the past are among the giants of American music. Ms. Gayle, Ms. Smith and Mr. Shearer are worthy additions to the list of those whose longstanding excellence continues to make the U.S. music community the world’s leader in musical arts innovation.”

Past American Eagle Award recipients include Stephen Sondheim, Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, Clive Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Lena Horne, Sesame Street, Hard Rock Café and VH1’s Save the Music Foundation. The awards are presented with support from The NAMM Foundation, a non-profit that works to advance active participation in music-making across the lifespan through scientific research, philanthropic giving and public-service programs.

She Rocks Showcase Formally Announced For 2017

The Women’s International Music Network (The WiMN) has announced its 2017 She Rocks Showcase, scheduled during Summer NAMM in Nashville TN. Now in its fourth year, it will take place on July 13, from 8:30pm to 11:00pm, at The Listening Room Café, which is located at 217 2nd Ave. S. “I was blown away by the varied and wonderful talent that was presented at last year’s Nashville She Rocks Showcase, and I can’t wait to share new talent this year,” The WiMN’s Founder, Laura B. Whitmore, exclaimed. “She Rocks Showcases give female musicians an opportunity to share their talent at one of Nashville’s best-known venues. I am excited and eager to receive submissions from talented artists around the world!”

The 2017 She Rocks Showcase will present a unique opportunity for female artists of all styles and ages to perform in front of industry experts, media representatives, artists, fans and more during Summer NAMM. The showcase will be open to the public, and it’s sponsored by 108 Rock Star Guitars, Casio and Fishman.

For details, visit thewimn.com/summer-namm-showcase.

QSC Unveils Extensive Online Training Platform QSC has launched its new online training platform (train ing.qsc.com). The site offers several features to help improve the end-user experience and make learning simpler for the company’s training programs. The launch coincides with the release of Q-SYS Level 1 Training in German and French, adding to the existing English, Spanish and Mandarin versions. The platform also provides training on the QSC TouchMix digital mixers, as well as several other of its loudspeaker and amplifier lines. All QSC online training content is open to the public and free of charge.

The online training platform features new user profiles, allowing customers to track progress through courses, submit final designs for certification and access prior certificates, and it offers an easy way to recertify after certification has expired. The site also includes improved training assessments, which make working through courses more manageable.

The training platform is now equipped with a video transcript search that searches dialogue within each video (upon launch, search includes all Q-SYS Level 1 English videos, with more transcripts from other training videos coming online in the coming weeks). Rather than spending time scrubbing through videos, users can jump directly to a specific topic within a video, based on a keyword search.

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

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PEOPLE

Rick Rocks

Phil Jones Bass/Pure Sound (PJB) has appointed Rick Carlson to be Director of Sales and Marketing. Carlson will oversee the management and expansion of the PJB sales team.

This includes appointing outside independent reps and developing the company’s inside sales organization. His responsibilities will also include the direction and development of artist and press/media relations.

Carlson’s extensive MI background includes roles in sales and marketing for brands that include Kala Brand Music, SWR Engineering Inc., Power Group Ltd. and Ace Products Group.

His background in the bass market includes the establishment of SWR as a premier bass amplification brand, as well as advancing the introduction of U-Bass for Kala Brand.

According to Phil Jones, “Rick brings a proven industry track record, along with a pedigree in the bass world, that fits perfectly with our plans for the future and the expansion of our brand. We are delighted to have him join us at the PJB organization.”

Double Deibler

KMC has appointed Derik Deibler to the newly created position of KMC Pro Audio Sales Development Manager.

Deibler will work closely with KMC’s sales team to develop and implement programs that help the company’s network of 6,500 retailers to build their base of pro-audio product sales.

Deibler comes to KMC from The Music People (TMP), where, for the last four years, he served as National Accounts Manager. His responsibilities included the management of dealer accounts nationwide; the design of audio, video and lighting solutions for TMP’s dealer network; and design, product and sales support.

Prior to this, he worked for 12 years as an independent audio, video and lighting systems designer and contractor, and he provided support for a number of recording artists, live events and music festivals. From 2006 to 2012, he was Manager of the LifeSong Music Center, and he held responsibility for all day-to-day retail, buying and vendor-relations programs.

Elementary, My Dear Watson

Following the acquisition of ChamSys Ltd. by Chauvet, Phil Watson will be assuming the role of ChamSys USA Director. In the position, Watson will work closely with the CHAUVET Professional sales and support teams to expand further the presence of ChamSys in the U.S. CHAUVET Professional will distribute and service ChamSys products in the U.S., whereas sales in the rest of the world, as well as manufacturing, will continue to be handled by the company’s U.K. office.

“We’re very excited to have Phil on our team,” Albert Chauvet, CEO 20

Battle Of Witt

Korg USA has created a new position to aid in marketing and product development for its growing line of guitar brands. Corey Witt, a seasoned marketing professional and previous Korg USA per diem Product Specialist, has joined the company full time as Product Marketing Manager.

According to Brian Piccolo, Director of Guitar Brands at Korg USA, “Corey brings to us an extensive amount of experience, having worked in both marketing and the music industry for the past 20 years. As an accomplished and passionate guitarist, Corey has some great insight on how to market and sell our various guitar and bass products to the proper channels.

It’s this renaissance career path, and his many years as a traveling musician, that has given him the experience needed to join Korg USA’s talented marketing team.”

A Texas native, Witt currently resides in Los Angeles CA, where he will conduct business from the newly opened Korg West Artist Lounge. He has worked for music brands that include Pioneer, Roland/BOSS and Seymour Duncan.

Evan Almighty

DPA Microphones has announced that Evan MacKenzie has joined the team as Marketing and Communications Manager for the U.S. In the new role, MacKenzie will strategically plan all aspects of marketing and communications for new and existing product lines. His responsibilities will include branding execution, augmenting marketing collateral for the region, media planning and buying, event planning and artist relations.

MacKenzie is accustomed to providing marketing, communications development and support for companies in the pro-audio industry. He has previously held marketing positions with QSC, Allen & Heath, KRK and Cerwin Vega, working closely with the engineering, product development, sales and creative departments to increase corporate revenue and implement branding strategies. MacKenzie began his career on the ad agency side, producing branding for advertising campaigns for JBL Professional, Samick, Knabe and multiple Procter & Gamble brands.

of Chauvet, said. “The depth of knowledge he brings to the job is obvious, as are his enthusiasm and dedication to service.”

Watson, who is still an active lighting designer, is excited by the opportunities created by the association with Chauvet. He said, “There are a great many similarities between the way Chauvet and ChamSys view their businesses and the importance of serving the customer.

Joining with Chauvet gives us the resources to help ChamSys and the MagicQ brand reach new heights in the U.S. market.”

JUNE 2017

PEOPLE

Room And Board

Three new members have been elected to the Music for All Board of Directors: David Simons (Denver CO), Marla D. Smith (Indianapolis IN) and Anthony M. Tang (Winston-Salem NC). All have extensive experience within the music community. Music for All works to ensure that every child across America has access to, and the opportunity to participate in, active music-making in his or her scholastic environment.

According to Gayl Doster, Chairman of the Music for All Board of Directors, “These three individuals bring additional diversity and a wealth of expertise and knowledge in the areas of technology, education and advancement to the Music for All Board of Directors.

Their varying experiences and geographic locations represent the breadth of the constituency of this national organization.”

Simons is a Software Developer

Simons

at Bertram Labs in Denver. Prior to serving on the technology team, he was a member of the investment team for Bertram Capital, targeting investments and advising in the operations and strategic management of portfolio companies in the business services, healthcare, technology and consumer industries.

Smith is the retired Executive Assistant to Indianapolis entrepreneur Michael S. Maurer and the Office Manager for Maurer Rifkin & Hill. She has an associate’s degree in business from Western

Smith

Michigan University, and she was the featured twirler and a member of the Western Michigan University marching band. She was an active band parent at the Westfield High School Marching Band while her daughter participated in the band.

Tang is a native of Rocky Mount

Tang

NC and, currently, he serves as Assistant Director of Engagement Programs in the Office of Alumni Engagement at Wake Forest University. He also volunteers much of his time as the Director of Student Leadership for the Spirit of the Old Gold and Black, where he was drum major as an undergraduate.

(L-R): Jeff Cowling, Kira Haden and Steve Hendee.

Yorkville Hires Haden

Yorkville Sound has appointed Kira Haden as its new Marketing and Communications Manager. Haden’s responsibilities will include developing strategic digital campaigns, enhancing Yorkville’s brand internationally and generating trade-specific marketing material, all while aiding in Yorkville’s overall strategy. Before joining Yorkville, Haden worked in various marketing and communication roles to implement strategic business-to-business and business-to-consumer campaigns.

With a proven track record of administering online and offline marketing campaigns from inception to high-impact completion, she brings a blend of experiences that complement Yorkville’s identity.

Yorkville Sound’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Jeff Cowling, said, “We are excited to have Kira join Yorkville as a results-oriented, collaborative team member who will bring a fresh outlook to Yorkville’s marketing strategy. Her previous marketing experience and skill set will certainly contribute to Yorkville’s vision as we continue to grow.”

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

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PRODUCTS

Mass Effects: Andromeda

Over view: Seymour Duncan’s Andromeda Dynamic Delay Specifics: Seymour Duncan’s Andromeda Dynamic Delay is a digital delay that employs the same Dynamic Expression technology found in the Catalina Dynamic Chorus to let users control certain effect parameters with their picking strength. The Andromeda lets users choose between digital and analog-simulated versions of normal, ping pong, reverse and reverse pong delay types, whereas Dynamic Expression can be applied to the mix, modulation or saturation parameters to vary the intensity of the effects in real time by changing picking strength. A tap tempo footswitch and a tap value control let users sync echo repeats to the song, and the Andromeda can also store presets for easy recall or be controlled via MIDI. It has stereo inputs and outputs; users can decide whether the repeats cut off immediately when they hit the bypass switch or trail off naturally. The tap/presets switch has a “hold for freeze” function, which provides a further level of interaction during live performances.

MSRP: $399 Ship Date: Call company Contact: Seymour Duncan, 805.964.9610, seymourduncan.com

Special Ks

Trip On My Synthesizer

Over view: Yamaha’s MX88 Synthesizer Specifics: Yamaha’s MX88 Synthesizer is the latest addition to its MX line for stage and studio. Equipped with 88 weighted keys, the MX88 adds a full-size keyboard that features realistic piano action to the MX line. Known for its high-quality instrument and synth sounds and its deep computer and iOS integration, the line, with this introduction, boasts a full-size keyboard that features realistic piano action.

The MX88 can connect with Windows and Mac computers thanks to a class-compliant, bi-directional USB audio/MIDI interface. Players can record the keyboard’s internal sounds into a computer-based DAW and monitor the computer’s output through the keyboard’s quarter-inch audio outputs or headphone jack. The comprehensive sound collection of the MX88 is based on the Yamaha Motif sound engine, and contains everything from synthesizer leads, pads and more to authentic acoustic instrument sounds. The realistic Concert Grand Piano sound has been optimized for the MX88 keyboard to provide the highest level of expression.

MSRP: $1,299 Ship Date: Now Contact: Yamaha, 800.609.2624, 4wrd.it/yamahamx88

Over view: QSC’s K.2 Series Specifics: QSC has introduced the K.2 Series, the next generation of the company’s K Family line of powered loudspeakers. Composed of the eight-inch K8.2, 10-inch K10.2 and 12-inch K12.2 full-range loudspeakers, the series offers several significant feature upgrades. QSC has also introduced the KS212C, a single-box powered cardioid subwoofer. Each loudspeaker model in the K.2 Series is equipped with a 2,000-watt power module carefully matched to high-performance woofers and compression drivers. Directivity-Matched Transition (DMT) ensures smooth coverage across the entire listening area. Onboard DSP provides Intrinsic Correction voicing and advanced system management to further optimize performance. K.2 Series models provide operators a library of preset contours for common applications, such as stage monitor, dance music, musical instrument amplification, handheld microphone and more, while, in addition, offering storable scenes to recall user-configurable settings, such as input type, delay, EQ, cross-over and selected contour, via the loudspeakers’ LCD screen and control panel.

