Music & Sound Retailer September 2018, Vol 35 No 9

HOLIDAY SALES GUIDE ISSUE

HOLIDAY SALES GUIDE ISSUE

HOLIDAY SALES GUIDE ISSUE September 2018 Volume 35, No. 9

THE NEWS MAGAZINE FOR MUSIC PRODUC TS RETAILERS

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The Changing Face of Retail The Music & Sound Retailer’s 13th Annual Independent Retailer Roundtable On page 35

We Take Full Responsibility for

SUPPORTING MUSIC TEACHERS

Music education is a fundamental principle at Yamaha. So we’ve partnered with DonorsChoose.org to support music teachers and help them acquire essential classroom supplies. Our #MusicEssentials program has assisted more than 700 teachers and 163,000 students in U.S. public schools. You can help schools in your area; visit yamaha.com/us/donorschoose to learn more.

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Gibson Seeks New CEO in Online Job Ad Gibson Guitar on July 31 posted an online job listing ad on Execthread.com, seeking a new CEO. “I will be here for a while, as CEO, and then I will be here for a while, for a couple of years, as an active advisor and mentor,” current CEO Henry Juszkiewicz recently told MusicRadar. “And we have a lot of young managers that are just dynamite inside the company, that are progressing and will progress into higher levels, so it’s all good.”

The exact job posted is presented here:

Roland Helps to Provide Safe Drinking Water

Roland has partnered with Depeche Mode, Swiss watchmaker Hublot and non-profit organization charity: water in an effort that has raised $1.7 million to date to provide clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations.

Coinciding with Depeche Mode’s Global Spirit tour, Roland, Depeche Mode, Hublot and charity: water offered 55 one-of-a-kind watches for sale, featuring exclusive Depeche Mode artwork: one unique watch for each of the band’s 55 singles. Each Hublot Big Bang Depeche Mode “The Singles” Limited Edition watch comes housed in a presentation road case containing a watch and a Roland JP-08 synthesizer module, a limited-edition module from Roland’s Boutique Series that pays homage to and recreates the sound of the legendary JUPITER-8 synthesizer used by Depeche Mode.

At a recent Depeche Mode concert at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, Depeche Mode and Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe presented charity: water CEO Scott Harrison a check for $1.7 million for the money raised to date during a pre-show ceremony before the band played a set to a packed house of enthralled fans who were on their feet from the first note. All proceeds from the sale of the watches will be used by charity: water to provide clean water to people in need around the world.

“This collaboration demonstrates what commitment and creativity can do — not just in music, but when concerned people get together to help those less fortunate than us,” said Brian Alli, Roland’s vice president of global influencer relations. Depeche Mode is using Roland synthesizers and sound modules on their Global Spirit tour.

Depeche Mode’s Martin Gore added, “It’s been amazing to be able to help so many people over the last two tours. We couldn’t be happier.”

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) About the Role Locations: Greater Nashville Area (HQ) Functions: • CEO/President • General Management • Operations • Strategy Known Requirements: • Prior experience in a major consumer products company required • Prior experience in a recognized brand, including digital, social engagement & e-commerce required • Experience in acquiring & integrating complementary businesses preferred • Private equity experience including a successful “exit” preferred • Music industry experience preferred • Prior P&L experience with global premium brands preferred DIRECT REPORTS 9 TRAVEL % Less than 10% About the Company Top manufacturer/marketer of musical instruments accessories.

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THE NEWS MAGAZINE FOR MUSIC PRODUC TS RETAILERS

VOLUME 35 NO.9

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Left to right: Chuck Marks, Allen McBroom and Gordy Wilcher

Features

Columns

On the Cover Wrap it Up!

38 Five Minutes With

The holidays are coming before we know it. Here are 27 products to perhaps stock at your store.

The Changing Face of Retail The Music & Sound Retailer presents its 13th Annual Independent Retailer Roundtable.

Buzz 3 Latest 16 People 48 4

20 Products

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Yorkville Sound’s Steve Long joins us to tell us the keys to the company’s success for 55 years and why he is optimistic about the industry.

40 MI Spy

MI Spy heads to the Ocean State, Rhode Island, to see if the customer service is as great as the state’s beaches.

44 In the Trenches

Allen McBroom continues his discussion from last month with part two of “What Every New Music Store Owner Should Know.” This supersized article offers tons of awesome info.

46 Shine a Light

Alex Simpson purchased Rupp’s Drums in April. Learn what the 34-year-old has in store for the Denver business.

48 Not Your Average Column

50 Retailing Better

To have your coworkers take your company’s culture seriously, you have to spend time teaching them about what you value and why, explains Robert Christie.

52 Veddatorial

Affiliation is a growing solution for smaller stores, but not one Dan Vedda treaded into lightly.

54 Under the Hood

When it comes to the touring and array markets, the Adam Hall Group believes it is “one step ahead” with its LD Systems CURV 500 TS.

62 The Final Note

Hal Leonard’s Brad Smith once played a basketball shooting game with Katy Perry on an arena stage in front of 15,000 people. And that’s only one of the many great tidbits he provides for us this month.

Tim Spicer looks back on this year’s summer season, the toughest time of year for most MI retailers. Find out what he did this year and what you can do to make future summers more profitable.

SEPTEMBER 2018

CUT THE CORD E X C E P T I O N A L S O U N D Q U A L I T Y A N D U LT R A - L O W L A T E N C Y

WL-50 For Pedalboards

WL-20 For Electric Guitar

WL-20L For Acoustic-Electric Guitar

For more information on the new WL-Series Wireless Systems visit BOSS.info.

EDITORIAL

Music Will Never Go Out of Style I took a glance at the CNBC website recently, and one headline caught my eye: “Retail stocks are proving that Amazon is not the industry-killer everyone feared.” The story alluded to the fact that, although Amazon has disrupted the businesses of many retail outlets, the stocks of Costco, Nordstrom, TJX, Ross and Five Below have been on a roll in recent times.

Of course, as an MI store owner, you don’t have to worry about a stock price. But the fact that several retailers are doing well in today’s environment is a huge plus for our industry. Yes, music instruments aren’t a must-have item if the economy turns sour, but neither are the clothes Nordstrom peddles.

There are concerns in our industry, as are discussed in our Independent Retailer cover story this month. But we have to look at what we have that other industries don’t have. Music is omnipresent, perhaps unlike any other retail outlet.

Just think about a typical person’s day. Some of us wake up to the sound of music on the alarm clock (I don’t, because I have the natural alarm clock, also known as young children). But something I always do when I get into the car to go to work every day is turn on the radio. I do the same thing on my trip home. At times, I listen to music during lunchtime or at my desk at work. And then, on certain nights, I attend concerts to really get my music in. If not, I watch a TV show with theme music or attend a movie, where music plays an integral part, whether people notice or not. And if I don’t watch something at home, I watch a sporting event.

Baseball is the most recent sport I have been watching and attending. In between every inning, music plays

over the stadium sound system. Every time a batter walks up to the plate, music plays. And I’m not even including “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “God Bless America” and “O Canada,” all of which are played often.

This is but a small example of how music can affect a typical day, and that doesn’t even mention the possibility of playing an instrument. Even on the days I walk on the street near my office, I hear people blaring music on their radios. And when I’m home on weekends during the summer, there’s nothing like playing music at a barbecue.

To sum it up, I just don’t know how anyone can go anywhere without music being heard or played. It is just so ingrained in our lives that it can never die. Sure, some factors can make industry sales swing a bit. Perhaps we don’t have The Beatles to push people into your stores to buy guitars. Eddie Van Halen doesn’t have the influence he used to. And although it’s still a factor, perhaps not as many teenage boys think music will get them the girl by playing an instrument. I’m too old to know this stuff for sure, but it seems like teens use Tinder more and more often to find a date today.

This may not be the golden age of musical retailing. In fact, it probably isn’t. But it isn’t the golden age of retailing, period. Sears and Toys R’ Us prove that notion.

Some facets of MI will decline at times. It’s par for the course. But what we do have in music is something that is omnipresent that people love. I like the sound of that.

September 2018 Volume 35, No. 9

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 JEFF KYLE JR. ELLEN LEVITT

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),

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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

SEPTEMBER 2018

OFTEN IMITATED. NEVER DUPLICATED. INTRODUCING

THE PLAYER SERIES STRATOCASTER

®

NEW PICKUPS. NEW COLORS. AUTHENTIC TONE.

PLAYER SERIES STRATOCASTER IN SAGE GREEN METALLIC ©2018 FMIC. FENDER, FENDER in script, STRATOCASTER and the distinctive headstock commonly found on Fender Guitars and Basses are registered trademarks of Fender Musical Intstruments Corporation.

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Hal Leonard Talks Tech; Adds iZotope and Audient to Distribution Catalog

During the 2018 Summer NAMM Show in Nashville, Hal Leonard hosted its latest Tech Talk Masterclass, featuring Grammy-winning producer Craig Bauer, who demonstrated his tracking and mixing process through a studio recording session with the alt-rock band, The Middle Ground. The class was conducted at Nashville studio, the Tracking Room, and students, dealers, manufacturers and musicians came together to get a better understanding of what goes on in a professional recording session and in the mixing process. They also got to see different recording equipment in use. In addition to observing the session, a question-and-answer portion gave attendees the opportunity to better understand Bauer’s philosophy and techniques used in tracking and

mixing. Various products were also raffled off as prizes for students in attendance.

Bill Crabtree, program director for MFA Recording Arts and Technologies at Middle Tennessee State University, helped organize students from MTSU, The Blackbird Academy, SAE Institute Nashville and Belmont Institute to attend the event, and numerous dealers from across the nation also joined. Manufacturer support for the event came from AVID, Blue Microphones, Samson, Hartke, iZotope, Antares, Walrus Audio, Solomon Microphones, Gibraltar Hardware, Gretsch Drums and Paiste Cymbals.

Hal Leonard Masterclass events give dealers a unique opportunity to come together with students, manufacturers and industry experts alike to see current industry and market trends, while also getting a better understanding of how they can provide their consumers with the right products.

Hal Leonard also announced that iZotope and Audient products were added to the company’s MI distribution division catalog. iZotope is a provider of intelligent audio technology for mixing, mastering and audio repair software for audio and post-production applications in the studio, at home and in the classroom. It offers a full line of audio programs, plugins and an innovative portable recording device called Spire. iZotope products complement many of the digital audio workstations in Hal Leonard’s catalog, including Pro Tools, Studio One, Cubase and more.

Audient is a British-based company that designs and manufactures professional audio equipment, including large-format audio mixing consoles and small digital recording interfaces.

“Our sales team is stoked to offer our dealers products from these industry leaders,” said Brad Smith, vice president of MI Products at Hal Leonard. “The time is right for us to widen our selection as our software and audio sales grow. The consumers are everywhere — every channel, every space, and they understand the application of a great plugin or high-end interface and how it can impact your sound.

