DJ & LIGHTING ISSUE DJ & LIGHTING ISSUE DJ & LIGHTING ISSUE DJ & LIGHTING ISSUE DJ & LIGHTING ISSUE
August 2018 Volume 35, No. 8
THE NEWS MAGAZINE FOR MUSIC PRODUC TS RETAILERS
SPINNING AND WINNING
DJ and Lighting Maufacturers Optimistic About the Future By Brian Berk Although challenges are always omnipresent, there’s definite optimism to go around. One place this optimism shows up in spades is the DJ/lighting category. Manufacturers in this category are excited about what the future holds. This optimism is led by ever-expanding technologies, as well as consumers who continue to be hungry to join this exciting industry. In honor of our DJ/lighting issue, we called upon three manufacturers to provide their thoughts on the industry: Will Komassa, “chairman of the bored” at Blizzard Lighting; Christopher Roman, senior DJ and lighting product manager, inMusic Brands, known for the Alesis, Denon, Marantz, Numark and Rane brands, among others; and Gabriel Menashe, president of ProX. “We are optimistic about the future of the DJ industry,” said Komassa. “Every new day gives birth (continued on page 20)
Education Ascends at Summer NAMM Quality Advice Helps Attendance Grow 5% to 15,010 By Brian Berk Slowly but surely, Summer NAMM continues to grow. The 2018 version, taking place at an earlier-thanusual June 28 to June 30, drew 15,010 attendees, a rise of 5 percent year over year. Retail dealers increased 5 percent year over year as well, and total buyers enjoyed 24-percent growth. More than 500 exhibitors represented 1,600 brands. “There are many ways to be successful in our industry, but they all require effort and initiative,” said Joe Lamond, NAMM President and CEO. “I believe that the members who came to Nashville for Summer NAMM will be ahead of the competitive curve and deservedly enjoy greater success in the weeks and months ahead.” As temperatures outside scorched, the show kicked off on June 28 with the “Retail Innovators” breakfast session. Lamond said the No. 1 goal is making sure more people start to make music, while fewer quit. He harkened back to the prior year’s Sumer NAMM show, when Doug Stephens, founder of Retail Prophet, noted that, “Retail is not dying. It’s just shedding its skin.” “Music retail is just shedding its skin,” said Lamond in June. “Keep blowing up your own business model (continued on page 24)
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Yorkville to Distribute HK Audio German pro-audio manufacturer, HK Audio, will be joining Yorkville Sound’s family of distributed lines for North American distribution. Yorkville Sound’s Canadian and U.S. customers can now gain access to HK Audio’s full product line, including cabinets, subwoofers, stage monitors and PA systems. The partnership is a natural progression for both Yorkville Sound and HK Audio, stated Yorkville. The two companies have formed a strong bond, as Yorkville Sound has been the distributor for HK Audio’s sister company, Hughes & Kettner Guitar Amps,
From left: Steve Hendee and Larry Bell of Yorkville Sound, Tobias Hauprichs of HK Audio, Jeremy Berger and Jeff Cowling of Yorkville Sound.
Yamaha Gives Dealers an “Advantage”
More than 80 musical instrument dealers, music school owners and Yamaha staff across North America attended the Yamaha Advantage program, designed to assist educators and dealers in upping their game. Taking place in Las Vegas, the workshop was led by Alan Friedman, Kannenberg & Co., PC, and Tom Hemphill, marketing manager, Yamaha Music Education. The Yamaha Advantage program covered a wide range of topics, falling under the headings Succession Advantage, Financial Advantage and Music School Advantage. Succession Advantage shows dealers how to formulate exit strategies as they plan their retirement or the sale of their businesses or schools. On Saturday, Aug. 25, NAMM’s Museum of Making Music (MoMM) will welcome the inspired sounds of the Blue Ridge Mountains and its musically-rich heritage to San Diego for the MoMM’s Bluegrass Benefit Concert. The event, to be held at the Irwin M. Jacobs Qualcomm Hall, will feature the award-winning sounds of The Grascals and Flatt Lonesome and will provide an evening of exceptional musicianship and lively performances. All proceeds will support the MoMM and its mission to create music-making opportunities that impact thousands of seniors, adults and children from a variety of backgrounds in the San Diego community. “Like bluegrass, the mission of the Museum is rooted in community and honoring the tradition of music and music making,” shared Carolyn Grant, executive director of the Museum of Making Music. “Keeping access to music programs alive and accessible is why we’re asking members of our community to join us for this exceptional evening event.” Funds raised from the benefit concert will support the museum’s annual gift of more than $100,000 to a variety of education outreach programs. These programs open doors to the deep and lasting benefits of music making for thousands of adults, seniors, students and children from diverse economic and cultural backgrounds. As part of this, the Museum provides tours and hands-on music-making opportunities for students from Title 1 schools, weekly adult community band and orchestra programs. The Museum also recently launched a new partnership with San Pasqual Academy, which benefits foster youth through music-making and production opportunities. Funds will also help continue the MoMM’s efforts to fully fund its interactive exhibitions, hands-on experiences and live performances meant to inform and inspire guests as they learn how musical instruments impact popular culture and connect lives. Ticket prices start at $35 and are available for purchase here: www.museumofmakingmusic.org/ bluegrass-benefit. MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER
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for the better part of a decade. HK Audio’s CEO, Nils Stamer, sees the partnership as a strong strategic move: “By teaming up with Yorkville Sound, HK Audio has found a veteran partner with over 55 years’ experience distributing PA and lighting products in North America. Yorkville Sound has a vast dealer network, a highly experienced rep force and proven success with their own manufactured PA products.” Jeff Cowling, Yorkville Sound’s vice president of sales and marketing, is pleased to grow the HK family within North America: “For the last 20 years, HK Audio has become a name in Europe associated with high-quality live sound reinforcement systems. We have a longstanding track record with Hughes & Kettner that spans for most of a decade. Now, with HK Audio under the same roof, we can offer our North American Retailers the opportunity to work with our trusted team for all HK Audio brands, including the LUCAS, ELEMENTS and LINEAR 3 lines that have made HK Audio renowned for Pro Audio excellence.”
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THE NEWS MAGAZINE FOR MUSIC PRODUC TS RETAILERS
Columns 26 Music & Sound Award Winners in Photos 28 Summer NAMM in Photos
VOLUME 35 NO.8
30 Five Minutes With
Allan Reiss, senior product development manager at CHAUVET DJ, joins us to provide information about the company, industry and more.
Features
32 MI Spy
On the Cover Education Ascends at Summer NAMM
35 Special to the Retailer
In honor of our DJ/lighting issue, MI Spy put on his/her mobile DJ hat and headed to the Mile High City. Let’s see what Denver had to offer. Several MI retailers have expressed concerns about collections companies. We take an in-depth look.
Quality breakfast session and other educational sessions led Summer NAMM attendance to rise 5 percent to 15,010 in late June.
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Spinning and Winning
36 Shine a Light
Petaluma, Calif.-based Silly Strings Guitar Shop just opened up its store on Halloween, but has already been named to the NAMM Top 100 Dealers list.
DJ and lighting manufacturers told the Music & Sound Retailer they are optimistic about what the future holds.
37 In the Trenches
Allen McBroom explains several things every new store owner must know in order to be successful.
38 Front and Center
Chalise Zolezzi, director of public relations and social media, NAMM, is easily one of the key cogs that makes the trade group tick.
40 Retailer Rebel
Gabriel O’Brien wrote his column at midnight Alaska Daylight Time. Clearly, his topic — video — is important.
41 ‘Hire’ Leaning
Will Mason continues his discussion on a crucial topic: hiring the right people.
42 Confessions of a Retailer
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A key to making sure your sales pipeline is full is ensuring your store truly is amazing, states Donovan Bankhead.
44 Veddatorial
Buzz
3 Latest 12 Products 18 People
When it comes down to it, customer service is what really separates you from the competition.
46 Under the Hood
IK Multimedia's UNO Synth in the spotlight.
54 The Final Note
Daniel Shatzkes nearly never entered MI. In fact, he even took his MCATs to become a doctor. Find out why he changed his mind, plus much more.
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12 AUGUST 2018
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For more information on the new WL-Series Wireless Systems visit BOSS.info.
EDITORIAL
Relationships are Everything It’s easy to look at Summer NAMM, which took place in Nashville from June 28 to 30, in several different ways. The show floor was not huge, and it was not teeming with people whenever I was there (which was most of the time). Despite a year-over-year attendance increase of 5 percent to 15,010, more progress must be made to make Summer NAMM bigger and better. But then we can take a look at all the good things at the show. Many major manufacturers were on hand, including the return of Gibson. And despite some on the show floor calling Summer NAMM a guitar show, I saw some other cool items, including drum kits. But perhaps as or more important was the quality of people at Summer NAMM and the relationships that develop. Despite the show floor not overflowing with people, I saw (and conversed with) many buyers at retailer stores. The people I hoped to see at Summer NAMM were there, as opposed to hoards of non-exhibitor badges. I got to see a lot of you and enjoyed my time with every one of you. An event that really worked was NAMM’s Top 100 Dealer Awards. MI’s version of the Oscars or Grammys — whichever one you choose — brought a lot of retailers to Nashville, and is tremendous fun, to boot. For a look at the winners, see last month’s issue. But it’s not just the Top 100 Awards. It was the Top 100 afterparty at Nashville’s Hard Rock Café on June 29 that really clinched the show as one to remember for me. I tried to make my way around to see most of the retailers in attendance — as well as manufacturers — and I developed several new relationships while enjoying a drink. That was probably the highlight of my Summer NAMM experience. Of course, what took place at Music City Center was excellent, as well. I was particularly impressed with the speech delivered by Marcus Sheridan at June 29’s
Breakfast Session. He offered tons of great advice to help retailers become more successful, all while delivering the information in an easy-to-digest style. See our cover story this month to learn some of the advice Sheridan, the selfproclaimed “pool guy,” provided. The opening Breakfast Session on June 28, moderated by Joe Lamond and called “Retail Innovators,” was also tremendous, with plenty of advice provided by retailers themselves who are bucking the trend and reporting great sales growth. I thought Cosmo Music, G-Brat’s Guitars and Zeswitz Music are great examples of MI retailers doing it right. But even with all I previously mentioned, I believe I will remember one thing about this year’s Summer NAMM the most: the relationships that MI retailers have with each other. I’ve been covering this industry for a combined seven years now, and as crazy as it sounds, I’ve never noticed how close their bonds are. I am truly impressed by it. Perhaps I didn’t notice this because it seemed like par for the course. But serving other retail industries was probably what made me take note of it this year. In MI, even some competitors are friends. And there’s no doubt that retailers who are not competing with one another are great friends. I truly witnessed for the first time what a “NAMMily” truly is. Do you think CVS and Walgreens are close knit and talk to each other at trade shows? Well, I can say I was there to witness it, and they don’t. People often ask me what separates MI retailers from other dealers. The relationships that are built among retailers are easily the No. 1 answer I would choose. That’s definitely something to be proud of.
August 2018 Volume 35, No. 8
BRIAN BERK Editor bberk@testa.com ANTHONY VARGAS Associate Editor avargas@testa.com AMANDA MULLEN Assistant Editor amullen@testa.com
GEORGE HINES SKIP MAGGIORA Editorial Advisors
ROBERT L. IRAGGI Advertising Director riraggi@testa.com
JANICE PUPELIS Art Director STEVE THORAKOS Production Manager CIRCULATION circulation@testa.com FRED GUMM Digital Art Director
RICKY PIMENTEL Art/Production Assistant rpimentel@testa.com
DONOVAN BANKHEAD ROBERT CHRISTIE WESLEY KING JEFF KYLE JR.
MICHELLE LOEB WILL MASON ALLEN MCBROOM GABRIEL O'BRIEN
ROBIN HAZAN Operations Manager rhazan@testa.com VINCENT P. TESTA President/Publisher TIM SPICER DAN VEDDA LAURA B. WHITMORE 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
AUGUST 2018
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American Recorder Adds Big Deal on the Record
Ace Takes on RAT
RATstands, creators of innovative music stands preferred by opera houses, theaters and concert halls, are now available in the U.S. exclusively through Ace Products. The RATstands Tempo product line includes music stands, carry bags, as well as portable LED stand lighting. British-based RATstands has been developing and delivering stands since 1976. Its features include knobless adjustments with friction joints and locks, premium styling, virtually unbreakable polymer materials, flat-folding storage and full-range flexibility. Ace Products Group brands include: Kaces, Strukture, Reunion Blues, Pig Hog Cables, Rock-N-Roller Multi-Cart, Coffin, RATstands, and Yamaha Accessories.
NAMM Goes For the Gold American Recorder Technologies, boutique manufacturer and distributor of pro-audio and musical instrument accessories, announced that it is now distributing Shubb Capos. American Recorder will distribute the entire Shubb line, which includes the Shubb Deluxe Capo, Capo Noir and the Shubb LITE Capo. “We are extremely excited to partner with Shubb Capos,” said Alan Adelstein, president of American Recorder Technologies. “A storied brand like Shubb Capos makes a perfect addition to our distribution portfolio — which covers some of the most well-respected brands in the drum and guitar industries. Through our wide distribution network, we look forward to helping the Shubb legacy reach an even broader audience.” Started in northern California in 1974, Shubb Capos manufacturers two complete lines of its capos in the U.S., including the Deluxe and Original.
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The NAMM Foundation received a Gold Telly Award for its 2018 public service announcement video, “Music is For Life.” The video, which debuted at The NAMM Show in January, was recognized in the category of “Promotional — Not for Profit” by the Telly Awards as a “top-tier” entrant, earning the status of a Gold Award, a new award category which recognizes “videos which rise above the rest” in each award category and represents less than 3 percent of all submissions. The PSA video shares the story of a young girl, who, after a concert performance, is inspired to pursue music, and shows various stages of her pursuit, including a lessons program, in school and, later, at her own home passing her love for music on to her child. The video ends in her golden years, making music with her son. Actors in the production were cast for their musical talent, and NAMM member Metzler Violin Shop in Glendale, Calif., provided the shoot location for the lessons program. The video was produced by Jenna Capozzi of Capozzi Productions. She was inspired at a young age by her uncle, Grammy Award-winning jazz legend Jon Hendricks, to pursue the arts as her career. The NAMM Foundation annually produces a PSA which serves to inspire more people to make music and fewer to stop. Since 2009, NAMM PSAs have been aired both domestically and internationally, and have been featured in outdoor advertising campaigns and in digital media, resulting in views by millions of people. In 2017, the NAMM Foundation won the Bronze Telly Award for “Music Follows You,” a PSA featuring word poet, Steve Connell. NAMM Members can contact the NAMM Public Relations team for a digital copy of the PSA and its creative assets for use in their business. The PSA is also available on YouTube: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=vuNSfl5Sw3A. The Telly Awards was founded in 1979 to honor excellence in local, regional and cable television commercials with non-broadcast video and television programming added soon after. AUGUST 2018
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From left: James Hatem, Roland artist relations; Yoshi Ikegami, president, BOSS Corporation; artist Jeff “Skunk” Baxter; Julian Raymond, senior vice president of artist relations and staff producer, Big Machine/John Varvatos Records; and Brian Alli, vice president of global influencer relations, Roland.
Roland Opens Artist Relations Center
On June 27, 2018, Roland held a grand opening celebration of its new Nashville Artist Relations Center, located within Love Shack Studios in Nashville’s Music Row neighborhood. The event, which was attended by leading members of the Nashville music community, included a ribbon-cutting ceremony that also kicked off Roland’s activities around the annual Summer NAMM Show in Nashville. Founded to serve the needs of current and prospective Roland artists, the new center will be a hub for a variety of activities, including product support, social media initiatives, interviews, sessions and unique streaming events, photo shoots, gear demos, and much more. The A/R center is staffed with personnel specializing in Roland and BOSS equipment, and the center is under the direction of Brian Alli, Roland’s vice president of global influencer relations. The facility’s co-location within Love Shack Studios will give Roland especially close access to the artists, producers, engineers, instrumentalists and music business professionals who often work in Nashville’s Music Row and Berry Hill neighborhoods, which are well-known as hubs for state-of-the-art recording studios and as close-knit communities of top music talent. The opening of the center is part of an updated corporate artist relations strategy, following closely on the opening of a Roland Los Angeles Artist Relations Center in May. This ongoing initiative will bolster Roland’s global network, with a similar facility in London (at Metropolis Studios) to better serve Roland’s artist community. These facilities join other Roland artist relations centers in Vancouver and Toronto, Canada; Berlin, Germany; and Tokyo, Japan. Julian Raymond, senior vice president of A&R and staff producer at Big Machine/John Varvatos Records, a Grammy Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated record producer and songwriter, who was instrumental in working out the details for the facility, noted, “I am honored to be associated with Roland and their state-ofthe-art products and technology. Having the new A/R center here in Nashville will really connect our great musical culture with the iconic Roland brand.” “The goal of all Roland and BOSS artist relations is to support our family of artists on numerous levels, and our new Nashville artist relations center will help reinforce our commitment to the artists, engineers and producers in Music City,” stated Alli. “When we approached Love Shack and explained that we wanted to better serve the market, they opened their doors for us, and we aim to have a positive impact within the Nashville community. The response to Roland coming in to Nashville has been really exciting, and we are looking forward to engaging with the ever-growing artist community from all genres of music. Additionally, we are grateful for our friends at Love Shack Studios and the Big Machine label for being instrumental in making this happen.”