Street Price: K8.2: $649.99; K10.2: $699.99; K12.2: $799.99; KS212C: $1,399.99 Ship Date: Now; KS212C: Late summer Contact: QSC, 714.754.6175, qsc.com 22

Power Trip

Over view: D’Addario Accessories’ 9V Battery Pack Specifics: D’Addario Accessories’ newly released 9V Battery Pack (PW9V-02) joins the company’s line of power accessories. Most pedals and other music accessories use nine-volt power.

To meet the resulting demand, D’Addario offers a two-pack of the high-performance alkaline batteries. Designed for high-power devices, the battery pack delivers up to nine volts of premium power. Using the latest technology, the tour-grade alkaline batteries provide dependable, long-lasting performance in power-hungry electronic devices.

MSRP: $14.95 Ship Date: Now Contact: D’Addario Accessories, 631.439.3300, daddario.com JUNE 2017

PRODUCTS

Double Play

Over view: Cort’s AS-OC4 Acoustic-Electric Guitar Specifics: Cort’s AS-OC4 acoustic-electric guitar, the latest addition to its flagship AS Series, features a solid, all-mahogany body with a natural, open-pore finish and orchestra model (OM) cutaway design. The AS-OC4 offers high-quality construction and outstanding tone without the steep price tag associated with many high-end acoustics. The dark, open-pore finish of the AS-OC4 ensures the guitar will age as desired, allowing the wood choice to resonate naturally. The AS-OC4’s mahogany provides balanced dynamics, with ample bottom-end response that doesn’t inhibit the top end. Smaller than a Dreadnought, the AS-OC4 doesn’t lack in volume and can accommodate a variety of acoustic styles. The OM body features a Venetian cutaway, allowing the player to get more from the highest of the 20 frets. Reinforcing the quality of the design is Cort’s scalloped x-bracing and dovetail neck joint. Inside the sound hole, players will find the Fishman Sonitone preamp and Sonicore pickup with volume and tone control. Other features include a rosewood bridge, rosette and fretboard (25.3-inch scale) with dot-inlay and a 45-millimeter genuine bone nut.

MSRP: $799 Ship Date: Call company Contact: Cort, 82.2.3661.1981, cortguitars.com

Volcanic Vibes

Over view: EarthQuaker Devices’ Erupter Perfect Fuzz Specifics: EarthQuaker Devices’ Erupter Perfect Fuzz, according to EarthQuaker’s President and Product Designer, Jamie Stillman, “is the ultimate classic fuzz tone…with a big low end, but not too mushy, a biting top end without being too harsh, and just enough output to politely send a tube amp over the top.”

The Erupter sounds good with any pickup type anywhere in the effects chain, even before a wah pedal, and without any impedance mismatching. It uses a buffered input section; transformer-based pickup simulation; new-production, five-percent, half-watt carbon composition resistors; metalized polyester film capacitors; Sprague and BC electrolytic capacitors; and low-gain, hand-matched NOS silicon transistors to deliver a wellrounded and -defined fuzz tone with just enough pummeling intensity. A single control labeled “bias” adjusts the amount of voltage fed to the NOS silicon transistors.

MSRP: Call company Ship Date: Now Contact: EarthQuaker Devices, 330.252.9220, earthquakerdevices.com MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

Shape Of You

Over view: Alfred Music’s “Shape Beats for Kids, A Simple and Fun Approach to Learning Drums” Specifics: Alfred Music’s “Shape Beats for Kids, A Simple and Fun Approach to Learning Drums,” by Tim Carman, is a new drum set method for kindergarten and up. It offers a simple and fun way to learn how to play drums.

Because many beginning students are still in the early stages of development and might not be able to comprehend standard notation, the book utilizes shapes—an instantly recognizable notational vehicle—to teach students basic drumming beats. Each chapter contains play-along examples on the included CD, allowing students to use their new beats to play along with the songs.

MSRP: $15.99 Ship Date: Now Contact: Alfred Music, 800.292.6122, alfred.com

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INTO THE END ZONE: ATTENDING SUMMER NAMM CAN GET YOUR STORE WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE

(continued from cover)

Pacific walnut tenor ukulele The Pacific Walnut Tenor Ukulele is perfect for sunny weather. Brighten the summer days with the warm sound of the Pacific Walnut Tenor.

KALABRAND.COM 24

“Being part of NAMM and attending this event links you with a very special group of your peers, who share your vision of a more musical world,” NAMM’s President and CEO, Joe Lamond, said. Using the show’s tagline, “The Inspiration Begins Here,” as a leaping-off point, he continued, “Across the show floor and in all the education sessions, NAMM members can find sources of inspiration to better their businesses. And the timing of the show prepares you for that all important backto-school season and for the holiday shopping season, when having that little extra spark really counts.” That value proposition clearly resonates, too, because Summer NAMM’s been enjoying steady growth for the last several years. In 2016, the show attracted 517 exhibitors and nearly 1,700 brands, along with 14,055 registrants. For this year, show organizers are on track to achieve six-percent growth in exhibitors, continuing the propitious trend.

As we all know, however, the association’s purpose in hosting trade events isn’t to chase ever-higher numbers; it aims to boost the music products industry. “NAMM is a service organization,” Lamond stressed, “and seeing members who’ve chosen to participate grow and prosper because of their involvement with Summer NAMM is the real end zone for us.” Harking back to his own days at the dealer level, he continued, “Some of the most important decisions we made while I was in retail occurred at Summer NAMM, and I suspect others have experienced the same thing. The ability to really connect with suppliers, along with the timing in the annual retail cycle, makes JUNE 2017

Lamond stated. “Attendees can gain a lot of insight into industry trends. Areas that are growing in the marketplace are generally growing at the show.”

One thing that continues to grow is the music products industry’s wholehearted embrace of education and training opportunities, of which there will be many at Summer NAMM. Perhaps none, however, is as eagerly anticipated as Retail Boot Camp: a full-day training opportunity for anyone—from seasoned owners to first-time salespeople—involved in a music retail business. “This answers the industry’s call for more training opportunities at the show, and it rounds out NAMM U’s program with a deep dive that wouldn’t be practical during normal show hours,” Lamond explained.

Scheduled for July 12, the day before Summer NAMM opens, Retail Boot Camp is composed of two tracks: Sales & Marketing and Financial Management. The former, led by Jon Schallert, will teach you how to turn your store into a destination; the latter, led by Alan Friedman and Daniel Jobe, will offer solutions to the critical financial issues involved in running a music store.

Zooming out to a broader perspective, Summer NAMM will offer tremendous educational oppor-

Scott Hathaway, Sales Rep

Years at Alfred Music: Almost a year!

Instruments: Guitar, Voice, Bass & Keys Best Perk of Working at Alfred Music: Amazing people Favorite Genres to Play: 60’s–mid-70’s classic rock Favorite Artist: Led Zeppelin First Concert Experience: KISS/Uriah Heep, “KISS-mas” concert, 1976

Nashville TN is home to Summer NAMM, and the city’s always a rush of musical fun.

it an ideal opportunity to think strategically. That’s why retailers tell us it’s an essential element of their calendar.”

One misconception about Summer NAMM, which to some extent has already been corrected, is that it’s just a “fretted instrument show,” lighter on technology-based products than the NAMM Show is. Back in 2014, The Retailer published a corrective: pie charts comparing the composition of exhibitors at Summer NAMM versus the NAMM Show, which illustrated nearly identical percentage breakdowns by category. If yours is a full-line music store carrying guitars, drums, keyboards, live-sound gear, accessories, print products and lighting fixtures, you’ll find many of your suppliers showing their wares in Nashville. “I think the Summer NAMM exhibitor list is a pretty accurate snapshot of the industry at this moment,” MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

alfred.com

I strongly recommend the Ultimate Guitar Play-Along series. Note-for-note transcriptions with fantastic backing tracks with top players make this series a must for any guitarist who loves Led Zeppelin, Rush, and The Rolling Stones.

The tracks come with TNT 2 software to adjust tempo, loop sections, etc. You might never leave the woodshed…

Throughout Summer NAMM, showgoers can expect amazing live performances from talented musicians.

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three-day show. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Summer NAMM’s education and training component is equally as important as the opportunity to scope out new products and connect with your vendors.

Also critically important, of course, are opportunities for networking and just to enjoy some industry camaraderie; happily, Summer NAMM offers many of those. The evening of July 13 will see the Summer NAMM Opening Night party as part of the 34th annual American Eagle Awards, honoring country music legend Crystal Gayle; singer, songwriter and poet Patti Smith; and comic, actor, writer and creators’ rights activist Harry Shearer. The event will be open to all NAMM members. And on the evening of July 14, the association will host what has become a show highlight for me: the NAMM Top 100 Dealer Awards. They’ve garnered more attention with each passing year, and NAMM’s continued honing of the categories and the presentation has enabled the ceremony to become a fine showcase for—and celebration of—MI retailer best practices.

“I can’t think of any other industry that enjoys the camaraderie that we’re lucky enough to have in the music business,” Lamond enthused. “The Top 100 Dealer honorees—and all music dealers—re-

tunities for dealers looking to connect with today’s consumer.

A NAMM U Breakfast Session—an interview with retail futurist and thought leader Doug Stephens called “The Retail Store of the Future”—will kick off the show on July 13. “Expect a look at the future of retail that covers everything from technology and marketing to staffing and store design,” Lamond hinted. “Any retailer who wants to chart the future of his or her business will want to be there.”

Then, on the morning of July 14, NAMM U favorite Doug Fleener will host “The Connected Consumer: Customer Experience in an Online World.” Lamond noted, “That session should appeal to retailers, manufacturers and distributors alike, and it’ll show how the best companies deliver a world-class customer experience, as well as how you can apply that to your business.”

All of that, of course, isn’t even to mention the NAMM Idea Center sessions, covering video marketing, how to use third-party online platforms, store design, in-store promotions and sundry other topics, that will occur throughout the MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

Expect thousands to be packed in for live performances, product demonstrations and education sessions.

ally represent the inspiration, dedication and passion found in our industry. In just a few short years, the Top 100 event has become a fixture, and it’s one of my favorite nights of the year.”

Although the Top 100 honorees have already been announced, the category-specific winners—and, of course, Dealer of the Year—will be officially unveiled onsite.

Compelling as all the offerings so far explained inarguably are, some of you still might not be convinced that Summer NAMM’s worth your time and money. So, ultimately, why should you go? Well, there are probably as many answers as there are different kinds of dealers and music stores. From Lamond’s perspective, “Perhaps the best reason I can think of is simply to look around at the dealers who attend Summer NAMM. Regardless of their size, they tend to be the ones we read about in the trades each month, the ones that vendors love to do business with and the ones that are succeeding in a challenging marketplace. And, as I always told my kids, ‘Show me who your friends are, and I’ll show you who you are.’”

Lamond closed by reminding us that we’ve dedicated our lives, and our livelihoods, to getting more people to start to play music and getting fewer of them to quit. That, he said, is our ultimate “end zone.” And if attending Summer NAMM helps you to learn more about new products and forge closer relationships with your vendor partners, while also exposing you to world-class education and training, as well as best-practices modeling from the Top 100, then the show is one of the best tools at your disposal to move the ball down the field.

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JUNE 2017

AMP UP, SPEAK OUT: LEADING AMP AND SPEAKER EXECUTIVES DISSECT THESE CATEGORIES

Speaking directly to brickand-mortar MI stores, what advice would you give retail(continued on page 50)

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despite the trend, there is no onesize-fits-all solution that retailers can offer. Interestingly, some retailers have recently made the choice to all but eliminate passive loudspeaker offerings for their customers. That could signal an opportunity for others.

Manufacturer of

WH

Speaking from a brandagnostic point of view and avoiding discussion of your own proprietar y technology, analyze the state of the amp categor y and the speaker categor y, respectively. Are these categories experiencing growth or contraction? What trends— technological or otherwise— are helping to shape amp and speaker sales right now?