It’s a great time to be a music dealer selling audio.”

Alamo Music Named Best MI Retailer in San Antonio

San Antonio’s Alamo Music Center was named best music instrument store in the city by the readers of the San Antonio Current. “Yes, there are larger stores — loopland big boxes with guitars and amps stacked all the way to the rafters,” the newspaper said of the retailer. “And, yes, there are funkier, ‘divier’ places to horse trade for that vintage ‘73 Strat you always wanted. But there’s a reason Alamo Music has stayed in business for nearly 100 years — and why it continues to be a favorite of Current readers.”

Founder Alfredo Flores Sr.’s grandson, Zach Marr, helms the business now, and longtime CEO Alfred Flores Jr. remains active in local arts organizations.

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SEPTEMBER 2018

DESIGNATED

DRIVER Leading Pro Audio brands choose Celestion

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Innovation, performance and reliability make Celestion the drivers of choice for a growing number of big-name PA brands. So when your customers need superior quality compression drivers or professional loudspeakers, tell them about the speakers the pros use.

S M AGNE T,

celestion.com

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MI Retailer Runs For City Council

Landy Hardy

Anthony Mantova, owner and sales at Eureka, Calif.-based Mantova’s Two Street Music, has officially thrown his hat in the ring, running for the Eureka City Council.

“This will come as a surprise to most of you, but my city is a bit of a mess. Over the years, we’ve had our fun talking about the outlandish crime and other issues. To try to turn things around, I have put my hat in the ring to run for public office! The Eureka City Council Ward One! If you get a chance, feel free to check out my site. If any of you have any ideas, feel free to share,” Mantova wrote in an email.

More about the campaign can be found at anthonymantova.com. The election will take place in November.

Blizzard Lighting Shortens Name

Following explosive growth in the LED pro and entertainment lighting industry over the past eight years, Blizzard Lighting announced a major change. With an ever-expanding product line, including IRiS LED indoor and outdoor video wall panels, the company is thrusting itself into a new iconosphere and will now be known simply as Blizzard.

“We’ve achieved so much as Blizzard Lighting, but we can’t let anything hold us back,” said Blizzard CEO and “chairman of the bored” Will Komassa. “Blizzard is already a really long word with like, eight letters ... and two of them are Zs. By dropping Lighting, which my staff tells me also has eight letters, we’ll immediately become 50 percent more efficient. It’s a move we simply have to make.”

Point of Sale + Website + Rentals

"Our year-over-year sales increased by 35% after switching to Rain Retail" ~Jeremy Chapman, Owner, The Acoustic Shoppe

www.rainpos.com/music sales@rainpos.com • (801) 893-3680

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Choose the Right Strings

Yamaha Corp. of America launched #Parents ChooseYamaha, a free online program to help parents choose the ideal string instruments for their children. When students are given their first opportunity to learn a musical instrument, the violin comes in second in popularity, resulting in millions of children in need of a high-quality beginning violin. Spearheaded by the Yamaha Strings division, the program launches with a Violin Finder, designed to help families choose the best violin for their children based on the child’s age, body size, musical skill level and family budget.

“We’ve designed #ParentsChooseYamaha to take the mystery and stress out of finding a violin by looking at the important questions each family needs to answer before they start shopping,” said Heather Mansell, product manager, Orchestral Strings, Yamaha Corp. of America.

“Our Violin Finder page, for example, offers expert advice in plain language that parents — even those with no musical background — can understand.”

The initiative is centered around a blog and an online quiz that walks parents through the essential questions they need to answer when evaluating a violin — size, tone, construction materials, build quality, manufacturer’s reputation and approach to the environment. Mansell added that Yamaha will also include postings where parents can share their real-world experiences in choosing string instruments for their kids, along with links to the retailers where families can get one-on-one guidance and test their options in person.

“Students and their families often have this important decicloud-based system sion taken out of their hands by being provided rental violins • POS & Website that aren’t always the best value (Integrated Inventory) or match for the individual • Rent to Own child,” said Mansell. “When stu• Reverb Integration dents are given subpar instru• Product Data Integration ments, where the playability and sound are lacking, they are (Alfred & D’Addario) much less likely to continue to • Class Management play. But we believe that provid• Service/Repairs Tracking ing children with good-sound• Automated Marketing ing, easy-to-play instruments • And more! not only helps them learn more efficiently — it also inspires them. If they enjoy making muSee how it works! sic, they’re more likely to keep rainpos.com/music studying over the long term.

Providing the parents with the As seen at best information available gives their kids the strongest possible chance to succeed — now and in the future.”

ALL IN ONE

SEPTEMBER 2018

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Sabian Launches Dolby to ‘Blind AES With Science’ The Audio Engineering Online Custom Society announced that Thomas Dolby will deliver Cymbal Shop the keynote address during SABIAN launched a new online Custom Shop to help drummers build the cymbal of their dreams.

With the power to select from more than 29 million custom cymbal configurations at their fingertips, drummers can design their dream cymbal on the new site, sabiancustomshop.com, consult with SABIAN sound specialists, then order and purchase from their favorite drum shop.

The SABIAN Custom Shop works by navigating drummers through each stage of the cymbalmaking process, while helpful video clips provide guidance at each step.

The menu of customizable options allows for a huge array of choice in size, profile, weight, bell size, hammering, lathing, custom enhancements and many more options.

In spite of the deep level of customization built into the Custom Shop, the process is remarkably friendly, the company stated. It allows drummers to sit, listen, learn and choose before purchasing from their favorite drum shop.

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the opening ceremonies of the AES New York 2018 International Convention this month. Since he burst onto the music scene in the ‘80s with genre-warping compositions and a pioneering production style that embraced and exploited emerging technologies, Dolby has been a seminal influence on legions of musicians, fans and audio professionals alike. His latest roll is as an educator.

Since fall of 2014, Thomas Dolby has held the post of Homewood Professor of the Arts at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

With the title “The Conscious Sound Byte,” Dolby’s AES keynote address will focus on next-generation sound technologies, in particular adaptive/non-linear music and audio for games, VR/AR, “hearables” and other new media platforms. “A big difference between ‘real’ and ‘electronic’ sounds is that electronic sounds have zero awareness of each other,” said Dolby. “Sound bytes blindly follow orders, and fire off (usually) as instructed by a human. Yet musicians playing ‘real’ instruments listen, resonate and respond to the music, the room and to each other, in a matter of microseconds.”

“Thomas Dolby is uniquely qualified to address the role of emerging technologies in entertainment,” said Bob Moses, special events chair for the 145th AES International Convention. “As the AES celebrates its 70th anniversary of its own leadership in technological innovation, there’s no more appropriate voice to set the stage for four days of immersion in all things audio. Thomas’ influence on the way artists and content creators embrace technology is nothing short of iconic. His keynote address is sure to be a highlight of the convention.”

We Can Be Heroes

With the help of vendors, local sponsors and its customer base, the first LPD Music Open House was a huge success. All dealers within a 500-mile radius of Madison Heights, Mich., were invited.

Dealers came out to see and shop the superhero-themed event. The LPD Music warehouse offered many one-day-only specials and closeout discounts. Reps from Sennheiser, Audio-Technica, Grover, Ultimate Support and Timara Custom Shop were on hand.

LPD staff member Mark Woods ran the grill, in addition to other offerings at the buffet tables with chips. Salsa was provided by Garden Fresh and variety nuts were provided by Kars. Attendees were even treated to an impromptu jam session by Tim Wallis from Timara Custom Shop on Guitar, Justin Wierenga from Santo Guitar on Bass and LPD Music’s own Mike Friedman on Drums.

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Martin Honored With Special Award PA Council on the Arts/Commonwealth Media Services

C.F. Martin & Co. was honored with the Special Recognition for Advancing the Arts at the Governor’s Awards for the Arts Ceremony in Scranton, Pa. The award honors work that exemplifies the highest standards of artistry and the significant role the arts play within the economy of the commonwealth.

Martin and fellow recipients received recognition from Gov. Tom Wolf and First Lady Frances Chris Martin IV with Pennsylvania Gov. Wolf. Chris and Diane Martin Tom Wolf attended the event, which included musical performances by Martin staff.

The Governor’s Awards for the Arts celebrate the excellence of the arts in Pennsylvania. Since 1980, the awards have recognized not only individual artistic achievement, but also the contributions of outstanding artists, individuals, organizations and businesses that have helped to make the commonwealth of Pennsylvania a leader in the cultural life of the nation.

“The arts play a role in many facets of our commonwealth,” said Wolf. “When we talk about the arts, we often speak of their power to make us connect, feel and think. But the arts also bolster our economy, shape our youth and build our communities.”

“I am proud to accept the award from Gov. Tom Wolf for advancing the arts, on behalf of all of my coworkers here in Pennsylvania and our sister facility in Navojoa, Sonora, Mexico,” said Chris Martin, chairman and CEO of Martin Guitars and Strings. “They help me carry my family’s business goals of trying to make the best guitars and strings for six generations.”

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Logitech Acquires Blue Microphones

Logitech acquired Blue Microphones, known for the past 20 years as a manufacturer of studio and consumer microphones used by artists, producers and sound engineers, for a reported $117 million in cash.

“With Logitech’s vast resources and incredible reach, Blue will be on a much bigger stage from the beginning. The end result is fulfilling our ultimate purpose — helping as many of our users find and amplify their voices as we can,” said Blue Microphones CEO John Maier.

“Logitech’s acquisition of Blue Microphones will accelerate our entry into a growing market and offer another way for us to help bring people’s passions (from music to blogging) to life,” added Logitech CEO Bracken Darrell. “Joining with Blue is an adjacent opportunity for us — a new way to grow — with additional synergies related to our existing gaming, PC webcam and audio categories. It’s exciting!”

Blue joins Logitech’s multi-brand portfolio, including Logitech, Logitech G, Ultimate Ears, Jaybird and ASTRO Gaming.

Ovation Guitars to Retool

Drum Workshop Inc. announced plans to update most of its Ovation current models. Much of the comprehensive strategy is said to focus on a review of existing models and price points with the long-term goal of laying groundwork for a future that offers diehard Ovation fans a value proposition consistent with past models, while delivering standout instruments to a new generation of guitar enthusiasts, stated the company.

“Ovation has always been predicated on innovation, advancement, sound quality, ease of use and playability. Although the market segment has changed quite a bit since Ovation launched in the ‘70s, that still holds true today. It’s parallel to the DW Drums philosophy, and we need to make sure we are abiding by the legacy that Charlie Kaman created over 50 years ago,” said William Robinson, Ovation brand coordinator.

The brand launched a revised website and pricing in August and has plans to step up specifications and features on import and U.S.-made product in the coming year. Meanwhile, Ovation’s New Hartford, Conn., facility will cease operations to clear the way for the brand’s new direction. Existing U.S. inventory will continue to be sold during the transition process.