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Peavey Unveils Learning Center
Peavey Electronics launched the Peavey Learning Center, an online learning portal for new guitar players. Peavey customers now have access to an online lesson program through their desktop computers or mobile devices. The Peavey Learning Center offers a fast, proven method and clear learning path that will help players overcome basic obstacles and advance their skills, the company stated. To enroll in the guided curriculum, customers simply provide their email addresses and the member code found inside the Peavey instrument pack. The dashboard allows them to access the “Peavey Complete” course, which offers 12 levels of guitar instruction with more than 100 lessons in a guided format to keep students on the right path, including graphics, text, HD video and play-along tracks, along with a tuner, metronome and a forum to submit questions. Students can select from three payment options that include a lifetime membership of $99, a lifetime membership split payment program with three payments of $35 or a recurring monthly fee of $19.95. Players will especially benefit from the unique and fun polyphonic assessment tools, including the Chord Crusher game and Perform It, stated Peavey. Perform It prompts students to perform the lesson while playing along with a scrolling tab and video. When players hit the red record button on the screen, Perform It assesses the playing and lets them know if they’re ready to move on to the next lesson. The Lesson Review and Practice feature provides an overview and lets players know what they should have accomplished before moving on. Chord Crusher is more of a game format where players play chords and pop balloons when played correctly.
Playback Eclipses 2 Million Strings Recycled
Playback, D’Addario’s industry-wide string recycling program, announced its latest milestone of 2 million strings recycled. For decades, D’Addario has prioritized sustainability efforts. Using 100-percent eco-friendly packaging and planting trees in familyowned forests are just a few ways the company has made an impact on the planet. In 2016, D’Addario took this commitment to the next level with Playback, an industry-wide string-recycling program — powered by TerraCycle — that rewards players for recycling any brand of strings. Last month, D’Addario celebrated 2 million strings recycled. This milestone comes just seven months after reaching the company’s goal of 1 million strings recycled in 2017, when the Playback program doubled in size. AUGUST 2018
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Manhasset Nominated for Three Awards Manhasset Specialty Co. has been nominated for three award categories in the Association of Washington Business’ 2018 Annual Manufacturing Excellence Awards under the Operational Excellence, Innovation and Manufacturer of the Year categories. “We’re always pleased to see great Washington state manufacturers like Manhasset nominated for our association’s top manufacturing award,” said Kris Johnson, president of the Association of Washington Business. Dan Roberts, president and general manager of Manhasset, commented, “We are honored to be nominated for these three categories in the Association of Washington Business Annual Manufacturing Excellence Awards. Everyone at Manhasset has worked very hard to improve our company’s performance in every way. The investment that has been made in plant, equipment and technology has helped the company prepare for the future and for today’s competition.” The three Association of Washington Business 2018 Annual Manufacturing Excellence Awards that Manhasset has been nominated for are defined as: • Operational Excellence Award — Recognizing a company that has a distinctive manufacturing process, including continuous improvement, innovations, lean and six sigma application of high technology. • Innovation Award — Recognizing a company that has maintained a competitive advantage by utilizing innovation while remaining responsive to market demands. • Manufacturer of the Year Award — This premier award recognizes a company that has a commitment to business excellence, has found creative solutions to challenges that raise or enhance the industry standard, as well as involvement in state and local public policy issues that affect manufacturers. MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER
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Music People Honored
The Music People, a manufacturer and distributor of music instrument accessories and stands, was recognized during the 2018 Summer NAMM Show in Nashville for outstanding support of independent music retailers. The Music People were selected for this honor by the Independent Music Store Owners (IMSO). The presentation was made to Vinny Delaria, national accounts manager for The Music People, by the IMSO Board Member Gordy Wilcher of Owensboro Music (Owensboro, Ky.). Wilcher is a past president and founding member of the IMSO, as well as a past member of the NAMM board.
Vinny Delaria (left) and Gordy Wilcher
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PRODUCT
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Right in Line
Line 6’s Shuriken Variax SR250 guitar is the newest addition to the Shuriken Variax family. Like the longer-scale Shuriken Variax SR270, it resulted from collaboration between Shuriken Guitars, Line 6 and Yamaha Guitar Development. The Shuriken Variax SR250 is a modern, highquality instrument featuring a unique body shape with contoured edges, a traditional 25.5-inch scale length, an Indian ebony fretboard, a custom mid-gain humbucking pickup and all of the sonic versatility provided by Variax HD technology, stated the company. The Shuriken Variax SR250 comes with a Shuriken premium padded gig bag. MSRP: $2,099.99 Ship Date: Now Contact: Yamaha, usa.yamaha.com
Sound Decision
Sound Devices LLC introduced the MixPre-3M and MixPre-6M multitrack audio recorders with built-in USB audio interface. The portable M-Series records up to 12 tracks of studiograde audio (up to 96kHz/24-bit) and integrates features like overdub, track laying, punch in/ out, bounce, reverb, vocal air and metronome. The MixPre-3M and MixPre-6M are the newest members of MixPre M-Series for music creators and performers. The M-Series models feature Sound Devices’ Kashmir mic preamps and ultra-low-noise A-to-D architecture. The MSeries can also stream multiple channels of audio via USB to a computer, which is ideal for music composers working with a DAW, said the company. MSRP: $549 and $799 Ship Date: Now Contact: Sound Devices, sounddevices. com
WE PUT THE “LEI” IN UKULELE. Say aloha to our new Hawaiian-themed ukulele Quick-Change® capos. www.kysermusical.com
Keys to Success
Gibraltar released the KeyTree doubletier keyboard stand, which is not only an attention grabber, but will prevent the instrument from wobbling back and forth while the player is rocking out on stage, stated the company. The Key Tree doubletier keyboard stand offers portability and style for keyboards and controllers. This sturdy, modern-looking stand accommodates most keyboards with a range of 76 keys or smaller. Memory locks ensure precise positioning of this curvy, sleek design so that the stand breaks down quickly, easily and fits into a bag. With a 30-inch T leg for stability and 36-inch vertical curved bar, the lower tier has a height range of approximately 35 inches to 44 inches. MSRP: Contact company Ship Date: Contact company Contact: Hal Leonard, halleonard.com
PRODUCT
Clean as a Whistle
Kyser instrument care products are now available as disposable wipes packaged in individually sealed envelopes that won’t leak or dry out, stated the company. The small four-inch-by-three-inch sealed wipe envelope fits in a guitar case or gig bag, allowing users to hit the road. Each product contains 10 sealed wipes that unfold to be six inches by nine inches and contain enough liquid to keep your instrument looking and sounding great,
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the manufacturer added. String Cleaning (with a new scent) is intended to keep strings clean and fresh sounding; polish is designed to shine up any wooden instrument; and Lem-Oil cleans and conditions fretboards and bridges. MSRP: $5.95 Ship Date: Now Contact: Kyser Musical Products, kysermusical.com
Stand in the Place Where You Live
Lightweight, stable and highly adaptive, the On-Stage SS7762B speaker stand features a leveling leg for swift, secure placement on uneven surfaces, including stairs. The SS7762B is the company’s latest take on the best-selling SS7762B, utilizing black powder-coated aluminum construction and a reversible 1 3/8-inch to 1 1/2-inch upper shaft with safety locking pin for 110 pounds of speaker support and 45- to 72-inch height adjustment. The braced tripod base with non-slip rubber feet and eight-inch range leveling leg ensures precise, worry-free speaker projection in even challenging performance spaces, according to the company. MSRP: Contact company Ship Date: Contact company Contact: The Music People, musicpeopleinc.com
MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER
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Note From Joe
ADVERTORIAL • AUGUST 2018 • NAMM.ORG
The Benefits of Competing on a World Stage As a global collection of the world’s best music, sound and event technology exhibitors make plans to showcase their brands in Southern California, competition powers our industry forward. We have just watched another thrilling FIFA World Cup, where nations from across the globe gathered to compete for the world championship. As I followed the action it reminded me a lot of the winter NAMM show, as it too is an arena where the world’s best all gather in one location to compete. And like the World Cup, an entire business ecosystem shifts its attention to follow the action, demonstrating how our annual gathering can create powerful outcomes for everyone in our industry. Of course, we have many more teams involved: 7,000+ brands and more than 100,000 buyers and key influencers from over 125 countries around the world. Like any world stage, the largest and most accomplished players often continue to demonstrate their leadership position, product and brand differentiation, and drive to innovate. But like the World Cup, you just never know who might emerge as the winner. Our event also levels the playing field, giving all member companies large and small a genuine opportunity to grow their businesses. Leading up to the big event, all teams must prepare to play at their best. The NAMM Show provides a setting where all our members are “on top of their game,” helping everyone focus and prioritize the activities that will really count. The NAMM Show kicks off our annual calendar, creating a target for our members to complete their new products, finalize promotional programs, generate content, and gather competitive intelligence to assess where the industry may be headed. We have many coaches and trainers too, maybe not focused on physical prowess, but on how to be smarter and more successful in business. Like the coaches of the leading World Cup teams, exhibitors often tell us that one of their goals is to evaluate how their sales teams compare to their competition. And for our attending audience, last year we offered more than 500 education sessions, providing an international collection of industry professionals with new strategies, ideas and techniques to hone their crafts.
With excellence on display, a global media base will follow. In our case, a collection of 1,500+ outlets across trade and mainstream, along with bloggers and content creators, allow brands to share their stories with millions of followers. And billions of social media exchanges excite enthusiasts across the globe, creating more interest in our products. With The NAMM Show as a backdrop, the gravitational pull of an industry coming together generates and promotes our music making message far louder than any one member or industry segment could ever do on their own. And with all teams assembled in one place, communities unite to share their passion, exchange ideas, celebrate the brightest stars and enjoy unique experiences, just like we do with non-stop music on multiple stages, special events like the TEC and Parnelli Awards, and hundreds of networking events and parties across Southern California. These gatherings also unite us; although we may belong to many musical tribes, we all share the common goal of a more musical world. Proceeds from The NAMM Show are invested into programs that support music and music education, thus growing the market. Competition is a powerful motivator; it forces us all to improve and creates both tangible and intangible benefits that drive our industry forward. But unlike the World Cup, there are unlimited ways to win at The NAMM Show. Each member exhibitor has their own definition. For some, it’s meeting an influential buyer whose order will put them on the map. For others, it’s generating buzz with a new product launch, and for other exhibitors, it’s seeing tens of thousands of attendees coursing through their booth looking at their company’s latest offerings. We look forward to helping you find your own definition of success. Our team will join with yours to make it happen in January 2019!
Joe Lamond NAMM PRESIDENT AND CEO
The Music Begins Here Advance the Sales Process
Earn Market Share
Establish Global Distribution
Meet buyers across the industry ecosystem
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PRODUCT
z z u B Be A Player
Fender Musical Instruments Corp. released a new line of electric guitars, the Player Series, which replaces the Standard Series and is the new foundational offering and first official step into Fender’s electric guitar product lines. Built for players who dream of taking their art to the next level, these guitars feature the signature sound and classic look of Fender’s iconic models. With 94 SKUs across 21 models and hero colors including Sage Green, Polar White, Tide Pool, Butter Cream and Sonic Red, artists and players can express themselves in limitless ways, stated the company. The new line is already being used across genres including punk, jazz, country, rock and more by top artists. MSRP: $649.99 to $774.99 Ship Date: Now Contact: Fender, fender.com
From A to K
Yamaha introduced the A4K and AC4K, building on its A Series line of acoustic-electric guitars. These two guitars comprise the second in a series of limited-edition runs of solidkoa A Series guitars. Only 75 of each model will be made available. The guitars are an ideal fit for the experienced guitar player looking for an instrument with a high degree of playability and a versatile sound for stage and studio, stated the company. Additionally, the alternative tonewoods, fine-grain patterns and look of the instrument will appeal to collectors. The new models feature standout sound quality and craftsmanship at excellent price points, the company noted. MSRP: $2,400 Ship Date: Now Contact: Yamaha, usa.yamaha.com
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American Idol
Reviving the IDOL body pioneered in 1999, Washburn debuted two new IDOL Series electric guitars, intended to offer players the best combination of leading guitar electronics and classic Washburn sound. The IDOL WIT16 VSK-D features a vintage sunburst design on the original IDOL body, USA Duncan Stacked Tele pickups, a burled maple top, ash back, ebony fingerboard and hard maple neck. The IDOL WIS26 MRK-D is a metallic red copper guitar with the original IDOL body, USA ‘59/ Cust5 Duncan pickups and is wired with Variable Contour Control, allowing the player to sweep through an infinite number of tone colors between humbucking and single coil. MSRP: $1,426.90 MAP: $799 Ship Date: Now Contact: Washburn, washburn.com
Hit the Right Chord
Hal Leonard released its newest method book, the Hal Leonard Jazz Bass Method. Written by acclaimed musician and educator Matthew Rybicki, the Jazz Bass Method is a complete guide to learning jazz bass and includes lessons on Walking Basics, Chords and Scales, Blues, Rhythm Changes, String Raking, Soloing, Technique, Chord Substitution, Pedal Points and Ostinato, Standard Notation Plus Tab for Electric Bass and more. In addition to lessons, the book includes access to audio examples online, which are available for download and streaming using a unique code in the book. The audio files include PLAYBACK+, an audio player that allows users to slow down audio without changing pitch, set loop points, change keys and pan left or right. MSRP: $19.99 Ship Date: Now Contact: Hal Leonard, halleonard.com AUGUST 2018
PRODUCT
Sunny Days
Hamer debuted its Sunburst Model SFTF-CS-D and Hamer Monaco Special K Model MONKI-NT-D. The Hamer Sunburst (Model SFTF-CS-D) is based on the original flat-top Sunburst models from late 1970s that are widely recognized as Hamer’s signature body design. It features a flamed maple veneer over a solid mahogany body and a period-authentic sunburst finish. The fast-playing set neck is fitted with an ebony fretboard with jumbo frets, and the dual hot-rodded zebra Hamer humbuckers and fixed bridge deliver classic tone. The Hamer Monaco Special K features a solid Korina single-cut body and Korina neck with ebony fretboard and jumbo frets. This lightweight guitar is based on a limited-edition custom shop model from 2005. MSRP: $874 MAP: $699.99 Ship Date: Now Contact: hamer, hamerguitars.com
Poker Face
z z u B
C.F. Martin introduced its D-16E PD Poker Dogs, inspired by classic Americana art from artist Cassius Marcellus Coolidge. This playful guitar features a 1903 painting called A Friend in Need, which is printed on a Sitka spruce top. The artwork is part of a series of 16 oil paintings that were commissioned by Brown & Bigelow in the 1900s to advertise cigars. The Style 16 Dreadnought guitar includes sycamore tonewoods, a high-performance taper neck, and comes equipped with Matrix VT Enhance electronics. MSRP: $2,799 Ship Date: Contact company Contact: C.F. Martin, martinguitar.com
We are dedicated to Music Retailers We are St. Louis Music SLM Marketplace Everything In Accessories
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PEOPLE
z z u B
Rodowicz to Replace Retiring Calvin as Yamaha GM, Keyboard Division
Paul Calvin is retiring from his role as vice president/general manager, keyboard division at Yamaha Corp. of America (YCA), and Dan Rodowicz has been promoted to the position of general manager, keyboard division. Calvin’s retirement comes after 25 years with Yamaha. Calvin started his career at YCA in 1991 as a district manager for what was then known as the piano division, calling on a fourstate area surrounding Missouri. After a brief hiatus to work at Jordan Kitts Calvin Rodowicz Music from 1994-1996, Calvin rejoined YCA as a product manager, and was promoted to marketing manager in 1997. In 2002, Calvin was promoted to assistant general manager, then in 2003 was named general manager of the piano division. In 2007, he was promoted to his current position of vice president/general manager of the keyboard division. During his tenure, Calvin has led several key initiatives, including the Total Piano Project, as well as co-development of the company’s successful flooring program. “I thank Paul for his many years of dedicated service to Yamaha,” said Garth Gilman, YCA corporate vice president. “As part of his legacy, Paul will depart Yamaha helping to implement the latest success story in a company-wide succession planning program. This will ultimately result in better preparing Dan to assume the controls and skillfully lead the keyboard division into the future.” A veteran manager with three decades of institutional, music education and retail experience, Rodowicz previously held the position of national sales manager, Institutional Solutions Group, which he will continue to oversee in his new role as general manager, keyboard division. Rodowicz joined YCA in 1996 as a product specialist for the piano division. In 2001, Rodowicz was promoted to district manager, then in 2004 to business development specialist. In 2008, he was named market development manager, and western regional manager, keyboard division, in 2010. Prior to joining Yamaha, Rodowicz accumulated experience teaching private and group piano and served as an adjunct faculty member at Temple University.