In the U.S. retail (MI) segment, there is ever-diminishing interest in amplifiers and passive loudspeakers for portable applications.

As we’ve all witnessed, there has been a dramatic shift in the last decade in favor of powered loudspeakers. When we first introduced the K Series some eight years ago, the U.S. retail market looked to have about a 60/40 revenue split between passive and powered; today, that number looks more like 15/85. There is no denying that a quality powered loudspeaker offers far more in terms of convenience, portability and, in some cases, performance versus a passive cabinet powered by an amplifier. Even though many of today’s general-purpose power amps feature some level of DSP, eliminating the need for one additional component in the signal chain, the powered loudspeaker remains a far more elegant solution for the majority of customers who utilize sound reinforcement in portable applications.

However, I don’t see the trend ever taking us to zero. There are a few reasons for that. First, not all loudspeakers sold in retail outlets are utilized in portable applications. Passive loudspeakers powered by amplifiers remain a common and highly desirable choice for installation in a number of applications in which powered

components age and eventually fail, their owners/operators find it much more convenient and cost-efficient to update individual components on an as-needed basis. And third, for many operators, particularly those with larger systems, component systems are simply the preferred choice. The reasons vary between resistance to change, cost of ownership, performance characteristics and others. All that is to say that,

I

Ray van Straten Senior Director of Marketing, QSC Professional

loudspeakers would either be cost-prohibitive or be potentially inconvenient due factors like the unavailability of local power. The power issue is particularly prevalent in many parts of the world where older building designs, or even local ordinances, disqualify powered loudspeakers as an installed option.

Second, countless older, amplifier-powered systems continue to remain in service today. As their

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Heid Music Boosts School Music Programs

Heid Music (Appleton WI) gave a $20,000 boost to Wisconsin school music programs this past March with its 6th annual Music in our Schools Month giveaway, The Big 10+ Contest and the inaugural Music Matters Initiative, a donation-matching program. The Big 10+ Contest awarded musical prizes, which were valued at more than $10,000, to 17 schools. Prizes included instruments and accessories, sheet music, a digital piano, a band clinic and concert, and other music gear and equipment. Entrants representing 58 schools in northeastern, south central and central Wisconsin submitted photos or shared them using #big10music, showing what music education meant to them and their school. Then, they solicited votes for their photos.

Meanwhile, Heid Music’s Music Matters Initiative generated more than $10,000 in funds to benefit 61 different school district music programs. The company matched tax-deductible cash donations with in-store credit, which the districts could use toward products and services from Heid Music.

“We are thrilled with the success of this year’s Big 10+ Contest and Music Matters Initiative, and we’re extremely proud to be able to support so many school music programs across Wisconsin,” Todd Heid, Owner of Heid Music, enthused. “The entire Heid Music team thanks everyone who participated in our giveaway, and who donated to support music in our schools.”

“Music education takes our next generation to a higher level,” Tanice Finnegan, the wife of D.C. Everest High School’s music director, added. “In a day and age when government budget cuts are affecting our children’s education, Heid Music partners with schools to make sure that music education is supported.”

The Big 10+ Contest was made possible by the support of many partners, including Alfred Music, D’Addario, Hal Leonard, The Music People and Yamaha.

Photos were submitted to Heid Music’s Big 10+ Contest, and then put up for public votes.

Dave Miller Retires From Buddy Roger’s Music

Buddy Roger’s Music (Cincinnati OH) has announced that Dave Miller, its Co-Owner, has retired. This follows a 53-year career in retail music.

Miller began his career as a teenager who hung around Western Hills Music Mart when its Owner, Jack Shallat, hired him to help around the store. Miller quickly demonstrated an ability to talk with customers about product and, soon, he became a highly successful salesman. When Shallat merged with Buddy Roger’s Music in 1967, Miller continued his career with the new company and, quickly, rose through the ranks to become the top salesperson, Store Manager and, eventually, the Sales Manager of the seven-store chain. When the Owners started to plan their retirement, Miller became part of the succession plan. In 1978, he, along with partner Bill Harvey, began the buyout process. It was completed 10 years later.

“Looking back on 53 years of ‘hanging around’ music stores, it is very satisfying to think of how many people I have helped get started in music and become musicians,” Miller said. “Working with so many outstanding people in our stores and the industry has given me a career of which I’m extremely proud.”

Miller has been involved in professional music organizations since high school, and he’s had personal contact with many of the area’s top musicians and groups. He continues to perform regularly in the greater Cincinnati area. Miller has served on the NAMM Board of Directors and the Peavey Advisory Council and, currently, he serves on the Suits That Rock Board.

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JUNE 2017

Island Music Adds Character To La Plata Community

Island Music Co. (La Plata MD) recently celebrated the town’s first outdoor mural. The mural, a massive, 44'x7' original painting by local artist Shannon Wang, celebrates La Plata’s love for music and art. The mural hangs in central downtown La Plata, and it’s visible to tens of thousands of commuters and shoppers as they make their way through the town.

Work on the project began more than two years ago, when Island Music Co.’s Owner, Keith Grasso, began the process of getting the mural approved by the town government. “Getting a 44-foot, multicolored mural promoting music on the side of a music store was difficult,” Grasso admitted. However, with help from other local businesses, artists, politicians and, of course, lawyers, Grasso finally succeeded.

“This has been a dream of mine since first opening the store in 2008,” Grasso continued. “I wanted something big and colorful, and that celebrates our town, music and art. This mural gives the town character, where there was none before.” The mural artist is also the Owner of Shop 53, a local art gallery and tattoo shop. The mural was created in 11 separate panels, which were painted one at a time in Wang’s shop and then pieced together outside. The concept, created entirely by Wang, includes guitars, drums, band and orchestra instruments, palm trees, the Maryland flag and Island Music Co.’s slogan, “La Plata Loves Music.”

Keith Grasso (center) does the honors at the ribbon cutting.

Cascio Helps To Acknowledge Milwaukee’s Musical Heritage

The Milwaukee County Historical Society recently presented a 2017 Major Exhibition entitled, “Melodies and Memories: 200 Years of Milwaukee Music.” It opened at the downtown museum, 910 N. Old World Third St. in Milwaukee WI, on January 9. The full exhibit was up until April 29, and a smaller version will be available through September. The exhibit explores the styles, people, organizations, businesses and places that were—and continue to be—central to Milwaukee music. In business for 70 years, Cascio Interstate Music (New Berlin WI) has been an integral part of the exhibit.

“We are pleased to be able to support the Milwaukee Historical Society’s great exhibition on 200 years of Milwaukee music,” Michael Houser, Cascio’s CEO, declared. “Cascio Interstate Music has proudly been part of the Wisconsin-area music scene since 1946.”

Cascio’s portion of the exhibit includes interactive “Player’s Pods” for all ages, allowing visitors to experience the joys of playing music through guitar, drum and keyboard pods. The Archer Guitars brand, designed by Cascio, is featured. Houser added, “We have an area that exhibits photos from the beginning of our company. Started by Frank Cascio, his first music stores were in West Milwaukee WI and then West Allis WI on Lincoln Ave. Following an initial focus on accordions and accordion lessons, our current location in New Berlin has over 75,000 musical items.”

Other displayed items include Cascio’s brands of Melokia Ukuleles, Union bongos, Ravel instruments for kids and more. “All of these are musical items that we design here in Wisconsin, and then sell to retailers such as Kohl’s, Walmart, Amazon, Target and more,” Houser noted. “Our Cascio exhibit will be enjoyed by, as well as inspire, Historical Society visitors.”

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

3131

FI V E M INUTE S W ITH

JOE CASTRONOVO

PRESIDENT, KORG USA

never played a musical instrument, the passion and drive it takes to become an accomplished player is something that I’ve always respected. The music products industry is rarely something you intend to enter unless you love the gear. It’s truly a diverse and passionate industry that can draw you in, and it’s tough to let go.

I joined Unicord, the predecessor company to Korg USA, as the Corporate Controller in 1984. It was the passion of the people I met, and their love for music, that attracted me, and that’s kept me in the industry for the past 33 years. I went to my first NAMM Show in 1986, and I was so overwhelmed with the excitement and the energy.

I was hooked!

By Dan Ferrisi In the MI industry, there are countless hundreds of manufacturers of music-related gear and scores of distributors that specialize in funneling those products to the market. Much rarer, though, are companies that boast equal strength on the manufacturing and distribution sides, let alone with brands whose names are iconic and widely respected in musician circles. Korg USA is in that small group, and it’s the company’s leader, Joe Castronovo, whom we turn to in this month’s “Five Minutes With.” In our discussion, he traces his history in the music products industry and articulates his deep, abiding love for music. He also gives insight into Korg USA’s process for taking on new brands, as well as its commitment to serve them in a holistic, value-minded way. We close with a discussion of contributing to the MI community and seeding the next generation of music-makers.

Pull up a chair and join the conversation.

Discuss your personal histor y with, and connection to, the music industr y.

Have you been interested in music since childhood? If so, how did you pursue that passion for music? Did you always intend to have a career in the industr y?

I’ve always loved music. Although I’ve 32

Take us through some of the professional highlights of your career so far, tracing your histor y from its early days right up to ser ving as President of Korg USA. Give us a sense of where you’ve been, and how you got to where you are.

In 1985, Korg Japan purchased Unicord from its parent company to create Korg USA. It was a very stressful and exciting time for me.

I was in the middle of a major financial acquisition early in my career, and I needed to impress my new employers. I guess it worked out!

Soon after, in 1989, Korg introduced the M1 workstation: a gamechanger for the keyboard industry and for Korg USA. In 1992, Korg Inc. purchased the Rose Morris distribution company, based in the U.K. I led the acquisition team. It proved to be a major accomplishment for Korg, as it created their own distribution company in the U.K., while also facilitating the acquisition of the VOX trademark. To witness Korg bringing an iconic brand back as a major force in our industry—to be intimately involved in those efforts—was, and has been, incredibly rewarding.

I’ve had several great mentors at Korg throughout the years.

When Korg USA was founded in 1985, the management team was a solid mix of dedicated industry people. Under the leadership of Mike Kovins, together with Joe Bredau and Mitch Colby, we formed a perfect mix of marketing, sales, products and finance. We built a great business together for the better part of 20 years, tripling the company in size. Guiding the organization during those growth years was exciting both for us and for the MI industry.

In 2006, I was promoted to President after the passing of Mike Kovins. Since that time, I’ve witnessed the industry, and the world, greatly change. The financial crisis, the explosion of the Internet and the introduction of social media have all changed our culture. That’s particularly true for the way people purchase MI products and listen to, play and create music.

Korg USA is no different. We’ve had some major changes in distribution, as well as to our roster of brands, throughout the years.

There will always be transitions in business, so learning to adapt quickly to the changing waves of the world is important if you wish to remain a stable name in the MI industry.

We have always believed the brands we represent are “our brands.” That commitment to our suppliers has been the mainstay of our company, and it’ll remain so.

What’s the best, most rewarding thing about being President of Korg USA? What makes you most eager to get out of (continued on page 52) JUNE 2017

(L-R): Korg USA’s Diana Cecchini, Joe Castronovo and Andy Rossi.

Castronovo alongside music icon Stevie Wonder.

Korg USA team members pose with Firehouse Music honorees.

Castronovo (at center) with an international group of associates and partners.

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

33

M I SPY For decades, Austin TX has been known for its uncanny ability to be the hippest spot for most types of music. It’s almost like there’s a vortex that sucks musical talent into the city limits.

I was tasked with navigating my way through this cool town on a quest for that ubiquitous musical essential: a reasonably priced, clean-sounding, basic guitar amp.

And what a musical obstacle course it would be!

My cover was simple. What does an older lady with wrinkles need to know about the guitar amp that she wants to buy her 17-year-old granddaughter? You’ve met that nice young lady with the black fingernail polish, right? She’s been playing guitar in the school big band, and she’s now begging her parents for her own gear. The amp is grandma’s gift.

I was interested to see how I was treated.

At the time, Austin was awash in possibilities for music equipment, as my trip coincided with South by Southwest (SXSW), a major music and art festival. Music stores were stocked up for newly inspired buyers.