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MI Retailers Head to Japan

A number of retail partners of ESP Guitars and Takamine Guitars (whose products ESP distributes in the United States) were taken to Japan on a trip to personally visit the design and manufacturing headquarters of both companies.

“This was a rare opportunity for our dealers to see, first-hand, the incredible attention to detail that goes into how our instruments are created,” said Rob Rizzuto, ESP’s national sales manager. “Every single person walked away from the trip with an entirely new appreciation of both ESP and Takamine.”

The trip, which was divided into two legs for the company’s national accounts and several of its top-level independent dealers, took them to both ESP’s global headquarters and manufacturing facilities in Japan’s capital Tokyo, and Takamine’s home base since 1962 in Sakashita, Gifu Prefecture. In both locations, the dealer staff was able to meet with the companies’ top executives and chief designers, and then visit the factories and R&D locations where new guitars and basses are created. The dealer staff members on the respective visits were accompanied by ESP/Takamine national sales Rob Rizzuto and ESP/Takamine

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national accounts manager Dana Wood.

The trip also included some sightseeing around Japan, with a number of the dealer staff members visiting the country for the first time.

Letter to the Editor Hi Brian: I’m writing to you ask you to cancel my subscription to The Retailer. How dare you use my photo with a headline that says “Washington Capitals?” I am deeply offended by this mischaracterization that I would in any way be associated with the dirtiest team in hockey!

Just kidding! Great Fly-In coverage (July cover story)! Thanks for your good work as always!

—Mark Despotakis, Director of Market Development, Progressive Music Editor’s Note: Despotakis’ joke is in reference to him being a huge Pittsburgh Penguins fan.

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

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ADVERTORIAL • SEPTEMBER 2018 • NAMM.ORG

Note From Causby

Paying It Forward “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” ––Coretta Scott King As Director of Membership, I have the honor of meeting members from across the world, hearing their unique stories and learning how we can support their success. At each NAMM Show and Summer NAMM, the Member Center serves as a central location where association members can stop by, connect with our team and learn more about how to maximize their membership. All members that visit are also given the chance to win a free renewal for the coming year. When we contacted Tristann Rieck of Brass Bell Music Store in Glendale, Wisconsin, to tell her she had won, her immediate response was, “Can I donate it to a music store that is not a member but needs to be?” And just like that we welcomed a brand-new member to the NAMM community: Pacetti’s Music in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Thank you, Tristann, for your commitment to this industry and paying it forward.

I am frequently asked, “What is the biggest benefit of belonging to NAMM?” Members receive a substantial financial return, with access to two world-class trade shows, advanced professional education opportunities, business service discounts and music education advocacy resources.

But in my opinion, hands down, without a doubt, the biggest benefit of being a NAMM member is the sense of community.

Membership bridges and connects communities within the music products industry. Some even say the NAMM shows are like coming home. There’s a reason why members refer to it as an annual family reunion.

There are many close-knit communities within NAMM. In fact, if you haven’t attended the D.C. Fly-In, then put it on your calendar now! This is truly a “paying-it-forward opportunity” to advocate for the right of every child to learn and grow with music. It’s also a great bonding experience for staff and members alike and epitomizes the saying, “doing well by doing good.”

In addition, the NAMM Young Professionals recently launched a mentoring program that is a rich development opportunity for both mentees and mentors. Are you under 40? The Young Professionals program is a great way to gain advice on a goal that you want to achieve but aren’t sure how to get there. If you’re an experienced retailer, how did you get to where you are today? Sign up today to be a mentee or pay it forward and volunteer to be a YP mentor.

Another community within NAMM that’s just getting started, but is already making a big splash is SWIM (Smart Women in Music).

The SWIM fund aims to support women in the industry in three key areas: mentoring, learning and professional development.

Other very active communities are the Top 100 Dealers, NAMM U, our NAMM Show exhibitors and the SupportMusic Coalition on Coalitions.

If you would like to become more active in any of the communities mentioned above please email us at membership@namm.org. And, if you aren’t a member of NAMM, let’s talk!

We want to hear from you as well.

Planning to attend The 2019 NAMM Show? Be sure to stop by the Member Center. This is your home during The NAMM Show, and a comfortable place to meet with other members, grab some water or just take a break. The Membership team and I will be there to answer any questions you may have—not to mention, you may just win a free membership renewal!

NAMM Membership: “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” —Helen Keller

Causby Challacombe, CAE NAMM Director, Membership

The NAMM Global Music Community There are many challenges you face as you grow your business, but you don’t have to figure it out alone.

NAMM Membership opens the door to a global community of passionate music industry professionals and endless opportunities for growth and inspiration. The NAMM community exists to support you unlike any other industry organization.

As a NAMM member, you have year-round access to the following benefits and resources:

Education

Tradeshow • • • • •

Free badges Free breakfast each show day Hundreds of education sessions Concerts & Live music Member Center events and resources

• Access to the latest products

• Tailored learning tracks at both tradeshows • NAMM U Breakfast sessions • Retail Training Summit • 24/7 access to NAMM U Online • NAMM U e-newsletter

• Smart Women in Music • Online member directory • Networking receptions • Roundtable discussions • Industry awards • Make Music Day

Business resources and solutions: • Shipping discounts • Business insurance • Consumer financing • Credit card processing • International payment solutions

• Policy forums and roundtables

Advocacy

Community • NAMM Young Professionals

Opportunity

• • • • •

Free toolkits and brochures Annual D.C. Fly-In SupportMusic Coalition Legislative alerts Best Communities for Music Education • Talking Up Music Education Podcast

“NAMM is like a family reunion in a way—the relationships that we build up over our entire career are renewed here.” —Kevin Cranley, Willis Music

Believe in Music.

Belong to NAMM. For more information on the benefits of NAMM Membership visit: namm.org/membership

PEOPLE

z z u B Gator Cases CEO Joins Reverb Board of Directors

Music Trends’ Savarese Retires

Levittown, N.Y.-based Music Trends President Bob Savarese announced his retirement.

“What started as a modest 1,000 -square-foot record store in the Nassau Mall in Levittown in 1980 is now 6,000 square feet on two levels of DJ/Pro Audio Gear,” wrote Savarese in an email to the Music & Sound Retailer. “It seems like yesterday. I wanted to personally thank you guys for always being supportive of myself and my store. We have become friends over the years if only seeing each other occasionally.

After 38 years, I have decided to retire. Music Trends lives on under the new ownership of Solid Marketing Inc. led by Amir Zaltz, an industry veteran like myself.”

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Reverb.com added Crystal Morris, CEO and co-founder of case manufacturer Gator Cases, to its board of directors. The longtime musical instrument industry executive and music education advocate will support Reverb — which recently surpassed $1 billion in total sales — as it continues to expand.

“Reverb is dedicated to not only supporting the musical instrument industry, but also to growing the entire musician community through its platform, service and nonprofit efforts,” said Morris.

“Having spent nearly my entire career selling music gear, I know that the industry is constantly evolving to meet the needs of musicians, and I’m excited to align myself with a like-minded company that is dedicated to helping the entire ecosystem continue to thrive.”

In addition to leading her company’s success, Morris is renowned for her dedication to and advocacy for the industry. She has actively campaigned on Capitol Hill for school music education as part of NAMM’s Education Advocacy Fly-In (see the July issue of the Music & Sound Retailer) and co-founded the Smart Women in Music Fund, a NAMM Foundation administered fund designed to foster and support female industry professionals at various stages of their careers.

“Crystal’s passion for her work, commitment to creativity and constant evolution, and dedication to making music a reality for everyone are just a few of the many reasons I’m thrilled to add her to Reverb’s board of directors,” said David Kalt, founder and CEO at Reverb. “Her experience, expertise and insights will be invaluable as we continue to grow Reverb into the global destination for musicians and music lovers to buy, sell and learn about music gear.”

SEPTEMBER 2018

PEOPLE

Brian’s BigTime Move

Kali Audio hired Brian Krawcykowski as senior sales manager. He brings more than 20 years of experience to this new role, having served in positions at TC Electronic, SSL, Harman and most recently as director of Guitar Center Professional. Before he began his time on the business side of the industry, Brian worked as a recording engineer, working with a diverse range of artists including DJ Khaled, P. Diddy, Trent Reznor and No Doubt.

“I am so excited to have Brian on our team! It was key for us to find a sales manager who understood the quality of our product, the needs of our users, and the ins and outs of the pro sound industry. Brian is the complete package, and he’s a wonderful person to work with on top of it all. We’re really lucky to be bringing him aboard,” said Nate Baglyos, Kali’s director of sales and marketing.

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Sweet Move For Shep

Sweetwater hired Bob “Shep” Shepherd to fill the newly-created position of vice president of merchandising. Shepherd brings a wealth of knowledge to Sweetwater, having spent the last 18 years in MI. “Sweetwater’s reputation as both a music retailer and a great place to work is second to none. I was blown away by the culture and the familial feeling,” said Shepherd. “All of us are smarter when we work together than separately, so I look forward to capitalizing on the knowledge of others and combining it with my experience.”

Shepherd will help oversee a team of more than 20 people focused on continuous improvement in category performance and inventory management. He is also an accomplished guitarist and vocalist.

“We’ve always been highly focused on our inventory efficiency, continual improvement of how we present each category to our customers and building strong win-win relationships with our vendor partners. We’re excited to bring Shep on board to help continue to improve upon these very important fundamentals,” said Phil Rich, Sweetwater’s senior vice president and chief merchandising officer.

Compass Goes in Butera’s Direction

Full Compass named Susan Butera vice president of marketing. In her role, she leads the marketing team and helps drive continued growth of the business. Butera comes to Wisconsin-based Full Compass with deep experience in brand strategy, digital and catalog marketing. Her focus at the company will be on acquiring new customers, retaining existing customers, communicating the brand value proposition and creating an outstanding experience for all customers.

Butera most recently served as chief marketing officer for AccuQuilt in Omaha, Neb. Prior to AccuQuilt, she was the vice president of brand marketing for Edible Arrangements; vice president of marketing and ecommerce for Olly Shoes; senior director of marketing and ecommerce for Deb Shops; and director of brand marketing and ecommerce for Ascena Retail Group. She received her BA in sociology and theater from the University of Rhode Island, and her MBA from LaSalle University.

Butera will report to the company’s CEO, Craig Johnson, and will partner with Full Compass’ leadership and management teams. “Susan brings a wealth of marketing and communication experience, which will be invaluable as she begins her work with the Full Compass team. She will reshape our marketing, brand awareness, customer engagement and experience strategies to further differentiate us in our competitive customer markets. We are very excited to have Susan join the Full Compass team and to have her lead our important marketing, creative and brand initiatives,” said Johnson.