Step Up to the Mike
Paul Andrews and Chris Brunhaver have joined DPA Microphones as global sales support and business development manager and regional sales manager, Pacific Northwest, respectively. “With the addition of Paul and Chris, we are adding over 23 years of industry experience and expertise to the DPA team in the U.S.,” said Christopher Spahr, vice president of marketing and sales, DPA Microphones. “We are excited to welcome these two highly Andrews Brunhaver qualified individuals and look forward to their many contributions as we continue to grow our market share and reinforce our commitment to the industry.” In his new role, Andrews will be responsible for brand development and support through technical and application-driven informational presentations. Brunhaver brings more than 15 years of experience in the A/V industry, including design, project management, systems integration and sales, with successful stints at Sony and Digital Projection, where he covered a similar sales territory.
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Meet Him in St. Louis
St. Louis Music (SLM) appointed Chris Meikle to the position of senior vice president of marketing and product. In his new role, he oversees all marketing and product development and management across SLM’s family of brands. “Chris has achieved so much in his 12 years at U.S. Band and SLM,” said Mark Ragin, president and CEO of St. Louis Music. “He has completely revitalized Alvarez guitars, which was in great need of management when we reacquired the brand in 2011. Under Chris’s guidance, Alvarez is again one of the leading guitar brands in the world. I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his many years of excellent work and am looking forward to his accomplishments in this new role.” Meikle joined SLM’s parent company, U.S. Band, in 2006 as head of marketing, and went on to manage Alvarez Guitars in 2011. Under Meikle’s stewardship, Alvarez has grown exponentially and developed a culture focused on research, design and quality. Chris and his team reimagined Alvarez from the ground up and added new lines such as Jazz and Blues and Grateful Dead, and reworked Artist and Masterworks Series. “It’s been both an honor and a real joy to have been given such wonderful projects and work with industry greats such as Mark Ragin and Kazuo Yairi,” said Meikle. “Evolving Alvarez into the successful brand that it is today has been a truly wonderful experience. I’m very much looking forward to applying knowledge I’ve accumulated over the years to our family of great brands and products.” AUGUST 2018
PEOPLE
QSC Names CTO and EVP
QSC appointed Aravind Yarlagadda as chief technology officer and executive vice president, product development. In this newly created role, he oversees all aspects of product development for QSC. Yarlagadda brings a rich career of multi-functional leadership in the high- tech industry, with more than 25 years of product development experience. Aravind joined QSC from Schneider Electric. “Over the past years, we have continued to make large investments into our product development organization, and as a result, we now have a sizeable organization poised for continued innovation. Aravind’s new role will allow us to organize product development as its own major function under one senior executive leader,” said Joe Pham, president and CEO, QSC. “We are delighted to have Aravind join the executive team and are confident that his experience and expertise will be invaluable as we expand our capabilities to support our next phase of growth.”
In Memoriam: Will Schmid
Hal Leonard announced the passing of one of its bestselling and prolific authors, Dr. Will Schmid, lead author of the Hal Leonard Guitar Method and dozens of other titles. Schmid has author credits on more than 100 titles in the Hal Leonard catalog. The Hal Leonard Guitar Method has sold millions of copies since its initial release in 1977 and has been translated into more than a dozen languages. “Will’s effect on millions of beginning musicians can’t be underestimated,” said Jeff Schroedl, executive vice president of Hal Leonard. “His passion to bring the joy of making music to everyone continued right up until the very end. The music education world has lost one of its most dedicated advocates.” Schmid received a B.A. from Luther College and a Ph.D. from the Eastman School of Music. His teaching career included general music, choral music and band. He taught at Winona State University, the University of Kansas and the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. Schmid won many awards over his lifetime, including the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Eastman School of Music, the DeLucia Prize for Innovation in Music Education, the distinguished Service Award from the Music Industry Conference and more. In addition to writing, Schmid was a tireless advocate for music education. He was a past president of the National Association for Music Education (formerly MENC). Schmid presented workshops throughout the United States and in Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico and Europe. After a two-year national pilot project in 20 schools nationwide, Schmid, with his wife Ann, launched the World Music Drumming curriculum, which brings the excitement of African and Latin drumming and singing to schools throughout the United States.
MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER
z z u B
Sound Productions’ Kitch Retires
Sound Productions announced the retirement of its founder, Charles Kitch, who has lead the company for 45 years. Sound Productions offered the following statement: “Through the decades, SoundPro has continued its growth from a startup to a nationally respected dealer and distributor for the pro-audio, video and lighting industry. Above all else, Charles valued his team and demonstrated that daily by providing growth opportunities and continually reinvesting in SoundPro’s future and people. As a testament to his leadership, 40 percent of the company’s tenure exceeds 15 years. His passion for the industry is unmatched, as any SoundPro customer can attest.” Kitch leaves SoundPro under the leadership of president, now CEO, Joshua Curlett, who is an eight-year veteran with the company. According to the company, going forward, the clear directive for SoundPro from Kitch is simple: “Honor the past while building the future.” SoundPro is a supplier of pro-audio, lighting and video products since 1973. The company provides backline rental services on a regional basis.
From Metal
To Magic
Jesus Christ Superstar at Pembroke Pines Theatre of the Performing Arts - Pembroke Pines, Florida
Trusst. It’s what gigs are built on. Trusst.com
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SPINNING AND WINNING: DJ AND LIGHTING MANUFACTURERS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE
(continued from cover)
“Interest by segment is always cyclical, and it seems as one sub-category grows others shift and adjust, but overall, we are seeing a strong and growing 2018.” — Chris Roman
to the opportunity for groundbreaking musical exploration. At this very moment, the next great pioneer in electronic music is embarking on a personal journey of sonic discovery that could change the course of the universe. We get to be part of that. We’ve got the most incredible LED lights and video walls the universe has ever seen to provide a visual match to the sonic mastery.” Komassa continued, “For each one of those aural geniuses, there are 10,000 more DJs holding headphones up to one ear, leaning over their MacBook queuing up ‘Dancing Queen.’ They’ll play it right after Aunt Susan’s request of ‘This Is How We Do It’ by Montell Jordan. Aunt Susan loves that song. She always requests it at weddings, especially when there are single groomsmen in their 40s. She digs younger men. Those 10,000 DJs have an important job, too. They help make a wedding night memorable… for the bride, the groom… and for Aunt Susan. We’ve got the gear for those guys, too. We don’t specifically make DJ lights, but we bring affordable innovation to fixtures meant for high-
“At this very moment, the next great pioneer in electronic music is embarking on a personal journey of sonic discovery that could change the course of the universe. We get to be part of that.” —Will Komassa
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AUGUST 2018
end professional designs. Our Hypno Spot and Hypno Beam are great examples. They’re a sensational add to a professional DJ’s light show and bring the quality of a touring production, but are under $500 each.” Added Roman, “At inMusic, we are very pleased with the growth [of the DJ and lighting market] and its future potential, along with our technology integration among our five core brands in these two categories — Denon DJ, Rane, Numark in DJ playback control, plus Marq and SoundSwitch in DJ Lighting. Following the evolving needs of our customers, we have planned for the future in our technology development. “Industrywide, we continue to find the market very active in all segments and price points,” continued Roman. “Interest by segment is always cyclical, and it seems as one subcategory grows others shift and adjust, but overall, we are seeing a strong and growing 2018.” Menashe offered this take: “The DJ industry as a whole has changed radically in the last 10 to 15 years. In the past, if someone asked you what you did for a living and you said DJ, they would respond with either ‘what radio station?’ or ‘what is your real job?’ With the popularity of EDM music a few years ago, some ‘rock star’ DJs have become almost household names, and the perception of a DJ has changed overall with the public. However, during that same 10- or 15-year time, with the advances in technology (particularly software and controllers) and the ability to illegally download large numbers of songs from the internet, the market is flooded with unskilled and unqualified so-called DJs. “There are essentially four distinct types of DJs now: the rock star pros that demand very large amounts of money for performances, the mobile DJ who does weddings and parties, still a few real radio DJs, and the amateur (bedroom) DJ that should really stick to the bedroom until they can apprentice with a well-trained and experienced mobile DJ until they develop the skills to properly do special events and be able to MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER
earn a living as a DJ. Only about 5 percent of all the DJs in the world are in that well-trained, qualified and experienced category and get paid well for their services. There truly is a bell curve of DJs everywhere. The upper 5 percent or 10 percent at the high end of the scale are considered outstanding, another 10 percent or so at the bottom end are considered horrible and the rest fall in the middle as just average or mediocre. “As for lighting, much of the same has occurred with the technology revolution,” Menashe continued. “Good or great lighting products were very expensive and not readily available to the average DJ. Today, with the advances in LED lighting led by Philips Color Changing technology, good lighting products are available at reasonable prices, and even the exceptional professional lighting products available at much lower prices. However, these same technological advances have created another problem in the lighting industry: That is, the Chinese manufacturers selling directly to end users who import them illegally (pay no duty) and do not pay the licensing fees required by Philips. Many of these same manufacturers are now warehousing their products in the USA and are still not paying the required licensing fees to Philips. These ‘illegal’ sales also have no warranties in most cases. These factors are affecting the manufacturers and importers that are doing it the right way by paying duties and licensing and providing full warranties, but are being hurt by those avoiding fees and selling usually inferior products in the open marketplace.” “Despite the factors outlined above, I am very convinced that the move by DJs to controllers is creating a huge marketplace for cases and accessories,” concluded Menashe. “The mid-level and above DJs are also creating a demand for TV stands, facades, lighting and cabling to improve their performances and appearance. Those same DJs are also demanding high-quality lighting with unique effects and great warranties, all of which we provide at ProX. The increases
in live shows continues to create a high demand for trussing (and accessories), staging and other products to create those shows.” Of course, being a quality DJ is difficult, as is being a musician. But for those who don’t possess the musical skillset, DJing provides an option, and some get paid well to do so. According to our panelists, consumers are still hungry to become professional DJs. “Absolutely!” responded Roman, as to the vigor of consumers to become professional DJs. “Of course, the majority of market sales are to those testing the waters, but there is a real need for both the new generation of professionals, as well as a couple of technology shifts for the existing segments we are building on now. “Is this helping your busi-
-
ness because it is not just a discretionary product but one these people need? Just as people still have weddings with dancing, and there is the human need to socialize and party, there will always be a need for gatherings and people to be entertained and directed by professional DJs,” he added. “Making that job more fun and effective for the pro in the club or at the party is what we do. With Denon DJ, our full-on control of standalone with the Prime Series of gear is finally giving DJs the tools and feature sets they previously could only enjoy with a computer. With Rane, touring DJs are now replacing their turntables with the Twelve, a skip-proof and bass-lifting control system with a legacy vinyl performance workflow. You not only need to
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“There truly is a bell curve of DJs everywhere. The upper 5 percent or 10 percent at the high end of the scale are considered outstanding, another 10 percent or so at the bottom end are considered horrible and the rest fall in the middle as just average or mediocre.” —Gabriel Menashe
feel good about what you do as a DJ, but you need to look good doing it.” “It is the entry-level people that have their eye on becoming professionals that are key customers of ProX,” noted Menashe. “We offer products that fit their needs, protect their equipment and build their shows without breaking the bank. All the products we build at ProX can fill the needs of a startup DJ all the way to the most highly paid ‘rock star’ DJ, and everyone in between.” Noted Komassa, “DJs get paid
to throw parties. Of course consumers are still hungry to be DJs. More DJs don’t necessarily help our business, though, unless they are committed to truly not ‘sucking.’ Professional DJs are looking to separate themselves from the terrible ones. That is what is helping our business. The pros keep investing in their displays to distinguish themselves. I’m not only talking about a quality light show to complement the music. The best ones also invest in architectural lighting to transform the entire party space for
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their clients.” So, what are consumers buying from these manufacturers? “Without a doubt, our best-selling products are the Controller Cases for the Pioneer DDJ series of controllers — in particular, the DDJ-SX2, DDJ-SX3 and DDJ-RR controllers, and we have cases for each of them in various colors and accents,” said Menashe. “Our ProX Digital Media controller cases are manufactured with the exclusive honeycomb laminated surface design, made with the super-sleek look of honeycomb hexagon grids on all shell surfaces, which gives the cases an almost alien look! Also, as opposed to regular laminated plywood cases from other manufacturers, the ProX honeycomb design helps prevent minor to mild scratches and has a unique appearance. Our Cold Spark Blitzz machines are selling faster than we can manufacture them, and we have waiting lists from dealers wanting them. This product will likely be the best-selling cold spark machine in North America. Another popular item is our Trussing and Stage Roofing Packages. This gives show producers and rigging companies a turnkey package with everything they need under a single part number, in various sizes, and all put together within the safety margins of our trussing systems.” AUGUST 2018
“The biggest game changer for the market is our IRiS LED video walls,” responded Komassa. “A few years ago, they weren’t cost-effective for most DJs, but the prices have come down while the quality has gone up. They are so easy to use, and the NovaStar processors provide such a smooth user interface, it’s easy for high-end DJs to take their shows to the next level. If you are a pro and want to distinguish yourself, you’ve got to be looking at an LED video wall.” Answered Roman, “Numark covers those testing the waters in a fun way, right up to fullon professionals looking for value-driven solutions with a bit of innovation. We have done very well with the Party Mix for those testing the waters. Including the lights in the unit really shows off the importance of lighting elements in our industry. Professionals also can’t seem to get enough of the DJ2GO2, which is the perfect backup or even small bar Serato controller. The updated NS6II continues to do very well for us due the ability to have your backup computer always connected. [It is] really mobile [in] size and weight, but [offers] a fully professional feature set at a great price. “Denon DJ has been doing very well in the two areas of Mobile and Club Professional DJ,” he continued. “First, the MCX8000 continues to increase in sales month over month. The ability of this system to be able to be used both as a controller and standalone unit at the same time really sets it apart. Recent additions to the metal-bodied controller now include Engine PRIME library software support, so whether you use this as your primary Serato controller, or choose to go standalone, you will have a truly great experience. The area of standalone is where Denon DJ really shines with the PRIME series of products that are growing fast. The SC5000s with full onboard processors let you leave the computer behind, and they have dramatically expanded the creative possibilities for the professionals that use them. The integration with
the X1800 PRIME mixer and network connections onstage are really changing live performance standards at the highest of professional levels. Roman added, “Rane DJ released two new pieces of gear this year that continue to stock out in the Turntablism categories. The Rane SEVENTY-TWO is the brand’s latest battle mixer, and it opens up the creative juices that were limited by previ-
ous options available in this business. At the same time, the Rane TWELVE motorized platter continues to replace turntables everywhere, especially onstage where these professionals need to be seen alongside these touring artists with real vinyl, yet can’t afford bass feedback or skipping needles.” As for recent releases or products soon to be released that can become the next top
sellers, Roman told the Music & Sound Retailer, “We plan to evolve and innovate in all categories and price points of the DJ and lighting segments and have separate engineering teams by brand to cover them all. We feel very strongly about the Engine PRIME computerless solutions, and continue to deeply develop this area, so definitely keep an eye on (continued on page 51)
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EDUCATION ASCENDS AT SUMMER NAMM: QUALITY ADVICE HELPS ATTENDANCE GROW 5% TO 15,010
(continued from cover) over and over again.” NAMM’s president was then joined by Mark Hebert, president and CEO of Richmond Hill, Ontario-based Cosmo Music, which has enjoyed tremendous success, thanks in large part to the retailer’s Cosmo Fest, which takes place in its parking lot. The event featured 160 brands in a trade show environment and attracted 14,000 visitors. “Canada lost its MI show (MEAC),” noted Hebert. “This is their chance to have a NAMM [Show].” Although Hebert acknowledged the amount of work
Plenty of bands played outside Music City Center.