Guitar Center 5300 MoPac Expy. #103 Austin TX 78749 512.891.0297

I almost choked on my latte as the complete American stereotype sank in.

Sprawled between an Office Depot, a nail salon and a Weight Watchers sat one of Austin’s two Guitar Centers. The retail chain’s presence is a known quantity in terms of décor, parking, massive display spaces and a large inventory.

On the plus side, huge chains have enormous buying power, which enables them to get discounts on instruments and gear like amps. But I had a chip on my shoulder against the ‘big chains are great’ mindset.

So, I thought, Let’s see what kind of treatment I get, and what goods I can rustle up, in the largest music retailer on earth.

I was noticed by a salesperson as I looked around to get my bearings. I explained my mission, and our first stop was an ampstacked corridor that led to Guitar Center’s brand new Platinum Room. The man was eager to show off the mind-boggling number of amps I could choose from. With that, my selection of granddaughter gifts commenced.

The salesman explained the usual 45-day return policy. If I purchased insurance, though, it would cover everything, including damage from angry drummers and rogue beer bottles. A $400 amp would be $80 for two years.

The associate was very knowledgeable about music in general, and he certainly 34

knew a great deal about amps. (Being a contrarian made me want to find out what he knew about oboes, but, alas, that wasn’t the day’s task.)

I was shown a Fender Mustang III V.2. It’s 100 watts; it has one 12-inch speaker; and it was priced at $329. The product flaunts technical upgrades like 100 presets, and it includes a footswitch, USB port, recording app and other improvements. It has the controls on top, and it’s absolutely standard Fender.

The salesman showed me a special-edition version in a gorgeous red wine color. Although black was available, I guess he noticed my wild hair and bright clothes and thought I would prefer the red. I also noted orange, electric blue, white and, yep, a rose pink amp.

They were in configurations or had price tags outside my mission parameters. Nevertheless, I was encouraged to hook up a guitar and play.

The sound was clean and the effects were fun to play with.

Then, we started to make some comparisons. The man told me that the Peavey brand makes a couple of nice possibilities, which have good features, in my price range.

However, the store had just sold out of them earlier in the day.

Then, I got a peek at the new Spiders from Line 6. They come in a series of numeric models with IIIs, IVs and Vs. All have varying wattages and features. The Spider IV 15, delivering 15 watts, starts the lineup at $99. For the parameters I had described, the salesman suggested the Spider V 120, delivering 120 watts at $399. It would be perfect, he said, with features to grow into.

At that price, the Spider V 120 was a little more than the Fender I had originally looked at. However, it includes goodies that most other amps in that price range don’t have: a built-in metronome, the ability to play music through the amp for practice, a built-in tuner, easily accessed controls for hundreds of included presets and apps to create your own loops. It’s also ready for wireless connection with an add-on. (If only there was some color choices….)

Typical of Guitar Center, the prices on all products were well marked, and my associate was happy to demonstrate. He explained the differences between the models that caught my fancy and, if necessary, explained why they weren’t right for my needs.

He felt that, for a basic workhorse, the Line 6 amps were the best, offering all-around better quality, more features and a cleaner sound. Sound-wise, I agreed, having heard him demo on both acoustic and electric guitars.

I asked whether there was anything used at the moment. My salesperson immediately fetched an older man who knew the used stock intimately. For light gigging and practice, there was nothing on the floor that day. However, he said, there might be after SXSW was over.

All in all, it was a surprisingly excellent experience in Guitar Center.

South Austin Music G 1402 S. Lamar Blvd.

Austin TX 78704 G 512.448.4992

South Austin Museum of Popular Culture is only a block away from this locally owned music landmark, and I just had to go. Old concert posters and art that started the “Keep Austin Weird” movement are shown off at the museum. In that spirit, what’s not to love about a huge guitar on the roof, another in the parking lot and a beautifully done black-and-white mosaic sign next to the door? So far, I felt right at home in South Austin Music.

The young sales associate first described the differences in amps for acoustic and electric JUNE 2017

guitars. My fictional budding musician has played both for a few years, and she needs one amp to suit her expanding needs. So, the salesman’s first suggestion was a VOX AC10C1 10-watt amp with nice sound, which ran for $520. If you weren’t in decent shape when you started to cart it to gigs, you certainly would be soon afterward!

Next, the man tried to explain to me that tube amps are louder than solid state.

When I asked why, he said something about rectifying tubes making it louder than a solid-state amp with the same wattage. I checked on that later to get more information. A tube amp can sound up to 12 decibels louder because you’re getting a type of distortion that tricks your ear into thinking it has more volume.

Next, I mentioned the Fender Mustang III V.2 to get his take on that product.

Although not a dealer, he had several pricier secondhand items to offer me. He also explained that VOX is avidly designing for my described niche. Around that time, I heard someone else being tempted by a VOX Valvetronix VT20X 20-watt amp, which was sweet and which ran for $239.

Next, we played with another possibility for our girl on the move: the Roland CUBE Street EX 50-watt amp, selling for $499. It has eight voicings built in, and you can run your instrument and microphone through the two speakers and effects for 20 hours on eight AA batteries. It creates plenty of volume, with sound that is quite good.

I also saw the Roland CUBE Lite 10-watt model for $189. It’s packed with plenty of technology and enough sound for a small restaurant gig. It seemed surprisingly sweet for so little money.

Strait Music G 2428 W. Ben White Blvd.

Austin TX 78704 G 512.476.6927

Skimming down off the raised freeway lanes of the Capital of Texas Highway, I spotted Strait Music. It occupies an open corner location, with parking across an enormous expanse of tarmac and frontage that leads to the rest of a Texas-sized mall that’s utterly tan and boring.

A very nice young man offered me assistance, greeting me near the door. As I explained my needs, he told me all the sales staff were gigging musicians. He said the store had an extensive amplifier inventory, including my needed price range and feature set. And, in fact, it did. It also had trumpets, flutes, violins, pianos and a large selection of banjos that I just had to thumb as I went by, humming a Béla Fleck jazz link under my breath. Ah…but that’s for another day.

Strait Music proudly displays PR that states it’s listed among the top 10 percent of music retailers nationwide. With no attribution for the claim, I have to take their word for it. Along the far wall, there was a huge stack of amps and a number of rooms to plug and play. The salesman told me that tubes are the best sound, and that solid-state components are less full-bodied for the sound aficionado.

Once again, I mentioned the Fender Mustang. Although he showed it to me, he suggested a much lower wattage tube amp instead. He stated that, for the kinds of things the fictional young lady would be doing, 100 watts was overkill. The VOX Valvetronix VT40X 40-watt guitar modeling combo amp was selling for $299. It has 12 classic effects built in, plus USB, a tuner, aux jack and other goodies. I liked it, but some of the online reviews were mixed.

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

The salesman clearly stated his preference for tube amps. However, his explanation of that preference wasn’t thorough. So, I came away not knowing the basis of his fondness, except his having said, “The sound from the tubes is just much better.” That, of course, is what music is all about…but it’s not particularly elucidating when you’re shopping.

Tube amps tend to be more expensive than solid-state units; they need more maintenance; and they’re heavier to haul around. That’s counterbalanced with the upside of better sound. The salesman encouraged me to listen to a Blackstar HT Club 40 40-watt tube amp in action.

Retailing for nearly $700, it was a lot more expensive than the Fender I’d asked about.

Then, he had me try out the Peavey Rage 258 amp. It ran for $149, and it boasts TransTube Technology. Achieving its sound takes two channels, and it has three-band EQ and three different voicings. That was the line that Guitar Center had sold out of. It’s lightweight, and it sounds surprisingly good for the price.

Austin Vintage Guitars 4306 Red River Austin TX 78751 512.428.9100

Last on the list was Austin Vintage Guitars, which was a short drive down from the University of Texas at Austin. I figured the dog and I could have a burger on our way, and then I’d spring for a new doggie toy at the Petco across the street from Austin Vintage Guitars. It has a great local reputation for instruments, amps and repairs. I continued my amp search there for that fictional girl who aims to go pro one day.

The store carries a lot of higher-ticket merchandise, used and new. It welcomes many pros on the sales floor, who also teach for the store. Accordingly, I was given plenty of information. (Trust a teacher to do that without even being asked to.)

The salesman assured me that the sweet spot for my aspiring guitarist was the Fender Blues Junior. It’s a tube amp that has 15 watts, delivering plenty of power for smaller gigs. It ran $599 new, and the man said that, as a pro, he would always be able to use a Blues Junior. It offers clean sound, a play-along option and, as needed, effects.

Finally, I was given a thoroughly informative lecture, which made sense of tube amps and solid-state technology.

He pointed out to me that amps like the Blues Junior hold their value very well; when I checked that later, he was proven correct. It goes for $350 to $450, depending (continued on page 53) 35

S PEC I AL T O THE R ETAIL ER

HUNTING WABBITS CLIENTS

By Suzie Hammond

Many music stores seem to feel a little like Elmer Fudd, looking everywhere for clientele that are clever and elusive. Attracting more people to music and involving them in it is the dream for most music store owners, isn’t it?

Your business’ survival depends on a supply of committed music lovers. Those people are your quarry. Putting together a plan to bring them through your doors is more attainable than you think, but you’ll need to work to develop it. If you’re looking to secure new customers who have money in their pockets, allow me to give you a few ideas that will have

medicine, rather than focusing on “the arts.” Nevertheless, they’d always wanted—and still want—to play trombone, harp, cello or something else. With a little of your encouragement, those people might just rekindle their ambitions.

One major shift in strategy that must be part of your thinking as you plan for this new, mature clientele is this: Music stores need to partner more completely with their community.

Think about churches and synagogues, to which various members of many families head several times per week. Your store having activities that individuals or social groups are involved with means you become a big part of their lives. Working toward the status of an integral family gathering place will show your music store in a different light. And that’s important, because we’re looking to find ways to integrate shoppers and students who are more mature, and who might not see themselves as “the typical customer.”

How do you find them, remind them of their passion for music and entice them to come into your store?

Your first, and a recurring, advertising tactic should be to share your plan to create a nurturing environment for beginning music-makers of a more mature age.

Spread the word everywhere it might be seen by adults and retirees.

them looking for you!

A number of years back, writing for The New York Times, Oliver Sacks noted some of the benefits of music-making. He wrote, “Music is an especially powerful shaping force, for listening to and especially playing it engages many different areas of the brain, all of which must work in tandem: from reading musical notation and coordinating fine muscle movements in the hands, to evaluating and expressing rhythm and pitch, to associating music with memories and emotion.”

Who might want to engage their brains that thoroughly? Where can these new potential music-makers be found? You don’t have to go too far. Baby Boomers (born from the mid’40s to mid-’60s) have grown up and gone to work and, now, they’ve gotten old. There are some 76.4 million of them still around in this country alone. A large number—whether still working or in retirement—might want to get back to their youthful love for music. That fact gives you a huge, deep pool of people who might have forgotten that, in high school and college, they were told to take engineering or 36

1. Speak to trusted colleagues and give some serious thought to setting up a wing of your business that will cater to this new set of clients you’re seeking to cultivate. They require different strategies and treatment than your typical students do.

2. Remember that most adult students have come from the work world, and they’ll appreciate a well-organized, sensible structure, with well-defined goals and plenty of support as they seek to master an instrument.

3. Your first, and a recurring, advertising tactic should be to share your plan to create a nurturing environment for beginning music-makers of a more mature age. Spread the word everywhere it might be seen by adults and retirees. Think beyond cash register flyers; put up notices on boards at medical offices, nearby apartment buildings, libraries, houses of worship, train and bus stations, and other places.

4. The first group should be for complete novices. That will allow you to attract people who never learned to play when they were younger. Inevitably, that’s the largest group that will compose your base of new clients. And, if you nurture the group, it’ll grow, bringing in a fresh crop of new music-makers every few months. As time passes, the more adept players will advance beyond the beginner stage and put together ensembles that are more ambitious with fellow advanced players.