“I am excited to join the talented and passionate team at Full Com-

pass,” added Butera. “It is an honor to lead the efforts to expand the Full Compass national brand footprint and maximize the directto-consumer marketing channels.

Full Compass is a leader in the industry, and I am thrilled to be part of the company’s important mission of consistently providing consumers with a unique product offering and delivering a superior customer experience.”

In Memoriam: Bob Metzler

Audio Precision co-founder and former president Bob Metzler passed away in August. Along with Dr. Richard Cabot, Bruce Hofer and Robert Wright, Metzler founded Audio Precision in 1984 and served as the organization’s president until his retirement in 1999.

Metzler’s responsibilities for the company included marketing and sales, with those duties often calling for extensive international travel. Metzler became the “face” of AP during those early years, engaging literally thousands of customers across the globe. He also had an ability to convey complex topics. Metzler wrote numerous magazine articles and application notes, edited AP’s newsletter, Audio.TST, and, in 1993, authored the “Audio Measurement Handbook.”

Metzler earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics from the University of Louisville and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Portland. He was a licensed amateur radio operator and an accomplished photographer.

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

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PEOPLE

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Hal Leonard’s Bauer Retires, Replaced by Diekelman Dan Bauer, longtime Hal Leonard senior vice president and chief financial officer, has announced his retirement. Keith Mardak, CEO of Hal Leonard, recounted Bauer’s time with the company and his experience working with him over the years: “I cannot imagine where Hal Leonard would be today without Dan. His financial leadership, honesty, hard work and calm guidance have been invaluable to keeping the company going in the right direction all these years. So many of us have relied on Dan’s advice, not only in financial matters, but in everyday dealings to keep things running smoothly around the office. I wish Dan and his wife, Sharon, the best of everything possible in their retirement years.”

Since 1976, Bauer has worked full time at Hal Leonard, first starting in the financial department in Winona, Minn., working with Harold Debbie Diekelman Edstrom, Everett Edstrom and Roger Busdicker, the founders of Hal Leonard. In 1984, Bauer began serving as the No. 2 person in the Winona financial department. By 1991, the position of head of the financial department was moved to the Milwaukee office, and Bauer accepted the position and moved his family to Milwaukee. For the past 27 years, Bauer has overseen the expansion of the financial, distribution and manufacturing areas of the company, and has helped cultivate numerous relationships with Hal Leonard partners around the world. He was awarded CFO of the Year by the Milwaukee Business Journal in 2009. Bauer will continue to serve as a consultant with the company through the end of 2018.

Hal Leonard hired Debbie Diekelman to assume Bauer’s full duties. Diekelman most recently served as

CFO at Champion Manufacturing Inc., in Elkhart, Ind. Diekelman brings more than 20 years of experience directing financial operations, with strong experience developing systems to effectively integrate reporting, budgeting and strategic planning.

“We are happy to welcome Debbie to our team,” said Larry Morton, president of Hal Leonard.

“Her past experience with manufacturing and developing various corporate systems will surely be an asset as our company

Guitar Center Appoints Anne

Guitar Center appointed Anne Buchanan as senior vice president of human resources and chief human resources officer. In her role, she will assume responsibility for leading the human resources strategy and enabling Guitar Center to attract, motivate, develop and retain a diverse and inclusive workforce. Buchanan joins Guitar Center from Global Brands Group, where she led the human resources strategy for the fashion and retail business, including a retail store fleet of more than 350 stores and corporate operations for multiple apparel brands: BCBG, BCBGeneration, BEBE, Herve Leger, Joe’s Jeans and Juicy Couture.

“We’re honored to welcome Anne to the Guitar Center family. I’m confident that her enthusiasm, expertise and understanding of our long-term business goals will further develop Guitar Center’s amazing culture and bright future ahead,” said Ron Japinga, CEO of Guitar Center.

Roland Loves Hatem

Roland has appointed James Hatem to serve as Artist Relations (A/R) representative, to be based in Nashville. A graduate of Belmont University, Hatem has served as marketing, sales and business manager for Natchez Hills Studio and Writers Retreat, as well as marketing and public relations consultant for Leadership Music: Music Makes Us. Hatem will spend much of his time based at Roland’s new Nashville Artist Relations Center, located within Love Shack Studios. Founded to serve the needs of current and prospective Roland and BOSS artists, the new center will be a hub for a variety of activities, including product support, social media initiatives, interviews, sessions, unique streaming events, photo shoots, gear demos and much more.

“The goal of all Roland and BOSS artist relations is to support our family of artists, and we are glad to have James spearheading our Nashville efforts. He is well connected among Music City’s artists, engineers, producers and beyond, with keen insight into the particular needs of these professionals. We welcome him aboard to the Roland A/R team,” said Brian Alli, Roland’s vice president of global influencer relations, to whom Hatem will report.

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Mullen Joins the Retailer

Amanda Mullen was named assistant editor for the Music & Sound Retailer and Sound & Communications on July 16.

Prior to obtaining this position, she was an office manager who regularly contributed to online entertainment and lifestyle publications, such as Fansided and Odyssey. She received her bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Adelphi University and is currently enrolled in a professional sequence in editing through the University of California, Berkeley.

Harboring a passion for the written word from an early age, Amanda is enthusiastic to begin a full-time career in journalism.

“MI is an all new industry for me,” she said, “but I’m excited to learn the ins and outs of it.”

“I think this position will be the perfect opportunity for me to hone my writing and editing SEPTEMBER 2018

PEOPLE

accessories marketing assistant in 2006 and received the Marketing Award in 2007. He was promoted to percussion product specialist in 2008, and to district manager in 2011. In 2014, Steinmetz was named District Manager of the Year and was inducted into the company’s President’s Club. In

Yamaha ‘Digs’ Doug

Yamaha Corp. of America (YCA) promoted Doug Steinmetz to national sales manager for the company’s Band & Orchestral (B&O) division.

For the past seven years, Steinmetz has served as the B&O district manager for the Southwestern territory, growing sales and taking on many significant roles in the division, including being a member of both the company’s education and pro and custom experience committees. Jonathon Breen, who previously held the position, left Yamaha in early August.

Upon completion of his internship for the B&O Percussion department in 2005, Steinmetz was hired as an skills,” she added. “Plus, I’ll learn exactly what goes into producing a print publication.”

Mullen will handle significant editing duties, as well as website postings for msretailer.com. She is also in charge of all social media accounts for the Retailer.

“We are very excited to have Amanda Mullen join our team,” said Brian Berk, editor of the Retailer. “Her skill set and work ethic are great additions. We look forward to having her meet retailers and manufacturers alike at The NAMM Show in January.”

Amanda currently resides in Oceanside, N.Y., with her boyfriend and cat. When she isn’t writing or editing, she can usually be found hiking near the Hudson Valley or reading a book bigger than she is.

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

2013 and 2016, Steinmetz won the Winds Award and Percussion Award, respectively.

“Jonathon has been a highlyregarded sales manager in our company and in the music products industry, and we wish him well as he enjoys this next chapter in his life,” said Garth

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Gilman, YCA corporate vice president. “We are very excited to have Doug as our new national sales manager for the B&O division. Doug has demonstrated strong, consistent leadership at Yamaha, and his promotion is well earned as he steps into this important role.”

PRODUCT

z z u B e/MERGing Technology

Pearl announced the electronic drumset, e/MERGE, which is powered by KORG. The e/MERGE MDL1 module features a full library of high-definition, natural, organic and minimally processed acoustic Pearl drums. It also introduces Wave Trigger Technology. The stock five-piece configurations come with a Pearl Icon e-Rack that provides extreme flexibility to accommodate various setups and styles. The e/ HYBRID configuration includes 10-inch, 12-inch and 14-inch toms, a 14-inch snare and an 18-inch by 12-inch acoustic bass drum. The e/ TRADITIONAL configuration includes the same size components with a traditional bass e/drum pad designed for portability. Each e/MERGE kit includes a PUREtouch Electronic Cymbal pack consisting of an 18-inch three-zone Ride (bell, bow and edge), 15-inch two-zone Crash (bow and edge) and 14-inch two-zone Hi-hats (bow and edge).

MAP: EM53T: $3,999.99; EM53HB: $4,199.99 Ship Date: Early 2019 Contact: Pearl Drums, pearldrum.com

Taylor Made

Taylor Guitars debuted the 314ce V-Class Grand Auditorium model, featuring a solid Sitka spruce top with solid sapele back and sides. The sapele/ spruce 314ce responds with a balanced and articulate blend of top-end brightness, midrange fullness and low-end warmth that accommodates an array of playing styles.

Appointments include black binding, new Gemstone fretboard/ peghead inlays in Italian acrylic, and satin-finish back and sides with a gloss top. The guitar also features a Venetian cutaway and Taylor’s proprietary ES2 electronics. The guitar ships in a deluxe hardshell case.

Street Price: $1,999 Ship Date: Contact company Contact: Taylor Guitars, taylorguitars.com

Purple Haze

Fender Musical Instruments Corp. added the Jimi Hendrix Voodoo Child accessories line. Jimi Hendrix Voodoo Child Coiled Cables are vintage recreations of what he used during his illustrious career, with modern specs. The end-pin plugs, vintage-style pancake ends and oversized barrel are recreations of Jimi’s famous live performance cables. The modern twist includes a 95-percent shielded braiding using the best modern technology available, and the 30-foot length allows for maximum stage movement, stated the company. Fender also now gives players the opportunity to draw upon Jimi's full, warm tone by winding up a set of Jimi Hendrix Voodoo Child Signature Strings. A recreation of Jimi Hendrix’s beloved strings, Jimi’s signature heavy-high and light-low gauge setup, offered in ball-end and bullet-end designs, are easy to bend and full of the magic that was the source of his sound.

MSRP: Jimi Hendrix Voodoo Child, Ball End Nickel, 10-38: $12.99; Jimi Hendrix Voodoo Child, Ball End NPS, 10-38: $10.99; Jimi Hendrix Voodoo Child, Bullet End Nickel, 10-38: $19.99; Jimi Hendrix Voodoo Child, Bullet End NPS, 10-38: $16.99 Ship Date: Now Contact: Fender, fender.com

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Major Product Launch

Lee Oskar Harmonicas is unveiling Major Diatonics in the keys of Low D, E and F#. These new low-key harmonicas feature the same quality and design that the global brand is known for across the entire Lee Oskar Harmonicas system, which has been manufactured in collaboration with Tombo Mfg. of Japan since 1983, stated the company. In addition, these new harmonicas are uniformly priced with all Lee Oskar Harmonicas in the entire system, which now includes a grand total of 46 different harmonicas in four different tunings.

MSRP: Contact company Ship Date: Fall 2018 Contact: Lee Oskar, leeoskar.com SEPTEMBER 2018

PRODUCT

Taking Flight ProX debuted the XS-DDJ1000WLT and XS-DDJ1000WLTBL. This flight case is designed to fit the Pioneer DDJ-1000 Digital DJ Controller and is made with the highest quality material and workmanship, stated the

company. The front removable panel allows for easy access to the front controls and headphone/ mic jacks. It Includes a 1U rack-mountable space below the controller.