Marcus Sheridan recommended using Go Video to send personal follow-up videos to customers.
lightsforlife4_12x4_37.pdf 6/8/2017 9:29:42 AM
You’d look a little beat up too if you spent the last 30 years on the road. If you purchased a Littlite in 1986, chances are it still works. And if it doesn’t, chances are it is still under warranty.
C
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CM
MY
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CMY
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Gooseneck Lamps & Accessories Made in Hamburg, MI USA www.littlite.com sales@littlite.com 24
Roland opened a new artist center featuring great memorabilia.
required to put on such an event outside the company’s 56,000-sq.ft. MI store is massive, he added “Staff morale goes through the roof” in preparation for the event. On a retail basis, even more important is how the event affects future sales at the store. “We see ripple effects for the business,” said Hebert. “There is great word of mouth, and in July and August [2017], sales were up 40 percent.” Of course, the cost to put on such an event is high. But Cosmo Music was able to secure an $80,000 grant from the Canadian government. To apply for the
grant, Cosmo Music had to prove it was taking efforts to improve the event, which was accomplished via RFID bracelet technology. “We were able to track customers wherever they went,” said Hebert. Looking ahead, Cosmo Music is also aiming to be a better destination for customers. This is being accomplished, in part, thanks to the construction of a Starbucks location within the store. Texas-based G-Brat’s Guitars is another MI innovator. The internet retailer has achieved $2 million in annual sales, quite AUGUST 2018
The Nasville streets promoted a Rolling Stones exhibit.
impressive considering the company was started by accident in the owners’ bedroom. Scott Robbins for years worked in the corporate world, but the musician since 1969 discovered he could be make more money selling guitars. But it certainly was not easy at first. “We were broke,” said wife Monique Robbins. “But we didn’t borrow money.” Instead, they redoubled their efforts by making sure they stood out from the competition. “The presentation is huge,” said Scott Robbins. “We test every guitar and polish it. It looks great on the internet.” Being an internet retailer, G-Brat’s needed to overcome the fact that people were paying the company a lot of money for something they didn’t touch from someone they didn’t meet. To overcome this hurdle, GBrat’s knew to build a reputation and take great photos. “You can tell G-Brat’s Guitars just by photos,” said Scott Robbins. “We also have a well-known logo that Monique designed.” One thing G-Brat’s does differently from many competitors is point out the flaws in every product it sells. “People need to know what they are getting,” said Scott Robbins. “They will find out anyway.” These steps taken, as well as efforts to protect its reputation “religiously,” have led to great success. Robbins even has a response for those customers who hesitate to purchase: “I say, ‘If you need to ask permission, MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER
The GAMA meeting was one of Summer NAMM's most talked about events.
ask my wife!’” Zeswitz Music’s Randy Shayler is a third retailer leading the way when it comes to MI success. The Pennsylvania-based dealer, featured in the December issue of the Music & Sound Retailer, was a long-standing business when Shayler, a Harvard business school graduate and founder of a small private equity firm, became involved. “I fell in love with the [MI] business model,” he said. “There’s a lot of recurring revenue.”
He was specifically interested in Zeswitz because it was, and still is, strongly committed to school music. He took over the business at age 29 and acknowledged it would take time to convince employees, one of whom has 25 years of experience, to get onboard with his mission. So he started with a lot of “low-hanging fruit.” “Correcting mistakes was big,” said Shayler. “For example, there were wrong reeds sent out. Now, clarinet and sax reeds are actually quarantined on different ends of our building.”
Point of Sale + Website + Rentals
Instead of being involved in every aspect of MI, Shayler wanted the retailer to focus on something it can be truly great at. “We picked school music and have built a large advantage [in this area],” he said. “We got rid of some other stuff, and the staff has really gotten onboard.” The efforts have paid off. Rentals have doubled since Shayler bought the business.
Advice From The Pool Guy
The advice for retailers didn’t (continued on page 50)
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25
The Retailer visited Music Zoo’s retail store, where owner Thomas Colletti (front with award) and staff accepted the single-store award for Best Clinics.
Music & Sound Award Winners:
A Look in Photos
Music & Sound Dealer Award Winners gladly accepted their awards recently. Here’s a look. For a list of all winners, see the July issue of the Music & Sound Retailer.
From left: West Music’s Christopher Olthoff, Robin Walenta and John Chermak accept four awards for Best Instrument Amplifiers, Best Clinics, Best Sales Staff and MultiStore Dealer of the Year.
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Candyman Strings & Things’ Rand Cook and Cindy Cook accept the single-store awards for Best Sales Staff and Single-Store Dealer of the Year.
AUGUST 2018
AMERICA’S FIRST MAGAZINE FOR PROFESSIONAL DJs
Robert M. Sides Family Music Centers’ Peter Sides (left) and Rich Jensen took home the multi-store Best Customer Service award.
George’s Music’s George Hines accepts the multi-store Best Keyboards award.
Sam Ash’s John Conley was honored with the multi-store award for Best Guitars and Basses.
From left: Red Dragon Guitars’ Jon Pugh, Donnie Stallard and Jonathan Oliva accept the single-store award for Best Instrument Amplifiers.
Sweetwater’s Chuck Surack was honored with the Music & Sound Retailer’s first retailer Lifetime Achievement/Hall of Fame award.
Sweetwater accepts the single-store awards for Best Guitars and Basses, Best Sound Reinforcement, Best Recording-Related Products and Best Customer Service. On hand to accept were, from left, Matt Duncan, Chuck Surack, Jeff Ekblad, Nate Edwards, Arend Raby, Doug Hills and Jay Piccirillo.
MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER
EST. 1988
Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center’s Adam Levin (left) and Pete Flemming accept the single-store awards for Best Keyboards and Best DJ Equipment.
Michael Doyle, VP, merchandising, guitars, for Guitar Center, accepts the multi-store Sound Reinforcement award.
27
Peavey’s Fred Poole
SUMMER NAM
From left: D’Addario’s Chris Griffiths, Brian Vance, Lyris Hung and Matt Budd
Lee Oskar Harmonicas celebrated its 35th anniversary. From left: Mark Terry, CEO, JAM USA and president, KMC Music; Lee Oskar, president of Lee Oskar Harmonicas; David McAllister, vice president, B&J Canada, division of JAM Industries; Roger Hart, vice president, merchandising, KMC Music, division of JAM Industries; James Tsaptsinos, vice president, sales, KMC Music, division of JAM Industries.
Sue Vander Schans (left) and Alexandra Colasacco-Sharpe, Casio
H E R E ’ S A L O O K AT T H E S H O W I N P H O T O F O R M .
The Fishman booth offered live performances.
28
This musical duo rocked the Kyser booth.
AUGUST 2018
Tommy Emmanuel (left) received GAMA’s Guitar Ambassador award from Hal Leonard’s Brad Smith on June 28.
From left: Paul Erdman, Lauren Hendry Parsons and Ron Howard, Bandlab
A sign of unity at the Boss booth.
MM HAD MANY MEMORABLE MOMENTS
Ciari Travel Guitars’ Jonathan Spangler demonstrated the company’s Ascender foldable guitar.
Yamaha’s Jim Haler demonstrated the company’s new DTX 402 Series electronic drum set.
From left: Jules Van Schelt, Jeremy Payne, Sharon Hennessey, Jared Beamish, Vinny Delaria and Tom Tedesco, On-Stage
MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER
Chris Martin (left) and Scott Follweiler, C.F. Martin
Heather Youmans and Justin Norvell, Fender
29
FI V E M INUTE S W ITH
In honor of our annual DJ and lighting issue, we reached out to Allan Reiss, senior product development manager at CHAUVET DJ, to learn about the company, the industry and more. Enjoy.
ALLAN REISS Senior Product Development Manager, CHAUVET DJ
The Music & Sound Retailer: Please tell us about your background and career? Allan Reiss: I’m the senior product development manager for CHAUVET DJ. I’ve been with the company for almost 14 years. I love working in product development because we’re constantly seeking out new product solutions for the lighting industry. It’s really exciting to see ideas grow from mere concepts to full-blown product solutions that make mobile entertainers and event pros more profitable through lighting — products like our BTAir lighting control app that works with our new Bluetooth wireless-technology-enabled fixtures. They allow simple lighting control right from your smartphone or tablet and are really exciting to be involved in.
Vivid Video Panel System
30
Allan Reiss, center, accepted the 2017 Music & Sound Award for Best Lighting Product for the company’s GigBar 2, along with Geoff Short (left) and Albert Chauvet.
BTAir
AUGUST 2018
The Retailer: Please tell us what lessons you’ve learned in your time at CHAUVET DJ? Reiss: I think the most valuable lesson is to listen to our dealers, distributors and end users. One of my favorite parts of the job is to be at events where I can spend time talking with people who use our products at every gig. Their ideas and feedback are invaluable to the product development process. We just released BTAir, and already we’re hearing great feedback about how this technology is making it easier than ever to get great lighting at their small gig spaces. The Retailer: Why did you want to join the lighting industr y? Reiss: Much like so many of our end users, I’m a professional DJ myself. I know what users go through in setting up equipment and operating it on site. Even better, I know firsthand the effect great lighting has on the events I do for guests. I wanted to be a part of that and to do it with an industry leader like CHAUVET DJ. The Retailer: For you, what’s the greatest part of being involved in the lighting industr y? Reiss: The lighting industry is constantly evolving and changing, and that’s exciting to be a part of. That makes every day different and interesting. I love exploring the technology that creates the amazing visual impact our products do for live events. The Retailer: What’s the overall state of the DJ/lighting industr y? Are you opti-
Freedom Flex
MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER
mistic about the future and why? Reiss: Lighting has become an integral part of special events. More than ever, mobile entertainers, event planners and producers, and venue managers recognize the need for effective lighting. That makes for a very healthy lighting industry. I’m really optimistic about the future as control technology, color mixing, portability and other features advance into areas we haven’t even thought of yet. And our end users are getting more and more sophisticated in their lighting knowledge and needs, so that makes our job really important as we develop new products to meet their needs.
The Retailer: What technologies do you think may change the future of the DJ/lighting industr y? Reiss: I really think one main area of advancing technology in lighting is how we control lights. We’ve already seen that in BTAir and Bluetooth wireless technology. We’re working to make control intuitive and as easy to access as possible. With BTAir, it doesn’t get much better than pulling your phone out of your pocket and touching a button or two to activate an exciting light show that’s perfect for small stages and party spaces. But we’ve also developed more robust wireless control technology like D-Fi USB technology and FlareCON Air that work so well with products like our Freedom line of battery-powered fixtures to create 100-percent wireless lighting solutions. Making control easy, making fixtures compact and easy to set up and tear down,
and offering wireless solutions will continue to be big trends in lighting.
The Retailer: Can you describe some of CHAUVET’s recent product launches and what makes them cool? Reiss: As I’ve mentioned, BTAir and our Bluetooth wireless technology enabled fixtures, SlimPAR T12 BT, SlimPAR Q12 BT and COLORband T3 BT, are game changers in terms of easy lighting control. BTAir pairs your phone or tablet automatically with CHAUVET DJ Bluetooth fixtures and lets you control them without any additional hardware. The Freedom Flex H4 IP is the first Freedom product with a swappable battery, which means you never have to take your wireless fixtures out of rotation for charging. The Freedom H1 is a compact wireless fixture that is perfect for pin spotting as well as up lighting because it packs all the wireless power of its larger Freedom relatives in a package that fits in the palm of your hand. The Retailer: Any advice you can provide for music instrument retailers when selling your products? Reiss: Our dealers are our lifeblood and partners. It’s our pleasure to provide as much information to them as possible about our products and about lighting in general. We have close relationships with them, and they know they can always contact us with any questions or ideas. Check out our vast amount of lighting information resources at www.chauvetdj.com or through www.chauvetacademy.com.
Intimidator Spot 375ZIRC
31
M I SPY
SEARCHING FOR MILE HIGH SERVICE IN THE MILE HIGH CITY I was sitting at a surprisingly hip hotel bar in Madison, Wis., enjoying the second of two French martinis, when The Chief texted me with my next assignment. He said to hightail it to Dane County Regional and catch the next flight to the Mile High City: Denver. My confirmation number was the only other thing to appear on my screen — aside from a note to check my email. I downed the rest of the cocktail as I ordered a Lyft, wishing I’d had more time to savor the raspberry concoction. On the way to the airport, I checked my inbox. This time around, The Chief said I was going to be a mobile DJ in search of better sound. But Denver? With a decent live music scene and some notable clubs to its name, there’s music going on, but I didn’t think that the foot of the Rockies was exactly a hotbed of DJ tech. But I suppose anywhere there’s music, there’s pro audio. The cover story was simple: I’ve been doing mobile gigs for a while but wasn’t happy with my sound. I didn’t own any subwoofers; I rented them when I needed them. I worked mostly smallish gigs, nothing too fancy — weddings, office parties, that sort of thing. Oh, and I didn’t have a specific budget in mind; I hated shopping online, so I wanted to see how far my wallet would carry me. Easy enough. He’d sketched out some options for me, from the city center to the south suburbs. With Denver’s population growth and skyrocketing housing prices, I knew getting from Denver International to all the stores wasn’t going to be fun. But I picked up the rental car after the shuttle bus ride from hell, and off I went.
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National Speaker 2369 S. Trenton Way, Unit N Denver, CO 80231 303.777.4970
On the southeast side of Denver proper, National Speaker seemed like a logical place to start my trek from Denver International Airport. The place seemed a bit off the beaten path; let’s call it a “destination” retailer, situated in a business park with a strange mix of businesses around it, from a dialysis service to a café to a tax accountant. But I wasn’t here to evaluate the neighbors. The guy at the counter greeted me immediately with a handshake. Given the standard wall-o-guitars to my left, and no live sound anywhere in sight, I offered my cover story. (I thought I was pretty convincing, too.) He said I needed to talk to another employee. We made some small talk while I waited. National clearly does a decent business on the repair side of the house, and I could see technicians in the back room performing surgery on speakers of various styles and types. The other employee appeared quickly. I conveyed the cover story again. He asked about my current speakers as he took me around the corner to where the live sound speakers were hiding. National didn’t have a massive amount of stock; the showroom was actually quite compact, but it was well laid out, tidy and inviting in that “there’s a lot here to discover” sort of way. I told the employee — a pleasant, friendly rocker type of guy — that I currently used a pair of older Peavey self-powered units. He suggested that perhaps the only thing I truly needed to change was to add a decent subwoofer, and skip replacing the top-ends. He AUGUST 2018
Sound Town 1233 W. Alameda Ave. Denver, CO 80223 303.733.3336
offered up a used Mackie SWA1502 that was in surprisingly great shape and was priced at $700, which would be an affordable way to round out my theoretical existing system. I asked if I was buying new, and wanted to replace my top-ends too, what would he suggest? For that, a trio of Yamaha products was his suggestion: A DXS15 sub and a pair of DXR15 tops — all in the general ballpark of $700-ish each. So, a little north of two grand, and I’d be set. I made some notes, thanked him for his time, collected a business card and off I went to the next stop.
Getting to Sound Town was most of the battle. Between the insane traffic I was expecting, and the random construction backups I wasn’t expecting, I was wishing I’d stopped at a McDonald’s on the way (MI Spy doesn’t always eat lobster thermidor like Batman in the Lego Batman Movie). At least my stomach wouldn’t be growling while my bladder was begging for a pit stop. Parking was the main issue at Sound Town. The small parking lot seemed to have most of its spaces reserved for the cannabis dispensary next door (oh right, I’m in Colorado, the original home of legalized pot) and the electrical supplier across the way. On-street parking a short walk away would have to suffice. This cramped, busy little shop appears to have found at least two or three uses for every square inch of the limited space they have. From the small facility, they handle new and used gear, as well as a thriving rental business. Among the piles of gear (literally, piles), it managed to carve out some space for working displays of some Roland DJ controllers, among others, so I knew I was in the right place. (Of course, there was the wall-o-guitars, too.) A guy was the first to greet me, and he had the hipster musician look. The guy reeked cool, but after wrapping up a transaction, it was clear he knew a thing or two about pro audio, too. He asked what I was looking for; I gave him the story. Despite suggesting that the real expert was not in at the moment, without hesitation, he suggested some new Mackie gear: the SRM1850 sub and a pair of SRM650s for the top-end units. He said he’s done his fair share of DJing, as well, and felt confident that these were a good match.
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33
With the sub running around $900, and the tops running somewhere around $700 a piece, the pricing was a bit higher than National’s recommendation but seemed like a nice fit for my theoretical setup. Judging by the sheer number of corrugated cardboard cartons stacked inside the place, all with the “Mackie” name and “SRM” printed on them, it was apparent the salesman’s employer has a soft spot for the brand and certainly appears to move a lot of it as well. Dodging stuff on the crowded shop floor, he took me over to the piles of rental stock, referring to them in order to offer other options in the Mackie range, but stood by his original suggestions. I took my notes, thanked him for his time and collected his business card.