5. Once hooked, this population is usually happy to jump in, helping to organize and run the group. Before long, much of the load might be taken off your shoulders. Happily, this population also has resources more commonly found among adults: patience, dedication, general responsibility and, lest we forget, disposable income. In other words, mature musicmakers can create a great group that functions well.

6. Keep in mind that adults have multi-layered priorities. They want to learn to play music so they can enrich their lives, as well as socialize and mingle with community members.

So, your store’s program must offer all of those. For that reason, coffee breaks and time for JUNE 2017

casual interaction are musts. And don’t forget concerts for showing off to family members!

Clients and programs of this type have been quietly growing since 1991. A retiree-aimed music program, New Horizons Music, launched that year in Rochester NY. Its success is a testament to the desire among mature adults to make music. The program’s Founder, Dr. Roy Ernst, said he was tired of seeing his parents and other retirees play golf, watch TV and die. “I wanted to see people learning new things, using and enjoying the days of their lives,” he emphasized.

Dr. Ernst’s program grew to other cities in the U.S., and even into parts of Australia and Canada. A non-profit organization, New Horizons Music promotes the idea of adults gathering to learn music and socialize. And, because this framework already exists, your store and its clientele wouldn’t have to reinvent the wheel to bring such a program to your community.

In the course of preparing this article, I interviewed a few music store owners who had independently decided to organize adult music classes and ensembles.

Everyone I spoke to was delighted with the results and the direction their business had taken. Everyone felt the adult programs had bolstered their revenue a great deal. However, the fact remains—if you’re going to start an adult program, you need to do it right.

Statistically, the most successful programs usually grow from complete novice groups.

As you get organized with your “beginners-only” group, though, don’t neglect groups for adult students who are more advanced. The beginners’ musical friends and mentors can create groups of their own, bringing them into the store, too.

Allow your adults to organize their own programs and ensembles. Doing so further invests them in the group and the store that hosts it. If you’re hosting their lessons, meetups and, possibly, their concerts, that means a lot of people will come through your store. That includes people who could buy instruments, sign up for lessons, purchase music books, and join or create other groups.

If you need more personnel MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

to manage your growing adult program, enlist local university students who are in the music program. They can be most helpful as teachers, group conductors and all-around support staff.

Catering to mature music-makers will more closely tie your store to its community, and it’ll enliven your music shop during times of day when business is usually slower.

Don’t hesitate to go on a musical adventure with mature music-makers. The results are bound to be good for your bottom line.

F ROM T H E TR E NCHE S

PADDLING UP A NEW REVENUE STREAM

By Allen McBroom

Reading the trade journals that come in the mail each month keeps me pretty up to date on the current jargon of the business world. At times, I feel as if whichever deepthinking analyst I’m reading at the moment is so far above my head that I need a college course on the topic just so I can understand what he or she is talking about.

So, in the interest of keeping this month’s column at a level that even I can understand, let’s go ahead and identify, and dispense with, the jargon.

“Revenue stream” is the current jargon for “thing that makes us money.” “New revenue stream” is jargon for “thing we’re making money with this year that we didn’t last year.” A new revenue stream is a new line of products or a new service that’s unlike anything you’ve handled in the past.

For example, if you’re an MI store and you add a line of hats and socks, then you’re tapping into a whole pool of money you’ve never seen before. You’ve just added a new revenue stream. That’s good. That’s a really cool thing to do in your store…if the new revenue stream actually produces revenue.

If it doesn’t, you’re saddled with inventory that doesn’t move. That’s bad.

The ideal new revenue stream produces revenue for your store while requiring no financial outlay on your part. Yes, I know— no-risk revenue is the first cousin of unicorns and leprechauns. However, it can be achieved by becoming a band instrument rental affiliate. If you’re not renting band instruments in your store, you’re missing one of the best no-risk revenue opportunities that exists in today’s MI world.

At one time, if you wanted to rent band instruments (hereafter, “BI”), you had to pony up big bucks to buy a supply of trumpets, clarinets and related instruments; then, you had to try to recover your expenditure. You also had to hire a repair 38

tech and, after spending a truckload of cash just to get that far, you still had to rent the horns to someone. This was a major expense, fraught with financial peril; if poorly managed, it could easily wreck your business. Many combo store owners don’t know the first thing about brass instruments or woodwinds, and that fact alone keeps them out of the BI market.

Today, the business of BI rentals has developed into a competitive, innovative industry that offers store owners the chance to have monthly rental income with no big cash outlay, and with pretty much no risk. Your main investment will be time. Even a very small store operation, having just a few employees, can take in new money by renting BI as an affiliate of a larger operation. We’ll call that the band instrument rental company (BIRC).

Finding a BIRC is not hard to do, but finding one that works for you might take some research. Start by reading the ads in the back of this issue of The Music & Sound Retailer. Go to the NAMM Show and talk to the BIRCs that have exhibits. Ask friends in the business whom they use, and what they do and don’t like about the BIRC. If you belong to the Independent Music Store Owners group (iMSO), you can ask for recommendations on the online forums. The important thing is just to get started. So, if the idea of a new revenue stream sounds good, start your research now.

The general process goes something like this: You [the store owner] sign up with [become an affiliate of] the BIRC, and it sends you a stock of BI to rent. You publicize that you have rental instruments to local folks; then, when the next school year starts, you entice band parents to rent from you. In the time between becoming an affiliate and the start of the school year, the BIRC will train you on the rental process and help you understand the paperwork that’s involved. Your first year of renting instruments will probably be a bit lackluster, because you’re new at renting. But, if your BIRC makes your rental fee attractive to parents, sends you quality instruments and delivers repairs in a timely fashion, there’s no reason you can’t rent instruments in even the toughest of markets.

This new revenue stream will take time to gain momentum. The first year we rented BI, the monthly rental checks covered lunch for one day. Today, they cover a lot more than that, and the added revenue is always a happy thing to see.

Earlier, I mentioned the start of the school year. That’s when your biggest time investment will be. You’ll spend a lot of time talking to parents, writing rental contracts, handing out instruments and mailing paperwork. But the brunt of that work happens in the first two months of the new school year. The rental-fee checks arrive every month and, if you do your job well, the checks will get larger each year.

A good BIRC will perform all your instrument repairs, pay all the shipping and look for ways for you to rent more instruments. It will train your employees and you, and it’ll teach you how to keep your inventory straight. And, it’ll do all this on its own nickel—not on yours.

Apart from your time, your investment will probably be limited to buying music folios to give your rental students, along with whatever marketing you decide to do to get the word out.

Expect those expenses to be offset by increased sales of reeds, sax straps, mouthpieces and other accessories.

Don’t skimp on marketing. If you don’t market, nobody will know you’re renting BI. And marketing can be pretty inexpensive. Start to hit Facebook with BI rental ads in June or July. Target your audience to females in the right age range to have a sixth-grade student in the house.

You’re targeting the moms, who tend to be the decision-makers for school-related expenses.

(Not always, of course, but usually.) And sixth grade is when most band programs begin. Use your e-mail list. Use your Web site and Facebook page. Go visit your local band directors.

Remember that students don’t have to rent from the school’s preferred rental company, and they may certainly rent from you. You just have to give them a good reason to come see you.

A better rental rate and a friendly attitude will automatically win new rentals for you. And the moms who fill out your rental contracts can be your best recruiters to facilitate new rental customers.

Enjoy your monthly rental checks (“new revenue stream”)! Happy trails.

JUNE 2017

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C O NFESSIO NS OF A R ETAIL ER

STILL KEEPIN’ IT 100

By Donovan Bankhead My previous article, “Keepin’ It 100,” really hit a nerve with my readers. I had an outpouring of responses from folks who have been, or who are currently, in that exact situation.

Some worked through it. Some trudged on.

Some quit.

In this article, I’m going to reveal some of the things I worked on to turn myself around and embark on the journey to become the leader my employees and my business deserve. My goal is to help those who are struggling so that you don’t quit but, rather, thrive.

You might remember me telling you how I had experienced burnout. I had lost my “why.” I was spending all my time trying to manage the results of my business, and I had quit spending time thinking about why I was even in the business.

When a coach asked me why I was involved in MI, I couldn’t even remember. It took me a few minutes to recall why I had gotten into this in the first place. Then, it all started to come back to me, like a flood! I had gotten into it because I loved the gear and I loved the people. Playing music has given me my life, my family, my hobbies, my business and my friends. The coach asked how I could get back to that place…how I could lead my business using my refound motivation. I told him I had no idea. He said that was my first task.

For some of you, that might be easy; for me, however, it was hard. I was concerned that, if I spent my time focused on this ooey-gooey, touchy-feely stuff, the bottom line might suffer. And that could cause lasting damage to the business. Plus, it just felt phony. Doesn’t every business ultimately exist just to make money? It was such a struggle for me to come up with a way to be authentic to my passion, yet still grow the bottom line. I didn’t want to walk around belching rainbows only to turn into a monster as soon as cash got tight.

The more I studied, though, the more I knew the coach was right. I had to find my “why,” and I had to operate my business from that perspective. The rest—profits, cash flow, customers—would flow from my “why.”

First, though, I had to better understand my “why.” So, I did what I always do when I’m looking for answers: I Googled it.

In doing so, I came across a hugely popular and influential book, “Start With Why,” by Simon Sinek. I had purchased the print and audio version previously, and I’d listened to it. Now, though, restudying it, I found a key 40

element that I’d missed, which unlocks the mystery. Once I learned the key, I realized many other people had missed that element, too. I’m going to share that element with you here.

The key was given to me by a couple of other business consultants, whom I’d brought on to help me with my company. In their initial conversations, they pulled it back to one simple element: What are the things you believe about your business?

The reason this is so critical is simple: What you believe informs or creates your “why.” What you believe comes first.

My initial attempts had reflected my previous thinking. They were focused on profits, cash flow, customer acquisition—in short, results rather than beliefs. I was challenged to scrap all of that and, instead, get into the true motivation. Take care of why you believe what you believe and the business will thrive…as long as your employees (and enough customers) can identify with those beliefs.

It’s important that the things you believe have real meaning to you, and that they’re not just general platitudes that people will read and quickly discard. In fact, some of your beliefs should show that you’re taking a stand. It’s more powerful that you believe in something deeply. In fact, it’s more effective if some of your beliefs are challenging to your audience.

This engages the heart and brain to analyze what has made them uncomfortable.

This process took weeks. I wrote down my beliefs, analyzed them to be more powerful and edited them to be clearer; then, I curated the most impactful beliefs. I probably came up with 30 of them, but I narrowed them down to about a dozen.

The statements will, I hope, have been added to our Web site (springfield-music.com) by the time you’re reading this; regardless, check out a few of the core beliefs below.

We believe music makes every life better.

We believe good music teachers can forever change lives.

We believe everyone is a musician—even you. And you’d be happier if you played more.

We believe the notion that “you can’t carry a tune,” or “you have no talent for music,” is ridiculous.

For each of those statements, I could tell you a story about why I believe it. They are real, tangible beliefs of mine. I encourage you to make your own, and then use them to gauge how well your business and you currently reflect those values. I’ve had to make changes to myself and to my business to reflect the things that I believe. To be totally honest—remember, we’re keepin’ it 100—some of the statements were aspirational. By that, I mean I wasn’t living up to them yet; some, I still have to work to live up to today. I’m committed to doing it, though. I’m committed to walk the talk. And that’s where it gets really hard.

Give this a shot in your business. Your employees, your customers and you yourself deserve it. Reach out to me and let me know how you’re doing: donovan@springfieldmusic.com. And remember to keep it 100.

JUNE 2017

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SHINE A LIGHT

Noel Wentworth

PROVING ITS ‘WENTWORTH’ Wentworth Music #106-1634 Harvey Ave. Kelowna, British Columbia V1Y 6G2 250.860.2251 wentworthmusic.ca Mon-Sat: 9am-5:30pm Noel Wentworth, Vice President of Education/Media

42

By Michelle Loeb At Wentworth Music, in the heart of British Columbia, Canada, Noel Wentworth is making musical dreams come true. That’s been his goal, and his job, since opening the Wentworth Music Education Centre with his wife, Lora, in 2004.