MSRP: Contact company Ship Date: Contact company Contact: ProX, proxdirect.com

Monster Mash

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John Packer debuted its JP2057 Sousaphone.

With complete ease, the sousaphone can turn from a mellow bass instrument to a roaring forward-facing monster, suitable to blast any bass line that is needed, whether in a marching band, traditional jazz band or early big band, stated the company. The leadpipe is detachable, and is assembled from three separate parts, allowing the player to choose the most comfortable mouthpiece position.

Available in silver and lacquer with a .687inch bore and a 26-inch bell, the JP2057 sousaphone comes complete with an ABS hard case and a JP mouthpiece. The Marching brass from JPMI comprises the JP2051 Marching Mellophone, JP2052 Marching French horn, JP2053 Marching Baritone and JP2054 Marching Euphonium.

MSRP: Contact company Ship Date: Now Contact: John Packer, jpmusicalinstruments.com

QRS-Connect

n g Soo n i m ow Co rder N O e r P

Hardware, Software & Sensors to Track and Capture Rechargeable Battery - portable

5 Pin MIDI In & out - 2 ins or 2 outs or 1 in & 1 out

Buttons & LEDs - toggle use with indication

USB to MIDI - MIDI to USB Delays, Sync and programing

Bluetooth MIDI and Audio - to and from Bright LED acts as a Flash Metronome, and flashlight

Digital to Audio & Audio to Digital

Built in Mic for scratch tracking General MIDI Sound Module

Tuner & Beat Finder

Audio & mic Ins & Outs

Accelerometer Micro & Type C USB -

Capture, Communicate & Charge

Wi-Fi & Wi-Fi Direct - Direct device log in and auto upload to the QRS-Connect.com cloud

QRS-Connect.com - Cloud Ecosystem for Analytics, Sharing, Archiving & More

Micro SD Slot - Expandable portable storage

Built In speaker - for voice prompts, notifications, & previews

QRS Widgets - Application Specific Functions That Utilize the I/O - Programmable & Assignable

What is QRS-Connect? It ‘s three components: QRS-Connect compatible hardware, QRS-Connect.com cloud based

QRS-Connect.com

ecosystem, and a library of applications, content and widgets. The QRS-Connect’s patent pending technology opens doors, never thought possible. All accessible from any Wi-Fi enabled device. From auto-recording/naming/tagging/ saving/archiving to analytics, account/device/content management to feeds/collaboration/groups/sharing and 3rd party app integration- it does all that plus so much more.

QRS Music Technologies, Inc. 2018 - Music & Sound Retailer - advertisement - QRS Connect.indd 2

to pre-order go to: qrsmusic.com/qrs-connect.asp

adqrsc/61818 6/18/2018 10:57:43 AM

PRODUCT

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Holding a Tune

Electronic Avenue

Yamaha announced the DTX402 series electronic drum kits — the DTX402K and DTX452K — providing beginning drummers with an entrylevel kit intended to help improve drumming skills and techniques, while introducing intuitive, app-driven challenges and rewards to encoure drummers to keep playing. Both models come with the DTX402 module, which comes with 287 high-quality, expressive drum and percussion sounds, 128 keyboard sounds, 10 customizable drumkits and nine reverb types. Different music genre selections, such as pop, rock and jazz, as well as the training and learning functions, are clearly labeled on the module for easy navigation.

The module also includes 10 unique built-in training exercises, along with a record function, that improve techniques for drummers of any skill level.

MSRP: DTX402K: $799; DTX452K: $1,049 Ship Date: Now Contact: Yamaha, usa.yamaha.com

Stealth Mode

MONO added the M80 Stealth Electric Bass case to its Stealth line. The product offers a new design created to give bassists mobility, thanks to cases that are even lighter, and easier to handle and manage in transit. The M80 Stealth line stays true to MONO’s commitment to protection and design, while amping up mobility and adaptability, stated the company. With its streamlined profile and comfort-focused features, this is perfect for the commuting gigger or bassist on shorter trips, MONO added.

MSRP: $199 Ship Date: This fall Contact: MONO, monocreators.com

WE PUT THE “LEI” IN UKULELE. Say aloha to our new Hawaiian-themed ukulele Quick-Change® capos. www.kysermusical.com

BOSS debuted the TU-03 Clip-On Tuner & Metronome, the latest addition to the company’s lineup of instrument tuners. Ideal for guitar, bass, ukulele and other stringed instruments, the TU-03 combines a high-performance chromatic tuner and metronome in one clip-on unit, giving players two essential music tools in a single convenient device. The TU-03 features BOSS’s tuner technology for quick and accurate instrument tuning. Users can switch between standard chromatic mode and dedicated guitar, bass, ukulele and violin modes. The reference pitch is adjustable from 430-450 hertz, and flat and double-flat tunings are supported as well. Reference pitches can also be sounded through a built-in speaker. With its metronome mode, the TU-03 puts an important practice tool right on the player’s instrument.

Unlike other clip-on tuners that offer visual metronomes only, the integrated speaker and metronome display in the TU-03 enables users to both hear and see the beat.

MSRP: $21.99 Ship Date: Now Contact: Roland, roland.com

PRODUCT

The Right Connection

Bittree launched the DSFB124NL Series, its next generation of patch panel enclosures. The first product in the series, the DSFB124NL-ST, accommodates high-density, simplex ST-to-ST connections. A second version, the DSFB124NL-LC, accommodates duplex LC-to-LC connections. Both products will accommodate single and multi-mode fiber applications, while their compact 1RU form factor enables high-density 24-position patching, an important benefit in facilities with limited rack space, stated the company. The products are built using a cold-rolled-steel construction with a durable black powder-coat finish, ensuring a highly durable and reliable product design. The fold-down, clear-red acrylic front and

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rear doors additionally enable visual inspection of the patch interface to monitor connections and performance.

MSRP: Contact company Ship Date: DSFB124NL-ST: now; DSFB124NL-LC: later this year Contact: Bittree, bittree.com

Introducing

SOUND PERCUSSION

Play-Action Fake

Hal Leonard’s ”Broadway Fake Book” features nearly 650 hit show tunes from 285 of the biggest Broadway musicals of all time, arranged with melody, lyrics and chords for voice and C instruments. Additionally, the book features more than 50 pages of synopses of all the shows featured in the book.

Songs include: “And All That Jazz,” “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” “New York, New York” and many more. Shows featured in the book include: “Aladdin,” “Cabaret,” “Carousel,” “Cats,” “Chicago,” “A Chorus Line,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Hair,” “Hamilton,” “Les Misérables,” “The Lion King,” “Mamma Mia!,” “My Fair Lady,” “Oklahoma!,” “Oliver!,” “Phantom of the Opera,” “Rent,” “School of Rock” and “Wicked.”

MSRP: $39.99 Ship Date: Now Contact: Hal Leonard, halleonard.com

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

NEW!

Sound Percussion

An Intermediate Method for Individual or Group Instruction

By Dave Black and Chris Bernotas Sound Percussion has a clear and flexible approach with plenty of reinforcement. This comprehensive resource is perfect for teaching students the fundamentals necessary for becoming well-rounded percussionists. With Sound Percussion’s groundbreaking approach, teach your percussionists as a group or in individual lessons with books available for: Snare Drum & Bass Drum • Mallet Percussion • Timpani • Accessory Percussion.

Sound Percussion is the perfect complement or supplement to any band method book.

ORDER TODAY! Phone: (800) 292-6122 | Email: sales@alfred.com | Web: alfred.com/dealer

PRODUCT

z z u B 100% Pure Separation

Fun and Games

Alfred Music announced the release of two new re- sources designed for the classroom, “Gotta Have Games” and “Everyday Composition.” Each resource is uniquely constructed to easily teach music concepts and enhance established curriculums, while engaging students with clever games and interactive opportunities. Refresh general music classes with “Gotta Have Games,” a collection of 25 games, including relay races, memorization tasks, one-on-one competitions, board games and more, for elementary and middle school students. “Everyday Composition” is intended to expand existing elementary curriculums and includes beautifully illustrated interactive lessons for computer or interactive whiteboard. Each lesson plan begins with a song, poem or story; invites students to improvise as a group and individually using their voices, recorders, xylophones or percussion instruments; and progresses to a rubric-based composition project.

MSRP: “Gotta Have Games”: $24.99; “Everyday Composition”: $34.99 Ship Date: Now Contact: Alfred, alfred.com

VocoPro released the IEM-DIGITAL system. Traditional stereo in-ear monitor systems involve MPX Technology, which designates a single frequency as the carrier for stereo signal output. This technology is limited as far as receiving 100-percent separation of the stereo channel. VocoPro states it has solved this issue by using two separate digital frequencies to send out stereo/dual mono signal into each in-ear monitor. The VocoPro solution creates a true dual mono/stereo in-ear monitor and actually costs less than half the price of other leading brands thanks to the company’s all-new digital wireless chip. Twenty-fourbit digital means musicians will get that super-clear audiophile sound. And with a total of 18 frequencies and up to nine channel combinations, players will avoid wireless interference and get clear sound from any corner of the stage.

MSRP: $299; MAP: $249 Ship Date: Contact company Contact: VocoPro, vocopro.com

For a Good Cause

Kyser partnered with Guitars for Vets (G4V) by manufacturing phosphor bronze acoustic guitar strings that are easy on the fingers of beginning players. A set of Kyser G4V Ultramodern Light Guitar Strings has gauges of .009-inch E string, .012-inch B string, .016-inch G string, .024-inch D string, .034-inch A string and .044-inch low E string that are easy to press and hold down when learning chords. Kyser will donate a set to each graduating veteran of the G4V program and will donate all profits from sales of Kyser G4V Ultramodern Light Guitar Strings to the G4V mission. G4V is a nonprofit organization that provides guitars and lessons at no cost to U.S. military veterans who suffer from PTSD and physical injuries.

Street Price: $7 Ship Date: Now Contact: Kyser, kysermusical.com

Take it to the Matte

E.K. Blessing shipped its BTR-1460M trumpet, the latest addition to its lineup of brass instruments. The BTR-1460M features a new matte finish, a unique feature for instruments of this price point, stated the company. The BTR-1460M offers a unique, distressed finish, achieved by hand to give each instrument a distinct look.

The trumpet features a 460-inch ML bore, five-inch bell diameter, rose brass lead pipe, yellow brass body and two-piece bell, nickel silver outer slides and monel valves. It’s a good companion to the 1541 Flugelhorn in both look and completing a player’s spectrum of tones, stated parent company St. Louis Music.