Music Go Round 8055 W. Bowles Ave. Littleton, CO 80123 303.932.8277
I made my way to the southwest suburbs for my next stop, one of the two local metro Denver franchises of Music Go Round, the national chain. If I was going to be a mobile DJ on a budget, this seemed like a good choice. This MGR location is in a strip mall storefront. The guys working the counter all seemed to be involved in handling the transaction of a guy trying to unload some gear for quick cash. The musician’s life isn’t an easy one, so it’s nice that places like this exist to monetize unused gear when the rent needs to be paid and the gigs are few. But honestly, the place had more of a pawn shop feel than that of a music store. Getting anyone’s attention seemed to be the first challenge. Seeing the live sound gear, I decided to investigate on my own. Soon enough, one of the guys up front wandered over to see if I needed any help. I gave him my story, which after three tellings, started to feel more natural. Unfortunately, this MGR didn’t really have tons to offer me for my particular scenario. Playing off an idea from my first stop, I suggested that perhaps I could get by with just a subwoofer, paired with my existing top-ends. The salesman suggested a Yamaha SW500 they had on-hand; the 15-inch powered sub indeed seemed like a good choice. It was in pretty rough physical condition, but the $250 price tag would have been a particularly attractive entrypoint to augment my existing theoretical setup. In top-end units, the store had only a couple of singletons on the used side; the salesman said he was surprised, since they normally only bring them on in pairs. It did have a pair of new Behringer B112Ws in boxes, which surprised me. I said so, too. The guy told me yeah, 99 percent of its stuff is used, but the new Behringers could be picked-up for about $300 a pop. I thanked him for his time and browsed the DJ gear briefly on the way out. The selection was pretty light, just like the speakers, and didn’t really have much a pro mobile DJ would seriously consider. But a store specializing in used gear can’t sell what people haven’t brought in to unload. So with nothing else to see, I decided it was time to move to the next stop.
Guitar Center 9647 E. County Line Road Centennial, CO 80112 303.858.0858
The final stop on my Denver mission was one of the several Guitar Center locations in the area. This one in the southeast suburbs was easy enough to get to from the southwest side. Well, “easy” — other than still more road construction and reduced speed limits along C470, the logical corridor between the last two stops. I’ve been in a lot of Guitar Centers in my day, and I find it interesting how different they can be. Sure, the stock is pretty much standard, but you can see the influence of store management. This GC location was neat, tidy, clean, organized and inviting, and the pro-audio section draws your eye with a nice lighting setup beckoning from the corner. I made a beeline directly there. On a weekday afternoon, not that many customers were milling around, but the sole employee in the department, Justin, greeted me as soon as he was off the phone. I delivered my polished cover story, and the guy impressed me with his product knowledge and understanding of my needs. He took me over to the wall-o-speakers (of course, at GC, the wall-o-guitars is in another department). On the way, he said a lot of it is budget-driven in terms of choice; I gave my line about not liking to shop online, and just wanting to check out where my budget would take me. He didn’t hesitate to steer me to any of the QSC K.2 series if they were in budget; sure enough, they sounded great (the salesman powered everything up with sample tunes), but with top-ends in the $650 to $800 range, and the suggested sub (a KW181) at $1,400, I was pushing for a second option. That option came in the form of some ElectroVoice choices. The ELX200-18SP delivered some nice low-end punch for roughly $800, while the top-ends, either a ZLX-12P or ZLX-15P ($400 and $500, respectively), rounded out a nice, affordable package that was south of the $2,000 mark that started to seem like a reasonable target. I thanked the salesman for his suggestions and browsed the nicely-laid-out, well-stocked and tidy section of DJ mixers and controllers before heading to the door.
The Sale
In the end, it was a toss-up. If I were going to follow through with buying new gear all around, I’d probably take a second look at what National Speaker suggested (Yahama) and Guitar Center suggested (Electro-Voice). Pricing is in the same rough ballpark, the gear sounded great and it seemed “right sized” to fit my mobile DJ persona. And all around, the gear was a good fit for someone who said he’d be hefting this stuff in and out of gigs, solo. That said, National Speaker’s suggestion to perhaps just go with a used sub and keep my current top-end units was a financially sensible choice, which tipped me in favor of the little one-off shop. Regardless, before I head out of town, I need to find a place to shake me up a nice French martini (I’d planned on a couple more back in Madison). Naw… I think I’ll go revisit one of the walls-o-guitars… There’s a sweet used Fender calling my inner rock star. Time to turn off the cell phone before The Chief gets any bright ideas.
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AUGUST 2018
S PECI AL T O THE R ETAIL ER
MI Retailers Cry
FOUL With Collections Companies By Brian Berk
Hordes of MI retailers have cried foul about Music Merchant Recovery, whose goal is to collect and recover past-due brand instrument rental fees. According to several social media posts, Music Merchant Recovery has collected hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars from MI retailers and proceeded to collect past-due funds for band in instrument fees, but allegedly paid no compensation back to the retailer. In addition to receiving no compensation, multiple MI retailers have accused Music Merchant Recovery of posting fictitious Facebook and Instagram postings, as well as stating it operates a storefront, when the location is actually an alleged warehouse. On its Facebook page, the company posted this description of itself: “Since 1997, Music Merchant Recovery has been the leader in the collection and recovery of past due band instrument rental fees.” Allenhurst, N.J.-based Music Merchant Recovery is also known by parent company Baylor & Connor. Tracy Leenman, owner of Musical Innovations in Greenville, S.C., is one retailer who has expressed concern about the company. She states she has been defrauded to the tune of approximately $2,200. Leenman has emailed Kevin Sullivan, director of client services for Music Merchants Recovery, on several occasions. One email she sent to Sullivan read: “I have tried to reach the ‘owner’ and ‘principals’ of your company (and its supposed parent company) but to no avail. Depending on the legal status of the corporation, any or all of you may be liable. That being said, we’ve found that the photos shown online for the ‘owner’ are stock photos and we are not even sure he exists. Your business address is a warehouse. There is a long list of other industry companies that are dissatisfied and working with us to put together a legal complaint of fraud and theft. So, no more deception from your end, please. If you take in money from our clients, how come that money cannot be forwarded to us as soon as you receive it? To use our money for other purposes is legally theft. “We are willing to be ‘patient,’ but I’d like a timeframe, please,” continued Leenman. “We MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER
are now owed over $2,200, and if we go to court for that, we will also insist on your commission on these payments, making the total significantly more.” Responded Sullivan in the latter part of last year: “Well I do exist and unfortunately I am sorry you are having difficulty reaching the owner. The corporation is set up legally and was and still is in operation. The office address isn’t in a warehouse and we have a physical address at 560 Main St. The company is trying really hard to get back on track. We lost credit card processing, and a few bank accounts because of a collector putting in fraudulent checks, and the banks and processors are still holding on to the funds. Credit card processing banks can legally hold funds for up to six months and in some cases longer depending on the particulars of what transpired. Which ours has chosen to do. As soon as I have a better answer for you I will email you and let you know. [sic]” However, Leenman stated in July she has still yet to receive any payment from Music Merchant Recovery. “I tried to be patient with them,” Leenman told the Music & Sound Retailer. Leenman added she has now employed a different company to try to handle collections, whom she stated is working hard and honestly. The owner of Musical Innovations was not alone in expressing concerns about Music Merchant Recovery. According to Donovan Bankhead, president of Missouri-based Springfield Music, he turned some accounts over to Music Merchant Recovery and received payments from the New Jersey-based company initially. “Now they don’t return phone calls or emails, and customers are telling us that they are still making payments to them,” he told the Retailer. “These people are criminals,” Bankhead wrote in a web post. “They collect on the debts that you place with them but then keep the money instead of paying the debt on behalf of the customer. They will not return phone calls or emails.” Music Merchant Recovery may not be the only collections company with alleged unscrupulous tactics. Kevin Walters, president of Palmyra, Pa.-based Central Penn Music, told the Retailer he has had a problem with a company called T.I.R.G. It is unknown if T.I.R.G. is related to Music Merchant Recovery. T.I.R.G., based in Florida, “initially did a decent job for us and we got payments from them,” stated Walters. “Then the payments stopped. We could not get any responses from them and, as far as I could tell, it appeared its base of operation either moved to New Jersey or was always in New Jersey. We contacted the Attorney General in Florida and she explained that it isn’t her job to protect businesses from things like this and would not pursue it.” Central Penn Music never received approximately $2,000 from T.I.R.G., reported Walters. “At the time, my wife was in contact with some other stores that were owed way more than that. We later received some very pushy sales calls from a ‘new’ company that was specializing in the music business. Every time I tried to confirm any information they hung up or avoided the questions. The calls originated from several different states. It appears these thieves are very good at what they do and seem to be moving enough to avoid prosecution. They seemed to know way too much about us for it to be a coincidence.” Sullivan did not respond to an email request from the Retailer seeking comment. A call placed to the Federal Bureau of Investigations to determine if it was investigating Music Merchant Recovery was not returned. 35
SHINE A LIGHT
From left: Sarina Garoutte, Gary Holt, Billy Garoutte and Kekoa Garoutte at a recent guitar clinic.
Silly Strings Guitar Shop 824 Petaluma Blvd. S. Petaluma, CA 94952 707.559.3722 www.sillystringsguitars.com Wed. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sun. 11 am - 4 p.m. Billy, Sarina and Kekoa Garoutte, Owners
SILLY AND SUCCESSFUL By Michelle Loeb
On Halloween 2017, Silly Strings Guitar Shop opened its doors in Petaluma, Calif. Despite having never owned a musical instrument store before, Sarina Garoutte, her husband Billy Garoutte and her son Kekoa Garoutte recognized a void in the Bay Area musical instrument marketplace and knew that they could make a difference in serving the community. “Billy has been involved in the music scene for many years, specifically metal. He’s actually been in the midst of it in a band, Cultural Warfare,” said Sarina Garoutte, who works full-time in human resources and payroll as a manager. “So, we know what the community wants and needs, and what we were hearing from the numerous people in music who we know is that they can’t find enough metal instruments at local stores. We saw there was a need for that niche.” With Billy and Kekoa as the main sales experts at the store, customers who walk into the store not only find a staff that is well-versed in metal music and culture, but also a selection of instruments that are difficult to find in other area stores. Though a few “classic” and consignment pieces can be found, the vast majority of the stock consists of guitars, pedals, amps, strings and other accessories geared toward the metal musician. “We are very picky about what goes on our walls and usually require it not be a basic item you can get anywhere,” said Sarina. The Garouttes make sure to weigh the tastes and opinions of all members of the family so as to ensure a diversified product mix. “I like colors and naturals, Billy likes blacks and Kekoa likes both, as well as some fluorescents,” Sarina explained. “So, our input has worked together very well, and that’s where the variety comes in, because although metal is metal, there are so many different genres and personalities that go with it.” Retail sales make up the majority of Silly Strings’ business, “with a close runner up of our top-notch repairs that have been commended across the state,” Sarina said. “People will drive for two hours to have Billy fix their instrument.” Silly Strings also offers a lesson program, where teachers pay a small fee for use of the room, rounding out the services for customers. The store also aims to serve the metal community by selling CDs and merchandise on behalf of (continued on page 52) 36
AUGUST 2018
I N T H E T RE NCHE S
By Allen McBroom
What Every N e w M usic S t ore Own e r Should Know PART 1
Established music store owners all started their businesses with a vision of what it would be like to own and operate a music store. For most of those store owners, reality varied from their vision to some degree. We’ve all had those educational moments when we’ve thought “Wow, I wish I’d known this five years ago,” or “I wish I’d known this when I got started.” As a nod to those moments, I polled some of our industry’s established store owners and posed a question: If you were giving advice to a new store owner, what would you tell him or her? The answers to that question, while undoubtedly good advice for the MI newbie, also make a lot of sense for established store owners, so those who have been around the block a time or two may also find some value in this series of columns. (Yes, you read that right. Series. There’s way too much good stuff here to cram it all into one page.) We’ll start off with my advice to those who have brand new stores and those who are planning to open a music store. The columns that follow will share wisdom from other store owners, such as Cassell’s Music, Paradise Music, DC Music Store and others. Many years ago, I was visiting with my attorney, a wise, old southern gentleman who had seen many businesses come and go. I asked him if he had any words of advice to a young businessman, and he gave me one pearl of wisdom: Live each day like you’re $10 in the hole at the bank. I’ve found that to be good advice in the years that followed. While that is sound advice for every industry, what follows is more specific to new or gestational stores in the music industry. Let’s say your name is Wilbur Turnipseed, and you’re opening Wilbur’s Music in Hooterville. Do your best to pick a store name that isn’t the same as some other stores in the country. You want your store name to be as unique as possible. Once you’ve chosen your store name, you need to start claiming all your internet identities. See if you can claim the domain wilbursmusic.com. If that name is already taken, but it leads to an inactive webpage, you may be able to buy that domain from the URL owner MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER
for a reasonable sum. If you’re not able to get that domain name, you’ll either have to figure out how to get close (wilbersmusichooterville.com, maybe), or perhaps you are early enough in the process that you can change the name. Maybe turnipseedmusic.com is available. Name recognition and identity is more important today than ever before. A Google search for your name should return your store, not your store and five others with the same name. Next, claim your Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts. You may not plan on using those services on day one, but when you do start to use them (and you will) you want to own the accounts that match your store. While you’re at it, talk to some 20-something-yearold friends, and ask what social media sites they are using, and claim your account names on those sites, as well. Right now, the two biggies are Instagram (15 to 30 year olds) and Facebook (30 to 65 year olds), but claim all the account names you can, because social media popularity ebbs and flows. Pick a location that people can actually find without any trouble, and make sure you have a sign that can be easily read from the road. Make sure the sign is lighted in some way. Subscribe to and read every issue of every MI trade journal. You can also find them online. Subscriptions are free for most journals, and you should take time to read through all or most of each journal every month. This is how you stay up on what is trending. Keep in mind that ads and articles may be slanted toward the gear they are reviewing at times, so don’t get caught up in the glitz of the page and buy a truckload of left-handed bouzoukis. Get on the phone and talk to potential distributors and suppliers. They are your product lifeline, and you need to select vendors who will have reasonable purchase requirements, reasonable terms and profitable products. “Reasonable,” as used in the previous sentence, translates into “It works for you.” Write down on paper exactly what you realistically plan to do in your store in the first year. Your plan may be “Sell accessories and guitars, sell keyboards, repair keyboards and sell lessons.” Write that down, and tape it to the wall where you can see it every day. Keeping that in sight may help you avoid getting off track and trying to corner some market not in your game plan. Be sure you’re planning to do more than just “sell stuff,” as you’ll need revenue streams that don’t involve selling products. Try to not sell the same lines of big items that your neighbor stores carry. If you have three stores within an easy drive of where you are, and they all carry XYZ guitars, you probably don’t want to stock XYZ. Instead look for other lines and see if they make sense for you to carry. Smaller lines are frequently easier to work with, and easier to stock and sell. Yes, you may have to work to sell them, but they probably aren’t easily Googled for price checks, so you can maintain your margins easier. Before you pick up a line, conduct a Google search to see where that line is available near you. If there are five places nearby, pass. Focus heavily on accessories. $1,000 doesn’t buy many guitars, but it will buy a lot of accessories, and accessories sell easier and more often than even the most popular guitar line. Go to namm.org, and join. NAMM is the National Association of Music Merchants, and its membership includes merchants, manufacturers and anyone else involved in the MI industry. Read its website, and in particular watch the educational videos. Go to The NAMM Show. There’s one in Anaheim, Calif., each winter, and one in Nashville, Tenn. each summer. Join the Independent Music Store Owners Group (IMSO). The link is musicstoreowners. com. This will have to happen after you have a building and signs in place, because only store owners are allowed to join and access the forums. But as soon as you qualify, join the IMSO. Membership is free. Once you are in, you’ll have access to tens of thousands of posts about running a music store. Whether you are a hardened MI veteran or a hopeful novice, the IMSO is there to help you through the pitfalls of business. 37
F RONT AND CE NTER
CHALISE ZOLEZZI NAMM Director of Public Relations and Social Media By Leslie Buttonow Summer NAMM, for my team, is all about supporting the experience and opportunities that the show offers: making connections between media and members, our artist performers and guests, and special events.