“We worked very hard—12 to 17 hours a day, seven days a week—playing the role of receptionists, administrators and teachers,” Wentworth recalled of those early days, when there were five studios and 88 students. “We grew it to 250-plus students by the end of the first year.”

Three years later, Wentworth got the offer to merge the education operation with Wentworth Music, a multi-location music store that offered sales, lessons, repairs and rentals. His grandparents, Walt and Vera Wentworth, had first opened it as a lighting store in 1966; that was before Wentworth’s father, Dale, an accountant and a musician, nudged it in the direction of musical instrument sales.

“My father taught guitar lessons out of the back of the store, and he got a line in on some guitars he could place in the front window to sell,” Wentworth remarked.

“Those sold a few times over. Then the idea came to start a music store.”

Wentworth admitted that it took a few years for the store to become profitable, and the decades that followed were not always smooth sailing.

“Wentworth Music has grown, downsized and then grown again and again through the years,” Wentworth said. “Each time, we’ve learned from our past, finding opportunities for growth and preparing as best as we could for the future. We nearly lost everything as a family in the early ’80s in what I’d consider the perfect storm of demographics and the economy. So, I learned to put money away for a rainy day. You can fall on hard times at a moment’s notice.”

Despite all the hardships, what started as an 800-square-foot, three-man operation grew into four locations that ranged in size from 2,100 square feet to 15,000 square JUNE 2017

‘Wentworth Music has grown, feet. Today, Wentworth Music employs more than 60 people, including Wentworth—who got his start as a hairdresser at Vidal Sassoon before attending music school—and his brothers, Neil and Nori. “Our whole family plays music and brings their own skill set to the table,” he noted.

Wentworth Music sells instruments of all kinds—piano, acoustic guitars, amps and print products, for example—emphasizing different categories at the various locations, depending on the particular needs of each community.

One of Wentworth’s greatest sources of pride is Wentworth Music’s lessons program, which has grown exponentially and which, now, services more than 900 students in the flagship store.

He aims to get that number up to 1,000 in the near future, not least because of Wentworth Music’s highly successful student rock productions.

“The shows—a dream-like concert recital—started 11 years ago as a way to create a market niche,” Wentworth explained. “It all comes from a really simple idea: What did you wish for when you first picked up an instrument?”

He continued, “When I first started, I wanted to be on a big stage, with big sound and lights.

Often, I even dreamt of being onstage with the people whom I was practicing along with off of cassette tapes, CDs or the radio.

My spin is to take music lessons and provide our students with what I dreamt about when I first started to play.”

The concert productions have taken on a life of their own, with 160 to 200 students getting to perform for sold-out crowds of 860 people at a mid-sized theater, “under all the conditions you’d expect from a band out on a big tour,” Wentworth added.

Through partnerships, sponsorships and participation from local businesses, Wentworth Music’s concert productions have raised MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

downsized and then grown again and again through the years. Each time, we’ve learned from our past, finding opportunities for growth and preparing for the future.’

—Noel Wentworth

more than $167,000 to date, with proceeds going to help children in the community.

“In my opinion, there isn’t a better way to market our lessons program than to show people what they can do with their lessons,” Wentworth declared. “These shows have become so important that students and parents will sacrifice other things just to keep their kids in lessons. Parents are upgrading equipment, and some are even taking lessons with us

because of what they see their kids doing.”

He continued, “The result is that we’ve created a win-winwin-win. Our students win; our community wins; our partners win; and our business wins, all by putting on an unforgettable event…an experience that people will talk about for years.”

The Wentworth family’s love of music is apparent not only in programs like that, but also in their everyday interactions with

customers at their free musical instrument zoos, local fundraisers and school activities. It’s also evident on the sales floor, where excellent customer service is paramount.

“Treating everyone as a friend—developing relationships and a rapport with people—is something that came with our upbringing,” Wentworth emphasized. “Basically, we’ve been taught to be good listeners.”

Wentworth’s family also instilled in him a love for the store, as well as for the job of bringing music to the community.

His grandfather worked in the business right up until the day he died, and his father has professed nothing but love for the family business.

“I’ve heard my father say a few times that he’s never really worked a day in his life,” Wentworth concluded. “We all know that isn’t true, but the sentiment is that he’s always enjoyed the journey. That’s been the biggest lesson: Enjoy what you do.”

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R E TA I L E R R E B E L

BUYING AND SELLING

TIPS ON HOW TO NAVIGATE THE WORLD OF USED GEAR

By Gabriel O’Brien Used instruments have something of a mythical status among musicians. When you watch an interview with Eric Clapton or any number of other famous musicians, they talk about buying guitars in pawn shops or used instruments in mom-and-pop stores. Given the tightening marketplace and the constant price comparisons, coupled with increasing dealer stocking requirements and shrinking margins, many independent music stores have been searching for ways to wring dollars of margin out of each and every sale. Accordingly, many independent, brick-and-mortar retailers are trying to maximize profits by selling used instruments and other equipment.

Buying and selling used products—guitars and pedals, in particular—has been a very strong draw for customers in recent years.

Plenty of our regulars swing by weekly to see what’s new. Many customers search out used gear to save money. They figure they can get a better deal on the guitar they want because it’s a little older, or it has a little wear. Some also search for older, even vintage, used gear because they believe it’s of better quality. Whatever the reason that customers seek used gear, retailers that are smart have always offered it.

And those retailers have profited handsomely from that.

One reason indie music stores have bought and sold used gear from the beginning is, traditionally, used instruments and music products sell at higher margins than most new inventory does. And, right now, this is against the backdrop of year-after-year increases in dealer requirements, which often have no relationship to a dealer’s actual sales, that manufacturers seemingly arbitrarily place on us. So, many retailers have begun to capitalize on locally sourced used gear. And that constant, steady flow of easy-to-turn inventory has been a great revenue source for indies.

Although selling used gear has unique advantages right now, it has not been unaffected by the Internet’s influence on music products retail. Most independent retailers have experi44

enced the futility of trying to compete with sales giants that have dedicated programmers and search engine optimization (SEO) experts on staff, all of whom are geared to making sure their Strat is the most Google-friendly. By comparison, many independent dealers have never gotten their e-commerce businesses off the ground. Although I sympathize on that issue, I nevertheless maintain that keeping an online catalog of your offerings helps drive local and regional customers to your store. If you create a decent Web site, highlight your most important offerings and services, and concentrate on making those things easily searchable, you will bring customers to your doorstep.

Several times, I’ve discussed SEO and online inventory at NAMM U Idea Center Sessions.

One thing I always point out is that independent retailers should focus on their unique offerings and those that are harder to find, rather than competing to sell the same things all the Internet giants do. One way independent MI retailers can do that is by making sure used inventory—individual items that no one else has—remains front and center both online and in store.

With used inventory seeing an uptick, pricing and competition have changed. The Internet birthed eBay, which many dealers used to great success to sell both new and used inventory; then came Amazon. Over time, online competition from eBay began to drive down prices of used gear, which had a negative effect on in-store sales of used items. However, the stiff fees charged by eBay and Amazon ate away at margins, so sellers began to turn away and search for other avenues. Recently, we’ve seen the rise of Reverb.com, the new vertical marketplace dedicated exclusively to musical instrument and equipment sales, of which the vast majority is used.

Although, for some, this might create fear of increased competition for used sales, it also creates new opportunities to sell used items and aging inventory. That’s something I previously explored in my January cover story, entitled “Retailer Rebel Scopes Out Reverb.com.” My store uses Reverb.com extensively, both to sell used merchandise online and as a reference point for pricing in-store items. When customers come in my store and see items priced at similar rates to what they find online, they recognize that we’re offering them a fair deal; they know we’re not trying to price gouge just because we’re the local store. That type of tactic might have worked well in the ’80s, but it’s lost on a generation of customers who have the Reverb.com app on their smartphones.

The transition to online resources has also affected our in-store buying and our trade-in acceptance. We make every effort to be very transparent with our customers about how we buy and sell used gear. Since the Internet has made pricing information readily available, we’re able to utilize it to guide ourselves effectively. Using Reverb.com and eBay listings helps establish a going market rate, which, often, is significantly less than what a seller might be expecting.

The availability of this information helps customers adjust their expectations about what they might sell an item for, or what its trade-in value is. Showing the figures to customers will often help them make better decisions. And it allows us to buy and sell used gear, and take trade-ins, while still maintaining a healthy profit.

In short, using the Internet both as a selling tool and as an informational tool has helped bolster our used sales and allowed us to move more used gear online, while also helping us make better deals on the acquisition of used gear when it’s offered to our store.

Are you using used inventory as a way to grow your sales? What portion of your items that turn quickly are used items? Let me know how you make the best use of your used inventory, or any other MI-retail-related thoughts you might have.

E-mail me at gabriel@larrysmusiccenter.com.

JUNE 2017

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V E D D AT O R I A L

DESTINATION SHOPPING I divide shoppers into three brackets: local, Internet and blended.

By Dan Vedda What are you doing to make your store a destination? In recent articles, I’ve stressed that people choose to visit a physical store; it’s no longer the default option. The shopping environment we create, along with our offering of goods and services, determines whether we make the list and, crucially, how often a consumer might visit.

I divide shoppers into three brackets: local, Internet and blended. Although there are those who will always support a local dealer (and the opposite, who will always order online), the blended middle ground—customers who will use both channels—is the largest, and it’s key to our survival. Surveys have indicated that the majority of blended shoppers are happy to spend their money in a physical store, provided that the experience is positive. Of course, “positive” is a highly subjective and individualized concept, so the ways you can entice consumers to visit you are just as varied. No single formula works for every consumer—or for every store.

Certainly, there are common, “baseline” requirements without which more sophisticated approaches cannot work. A store must be reasonably clean (the cleaner the better, of course); the staff must be courteous and engaging; and there must be enough merchandise in stock to cover the basic needs of the day-to-day customer, without special ordering.

Although many people will be happy to order a less-common item, my take is that about 80 percent of our purchases come from convenience shoppers or procrastinators who need it now. Even orders, however, must be filled quickly in today’s market. Again, my read on our customers suggests that those who are willing to order allow us about two days beyond Amazon for procurement. Anything more is an “inconvenience,” which might be a deal breaker (for future orders, at least). As an aside, two days includes weekends. Customers don’t care that our suppliers close on weekends. After all, Amazon doesn’t.

So, if we’re clean, courteous and in stock, we’re in the running. That’s all. This also assumes that our pricing is in line with the In46

ternet or, at least, close. Studies have shown that there’s only an eight- to 12-percent premium that most (non-lowball) consumers will pay to support a local store, or to forgo the perceived convenience of home delivery. The good news is that Amazon, at least, now charges sales tax in most states. Most of the “local” price cushion used to be eaten by the tax savings.

Being good on all of the above, however, doesn’t guarantee that customers will choose to shop in our store. Any store that meets the minimums is a viable choice. If you’re in a market with few stores, then even a baseline adequate store will get a little extra traffic. To make any store a real destination, though, “adequate” is just the starting gate.

Let’s begin with the things we can do that the Internet can’t do or, at least, can’t do as well: repairs and lessons. I always remind customers that you can’t download a repair, and most of them already believe—or they’ve learned the hard way—that “how to” videos don’t equal skill.

Plus, the drive to convenience leads them to dump a repair in someone else’s lap. However, simply offering repairs isn’t enough. If you’re lucky enough to have a high-end repair tech in house, you will be a destination. But the majority of repairs in any community are mundane tweaks, adjustments and maintenance…tasks that highly qualified techs disdain.

If you can competently offer the “easy” repairs, people will flock to you as long as you provide one additional value: speed. A reputation for fast, accurate repairs will win the love of harried parents and gigging players who can’t tie up the instrument in the shop. We turn most “easy” repairs in 24 hours; some of our competitors quote four to seven days for any shop visit.

Lessons are certainly a traffic builder; however, with all the lesson academies and Schoolof-Whatever operations, you need a differentiator. Faculty credentials can be a draw. If your teachers are competent and engaging, though, they’ll still draw even if they don’t have name or degree recognition. Of course, some parents and students are more aware of the studio environment itself. Décor, technology and size affect people’s perceptions, just as enticing displays affect buying. Opportunities to participate in recitals or student showcases are also important, because parents increasingly focus on results (and bragging rights).