MSRP: Contact company Ship Date: Now Contact: St. Louis Music, stlouismusic.com

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SEPTEMBER 2018

PRODUCT

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Game, Set, Match

D’Addario introduced stainless-steel string sets for Bajo Quinto and Bajo Sexto. Innovated by duplicating popular gauges from phosphor bronze Bajo Quinto and Bajo Sexto sets, these new string sets feature stainless-steel wrap wire for consistent, high-quality strings that have unprecedented tone and tuning stability, stated the company. These new stainless steel Bajo Quinto and Bajo Sexto sets also are designed to deliver a super-bright tone and a

magnetic response that is compatible with instruments that have electromagnetic pickups for amplification.

MSRP: EJS85 Set Bajo Quinto Stainless Steel: $33.95; EJS86 Set Bajo Sexto Stainless Steel: $45.25 Ship Date: Now Contact: D’Addario, daddario.com

Success is a Team Effort

El Diablo

Framus introduced six D-Series electric guitars: Diablo Pro, Diablo Progressive X, Diablo Supreme, Panthera Supreme, Panthera Pro 7 and Phil XG Artist Line. Only high-quality woods, hardware and other parts are used for these instruments, which are based on the guitars of the Framus Teambuilt German Pro Series and the Custom Shop models, said the company. The pickups are manufactured by Seymour Duncan/Fishman, the fingerboards are made of Tigerstripe Ebony, and lefthanded versions are available without surcharge. Warwick Security Locks, Cleartone Strings and a Deluxe RockBag are all included.

MSRP: Contact company Ship Date: Now Contact: Framus, framus.com

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

“We are very excited to be working in the best times our business has ever experienced. To have such high demand at this point in our history is humbling and deeply appreciated. We wouldn’t be where we are without our dealers, distributors, artists, enthusiastic customers, and team of amazing guitar makers. We appreciate your support and understanding as we ramp up our manufacturing line without sacrificing our core values.”

– Jim Cullen/PRS Director of Sales

P A R W !

P U T I CTS SE PRODU E H T N O P N STOCK U AY SEASO ID L O H IS TH erk

By Brian B

A GAME OF TWO-HAND TOUCH Gig Gear’s new Two Hand Touch is a wearable iPad and tablet case that secures to the chest via a flexible harness, leaving both hands free to interface with remote-mixing apps during live production. Users can now take full advantage of multi-touch capabilities that come standard in almost all of today’s remote-mixing apps without having to hold the tablet with one hand — making remote mixing an even more efficient option for live engineers.

Two models are available to fit both the iPad and iPad Pro, with additional straps to fit other tablet sizes.

Contact: GigGear, gig-gear.com

q

Now that back-to-school season is over and summer turns to fall, that only means one thing: the holiday season is nearly upon us. It’s time to begin stocking up on those items that could be big sellers during this all-important holiday time.

Need ideas of what may be big sellers this year?

Here’s the Music & Sound Retailer’s annual guide, comprising 27 products to stock on your shelves.

Let us be the first to wish you an admittedly premature but heartfelt happy holidays.

ACE OF BASS Yamaha made two additions to its popular TRBX series of electric basses. Both the four-string TRBX604FM and five-string TRBX605FM boast intricately finished flame maple tops and matching headstock veneers to go along with the features that have established the TRBX series as an industry workhorse, including comfort-contoured mahogany bodies, bolt-on five-piece maple/ mahogany necks and premium electronics, stated the company. Like the popular TRBX500 models, both TRB600 basses are designed to deliver the right tone for every musical style. Custom Yamaha H series pickups use four Alnico V pole pieces per string to offer a wide frequency response and noise-free operation. The flexible onboard electronics allow players to take full advantage of the pickups’ range with an easyto-use balance control and a three-band EQ that can go from active to passive operation with the flip of a switch.

Contact: Yamaha, usa.yamaha.com

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Electro-Harmonix released Oceans 11, a compact, affordable pedal packed with advanced functionality and 11 reverb styles: HALL, SPRING, PLATE, REVRS, ECHO, TREM, MOD, DYNA, AUTO-INF, SHIM and POLY. Oceans 11 features powerful, yet intuitive, “hidden” parameters accessible via its Secondary Knob Mode that let the player take greater control of its effects. An internal Tails switch also provides a choice of whether the reverb effect fades out naturally or stops immediately when the pedal is switched to bypass. In most settings, the pedal is also capable of producing infinite reverb, which can be played over with a fresh reverb effect with adjustable parameters.

Contact: Electro-Harmonix, ehx.com

SEPTEMBER 2018

u CRYSTAL CLEAR Floyd Rose Audio introduced its latest collection of patented Wired 3D Crystal Stereo Sound, featuring dual speaker drivers/dual-sound-coil technology and frequency divider boards to produce 3D sound experience through over-ear headphones and earbuds. Designed and engineered in Europe and the United States, the product teams worked with Floyd Rose himself to produce the ultimate listening pleasure to the human ear, according to the company. The earcups each boast a Powerful Driver for superior bass and midrange, and small high-efficiency driver for high sound frequency that creates a dynamic balance between bass/mid/treble, stated the company. More features include a durable headphone cable, lightweight design, metal construction, colorful and stylish fabric finish, soft-forming earpads and a fabric carrying bag for FR-52.

Contact: Seca Group/Floyd Rose Audio, floydroseaudio.com

GET INTO THE GRUV Gruv Gear’s side-carry GigBlade completed its series in 2018 with the Edge. Continuing with the aggressive styling of the GigBlade and Sliver, the economical Edge model boasts high-end features, such as a patented “yin-yang” auto-locking neck brace, tough 600-denier construction, and low-center-of-gravity ergonomics when carrying your guitar or bass. Stash away your tuner, spare strings and other small accessories in the drop pocket or slip music sheets and most 15-inch laptops into the bottom compartment. An optional second strap allows the side-carry Edge to be converted into a backpackstyle gig bag.

Contact: Gruv Gear, gruvgear.com u

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

t HOLIDAY SPIRIT Hal Leonard’s “Popular Christmas Sheet Music: 1980-2017” has wrapped up 40 contemporary Christmas favorites from artists such as Coldplay, Mariah Carey, Sia, Kelly Clarkson, Faith Hill, Pentatonix and more into one songbook. Each song is arranged for piano and voice with guitar chords. Offered are radio favorites such as “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” “Mary, Did You Know?” “Where Are You Christmas?” “Last Christmas,” “Snowman,” “Christmas Lights” and dozens more.

Contact: Hal Leonard, halleonard.com

FRONT AND CENTER Manufactured from heavier-gauge phosphor bronze, SABIAN Center Hammered Triangles allow for more projection than current triangles and offer more clarity in any performance venue, stated the company. In addition, the dense center-hammering technique produces a rich timbre with overtones, rather than a single penetrating pitch.

GOING SOLO Thomastik-Infeld released the Versum Solo Set. For the first time, A, D, G and C strings enhance one another to synergistically transform the sound of a cello, stated the company. Typically, cellists mix their strings versus using a single set.

Versum Solo qualities include possibilities of combining color, sound and texture, along with vital power and an elegant voice. State-of-the-art bow response allows for the full range from pianissimo to fortissimo, and they are extremely durable and only take minutes to settle in, the company added. These strings are designed to produce a solid, deep core tone while also yielding surprisingly vivid notes.

Contact: Connolly Music Co., connollymusic.com

u For occasions where a consistency of timbre is required, such as a sequence of notes, SABIAN has provided unhammered areas at the corners where percussionists typically play for this effect. For a single rich sound, percussionists can play on the multi-surfaced, center-hammered area.

Contact: Sabian, sabian.com

“Wireworld increased my tone tenfold which makes me play that much better. When you sound great you play great! ” LANCE LOPEZ BLUES & ROCK GUITARIST

Patented design clears the signal path for pure tone Unique Kevlar core provides strength and durability Custom blended insulation controls electrostatic energy

wireworldproaudio.com

Super flexible with high quality construction Silver, nickel and Amphenol switching plugs available

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RESOUNDING SUCCESS Cusack Music unveiled its Resound Reverb pedal. Resound features eight reverb programs and eight user-programmable presets arranged in four banks of two; a 10-millimeter, four-color center LED to indicate bank, and left and right footswitch LEDs to indicate the preset selected within the bank; dual presets that allow for no loss transitions between two variants of the same program; live mode for quick programming; “Extend” footswitch to instantly maximize Decay knob setting during use; stereo outputs with Wet/Dry choice for second output; and more. Controls can also be adjusted in the preset mode, and there are two parameter plus decay controls specific for each program, as well as controls for program, mix, level, cascade and trails. Made in the U.S. with a lifetime warranty.

Contact: Cusack Music, cusackmusic.com u MONO_The Music & Sound Retailer .8.8.pdf 1 8/8/18 17:44

p PORT OF CALL The latest generation of PreSonus’ classic USB control surface, the FaderPort, enables end users to record and mix with a smooth, touch-sensitive, motorized, 100-millimeter fader; transport controls; and new workflows introduced in the FaderPort 8 and 16. Users can manage markers, punch in/out with a footswitch (not included), arm tracks, and employ the innovative Session Navigator to control a DAW application quickly and easily, stated the company. Native control of PreSonus Studio One DAW (Studio One Artist included) includes Control Link support and parameter follow, allowing quick access to any control.

Contact: PreSonus, presonus.com

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EXPRESS ROUTE p It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Alfred Music released “Premier Piano Express: Christmas,” Books 1-4. They contain familiar motivational pieces for the holiday season, using the same concepts introduced in the corresponding “Premier Piano Express” books.

It can also be used with any method, as soon as students begin reading on the grand staff.

Some pieces include teacher duet accompaniments.

Contact: Alfred, alfred.com

PRIME TIME Denon DJ introduced the SC5000M Prime Motorized Platter DJ Media Player. The product is designed to provide the true essence of vinyl-based turntable performance, combined with ultimate creative control over digital music files. The added benefit of “Instant-Doubles” delivers the digital dream to a DJ’s fingertips, so they can immediately duplicate their currently playing track, in its precise point in the timeline, onto another layer or deck — thus enabling even the most adventurous performers to get the best of both vinyl and digital worlds, stated the company.

Contact: Denon, denondj.com

q p PIANO MAN The RP102 is Roland’s first console piano that costs less than $1,000 and features advanced technologies with best-in-class sound and touch in a space-saving design that is ideal as a first piano for the home and music education settings, stated the company. Featuring Bluetooth MIDI connectivity unique to Roland pianos, users can wirelessly connect via smartphone or tablet for interactive learning with Roland’s Piano Partner 2 app and others. The RP102 is also supported by Roland’s comprehensive sales strategy program called “Sellthrough 360,” simultaneously addressing the specific needs of consumers, frontline sales teams and dealer owner/buyers with a combination of dealer incentives, salesforce training, promotional in-store assets and added value for the consumer.