Editor’s Note: “Front and Center” is brought to you by the Women’s International Network (The WiMN). The interviews showcase accomplished women who work in the music and audio industries, spotlighting successful female performers, manufacturers, retailers and others. Visit thewimn. com to view the weekly interviews and learn more about how to be featured. 38
The WiMN: What is something you most enjoy about your role at NAMM? Chalise Zolezzi: I joined the NAMM team two years ago, and on my first NAMM Fly-In for Music Education Advocacy to Washington, D.C., a student at the Day of Service crystalized this for me when she said (paraphrasing), “If I don’t have music, I don’t have anything.” Music was her source of hope, not just for the immediate, but for the future. And this story is not unique. Every NAMM member provides the foundation for discovering this passion, and by participating in NAMM, contributes the means necessary to continue to provide access and opportunity for music making through the NAMM Foundation’s multitude of programs and charitable grants. Having the opportunity to be a part of an organization with a mission and members seeking to create a more musical world is an honor. The WiMN: Have you seen changes in the number of women or the opportunities for women in our industr y over the past few years? Zolezzi: I think the visibility of women in industry leadership roles has dramatically risen since I started in the industry. You look around, and you see the first female chair of NAMM, Robin Walenta, you see organizations like WiMN and the She Rocks Awards show honoring female leaders, you see the gathering of the SWIM Team and young professional women entering the industry and making an impact through NAMM’s GenNext program. I’m excited to see the next generation of female leaders take hold. The WiMN: Please tell us about your experience at Summer NAMM? What was your role? Zolezzi: We were humbled to welcome 500 exhibiting members, 1,600 brands and 15,000 members to Nashville. The annual mid-year gathering gave all members a chance to introduce new products, meet with buyers from around the world, engage in over 50 professional development sessions and make the critical buying decisions for the fourth quarter. Summer NAMM, for my team, is all about supporting the experience and opportunities that the show offers: making connections between media and members, our artist performers and guests, and special events, like the American Eagle Awards and the first SWIM Meet, and importantly, making sure our members know about these special events and opportunities through our communication channels. This year’s Make Music Experience welcomed a strong showing of music and audio professionals in the region and a meaningful opportunity to engage with members and in their own professional development. The WiMN: How soon after Summer NAMM do you prepare for the winter edition? What do you need to do now to make sure it’s the talk of the industr y? Zolezzi: The NAMM team is at work year-round to build the platforms for the industry that are The NAMM Show and Summer NAMM. After the close of each show, we survey our member attendees and listen carefully to feedback, evaluate what worked and what didn’t, and start from the ground up, planning and building the next show. As a team, we’re focused and committed to a model of continuous improvement and providing meaningful opportunities for business, professional development and networking for our members. The real “talk of the industry” comes from the creativity and energy of NAMM members, who, alongside AUGUST 2018
our partners and guests, deserve all the credit for building such a powerful industry gathering, which really is its own culture, which reflects the innovative products, services, connections, members and activations that all happen at The NAMM Show. The WiMN: At the NAMM Show this past Januar y, we had the pleasure of meeting your daughter, who was working at the NAMM media center. How do you feel that we, as women in our music industr y, can support and encourage other young women looking at careers in music? Zolezzi: At The NAMM Show, I have an incredible team of emerging public relations professionals. Witnessing their professional growth and the creativity and energy that they bring to the show is inspiring. I’m like a proud mother hen! Like any business or industry, opportunity often comes from networking; getting to know those who can impact your career or offer guidance, when needed. For those of us who have found our careers in the industry, I would say that mentorship is the single best way we can give back and foster the next generation of leaders. I have been blessed with incredible mentors at every stage of my career, and I hope that through mentoring I can give as much as I’ve received. The WiMN: Are there any resources you’d like to point young women to as they consider pursuing a career in some aspect of music? Zolezzi: For young women looking to get their start in the industry, there is a multitude of resources available: from NAMM’s GenNext program, which supports emerging college-aged professionals, to the SWIM Team and NAMM Young Professionals, to groups like the WiMN, SoundGirls, Women’s Audio Mission, Women in Music, and on. I would recommend [that you] find the organization that fits your aspirations and actively MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER
participate. Look for those opportunities to learn from others; there are amazing stories, people and opportunities to be uncovered. Develop your network, your group, and don’t be afraid to reach out or lean in to ask for help. Connect with those indi-
viduals who inspire you and seek opportunities to be mentored. The WiMN: If any readers aspire to perform at a NAMM show, is there a submission process you could recommend for them?
Zolezzi: I would highly encourage any of your readers interested in performing at a NAMM Show to apply for the Bands@NAMM program on the NAMM website. Submissions opened Aug. 13 for The 2019 NAMM Show, January 24-27. See you in Anaheim!
R E TA ILER R E B E L
MAKE VIDEO CONTENT A PRIORITY NOW
By Gabriel O’Brien I’m finishing this column at midnight in Eagle River, Alaska. Before you Google it, know it’s near Anchorage and is four hours (in terms of time zone) behind my home state of Ohio. So, Ohio time, it’s currently 4 a.m. I got here yesterday, after having only been home three days from Nashville. Why was I in Nashville three days before my vacation? I was making videos. Why am I writing this column at a ridiculous hour? Because talking about this is that important. The vast majority of MI video content I’ve seen is the standard “guy talking about a guitar then playing some guitar” demo-type videos. While I love that kind of content, and don’t think it’s without value, its primary audience are existing musicians and fans of a brand. Educational videos are great for educating consumers, and I’m a big fan of them. However, there’s a second tier to video content our industry largely hasn’t yet adopted that’s every bit as valuable and can potentially reach a wider audience. These are story-based pieces of content and can come in many forms. This type of episodic storytelling is known as video blogging. Video blogs, or vlogs, have become a popular style of internet filmmaking over the past five years. There are big-time vloggers regularly making a living simply by monetizing their video content on YouTube. These vloggers cover a wide range of content, but the key component tying them all together is that they’re sharing a perspective and a story that, more often than not, takes place over the course of a single day. There are 40
no hard rules about this sort of thing, but the viewership and engagement are huge. This is the type of content I’m making, and a few others in the industry have taken this approach to videos. JHS comes to mind. Vlogs are primarily shared on YouTube, which is where the medium finds its largest audience. However, there are also other options when it comes to episodic storytelling platforms. Another popular way to share episodic stories that take place in a similar manner is Instagram Stories, which I’ve talked about before. Instagram Stories is the video part of Instagram that allows videos and photos to be shown in a consecutive narrative. Video clips are at 15-second intervals. While this may sound convoluted or limiting, it’s not, and it can be a unique way to share “day in the life”-style videos or even more highly curated content. While some in our industry have already been taking advantage of this piece of the platform, it still has yet to catch on with most independent retailers. In its simplest form, you can record or take images right in the Instagram app and add them to your ongoing daily story. The more complex version would be making content ahead of time, presumably so it’s higher quality, and then uploading it to your phone, and then into the app. Now, some of you have probably reached the point where you’re scratching your head and trying to determine if this is another thing you should potentially waste man hours on. If that’s your approach to content, my answer is “no,” because you’ll likely not give it the kind of effort it deserves to make it work. But if you’re at all curious, I can tell you that the community-building benefits are big, and the potential payoff is better consumer loyalty and sell-through. If those things matter to you, and they should, then I suggest you start connecting with your customers using video as a tool immediately. Start small and start simple. Try out Instagram Stories, which allows you to use your phone. No complicated software or additional equipment is needed, and no previous editing experience is required. It is helpful to have some kind of plan ahead of time, so you know what the narrative is and what you’re planning to film (even if you just jot a few quick notes). If you’re feeling more ambitious and have any kind of decent camera, think about taking some time to tell your story. Talking about your history is a great place to start. Find a nice spot to sit down and just spend five minutes telling your company’s story to a camera. There are great YouTube tutorials out there on budget lighting for interviews using a single IKEA light, even. I know people who make videos like this simply by learning how to intercut some historic store photos in iMovie or other free video software. If you feel like you want something more professional, I’m sure there are local videographers in your area. Once you establish that, follow up with special events, holiday videos, and unboxing things that are interesting and new. People love reviews, but they also love to feel like they have an insider’s view of what goes on behind the scenes. You may feel like a music store is a boring place to be, but your customers likely don’t, or you wouldn’t have any. This type of storytelling is all based on the premise that everyone is interesting if you just watch, and it should appeal directly to the spirit of what independent music stores are. Every store is interesting. I was on a Summer NAMM panel on store design, and each of those stores was completely different, as were, I’m sure, their stories. I’d love to hear more about them all, and so would their customers. So would yours. Have you tried using video to engage your customers? What has and hasn’t worked? Have questions? Write to me at gabriel@upperhandstudios.com. AUGUST 2018
‘ HI RE’ LEAR NING
HOW TO AVOID MAKING A BAD HIRE PART 2 INTERVIEWS AREN’T EVERYTHING By Will Mason Last time, we talked about interviews; how to hold an effective interview to help make better hires. At the end of that article, I said that interviews aren’t everything. In this article, we are going to look at why that’s true, and what we can do to supplement our interviews with additional means. When selecting a new team member, no matter what level within the organization, it’s important to gather as much information as possible before making the job offer. Even if it takes more time (and it will), being thorough at this stage will benefit you and your team over the long haul. So why can’t we just depend on the interview? Over the years, I’ve heard many managers, business owners and executives say, “Just trust your gut.” There is some measure of truth to that. If you have a negative intuition about a person, it usually does mean there is something unsettling about the person’s character that should raise a red flag. However, our ‘gut’ can definitely lead us in the wrong direction when we get charmed by a great interviewee who has no real skills (other than interviewing well). Sometimes, you can fish these charmers out by simply looking at the duration of their previous employment listed on their resume. If there is a string of six-month jobs, that is a sign that you may be dealing with someone who doesn’t know what they want out of life, and it’s best not to be another victim of their indecisiveness when six months from now they decide they don’t really like working in a guitar shop and want to go back to coffee… But other times, their game is so good that it stays well-hidden until you’ve taken the bait and added them to your team. So, what’s going on outside of an interview that we’re missing? MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER
Two Reasons Interviews Don’t Tell Us Everything We Need To Know Inter views place an undue emphasis on verbal skills. Some people are great at schmoozing in an interview, but have no interest in working hard once hired. These people interview really well, but don’t produce the results you need once they are on your team. Additionally, they tend to be political within an organization, leveraging their “people skills” to win members to their side and make sure everyone sees their accomplishments, looking for ways to win individual accolades rather than putting the team first. Other people are not great at interviewing but make great team members. The pressure of the interview process is a lot for people who tend toward introversion, and we (hiring managers) can often overlook true potential because of the package it is hidden inside. Inter views don’t test actual abilities needed for job performance. They basically test the ability of a person to talk. That’s about it. If you are hiring a piano teacher and they tell you that they are a great piano teacher, is that enough? Do you see the problem here? For years, we did this at Mason Music. Shoot, we didn’t even know if these applicants could even play the piano. We just took them at their word. For the most part, we had other reasons for trusting their abilities, but how could we know for sure? The obvious answer is coming up in a minute. Over the years, we have made some hires based almost purely on interviews that worked out great. We have also made some that ended up being a disaster. Employees who lied, employees who stole and everything in between. These were all people that we thought were going to do a great job. What did we miss? For this very reason, we have added layers into our screening process to gather a more comprehensive picture of our candidates. So, where does that leave us? What other means of information gathering do we have? Lots!
Social Media Stalking Professional References Skills Assessment/Testing Background Check Social Media is a mixed bag when it comes to screening applicants, and you may not always get the information you are looking for, but you should at least try. Search for your candidates on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. If there is a large discrepancy between the image they portray online and the one they portray in an interview, that is a red flag. Very few people are able to put on a show at work that is contrary to who they really are for any length of time. Eventually, their true colors come out, and you don’t want surprises when it comes to character. So, get out there and do a little stalking. If they have private accounts, get curious about that and spend more time on some of the other options. Professional References. If you aren’t relying on these already, you have to start now. This is very easy, and very helpful. A few tips: You don’t actually have to stick with the people listed on the résumé. If you don’t get the answers you are looking for, or if you have (continued on page 52) 41
C O NFESSIONS OF A R ETAIL ER
KEEP YOUR SALES PIPELINE By Donovan Bankhead In a previous article (January 2018 issue of the Music & Sound Retailer, p. 80), we discussed the most important pipeline: your people. In this installment, I’ll share some thoughts on the sales pipeline. The term “pipeline” is often used to refer to customers going through the various stages of your sales process. The general idea is that some customers are just getting acquainted with your business, while others are loyal, raving fans. But, in order to become raving fans, they first had to start at the beginning of your pipeline. First things first: Before you go out and tell the world how amazing your store is, make sure it is truly amazing. Now, I know this seems obvious, but take a fresh look at your business and see if it is worthy of telling the world (or at least your local market) about it. Better yet, have your employees, friends, even some mystery shoppers, evaluate your business and give you an honest assessment. You might want to use an anonymous tool for this so people can give their unfiltered opinions. You’ll find you get much better feedback this way. There are many ways to do this. I prefer using an anonymous Google Form (forms.google.com), although you can also use a service such as Survey Monkey. Spend the time getting your store in order first. You only get one chance to make a first impression, so you want to make sure it’s a good one. This process should include a thorough review of how you treat your current customers. Are your current customers getting five-star service? What percentage of the time do you think this happens? Keep it real here. If you think you or your staff are giving five-star service 100 percent of the time, you are deceiving yourself. If you can deliver five-star service 80 percent of the time or more, you are killing it! (In this
FULL context, “killing it” is a good thing.) Your goal is to deliver five-star service 90 percent of the time, with the occasional four-star performance mixed in. You will have times where you deliver two- and three-star service. But these instances should be rare, and should prompt a thorough and honest investigation and correction on your part. Your staff must know your goal is five-star service.
DO NOT GO ON TO THE NEXT STEPS UNTIL YOU ARE SURE YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE ABOVE. What good will it do to bring in new customers (or bring back existing customers) if you aren’t delivering a stellar experience? The next step in keeping your sales pipeline full is to develop a system to retain and reward your current customer base. The reason for this is simple: It’s expensive to get new customers, and it’s lots of hard work with hit-or-miss results. Why do all of that work if you are not going to make the most out of your current customer base? There are a variety of ways you can do this, but at my stores, we focus primarily on two approaches: capturing email addresses and getting new followers for our Facebook pages. Email is a wonderfully inexpensive way to communicate to your existing customer base. At Springfield Music, our point-of-sale program shows us if we have a customer’s email address on file. If we don’t, our salesperson asks, “Would you like a $5 gift certificate for your next visit?” When the customer says “yes,” they enter their email address into the point of sale, which is then harvested into our email program to send them a series of automated emails (called a campaign), the first of which is a $5 gift certificate good toward any purchase for their next visit. Please note this is a true gift certificate, not a coupon. Customers treat gift certificates like cash. They treat coupons like trash. The idea behind giving them this gift is, first, to demonstrate your gratitude for their business and, second, to get them to come back and make another purchase. Pro tip: Most email services, such as MailChimp or MailJet, offer automation. This means you pre-design a series of emails that will go to recipients who are added to a specific customer list (such as “New Customers”), and then, at predetermined intervals,
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AUGUST 2018
they will receive a series of emails. These emails could include a $5 gift certificate offer, an invitation to rate your experience at the store, a rundown of the other services your store offers (lessons, rentals, repairs), an introduction to your customer loyalty program, etc. It’s a great time saver and helps you to deliver consistent results. Something we are currently experimenting with is a customer loyalty program. We are using a company called Tapmango for this. It’s too new for me to be able to tell how well it’s working, but I can say we are very excited about how easy it is to use, and we feel it will help drive those all-important returning shoppers. Once you know you are delivering five-star service 90 percent of the time, and you have a tested customer retention system in place, then you are ready to go out and get new customers. We have found the best results with a few basic tools: making sure our website is updated regularly with current content (this helps as customers are doing Google searches in your area), claiming our Google MyBusiness listing and making sure all info is current (business. Customers treat google.com), adding high-quality pictures, and regularly using Facegift certificates book as a conversation tool with our customers. I imagine by now you know to like cash. not use Facebook (or other social media) to only promote your sales and products. Think of it in terms They treat of having conversations with your customers. You don’t want to be coupons self-promoting all of the time. You also want to connect and serve. It’s important to note the follke trash. lowing stats: for every plain-text Facebook post, Facebook will show it to about 2 to 3 percent of your audience. Graphic posts get about 5 percent, video gets 7 percent, and Facebook Live videos get shown to about 10 percent. This does not mean you should only do Facebook Live videos. Rather, you should use a combination of these different posts to reach your audience. You can expand the reach of these posts by “Boosting” the post, or by running an ad. For most stores, using the Boost function and curating your audience using Facebook’s tools will be the most effective way to get a certain message to the customers who are most likely to engage with it. We have found it’s worth getting some professional (i.e. paid) training to maximize our Facebook returns. My favorite company for this is a company called Social Edge (www.socialedge.co). It offers a couple of excellent courses, and they are worth every penny. The company has provided a free Facebook Marketing miniseries which gives you a taste of what they do. You can check it out at www.msr.io/2myShL6. I hope the ideas presented in this article will help you to keep your pipeline full. With each of these topics, I’ve just scratched the surface. You should do a deep dive via a Google search to learn more about how to excel in all of these areas. Remember, being a successful retailer is a journey, not a destination. You’ll make the most progress by being committed to always moving forward and always getting better. And if you have some great tips on how you keep your sales pipeline full, I’d love to hear them! Email me at donovan@springfieldmusic.com. MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER
Practice perfect posture.