Perhaps repairs and lessons are not a possibility for you, or they don’t work with your location or business model. Ask yourself this: What would customers love to see in your store?

Some retailers have made themselves a destination by adding practice space for bands, a recital space/show venue for local teachers or performers, a coffee shop, used-gear consignments, recording facilities, clinics and workshops, or something else. The list is long. And, if you can combine several of these, then your results will be even better.

I encourage you to start small and analyze results. If you can muster it, convene a focus group of your customers to see what (other than free everything) they would find most compelling. Your market is unique, though. A good idea might not fly in your situation. For example, opening on Sundays might add traffic you’d never see. But, in some communities, Sunday is church day—all day. In that case, Sunday hours might not just fall flat; they could generate some flak.

Notice that I don’t suggest having an immense, drool-worthy selection. Although it can certainly attract traffic, it is the most expensive approach, and it attracts hordes of showroomers and tire-kickers alongside the good customers. Unless you offer one-of-a-kind products not found anywhere else, the merchandise itself seldom makes you a destination. No matter what, the Internet still has more, and “exclusive franchise” is a meaningless term in our industry today.

Does your store have a feature that makes it a destination for customers? Feel free to share something that is working for you and I’ll try to drop some props in a follow-up column.

Forward your comments to dferrisi@testa.com.

JUNE 2017

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49

AMP UP, SPEAK OUT: LEADING AMP AND SPEAKER EXECUTIVES DISSECT THESE CATEGORIES

Ad Index

Company

(continued from page 29)

Pg

ADAM HALL...............................27 ALFRED PUBLISHING..............25 BITTREE......................................53 BOURNS PRO AUDIO................53 CHAUVET LIGHTING................47 CHEM-PAK..................................52 CONNOLLY MUSIC COMPANY................................43 D'ADDARIO.................................17 D'ANGELICO GUITARS......... C-III

‘Always have your preferred, go-to systems in demoready condition. That is, you should be able to fire up the microphone or the music track (high quality .wav files please—MP3 is no way to demo an audio product) and go. If your salesperson must take time to connect wires and plug things in, you’ve already lost the sale.’

—Ray van Straten

GALAXY AUDIO........................3 HAL LEONARD..........................7

ers that already sell amps and speakers, as it pertains to KALA BRAND MUSIC CO........24 boosting their sales figures?

KORG...........................................45 How would you recommend kick-starting amp and speaker KYSER MUSICAL sales for retailers that are PRODUCTS...............................12 newly considering stocking MANHASSET SPECIALTY them? Share some key strategies for MI stores that sell this COMPANY...............................6 gear.

NAMM.......................................14-15 Selling pro audio is no different from selling musical instruments.

ODYSSEY INNOVATIVE You need a good selection at seDESIGNS...................................37 lect price and performance points, PEAK MUSIC STANDS..............51 a proper environment in which to demo the products (a PA system PEAVEY.......................................39 needs a room—not a closet or a PETERSON ELECTROsmall corner) and, most importantly, qualified and trained sales MUSICAL PRODUCTS............18 personnel who can serve customPRO X...........................................29 ers properly, outfitting them with QSC AUDIO.............................. C-IV the right solution for their needs.

Always have your preferred, go-to RAPCO/HORIZON......................28 systems in demo-ready condiRAT...............................................23 tion. That is, you should be able to fire up the microphone or the RAIN RETAIL SOFTWARE........10 music track (high quality .wav REVERB.COM.............................5 files please—MP3 is no way to SENNHEISER..............................C-II demo an audio product) and go. If your salesperson must take time SOUNDCRAFT BY HARMAN...9 to connect wires and plug things THE CAVANAUGH in, you’ve already lost the sale. A high-quality amp/speaker switchCOMPANY................................11 ing system really helps with this.

TRUSST........................................21 Know the right combination of amps/loudspeakers that makes for U.S. BAND & ORCHESTRA the most compelling presentation.

SUPPLIES.................................26 Either under- or over-powering a loudspeaker will not optimize your VOCOPRO....................................13 demo. Use quality cables to conWD MUSIC PRODUCTS............8 nect your systems, and strongly WESTCO EDUCATIONAL encourage your sales personnel to talk about those during the PRODUCTS...............................53 demo. Some manufacturers have YAMAHA.....................................41 DSP settings in their amplifiers that enhance the performance While every care is taken to ensure that of the connected loudspeakers. these listings are accurate and complete, The Music & Sound Retailer does not acUse them! Encourage your sales cept responsibility for omissions or errors. personnel to approach each demo 50

from the perspective of offering a compelling, comprehensive, high-performance system, as opposed to trying to sell each part on its own merit. Help move the customer toward making one purchase decision, rather than having to make multiple, component-level decisions.

Consider that a powered loudspeaker is nothing but a complete system in one box and, as is often the case, it’s purposely “throttled back” a bit in favor of protection of its associated parts. A properly matched system that consists of separate components can, in many cases, outperform a powered loudspeaker, and it can do so at a more favorable price point. A properly trained salesperson equipped with a well-designed and well-maintained pro-audio display with pre-selected system offerings should be able to walk customers through all the appropriate options and, ultimately, outfit them with the right solution for their application.

As brick-and-mortar MI stores continue to seek profit potential apart from just selling gear, some music retailers are considering basic systems installation, involving speakers, amps and other pro-audio gear, as a possible ser vice offering. What are your thoughts about music stores considering installations? Are there other, related ser vices you’d suggest?

Some might consider this topic the “third rail” of pro audio. The fact of the matter is,

there are many music stores that employ experienced, professionally certified, licensed, insured and otherwise highly qualified personnel that do not get access to certain products from their manufacturers by virtue of the manufacturers’ distribution policies. On the flip side, some manufacturers are quite liberal with their distribution such that products that should require a relative degree of proficiency to spec, install and support find their way into the hands of unqualified individuals and businesses. Their subsequent installation of those products could cause property damage, personal injury or any number of undesirable circumstances.

Truth be told, there is plenty of opportunity for retailers to go after the low-hanging fruit of small installations with the products they already sell right now, and they should do so. Bars, restaurants, small houses of worship….

Speaker here, speaker there, equipment rack over here….

Most commercial integrators won’t even go after that business; there’s just not enough in it for them. Their revenue is derived from system design, programming, support agreements, etc.

But, believe me, there is a lot of small-scale installation business out there. Not to go after it would be to miss an opportunity.

True systems integration business is another matter entirely.

The best I can offer retailers that are considering this path is the following: (a) fully understand the nature of the professional integrated systems business; (b) be prepared to do the work and spend the time and money necessary to be continuously trained, certified, and able to adopt and deploy industry best practices in every regard; and (c) having done that, engage in conversations with your manufacturers based on your qualifications as a highly competent systems integrator, as opposed to how many boxes you’re going to sell for them if they grant you access to their installation lines. Speaking for myself, I’ve never been moved to open a retailer for integrated systems products with any conversation that started with, “I have a huge sale pending,” or, “We could sell X amount per year….”

JUNE 2017

‘It is critical to establish reasons for customers to keep coming back to the store; these can include sale events, clinics, vendor demo days and lessons… even as a place to organize a community garage band. Selling is about relationships.’

—Fred Poole

In responding to the related services question, the topic of rentals always comes up, as it should. Rentals should be part of any quality sound-reinforcement dealer’s program for all the reasons stated in numerous previous discussions, testimonials and trade forums.

Fred Poole General Manager, North American Sales and Product Development, Peavey Electronics Speaking from a brandagnostic point of view and avoiding discussion of your own proprietar y technology, analyze the state of the amp categor y and the speaker categor y, respectively. Are these categories experiencing growth or contraction? What trends— technological or otherwise— are helping to shape amp and speaker sales right now?

Let’s start on the musical instrument side. As with any market, when someone does something amazing, it won’t be long before it is copied. The modeling category of guitar amplifiers is crowded with a multitude of “me too” products…so many, in fact, that it is nearly impossible for any dealer to know the features, advantages and benefits of each and every one. It is critical that dealers keep in stock—while also understanding and having the ability to demo—what they sell.

And focus is critical. Our company is continuing to look outside the box and offer unique solutions, both in modeling amplifiers and in tube amps, that allow us to create new markets. An example MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

is offering the ability to record a cranked tube amplifier silently via USB. New markets such as that will allow for continued growth in the amplifier category.

As with guitar and bass amplifiers, we also see growth in powered speaker sales among companies that offer new and exciting features, advantages and benefits at attractive price points.

Technology has been, and will continue to be, the key to success in the pro-audio space. Ribbon driver technology has vastly improved the sound of point source speakers, and advancements in DSP have provided outstanding performance at low price points.

The mantra of “In order to be better, by definition, you have to be different” is alive and well.

Speaking directly to brickand-mortar MI stores, what advice would you give retailers that already sell amps and speakers, as it pertains to boosting their sales figures?

How would you recommend kick-starting amp and speaker sales for retailers that are newly considering stocking them?

Share some key strategies for MI stores that sell this gear.

In today’s market, having product in stock is critical to running any successful music retail operation. Gone are the days where a dealer could just say, “I can order it for you.” The customer can order it just as quickly from a stocking online retailer and, most likely, he or she will have it delivered to the front door for free—and faster than any nonstocking dealer could. But there are some advantages that brickand-mortar stores have: (a) being

able to educate—not only music lessons but, in addition, products’ features, advantages and benefits, and their use; (b) offering a place to actually touch, see and hear the products they are interested in, provided that the dealer actually has them in stock; (c) being able to install the products being sold; and, finally, (d) offering a place people can go to establish a sense of community. In other words, it is essential to have a well-trained staff and, in addition, to provide a cool place to see gear and hang out with other musicians.

Once the gear is in place, it is critical to establish reasons for customers to keep coming back to the store; these can include sale events, clinics, vendor demo days and lessons…even as a place to organize a community garage band. Selling is about relationships. If you have personal relationships with your customers, and if you have established a sense of community in your store, then customers will want to buy from you.

Some retailers do not want to talk about price, but, in today’s market, there is no secret of who has the best price. Customers can instantly check and compare any price you have posted in your store. Gone are the days of charging someone retail; dealers must be mindful of the cost that’s associated with losing a customer.

At the same time, dealers must educate their staff—that includes teaching features, advantages and benefits—so they are in a position to up-sell their customers and increase their gross profit dollars.

Finally, dealers must find a way to expand their market, and the best and easiest way to do that is online. Live it, learn it and know how your competitors are positioning themselves in your market.

Although installations are critical for the success of brick-andmortar stores, proper training is critical to an installation’s success.

Peavey has gone to great lengths to educate, and provide suitable products for, those involved in the installation market. This year, we are conducting five training seminars for our dealers, and nearly half of the time is spent on installations. Dealers that attend our training seminars are taken to a model school to see and hear exactly how our gear is used and installed in real-world situations. In addition, our financing company, PVF, provides leasing and financing options, which our dealers can offer to their customers. Using a finance company is a huge advantage for brick-andmortar stores, as it allows the dealers to be paid immediately for the installation and it removes the worry of collecting while, at the same time, providing extended payment terms for dealers’ customers.

As brick-and-mortar MI stores continue to seek profit potential apart from just selling gear, some music retailers are considering basic systems installation, involving speakers, amps and other pro-audio gear, as a possible ser vice offering. What are your thoughts about music stores considering installations? Are there other, related ser vices you’d suggest?

51

FIVE MINUTES WITH: JOE CASTRONOVO, PRESIDENT, KORG USA

(continued from page 32) bed in the morning and go to work? What keeps you inspired, motivated and engaged?

I’m proud to be President of Korg USA. It’s a great organization, and I get to work alongside some of the most talented and hardworking people in the industry. I’m a life learner; I look to learn something new every day. I’m really inspired by the growth I see in our staff and our organization. I try to motivate our employees to grow in both their personal and their professional lives by creating a stable work/life balance. I try to keep it fun. Everyone needs advice and coaching from time to time, and I enjoy being that support system for my employees. I also enjoy seeing the way our retailers, artists and musicians enjoy and use our products to express their creativity.