Contact: Roland, roland.com

HEAD OF THE CLASS Tech 21’s VT Bass 200 Combo Amp 200-Watt bass combo with all-analog SansAmp preamp and Class D power amp is designed to offer an exceptional range of vintage and modern bass amp tones. Its unique character control changes the entire sonic structure and moves seamlessly between decades of different voicings. For an even wider range than those in the “VT” family, a shift button alters the frequencies to bring an additional crop of bass amp tones to the table. Other features include active tone controls, piezo-friendly, 1/4-inch, high-impedance, 4.7-MegOhm input, XLR output and worldwide power supply — all in a 28-pound, rear-ported, 1x12 cabinet with defeatable tweeter.

Contact: Tech 21, tech21nyc.com q

SEPTEMBER 2018

IN PLAY t

The “fat-sounding” Player Stratocaster HSH is packed with authentic Fender feel and style, according to the company. The Player Series humbucking pickups sound huge and warm, while the Player Series single-coil middle pickup is crisp and articulate, stated the company.

By adding a 22nd medium-jumbo fret to the contemporary 9.5-inch-radius fingerboard, it’s designed to make it easier for artists to express themselves musically. The updated two-point tremolo design has smoother travel for enhanced playing feel, while simultaneously providing tuning stability since there’s less friction against the posts.

Contact: Fender, fender.com

NUTS FOR WALNUT Martin’s DE Black Walnut Ambertone is designed to produce the perfect amount of bass, resulting in a wellbalanced guitar, ideal for recording, performing and songwriting, stated the company. The look of walnut stands out and is a great choice for those seeking a sound between rosewood and mahogany (with a tinge of koa). The DE Black Walnut limited-edition model is finished with an ambertone shaded top. It offers ultimate playability and comfort with Martin-made strings and comes equipped with premium Fishman Matrix VT Enhance electronics.

Contact: C.F. Martin, martinguitar.com

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instruments print music accessories PROPRIETARY LINES

NO MINIMUMS . FREIGHT PROGRAMS . FRIENDLY SERVICE

1.800.CHESBRO . SALES@CHESBROMUSIC.COM MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

DO THE WAVE “Wave” 20-Gauge Instrument Cable, the newest item added to Kirlin’s Premium Plus Collection, has a woven, noise-free jacket that is professionally designed with insulation to prevent external interference and to ensure signals travel rapidly and smoothly with minimum distortion, delay or loss. This cable also has a conductive PVC shield with 100-percent coverage, and OFC braided shielding with 95 percent coverage. Kirlin gives its customers the choice between two different metal connectors; either both 1/4 straight or 1/4 straight to 1/4 right-angle. These metal connectors have a gold-plated contact and black barrel. Customers also have the choice between cable lengths of 10 feet and 20 feet. The Wave’s woven jacket comes in five different colors, enabling users to stand out among the rest, especially in time for the holidays, stated the company.

Contact: Kirlin, kirlincableshop.com

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SWEDISH SENSATION

Phil Jones Bass released the Cab 27 bass, a two-way, compact, high-performance bass instrument loudspeaker. It features two proprietary PJB four-ohm, seven-inch drivers wired in series (eight ohm total) designed to handle high power levels of up to 200 Watts with extremely low distortion. A proprietary three-inch (magnetic liquid-cooled voice coil) cone tweeter augments the high-frequency component, giving it a fully extended range of 30 hertz to 25 kilohertz. The C-27’s full range and smooth frequency response enables it to easily double as a vocal monitor or as a music playback speaker. The dimensions are 16.5-inches wide by 13-inches high by 12.5-inches deep, with a weight of 29 pounds. Features include heavy duty vinyl/carpet covering, “kickproof” shock-mounted steel grill, heavy-duty recessed handle for easy carrying, two Neutrik Speakon NL4 connectors and rubber feet positioned to allow the cabinet to be used vertically or horizontally.

Contact: Phil Jones Bass, pjbworld.com

D’Addario launched a series of string sets designed for strandberg guitars. strandberg is a Swedish guitar maker that utilizes interesting design characteristics not typically found on guitars. As a result, D’Addario created two specialized sets designed for its seven- and eight-string guitars that complement the variable scale length and proprietary bridge found on strandberg instruments. The D’Addario NYXL09564SB set is optimized for the variable scale length of seven-string strandberg guitars (25.5 inches to 26.25 inches), while the NYXL0984SB set is optimized for the variable scale length of eight-string strandberg guitars (26.5 inches to 28 inches), with a specialized ball-end taper to fit the proprietary eight-string strandberg bridge.

Contact: D’Addario, daddario.com

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p WHO’S THE BOSS? The BOSS GT-1000 compact, floor-based unit is the first guitar multi-effects with 32-bit AD/DA, 32-bit floating-point processing and 96 kHz sampling rate, stated the company. All features from the BOSS RV-500 Reverb, MD500 Modulation and DD-500 Digital Delay are built in alongside a range of expressive amplifier types that use the same Tube Logic design approach behind the Katana, Waza and Blues Cube lines. Augmented Impulse Response Dynamics technology also provides fully optimized performance with all types of devices.

Contact: BOSS, boss.info/us

SEPTEMBER 2018

TRUE TO LIFE

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DEXIBELL released the VIVO SX7 digital piano sound module. Designed for desktop, rig- or rack-mounted use, VIVO SX7 is presented in an ultra-compact anodized aluminum body that's handmade in Italy. The VIVO SX7 offers all benefits of Dexibell’s patented T2L (True to Life) suite of sounds and technologies intended for multiple applications including stage, studio and production environments. T2L features include: high-definition tone (24-bit and 48KHz), unlimited polyphony with sympathetic resonance and full acoustic overtones, and seamless sound changes.

Sounds and effects are designed for seamless transition during sound changes or memory recalls to avoid musical interruption. It features a USB memory port and a USB computer port.

Contact: Dexibell, dexibell.com

t KEYS TO SUCCESS

GREASED LIGHTNING Allparts Music’s Tone Vise features a locking nut kit with keyless locks for quick adjustments without cumbersome hex wrenches. This drop-in kit requires no tools and includes everything you need to install it in just minutes, as well as some PFTE grease to keep everything operating smoothly, stated the company. The kit is available in chrome and black.

Contact: All Parts Music, allparts.com/tone-vise

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M-Audio introduced its Keystation 61, 49 and Mini 32 MK3 USB/MIDI keyboard controllers. The models use octaverange buttons; pitch, bend and modulation controls; and volume control to play, perform and record with music software without requiring a mouse or trackpad. The 61 and 49 MK3 feature transport and directional controls and a 1/4inch (6.3-millimeter) sustain pedal input to use an external control pedal for genuine piano sustain. The Keystation 61 MK3 adds five-pin MIDI output and semi-weighted keys as step-up features from the Mini 32 MK3 and 49 MK3.

Contact: M-Audio, m-audio.com

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SDA-XR 42 and SDT-XR 52 I’M ALL EARS Audio-Technica released ATH-M60x OnEar Professional Monitor Headphones, the latest addition to its M-Series line.

Designed for studio, broadcast and mobile applications, the ATH-M60x is a low-profile, on-ear professional headphone model that utilizes the same proprietary 45-millimeter, large-aperture drivers found in the ATH-M50x (with rare earth magnets and copper-clad aluminum wire voice coils), delivering exceptional clarity throughout an extended frequency range with accurate bass response, stated the company. The ATH-M60x’s low-profile, closed-back, on-ear design provides excellent sound isolation and a great fit, which is enhanced by the exceptional comfort and durability of the memory foam earpads and headband, A-T stated.

Contact: Audio-Technica, audio-technica.com

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

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These two innovative models combine all the exceptional features of our XR and XG series to create the finest Saxophone ever designed and built.

Large 6.26” graduated Tenor bell size, large 5.32” Alto bell size, “low profile” key cups/pads, “fast taper” neck design, double key arms & triple position neck strap ring on the tenor.

All these features plus the body/bow/bell are plated in a semi matte rich Dark Olive Onyx finish over our exclusive BRONZE ALLOY. The Inside of the bell is a vivid contrasting bright Black Onyx.

All keys/trim are 100% RAW BRONZE ALLOY exactly like our XR-82/92 models…raw Bronze with no lacquer finish. This exceptional alloy will continue to oxidize tastefully for many years.

The necks of both models are finished in brilliant Silver triple plate with elaborate ornate hand engraving. The bell/bow and body are also extensively hand engraved in the classic tradition of French artisans. The sound/timbre is perfect in all registers with intonation at an optimum level of accuracy.

Stainless steel long rods guarantee instant closure and rapid response at all times. Harmonics, in all registers, are “true” and accurate.

SDA-XR 42 ALTO $4,275.00 SDT-XR 52 TENOR $4,575.00

The Performance Saxophone

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Designed for professionals by professionals ….distinctive, special & outstanding!!

Owning and playing either model will be the ultimate reward and experience at any venue.

There are no equals to these models on the market today.

Toll Free: 877.541.4017 Email: pjlabiz2@aol.com www.saxdakota.com

NOMAD NO MORE Music Nomad’s Nomad Tool is now paired with the small, yet powerful, Nomad Slim. This product teaming makes it easy to maintain the quality, sound and cleanliness of your equipment, stated the company. The Nomad Tool extends the life and preserves the tone of your strings while keeping the body and hardware looking like new without the use of any cleaning solutions, the manufacturer added.

The Nomad Tool’s microfiber pad cleans on top and underneath guitar strings in seconds. The dual-sided microfiber pad protects the frets and fretboard from damage when cleaning underneath the strings while cleaning them at the same time.

Contact: Music Nomad, musicnomadcare.com

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t BORN TO TEACH S.A. Richards Inc. debuted the “5-in-1” Portable Music Educator’s Teaching Tool, which features a presentation easel, magnetic/dryerase board with staff lines, music-staff pad holder, music storage rack and music stand. The company also released the Prop-It Portable Tabletop Music Stand, designed to hold any type of music. It sets up instantly to 11 inches wide by six inches high by eight inches front-to-back; collapses flat to eight inches by 11 inches. Its “flip-up” extensions support opened sheet music (18 inches wide by 12 inches high) and are made of durable, lightweight plastic.

Contact: S.A. Richards Inc., 201.947.3850 St. Louis Music, stlouismusic.com

ALL ABOUT THE JOURNEY The Journey Junior packs high-end appointments into a 36-inch guitar with a 24.5-inch scale for a great sound in a compact design and is ideal for the singer songwriter, smaller player or student, stated the company. Journey Junior features a solid top with layered back and sides, forward-shifted scalloped X-bracing, bone nut and compensated saddle, 14:1 precision mini chrome tuners, ovangkol fingerboard and bridge, wedge design for bigger volume and comfort, dual-action truss-rod, piezoelectric passive pickup, and a premium travel case with multiple storage compartments and neck support. Available in acoustic and classical models.