RedLabelStrings.com A portion of sales will benefit Greyhound Rescue
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V E D D AT O R I A L
It’s All About Service By Dan Vedda Back-to-school is in progress as you read this, and the holidays are already in the wings. We’re going to see a lot of new faces over the next four months. Time for a moment spent thinking about one of the (often misunderstood) foundations of retail: customer service. When you talk about “great customer service,” whether as a consumer or as a retail employee, what standards are you basing your ideas on? I’ve been noticing a blurring of the notion of service over the last few years. It once was a very high mark, reaching for the exceptional in every aspect: customer relations, error We seem to be in a period handling and what we now call “loyalty programs.” But too of less civility and more often today, customer service is either damage control or the proud display of nothing more artificial intelligence than a participation trophy. (I’ve said for years that if you have to personalization. tell customers about your great service, it suggests that they Yet I really believe might not notice it without a prompt.) that our desire While I still see admirable examples of great customer service from members of our for good industry, I am also observing policies and practices that service is seem to debase or deconstruct the ideals of the past. Often, undiminished. customer service is skewed for profitability, masks lack of personnel or attempts to control rather than serve. We seem to be in a period of less civility and more artificial intelligence personalization (which is essentially depersonalization cheerfully dispensed by robots). Yet I really believe that our desire for good service is undiminished. Granted, the expectations of some consumers may also be out of line with reality, but I think there is a personal service interaction achievable by most stores that is truly satisfying to a broad swath of consumers. So, what is great customer service? First, let’s clear a misconception: Customer service is not a checklist item. It is a dynamic, 44
real-time process driven by the consumer. The operative word here is service. Many retail employees forget — or never believed — that their real job is to take care of myriad of customers and see to it that each person’s individual needs are met quickly, efficiently and satisfactorily, so these customers return again and again. To these folks, it sounds like too much work or seems too subservient. Yet I firmly believe that most of the brick-and-mortar vs. internet issues we face would be far less harrowing if retailing had consistently offered this kind of service over the last 20 years. I also believe that the stores that offer it are the ones that will succeed, regardless of business model or size. So, what constitutes exemplary customer service? This is the hard part because it relies on skills that are really hard to train for: empathy, versatility and creativity. It also requires a manager or owner to empower employees to provide this level of service. Sure, in some situations you have to get a manager. But as soon as you do, you have strayed from the ideal. Why the need for empathy, versatility and creativity over policy? Because “good” service is individualized and situational. My father believed that any restaurant server that did not keep the coffee cups full was not worth a tip. Another person might not want coffee at all, not want to be fussed over and prefer to eat their meal in peace. The view of the customer determines the quality of service. So, I believe truly great customer service is only possible when there is a personal, empathetic relationship in force. AUGUST 2018
Perhaps the old slogan, “Where everybody knows your name” from Cheers may seem quaint to you, but it’s a touchstone of what most people still feel is the best business/personal interface. Even among the unjustly-maligned millennials, studies have shown that good shopping experiences are valued and preferred over online shopping — when that good shopping experience is available. Empathy is non-judgmental and shouldn’t be confused with affinity. When the customer likes the same bands or also plays guitar, you have affinity. Being able to respond to the customer’s needs as if they were your own is empathy. Even if you can provide that stellar shopping experience, any repeat customer will eventually encounter a problem — perhaps a misfilled order, a slow repair or a warranty claim. A glitch will happen. The actual solution could take many forms, and this is where creativity and versatility come in. You can’t give away the store, and most customers don’t expect it. But they expect a solution, and they expect their contact to know how to make it happen. Finally, what I think of as the loyalty bond is part of the customer service purview. Long before data-driven loyalty programs, merchants took care of regular customers with what New Orleanians call lagniappe (think of the 13th doughnut in a baker’s dozen, for example). That “something extra” shouldn’t just be reserved for your prestige customers, but spread out to all the customers who frequent a store regularly enough to be recognized. We will give not just pros, but even middle school students, a free reed or set of guitar strings to try. A lot of the pros expect it, of course. But extend that courtesy to someone who thinks they’re beneath the radar and watch them brighten up. A free solo sheet to an avid student, a quick repair just before the concert — we all do these things, or at least I hope we do. But my reason for writing on this topic is that I have had MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER
employees who don’t buy into this customer service model — whether due to lack of skills or lack of intent — get them away from customers, if you keep them at all. In this era, diminished
several experiences both in our industry and in my consumer life that make me question the strength of the commitment to customer service. Last of all, if you discover
service produces negative results in customer loyalty and spending habits. When the human standing in front of you doesn’t seem to care, it’s easier to believe that robots do.
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45
U N DER T H E HOOD
IKU N O MULTIMEDIA’S SYNTH By Anthony Vargas
The UNO Synth represents IK Multimedia’s first entry into the hardware synth market. It was developed by the company in conjunction with Italian synth maker Soundmachines to maximize ease of use for beginners, while also offering a sophisticated, high-end analog synth with a host of features that will appeal to more advanced users. “The idea was to balance offering expression and sound-shaping control for die-hard synth users, while also staying affordable and not [going] so deep that it would discourage beginners,” said Dan Boatman, sales and marketing director for IK Multimedia. “Speaking to the simplicity portion of our vision, the user interface itself is one that will be immediately inviting and usable to beginners, along with features such as the arpeggiators and step sequencer to assist with their music creation. So, in the end, we were able to maintain a high level of both usability and accessibility, delivering a product that will keep novices and pros alike excited and engaged, rather than feeling 46
limited or intimidated.” The UNO Synth offers 100 presets — 80 of which are fully rewritable — plus a 27-note onboard keyboard with selectable scales and an arpeggiator with 10 arpeggio modes and a fouroctave range. The keyboard can be used as a chromatic keyboard with two octaves of sound control or as a predefined scale keyboard with 13 available scales. The keyboard can also be used as a step-edit control for the UNO Synth’s built-in, 100-pattern sequencer, which allows users to program sequences in real time or in steps. The unit’s synth engine boasts two independent VCOs (voltage-controlled oscillators) with Saw, Triangle and Pulse waveforms, as well as a separate white noise generator. The UNO Synth also features a two-pole, OTA (operational transconductance amplifier)-based, resonant analog multimode filter with overdrive that is sweepable from LP to HP to BP. Its seven LFO (low-frequency oscillator) waveforms (Sine, Triangle, Square, Up Saw, Down Saw, Random and Sample-and-Hold) allow users to modulate Pitch, Filter, Amp and continuous oscillator wave shapes, including PWM (pulse-width modulation). And it also offers a built-in delay effect, plus five instant performance modulations (Dive, Scoop, Vibrato, Wah and Tremolo). While it can be used as a standalone unit, the UNO Synth also offers an audio input to allow daisychaining of external audio devices such as drum machines. It also features MIDI in and out for connection of MIDI devices and keyboards. And it can integrate with a DAW (digital audio workstation) running on Mac, PC or mobile via USB MIDI. The UNO Synth’s design draws heavily on the expertise of IK Multimedia’s senior product manager and resident synth guru Erik Norlander, who was previously involved in the development of the Alesis Andromeda. “[The Andromeda] included just about anything one could think of for an analog synthesizer, from complex oscillator modulation to varying filter types to AUGUST 2018
a massively flexible modulation matrix. With the UNO Synth, we took the opposite approach: Instead of what to put in, the big question was what to leave out!” said Norlander. “We chose to omit oscillator sync and cross-modulation between the oscillators. This would have added a layer of complexity to the interface and, of course, also more cost to the product, so we chose to let it go in order to fulfill the vision of the product — keeping it simple and low-cost.” Norlander continued, “[For the UNO Synth,] we created a design that lets you dial in 90 percent of classic synthesizer sounds with our two oscillators, noise generator and multimode filter, along with two envelopes. The oscillators have continuously variable shape and pulse-width modulation of the square wave, so anyone can get a lot of timbral color that way, and the filter is extremely versatile. This lets you move from vintage recreations to modern Eurorack-style electronica sounds very easily. We didn’t want the synth to get stuck in a particular genre; rather, we want the user to make the kind of music they want and give them the ability to shape the sound to their vision.” In order to ensure that users of all experience levels feel at home with the user interface, the UNO Synth’s control panel uses capacitive sensing technology, which is the same touch-interface technology found in a typical smartphone. “When you first see the UNO Synth, you might think, ah, that’s a membranestyle switch. Happily, that is not the case!” said Norlander. “The membrane switches wear out after a while, and, of course, the plastic overlay gets worn more quickly when there is a mechanical switch pushing up against it. With the UNO Synth capacitance sensing system, you don’t have to ‘push’ or ‘press’ anything. You just touch it, the same as a smartphone, or even the classic Buchla controllers. You quickly learn to just glide over the surface, and it’s very artistic.” Because there are fewer moving bits of hardware, the UNO MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER
Synth is less susceptible to wear and tear. “This kind of an interface also allows us to keep the cost down. There is really only one switch on the UNO Synth — the power switch on the rear panel!” Norlander described. “It should also make the product last quite a bit longer, too, with far
fewer parts to break over time.” With all of these features taken together, IK Multimedia believes the UNO Synth has something to offer everyone who is interested in analog synths, as well as those synth users who have never used an analog unit before. “The UNO Synth is the analog synthesizer
for everyone. It’s easy to use, super portable, sounds great and is within reach of any budget. This sounds like a marketing slogan, I know, but that is really the vision behind the product,” enthused Norlander. “First, there is nothing like the sound of a real analog (continued on page 53)
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EDUCATION ASCENDS AT SUMMER NAMM
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AMAHI UKULELES...................39 BOURNS PRO AUDIO................53 CHAUVET LIGHTING................9 CHEM-PAK..................................51 FENDER.......................................7 GALAXY AUDIO........................3 GIG GEAR....................................22 KYSER MUSICAL PRODUCTS...............................12 LITTLITE.....................................24 MANHASSET SPECIALTY COMPANY...............................6 NAMM.................................... 14-15 PEAK MUSIC STANDS..............53 PRO X...........................................11 QRS MUSIC TECHNOLOGIES.....................33 RAIN RETAIL SOFTWARE........25 RCF.......................................... C-III RC WILLIAMS............................52 ROLAND......................................5 SA RICHARDS............................21 THE CAVANAUGH COMPANY................................43 TMP / THE MUSIC PEOPLE!.....23 TRUSST........................................19 U.S. BAND & ORCHESTRA SUPPLIES.................................17 VOCOPRO....................................13 WD MUSIC PRODUCTS............8 YAMAHA..................................C-II YORKVILLE............................C-IV While every care is taken to ensure that these listings are accurate and complete, The Music & Sound Retailer does not accept responsibility for omissions or errors.
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(continued from page 25) stop there. The breakfast session on June 29 offered plenty more, courtesy of the selfproclaimed “pool guy,” Marcus Sheridan. The motivational speaker, who used to sell pools, offered several tips. He primarily discussed many ways to become a digital powerhouse. Embrace the shift. Today, 70 percent of buying decisions have been made before a customer walks into a store, explained Sheridan. And this percentage will keep going up. “The sale never starts when they walk in the store,” he said. Hence, your marketing department is even more important than salespeople. “But the first people let go from companies are often in marketing.” They ask, you answer. Does a website talk about you or your customer? “It should talk about the customer,” said Sheridan, citing the examples of Ultimate Ears and Deering Banjo as great examples of companies doing this right. “Deering even addresses if I am too old to play the banjo,” he said. “They are not talking about themselves.” See yourself as a media company. By 2019, 80 percent of all content consumed online will be video. But only 5 percent of the average website is video, said Sheridan. “We have six months to get on track,” he said. “… Social video generates 1,200 percent more shares than text and images combined. You have no serious social media presence without video.” Sheridan used an example of Quinlan & Fabish publishing a video when Tower of Power visited as an example of video done right. “That video has been shared 2,100 times and has 141,000 views,” he said. Integrate content into the sales process. If a customer reads 30 pages of content on a website, that leads to sales conversions 80 percent of the time, said Sheridan. And when customers don’t purchase, a follow-up email isn’t enough. According to Sheridan, retailers should add a personal video into the email. In fact, the video should have the customer’s name on it. He said Go Video by Vidyard (www.vidyard.com)
Mark Hebert, Cosmo Music, joins NAMM's Joe Lamond.
Zeswitz Music's Randy Shayler speaks with Lamond.
G-Brats Guitars' Monique and Scott Robbins chat with NAMM's president and CEO on June 28.
is a great way to do so. Sheridan used an example, plugging Contemporary Music Center’s Menzie Pittman’s first name into a personal video after talking to him in the audience. Embrace the messy. Things feel awkward in the beginning. “Our customers must see us before we see them,” said Sheridan. “They must hear us before we know them. That’s the foundation of trust.”
Forever Young
Continuing the advice theme was Gator Cases Founder and CEO Crystal Morris during the NAMM Young Professionals meeting on June 29. Tampa, Fla.-based Gator today has 185 employees, with 2,500 U.S. dealers, and its products are sold in more than 70 countries. Morris, whose company earlier this year acquired Levy’s Leathers, had to deal with plenty of adversity in the past several years, primarily stemming from her father, Jerry Freed, who unfortunately be-
came sick and later passed away in November 2014. During these tr ying times, one of the biggest things Morris learned was the importance of the people you surround yourself with and who you want to be as an individual. “Culture always beats strategy,” she said. “Make sure to have the right people on your team.” • Morris offered these tips: • Find great mentors • Create trusted peer relationships • Continuously develop yourself • Be passionate • Eighty percent of success is based on emotional intelligence; 20 percent is based on intellect. • Have hope, optimism and empathy “My final price of advice is to smile,” concluded Morris. “We’re in an awesome industry. Our mission is great.” Summer NAMM returns to July in 2019, with the show taking place from July 18-20. AUGUST 2018
SPINNING AND WINNING: DJ AND LIGHTING MANUFACTURERS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE
(continued from page 23) Denon DJ and PRIME moving forward. For retailers, this is ‘gold,’ since they will not need a computer to demo the gear. Obviously, Rane and Numark will continue to evolve in their areas, and our lighting brands have a lot of activity right now.” “Besides the IRiS LED video walls, professionals should be looking at our moving heads. The Hypno Spot and Hypno Beam have been getting fantastic reviews. The Wink and Loop are also solid professional design products that translate well for high-end DJs,” responded Komassa. “Without question, our most exciting new product is the Blitzz Cold Spark Machine,” relayed Menashe. “This machine creates a breathtaking indoor fireworks-style display. The Cold Spark Blitzz Machine, also known as a cold spark effect, is a safe-to-use spark machine, as it emits cold sparks at around 60 degrees, which are not subject to catching fire. This device is not pyrotechnics, but a simulated pyrotechnic experience. The Cold Spark Machine allows its user to customize how the sparks should appear. The users have the luxury of controlling the sparks’ timing, volume, as well as how high they rise for whatever production. And it can be synchronized to the music and other lighting effects using DMX controls or just operated with the included wired or wireless remote controls.”