Korg itself is a widely respected brand name in the electronic musical products market. However, as mentioned, Korg USA is also the prominent distributor of about 10 brands. Describe what it’s like to have a foot in both the manufacturing side and the distribution side of things. What synergies does this make possible?

We’ve always believed that the success of a manufacturer is in its products and its ability to get those products to consumers through a strong distribution network. The support we provide to our own brands is no different from the support we provide to our distributed brands.

One of our jobs is to know the market and demographics well, and to provide solid data to ensure products are developed for maximum success. We insist on this integration with our partners, so that we can contribute to their overall sales and marketing strategies to help promote growth. We aren’t just a distributor; we really are much more than that. We want to be a great partner to our brands, as well as to our dealers.

Korg USA has been aggressively growing its portfolio of brands in recent years, taking on Spector, RightOn! Straps and, most recently, Crush Drums and Tanglewood Guitars, just to name a few. What’s driving Korg USA’s growth and expansion in distributed brands? Why is now a ripe time for growth?

As a distribution company, you are always vulnerable to changes in brand representation. There are many factors and reasons why manufacturers change distributors. We’re always looking for the right companies to partner with…ones that have the same core values as we have.

Recent additions, such as Crush Drums and Tanglewood Guitars, are great examples of brands with unique personalities and quality products. The support of a strong and trusted distributor results in great growth potential for the brands. We are very excited to add them to our family.

We believe we provide a great service to our dealer network and our supplier communities, alike. We work closely with our partners to build a trusting foundation that leads to us working together to be the best. It takes plenty of time and commitment from Korg USA, as well as from our brand partners, to remain steady in this type of business.

When you’re evaluating whether to take on a brand

52

for distribution, what “tests” do you impose in deciding whether the brand is right for Korg USA? What, specifically, are you looking for? Does Korg USA want to bring in big, marquee-name brands that already have a large following, or do you want to focus on high-quality smaller brands that you can nurture and develop?

First and foremost, we get to know the people in the brand or company that we’re looking into.

It’s really important to get a sense of their business philosophy, and to ensure we have similar core values. We evaluate all opportunities, because we want to bring value to every partnership. The goal is to grow our businesses together, while providing dealers the best service possible to ensure success. We have a commitment to excellence in the sales and marketing process, just as we do in the manufacturing process. We do a great deal of research, planning and forecasting. Confirming whether a brand is the right fit for Korg USA is a long process.

Looking at Korg USA’s current brand portfolio, what are some of the most interesting or exciting things going on with the brands?

Our brand portfolio is very diversified. We have the benefit of being involved in several segments of the industry: technology brands, guitars, drums and everything in between. Several of our brands have recently won prestigious product awards for their innovation. We’re also excited about the two brands that have most recently joined the Korg USA family: Tanglewood Guitars and Crush Drums. Both companies have a strong product line with high growth potential.

And that’s what Korg USA excels at the most—creating growth within emerging brands.

As the steward of so many MI brands, Korg USA has a responsibility to work closely with dealers to ensure the brands are prominent and visible, and to maintain their reputation. Discuss Korg USA’s strategy for being a great partner to its dealers.

We are not a company that sells itself on the stock exchange or that deals with large-scale, financially motivated goals. We are a music industry company that seeks to get musicians great products to create their art. To do that—to really be “in” the MI industry—you must be deeply committed to the core dealer base. Our strategy to partner with dealers starts with an understanding: The retailers are how we make our products easily accessible to consumers.

We work with dealers to get the right products in the hands of those consumers. Creating meaningful business relationships with our retailers helps us work together with them to build promos and programs that are mutually beneficial.

You have been—in many cases, you currently are— heavily involved in industr y associations, such as NAMM, GAMA and the MDA. Why do you choose to involve yourself in these organizations?

What have been some of your biggest contributions?

There are so many organizations that involve our industry in different ways—all in an effort to support and create more music-makers.

We all need to support the MI industry and give back where we can. Working with, and helping continue the great work of, these organizations is my biggest contribution. Many people have served and built these organizations. I’m there to help keep them going.

What can we expect from Korg USA in the future? If we caught up with your team and you in five years, what might we expect to see from Korg USA? We expect to be providing great service and support to the brands we represent, all with a goal of staying on top of emerging trends and technology. Being great partners and helping the brands grow are our core missions.

We will continue to set a high standard of excellence in all that we do, both for our owned brands and for the brands we’re fortunate to represent.

JUNE 2017

MI SPY: SOUTH BY SOUTHWESTERN

(continued from page 35) on condition, across the U.S. I also saw a VOX Cambridge amp in a 50s tweed fabric. The soft and loud ends were both good, and it sold for $349 with few frills.

Also on the floor, and nicely meeting my parameters, albeit with higher price tags, were a VOX AC15C1 Custom 15-watt for $629 and a Fender Princeton at $899, as well as one that my salesman was fond of: the Fender Blues Deluxe 40-watt, which was selling for $799. There were no other fancy bells and whistles on the models I saw, but they packed plenty of power and sound. Those were for real musicians, working long and often.

The Sale

Any of the stores I visited could have sold me almost anything mentioned, and there was a great deal of overlap. Every store had good help that was well versed in amps, and they all had pretty similar ideas about what would be good in my situation. All were

attentive, and they each took time to explain things.

The big surprise was Guitar Center. At GC, I was well taken care of; I played with a variety of new toys; and I was introduced to the kinds of accessories one would like to afford someday. GC was focused on customer needs and it knew its stock and availability, offering discounts where possible.

For more serious musicians who have an idea of what they really want relative to amp features and effects, then rocking on over to Vintage Guitars might be the best bet. Its staff knows the gear thoroughly, and they can service it if that is necessary in the future.

It also has a wide net of gigging pros who teach to a high standard.

Strait Music is a good third choice for general musicians. It rightfully prides itself on repairs, teachers and an enormous inventory of instruments. It’s a good choice for someone not yet turn-

ing pro, but who’s pretty serious about his or her gear.

South Austin Music has a super reputation and wide variety of amps. But, the salesperson was the least well informed, as he wasn’t able to thoroughly explain that business about the loudness

with tubes versus solid-state technology.

I left the city pretty convinced that music breeds like a special bacteria in Austin’s water. If you’re in Austin, visit its music shops. Maybe you, too, can get “infected.”

UNDER THE HOOD: PEAVEY ELECTRONICS’ RBN SERIES

(continued from page 54) at 35 hertz, with 2,000 watts of power.

According to Gray, “Our goal was full power at 35 hertz…a subwoofer capable of the lowest of sustained EDM tracks. To meet that goal, we went through probably six prototypes, trying anything from 24-inch woofers to 18-inch cardio woofers. Finally, we settled on 2x15-inch dual Black Widow design.” Each uses two voice coils and a patented forcedair cooling system to handle enough real power to deliver what he called “unmatched bass and SPL performance.”

“We build prototypes until the product is finished,” Gray continued, jokingly adding, “The development process is always longer than we want it to be or think it should have been…unless you ask our engineers!”

Following all the prototypes and testing—not to mention safety certification and FCC testing, which can add months to a project—the RBN 112 and RBN 215 are available now, and they’ve already been well received by the industry. The speakers have been used at several high-profile installations in Hollywood CA. And, as if that were not enough, Rock ‘n’ MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

Roll Hall of Fame inductee Keith Shocklee of Public Enemy, who assisted Peavey in fine-tuning the RBN subwoofer, has become an early fan of the line.

The RBN 112 is 24 inches tall, 14.07 inches wide and 14.07 inches deep; it weighs 39 pounds.

It features program EQ presets, side and top handles, multiple side and top fly points, and an ultra-braced molded enclosure.

The RBN 215 is 32.88 inches tall, 22.07 inches wide and 24.75 inches deep; it weighs 125 pounds. Made of heavily braced 18-millimeter birch plywood, it features dual 15-inch woofers, assignable crossover, heavy-duty locking casters, ultra-braced cabinet assembly, ground lift, pole mount and a heavy-duty steel perforated grille.

The RBN 112 and RBN 215 carry an MSRP of $1,499.99 and $1,999.99, respectively. There is also an RBN 118 that has an MSRP of $1,899.99.

Due to the high demand for the RBN 112, Peavey has approved the production of the unit’s little brother—the RBN 110—which uses similar components in an even more compact enclosure. It’s expected to be available soon.

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UNDER THE HOOD

PEAVEY ELECTRONICS’ RBN Series

By Michelle Loeb Peavey Electronics is a company that needs no introduction to MI retailers, having been a leader in the marketplace since the company’s founding in 1965. Its first entry into the speaker and sound-reinforcement arena came in the early 1970s with its field-replaceable Black Widow speakers, and the company continues to this day with the release of the 1,500-watt RBN 112 speaker enclosures and RBN 215 powered subwoofers—both part of the company’s RBN Series.

“Our goal with the RBN 112 and RBN 215 was to produce something that didn’t exist: portable, studio-quality sound at concert volume levels that would punch you in the gut on the lowest of EDM tracks,” Courtland Gray, Peavey Electronics’ COO, said. “Peavey products are designed to be used all night, every night, and not just in ‘music store demo mode,’ meaning the unit sounds OK in the store at low volumes, but won’t perform as customers expect it should when they get it in the real world.”

The inspiration for the RBN products came from Peavey’s Versarray speaker line, which successfully uses ribbon tweeters. “Compression drivers are loud, but they tend to be harsh and, by their very nature, distort the signal.

The solution to this problem was to use a ribbon,” Gray said. He explained that ribbons had been used for years in high-end studio reference monitors. “Nothing matches the distortion-free characteristics of a ribbon driver,” he declared. “The ribbon’s planar surface and low mass create crystal-clear high end that no compression driver can match.”

Peavey’s proprietary, 120-millimeter, true ribbon, high-frequency driver is a key component in the RBN Series, making it “extremely versatile,” according to Gray. “Although the power of the RBN Series lends itself to the largest of 54

clubs and modern churches, the ribbon driver reproduces amazing acoustic guitar and it has incredible vocal clarity. This makes it at home at an acoustic gig, jazz club or traditional church.

It has multiple flying points for fixed installation, and it’s also a great speaker for a DJ who just needs a sub and a stick to fill a room.”

To match the performance of the ribbon driver, as well as to meet SPL and bass-response requirements, Peavey created the RBN’s speaker from scratch. That’s something the company has done since the 1970s when, according to Gray, “we found the speakers we were buying from well-known suppliers wouldn’t hold up. So, we started to make our own.”

Something else that sets RBN Series enclosures apart from the competition is their incorporation of modern digital signal processing (DSP), which, Gray said, “provides both better components and better overall behavior.” He continued, “Our advanced 96K DSP is more than just preset EQs. Our DSP handles loudness compensation and psychoacoustic bass enhancement, and offers enough delay to time-align a set of speakers up to 160 feet away from the main system.”

When pointing out key features of the models, Gray noted that RBN enclosures feature an internal temperature monitor, combined with a variable-speed cooling fan. In addition, he stated, “The setup wizard makes the speaker system completely user-friendly, with internal presets built into the DSP. This allows users to quickly select the speaker’s application or orientation via the LCD display on the rear of the enclosure, next to the power amp VU meter.” RBN models also come equipped with bass enhancement and auto-off power down.

Among other features found on the RBN Series enclosures are two XLR/quarter-inch combination inputs, a 3.5-millimeter input and a mic/line level selection. Each input features digital infrasonic high-pass filters, a nine-band graphic EQ and delay. Each output features a sophisticated compressor/limiter and fourth-order high-pass/low-pass filters for crossover function and external subwoofer incorporation.

The process of building the RBN 112 and RBN 215 was particularly involved, as all aspects of the product were developed in-house. “Our engineers were developing the power amp, the speaker and the physical design, as well,” Gray explained. This was particularly true of the RBN 215 subwoofer, which, Gray said, is the first powered compact enclosure to deliver full power (continued on page 53) JUNE 2017

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