Tech Talk
There’s no doubt that technology and DJ and lighting go hand in hand. It’s always hard to determine, but what could be a future game-changing technology? “In the DJ category, our standalone and control solutions will continue to evolve and innovate in flexible and creative ways to tap into the latest improvements available to us,” said Roman. “All I can say is ‘stay tuned.’ In the lighting category, we are very excited to have the team at SoundSwitch join the other engineering teams at inMusic Brands. Lighting is often a mystery to DJs, and making it easy to integrate a light show into your setup and music has historically been a challenge. With SoundSwitch, we recognized right away the power that this solution offers to solve
MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER
both problems. Expect to see real integration of sound to lights moving forward.” Said Menashe: “The current technological advances in LEDs has been changing lighting for some time — some bigger and brighter, others with multiple color abilities (including infrared), and some very small and bright. Video walls and floors are continuing to evolve with better resolution, pressure sensitive and touchscreen abilities and prices are falling. Another amazing technology is the rapidly advancing In Ear Monitor (IEM) business. Manufactures are able to pack so much audio ability inside a custom molded earpiece that reproduces sounds at a level never even imagined just a few years ago. Multiple drivers and subwoofers are giving users (and DJs) the ability to hear all the frequencies across the music range at perfect reproduction, which in turn improves their ability to mix and blend transitions seamlessly. Also, DJs that use IEMs can go cordless with no delays or latency to worry about utilizing a bodypack receiver and a transmitter on their console. This provides a mobile DJ the ability to move around without being tethered by a cord, and still able to hear the music perfectly.” “I believe that one of the hottest technologies for the future of the DJ industry specifically, and will work into the lighting side as well, is artificial intelligence,” he continued. “Artificial intelligence (AI) is almost everywhere today; in business, the stock market, the movie industry and on the internet. Predictive technology utilizing AI can determine actions and reactions that can drive playlists, videos, lighting and more for the working DJ. Utilizing interfaces between the DJ controller (knowing what is playing) and video and audio inputs from the audience can predict reactions to music being played, analyze the music library and predict what music should be played next, or to create a suggested playlist based on that information. Highly skilled DJs can already ‘read the crowd,’ but those with that ability are very much in the minority. AI will likely be able to
offer that ability to anyone that can purchase the technology.” We wrap up our DJ/lighting update with some advice on how MI retailers can best sell their products in store. Komassa shared this viewpoint: “We’re not a DJ lighting company. We make professional lights that successful DJs can also afford. That is the best way to sell our stuff to DJs. Tell them it wasn’t meant for them. People always want what they aren’t supposed to have,” he said. “The best advice I could give a retailer is to place our ProX products next to the competitors’ products so that end users could make a direct comparison,” added Menashe. “I feel confident that they will choose the ProX product most of the time because of the overall value we provide. Our unique features, great fit and finish, and prices will stand out. I would also suggest to put our exclusive items in high-traffic areas to provide a ‘wow, look at that’ response from their customers. As for sales approach, if the customer is just shown what ProX offers, the products will sell themselves (no pitch required). We also try to have very good descriptions and feature listings on our website proxdirect.com that dealers can use on their own websites and/or refer customers to the website to look at what is available. Since there is no pricing information on our website, dealers can use this a tool to introduce customers to the products, and then be able to follow up with price quotations and sales assistance.” “The challenge at retail, of course, is trying to keep up with technology changes, turning product and, of course, making sales that make repeat or additional sales possible at time of purchase and the future. The fact of the matter is technology is going to change, whether we like it or not, so first thing is to make sure you embrace and understand the changes and benefits,” stated Roman. “The majority of DJ and electronic music customers embrace technology, unlike the traditional analog/acoustic musician, which is where the opportunity to sell again or more comes in,” he
continued. “These customers are obsessive, and with new features come new sales opportunities. They want their gear to still seem familiar, however, so things might look similar to tradition, but once you play on the new gear, it changes everything, and a new sale is possible. If it stays in the box, no sale. The smartest thing any brick-and-mortar retailer can do is get the new technologicallyadvanced gear out on display and touchable, with music! Don’t wait for a video or marketing campaign to drive a customer to your store (they might as well just go online to buy), otherwise the DJ isn’t going to say it’s a must have because they won’t know, and you won’t see a sale. “If you are an online retailer, then link videos of the gear in action to your product pages and, of course, make sure you are carrying the value-driven gear with the bells and whistles, too, and don’t be afraid to show it. Make that impulse sale,” Roman concluded. “Sometimes, customers are merely looking for something fun to dabble with, and the more attractive and fun that thing is, the more likely they will come back to get the bigger and more profitable version. We try to put demo modes in most gear so when you plug it in, customers are attracted to it, but you have to plug it in first!”
51
‘HIRE’ LEARNING: HOW TO AVOID MAKING A BAD HIRE: PART 2
(continued from page 41) any outstanding questions about an applicant’s experience, ability or character, you can ask the candidate for more references. You can also start calling the applicant’s previous employers or mutual friends on social media or LinkedIn. You will likely find more honesty in these backdoor channels than the ones listed on the applicant’s resume, anyway. Just be sure not to call a current employer if the applicant hasn’t notified them of their desire to seek new employment. Some basic questions to ask: • Verify the employment dates and responsibilities. If there is any misrepresentation from the candidate, you need to know. • What did coworkers think of this person? Get a feel for their orientation towards others. Are they team players, or do they only look out for No. 1? • What were some of this person’s key accomplishments? If a previous boss or coworker can’t point to anything, that tells you a lot. • What is the biggest thing this person can improve upon? (Notice I didn’t ask if there is anything they can improve upon? That’s too easy for the reference to get out of. We want answers!) • Do you think he/she would be a good fit for this position?
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(Obviously, you will need to describe the position first.) • And the most common question, but still a good one: “Would you hire this person again if you had the chance?” (By the way, silence is deafening on this one.) Skills Assessment/Testing. A receptionist needs to have good typing skills, right? So why would we just ask them to tell us about their typing? It’s really easy to say, “I type 100 words per minute,” but a lot harder to actually do so. So, don’t take his/her word for it! Administer a speed typing test and see how they actually do! A manager needs to have leadership skills. Administer a StrengthFinders test to see what they’re really made of. We use the DISC personality test with all of our applicants to see how they will fit in the team. We also use the Myers Briggs Type Indicator to determine if they will thrive in a particular position. Over time, we have kept records of our team members’ personality profiles and the relative success they had in a position. We have learned that certain personal-
ity traits are more suited for certain positions. Now we know that if we have an applicant with a great résumé and interview, but a strong extroversion and prospecting personality type (MBTI lingo, sorry), we have to graciously pass because we know that person will likely struggle in our studio manager position due to its high demand for attention to detail and much time spent alone. So, think back to that job description. What are the skills you need to know about before you hire someone? Find an appropriate testing avenue to get some real information. Background Checks are well worth the trouble. A criminal record isn’t usually something that comes up in an interview (for obvious reasons). An added benefit is that you can advertise that your employees are all background checked. For us, as a music lesson business that pairs young students with teachers we contract, this is very important. Parents want to know that their kids are safe. Did I even need to say that? Part of the reason all of these
extra steps are beneficial is that they do, in fact, extend the selection process. WHAT? Did he just say that? I need to hire someone NOW! I know, I know. But keep your applicants in the process longer, and you will have more opportunity to get to know them. You may also find that some people exit the process on their own. That’s OK. They were probably not that interested in being a committed team member for you. And yes, there are situations where you don’t have the luxury of taking your time and you need someone now. I get it. But let’s think about why we are in that situation… Is it because a team member left you high and dry without two weeks’ notice? Is it a key leadership position vacancy that came up unexpectedly? Maybe, just maybe, taking more time on the front end will eventually lead to less turnover, and less of that urgency to pull the trigger on the next round of hiring. If you want different results, you have to be willing to do something different, and that usually means there will be some discomfort in the short term.
SHINE A LIGHT: SILLY STRINGS GUITAR SHOP
(continued from page 36) local metal bands, “making no profit; just to help the bands,” Sarina explained. With the sales floor playing such a big role in the success of the business, Sarina felt it was important to make sure that customers who enter the store get a visually-appealing experience to match the depth of product knowledge and niche gear. “We have a minimalist, modern approach, so the guitars really stand out. It’s more museum-like than a crammed store with no aesthetic,” said Sarina, who not only went to college for business and has run her own non-profit dog rescue since 2013, but is also well-versed in interior design. The store features grey walls with red accents to “make things pop,” as well as a purple and black lounge area. The outside area features a handful of graffiti murals, and a life-size alien wearing an Eddie Van Halen shirt is there to great people at the door. “We also stream metal con-
certs on a big screen and aren’t afraid to let our customers play the instruments as if they were at a concert or show,” said Sarina, “whereas most stores will ask you to turn the volume down.” The combination of eyecatching décor and specialized instrument offerings, not to mention concerted efforts to build awareness on Instagram and Facebook, has helped to generate the word of mouth that is so critical for a new MI store. “I went somewhere the other day, was talking to some girl, and it came up that she knew of our guitar shop because she had heard of it through a friend,” said Sarina. “Neither she nor I was a musician, and she didn’t live exceptionally close either, so word getting out is awesome!” Another key to creating buzz around Silly Strings Guitar Shop is its program of celebrity clinics. “We had a couple people fly in just for our two-hour clinic all the way from Minnesota,” said Sarina. “We also had a visitor
come down from Oregon just to see our store. We gave them goody bags to take back to show our appreciation.” To date, the store has hosted appearances, offered lessons and had drop-in guests from band members of Forbidden, Vicious Rumors, Greg Allman Band, Testament, Nevermore, Warbringer and Hatebreed, while Chris Broderick from Megadeth has a clinic planned later this year. So far, the store’s most popular clinic has been with Gary Holt, a friend of the Garouttes who is known for playing with Slayer and Exodus. “He’s internationally famous and we had people from all over the world ordering stuff for him to sign at our event and then be shipped to them,” said Sarina. “We were probably over max capacity and had about 150 people in the shop for his performance.” The reception has not only been positive from the metal community, but also from within the industry, thanks in part to AUGUST 2018
a concept that sets them apart from other stores in the market. “It’s a tough industry with ups and downs, but our niche of metal has proved smart for us,” said Sarina. “We find that our fellow store owners have been
very welcoming because we are different. People see potential for sales, but also no direct competition from the three stores closest to us, so we work together as a community.” This year, the Garouttes at-
tended their first NAMM Show, where they were honored to be included on the NAMM Top 100 Dealers list — great encouragement for a new MI store. Sarina hopes to not only maintain that level of success but grow the
brand into the future. “I think we are doing what is right; it’s all a learning process,” said Sarina. “But since we are dedicated and offer extremely great customer interactions, we have paved our way.”
UNDER THE HOOD: IK MULTIMEDIA’S UNO SYNTH
(continued from page 47) synthesizer. Modeling and sampling are great technologies — and, of course, IK has many great products using these technologies — but the real thing is the real thing, so we start with that. Next, the interface on the instrument is super easy to use. You don’t need a manual to immediately dive in, start turning knobs and creating sounds. And then, the portability and price point are pretty remarkable, too.” IK Multimedia plans to support the release of the UNO Synth with a variety of dealer incentives, as well as by spreading the word among synth
enthusiasts in person whenever possible. “We believe really strongly in UNO Synth and want everyone to have the chance to try it out,” said Boatman. “So, we’ve been investing heavily in attending synth-centric shows where people can get their hands on it, and where we can really show we’re committed to the community. Likewise, with dealers, we’ve created several programs to incentivize them to have demo units out and hooked up. UNO Synth is really the type of product that’s so much fun, sounds so good and is so easy to use that users come away from just a few minutes with it excited
and blown away by the features versus the cost. So, most of our marketing incentives are geared in this direction.” Norlander added, “I encourage everyone to put the UNO Synth next to their favorite hardware synthesizers and listen to the contrast. We don’t sound exactly like any other synth, [which is] deliberate, as we have created our own sonic personality. And you’ll find that the quality of the sound stands up to instruments costing more than 10 times as much.” The UNO Synth carries an MSRP/street price of $199.99 and is available now.
THE FINAL NOTE: DANIEL SHATZKES
(continued from page 54) rocking out. I immediately set out learning to play it on piano. For years after that, any time I found a piano that I could sit down at and play, I would start playing that song, and almost always it would draw a crowd that would inevitably sing along raucously. Here’s a little secret: I still do that sometimes if I get the chance. What songs are on your smartphone/iPod, etc. right now? Notably, a band called Foxy Shazam. I’m a big classic rock guy, and I have a hard time finding current music that I can get into. These guys are the real deal, though. They have a few albums, but their self-titled album is an absolute tour-de-force, and I never grow tired of it. Another must-listen is album is “The Church of Rock and Roll.” If you like Queen, you owe it to yourself to listen to Foxy Shazam. What technology could change MI down the road? Blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies will for sure disrupt the MI industry, as well as retail in general. While cryptocurrency may be volatile right now, it’s still in its infancy. It’s MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER
here to stay though, and while it’s not a popular method of receiving payment in MI (at least not that I’ve seen) and may still take a number of years to gain a foothold, it can be helpful, especially with the proliferation of retailers trying to sell software, online sheet music and other downloads. For example, blockchain technology can allow software developers to partner with retailers to sell their software in a far more efficient fashion. With cryptocurrencies being used to make the purchase, both retailer and supplier can be paid their percentage instantly and directly without any funds needing to be exchanged between the two. I can think of other areas where blockchain technology might be helpful as well, such as the issue of infringement on proprietary product images that some MI retailers create for their e-commerce sites but invariably get used without permission by other sites. Blockchain can be used to make those images and videos available to others in a completely transparent way, either for free or for a fee.
What is the best thing about the MI industr y? Being able to work in music and not having to be a starving artist to do it! Also, there’s no other industry I know of where people, who are in essence competitors, will share so much knowledge, strategy and guidance to help each other succeed. NAMM, as an organization, fosters this kind of collaboration, and the members rise to the occasion. What an industry to work in!
Visit us at NAMM Booth #9940
www.bourns.com/proaudio 53
THE FINAL NOTE
DANIEL SHATZKES Founder and President, Gig Gear By Brian Berk Who was your greatest influence or mentor and why? My greatest influence and mentors are absolutely my parents, Edie and David Shatzkes. To completely provide an accurate description as to why would require far more space than I have here, but suffice it to say that any entrepreneur needs to have certain traits and values that foster a tenacity and determination to succeed no matter what challenges arise. I’m the second of seven children. My parents faced all the challenges of raising such a large family every day (be they financial, disciplinary, organizational, etc.) with that same tenacious drive to provide us with whatever we needed, every day, no matter what. They always found a way. Fast forward a generation and I now have that same goal: Grow and support my company (and my family), no matter what. When there is a will, there is a way. What was your first experience with a musical instrument? I was six years old and I actually remember playing with one of those Fisher Price toy xylophones — the ones that have eight bars of all different colors. I can recall listening to the notes and then putting them together to figure out short nursery rhyme songs (“Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” etc.). I felt very proud each time I figured out a song and always showed my parents. I guess they were impressed enough that they decided to get me a tiny monophonic Casio keyboard that came with these cassettelike cartridges that played four songs. One of them had four Beatles songs on it. I knew that my mom liked The Beatles, so I put it in and pressed play for the first song, “Eight Days a Week.” I had never heard it before, but I remember listening intently to the melody and as soon as the song was finished I went ahead and played the melody back on my own. I proceeded to do the same thing with the next three songs and all of the other songs on the other cartridges. Eventually, at age seven, my parents decided to buy a piano and get me lessons. That pretty much put me on course for a life in music. What instrument do you most enjoy playing? I now play upwards of seven instruments, but my favorite has always been and always will be the piano. It was my first and it’s the one on which I’ve always been able to express 54
myself most creatively and honestly. I look at it as the best friend a person could have. It’s always there no matter what is going on in life, ready and waiting to listen to whatever I need to get out. It will never move away or leave, and when I play it, I hear back exactly what I need to hear in that moment. What more could I ask for in a friend? Tell us something about yourself that others do not know or would be surprised to learn. I was supposed to be a doctor. I was premed in college, and I even took my MCATs (the medical school entrance exam). A few weeks before finding out my scores, I had a bit of an epiphany and realized that somehow, I needed to work in music. I applied to and was accepted to New York University, where I received my masters degree in Music Technology. I’m still drawn to medicine though, so for the last 17 years I’ve been an active volunteer emergency medical technician in my community. What’s your favorite activity to do when you’re not at work? While I wish I could make even more time for it, my absolute favorite thing to do is spend quality time with my wife and five children. As any parent knows, kids can make you a little nutty at times, but considering how much time I need to spend working, I cherish the time that I do get with them more than anything else. They’re the ones that drive me to work harder and harder to succeed, day in
and day out. What is the best concert you’ve ever been to? Billy Joel and Elton John at Madison Square Garden back in the early 2000s. Growing up, I could never get enough of listening to and learning their music. I’d seen each of them in concert separately and absolutely loved it, but to see them together, playing each other’s music on the same stage, was almost a religious experience for me! If you could see any musician, alive or deceased, play a concert for one night, who would it be and why? Johann Sebastian Bach. I love Baroque-era music, and he was the master. I watch and listen in awe when others play his music, but to be able to watch him do it himself would probably make my brain explode. It’d be worth it, though! What song was most memorable for you throughout your childhood, and what do you remember about it the most? Elton John’s “Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding.” I remember hearing that for the first time as a young teenager and not wanting the song to ever end (it almost doesn’t considering how long it is)! I must have spent a couple of hours listening to it over and over. I was completely floored by the classical-like composition of the synthesizer introduction and then how it maneuvered into the second half and ended up completely (continued on page 53) AUGUST 2018
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