Contact: Journey Instruments, journeyinstruments.com

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SEPTEMBER 2018

THE MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER’S 13TH ANNUAL INDEPENDENT RETAILER ROUNDTABLE

THE CHANGING FACE OF RETAIL GOTTA STOCK IT! MAKALA DOLPHIN SOPRANO UKULELE BY KALA

By Brian Berk In years from now, when we look back on 2018 regarding MI retailing, despite a shakier economy than in the most recent past, most will likely say the industry had a positive year. But this certainly does not mean MI faces no challenges. In fact, it’s far from it.

Internet competition is tough. Competing on pricing alone is well in the past. Then, there are the new questions raised about the U.S. Supreme Court’s online sales tax ruling in South Dakota v. Wayfair Inc., which in essence says states can compel retailers to collect sales taxes, even if they don’t have a physical presence in the state.

“The Internet’s prevalence and power have changed the dynamics of the national economy,” Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in the 5-4 majority opinion. “The expansion of e-commerce has also increased the revenue shortfall faced by states seeking to collect their sales and use taxes.”

But considering several retailers have both a brick-and-mortar presence and an online presence, will this ruling have an effect on MI or be negligible? We ask that topic first in our 13th annual Independent Retailer Roundtable, which took place at the restaurant Barlines, across from the Nashville’s Music City Center, during Summer NAMM. Joining us this year are Allen McBroom of Starkville, Miss.-based Backstage Music; Gordy Wilcher of Owensboro Music Center in Owensboro, Ky.; and a new panelist, Chuck Marks of Harrisonburg, Va.-based Hometown Music. All are members of the Independent Music Store Owners (IMSO) retail group.

The Music & Sound Retailer: How will the Supreme Court’s internet sales ruling affect you, if at all?

McBroom: I feel like it will reduce the incentive for some of our local customers to find and buy instruments online. We’re in Mississippi, where there is a 7-percent sales tax. If I’m selling a $500 item, I have a $35 disadvantage selling at MAP. They can go to any online place out of state, buy it and save $35. I can’t blame them for doing MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

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BY A PANEL OF RETAIL BUYING EXPERTS. TODD JOHNSON, MANAGER OF GROTH MUSIC IN BLOOMINGTON, MINNESOTA, SAYS “THE KALA DOLPHIN SERIES IS A NO-BRAINER” BECAUSE THEY OFFER EXCEPTIONAL VALUE AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE. AVAILABLE IN 10 EXCITING COLORS, THE MAKALA DOLPHIN HAS A CLASSIC LOOK THAT WON’T BREAK THE BANK. STOCK UP TODAY FOR THE BACK TO SCHOOL RUSH!

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‘The days of buy it for $1 and sell it for $2 are long gone. There seems to be a mindset among most providers that they can establish MAP and establish net. However, once they reduce that number, and once they reduce the margin, it’s OK because we, the retailer, will make it up somewhere else. The problem is, every single supplier is doing the same thing.’

— Allen McBroom

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it if money is tight. I might do the same if I were in their shoes. But now, the customer will have to pay the same $35 online. But in the store, I can touch [the product], experience it and get local customer service. So, I think it will remove an impediment people had to buying locally. And I’m all for it.

Marks: I think it’s potentially a good thing. As I understand it, the states have to seek to enforce the law, which I don’t think Virginia is doing now, even if it could be. So, I see it potentially as a good thing if it actually flows through to the point where the online people are supposed to start tracking it. I don’t do online sales, so it wouldn’t affect me in that area.

Wilcher: The way we are looking at it in Kentucky is, we offer incentives to our customers anyway. For example, if you buy a guitar, you can get 30 days or two weeks to bring it back. You pay for the strings, and we do a complete setup. So, in addition to those incentives, I’m hoping the internet sales tax [ruling] will make a little bit of a difference in sales. We are going to come up with a new program with even more incentives to buy local. I think it will help. I hope it does.

The Retailer: Let’s move on to a difficult question: What is your biggest challenge today as an MI retailer?

McBroom: Shrinking margins. The days of buy it for $1 and sell it for $2 are long gone. There seems to be a mindset among most providers that they can establish MAP and establish net. However, once they reduce that number, and once they reduce the margin, it’s OK because we, the retailer, will make it up somewhere else. The problem is, every single supplier is doing the same thing. It used to be that serial-numbered items were first to shrink margins. [Manufacturers] would say, “That’s OK, you can make it up on accessories.” But accessories are establishing MAP, and they are reducing margins. You can only squeeze the rock so much. We’ve been squeezed to the point

that, from reading IMSO forums, stores are making money on lessons, rentals and repairs, the revenue streams you can’t do on the internet. We pay our lighting bill on the products we buy and sell. But the profits that let us pay the salaries are coming from things other than buying and selling manufacturers’ products.

The Retailer: With that said, are you no longer an MI store, but instead a lessons and rentals store?

McBroom: At least half of our revenues come from audio/video contracting. But we’re still viewed as a guitar store. If you stop anyone in our hometown and ask if they know about Backstage Music, they will say, “Sure, that’s the guitar store.” We sell more ukuleles than we do guitars. We sell way more guitar strings than we do guitars.

We sell almost as many keyboards as we do guitars. Not quite… We are viewed as a guitar store, but in reality, we are an audio/ video contracting business that also has a retail component that primarily sells guitar strings, and somewhere down further in the mix, sells guitars. Reality is different than perception.

The Retailer: Any other comments on biggest challenges as an MI retailer?

Marks: I think [Allen’s] point is well said.

Reduced margins make it harder to run the business. I could really use one more employee, and I’d like to pay all employees better, but there’s only so much money to go around when you are working with reduced margins. The other obvious thing is competing with the internet. It’s not just the sales tax disparity. It’s overcoming the obstacle of people who order on the internet without seeing if there is a local alternative.

The Retailer: Who is the biggest internet competitor for you? Other MI retailers? Amazon?

Wilcher: It’s interesting you bring up Amazon. I half-jokingly tell people that you’re expected to have every widget that Amazon has. We see slower foot traffic, but people will SEPTEMBER 2018

call us and ask if we have a double-prong, triple-something connector? I say, “No, we don’t carry that.” “Well, Amazon has it.” My answer is, “Well, they probably do.” I have more concerns with that than actual internet music stores. Like Allen mentioned, we have to reinvest in sound and video contracting. That’s going to have to become a bigger part of our business. Our lesson program is strong. We have a lot of events, like recitals. We have a concert series on Thursdays. We are trying to do everything we can to fill the store. We feel that once we get them in there, our service will give us a good shot at making the sale.

But I wanted to get back to big problems we face. For me, it’s getting core product from some of our biggest suppliers.

I’ve been very, very concerned.

I won’t name any names, but I’m talking about core products we use constantly. You call them, and they say, “Well, we’re not going to have that product for six weeks.”

Our repair guys will say they need a replacement for something. We call and the supplier says, “Well, we don’t have any of those.” So, you have to go to an online parts distributor and buy them there. It’s funny suppliers don’t have the products for us, but a lot of places seem to have them. That’s a big concern.

McBroom: There’s an issue that crops up from time to time where a local customer will call us and say, “Hey, we’d like to buy XYZ. Can you get us one?”

“Sure, we are a dealer, we can get you that.”

“How much is it?”

We look it up and give them MAP price. Or, if there’s no MAP, we give a reasonable price.

They say, “Thanks, but I can get it cheaper on Amazon.” We are taken aback by that. Either Amazon itself or Amazon merchants are able to sell a product for less than what we can buy it for. We run into this again and again. It’s not just highly specialized items.

A growing issue is the counterfeit market. There are some manufacturers now that are actively battling counterfeit markets and products, but at the expense of retailers. They don’t know what else to do. It’s not that MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

they wish to do this. For example, let’s say guitar strings cost us $4 a set. That same brand, same SKU, you can go on Amazon and buy it for $3.60 with free shipping and 10-day delivery from China.

I know that [product on Amazon] is counterfeit. You know it’s counterfeit. But these manufacturers have to deal with rampant counterfeiting. Generally speaking, strings look alike. They stick it in the right colored package with the right text. It costs them $1 to make and they sell it for $3 with free shipping, because China subsidizes its shipping from China to the U.S. If we were to ship to China, we have to pay full price. So, I think counterfeiting is going to become one of the leading problems we have in our industry.

Wilcher: I haven’t found the counterfeiting problem as much yet, but I have found that products that are being sold directly by our manufacturers on Amazon that are less expensive than I can buy them. I had an instance with one of the reps of a particular company. They were in the store, and I decided I wanted to look up their product on Amazon. It was cheaper. I said, “How can this be?” “I don’t know,” they said. “It could be counterfeit.”

The Retailer: On the other side of the coin, what is working well for you now, and are you optimistic as an MI retailer?

Wilcher: I’m a little pessimistic after 45 years, seeing how things have changed, to see the habits of our customers, particularly younger customers. They don’t seem to value the service and perks of coming in, seeing it, hearing it and feeling it. They don’t care until they have a problem with it. We have students that bought guitars elsewhere that come in for lessons, and we tell them we sell guitars at the store.

They say, “I didn’t know you sell guitars.” We have 150 guitars hanging on the walls, and they come in every week! Honestly, I don’t see any loyalty with younger customers. We do have older customers who are loyal and appreciate us still being there. But that really worries me with the younger set. It’s apparently not important to them.

Marks: I think there’s room for optimism. I have seen a certain group of customers who come in and say, “I’m so glad you’re still here.” And, “I don’t care what your price is. I’m buying it from you.” The downside is that’s a small percentage of the population. I think there is a movement toward shopping local and supporting local businesses, at least in our town. I sense that across

the board. The question is, is that small sliver of people who think that way enough to support a store and continue to support a store and possibly create a movement to get more people to get into the concept of it? But as Gordy said, a lot of people don’t understand the concept of supporting local businesses and don’t have loyalty. Even a good, (continued on page 58)

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FI V E M INUTE S W ITH

STEVE LONG

CEO, Yorkville Sound

By Brian Berk In July (see page 38), we took a look at the history of Yorkville Sound, which achieved 55 years of service this year. This month, we go more in depth by chatting with company CEO Steve Long to learn why the company has been successful, why he is optimistic about the industry and what we may see in the future. Enjoy.

The Music & Sound Retailer: Please tell us about Yorkville and the products you produce.

Steve Long: Yorkville’s foundation is based on listening to what musicians and pro-audio professionals want, learning what would make their lives easier and understanding what would sound better for the end user. These are a few facets to what we do at Yorkville. We are a manufacturer of pro-audio (PA) products including mixers, amplifiers, active and passive loudspeaker cabinets, and lighting. We continue to build the Traynor brand of tube and solidstate instrument amplifiers.

While our first product was a PA cabinet, our second product was a bass amp, so we have a lot of experience in both areas. Everything is created by our team, from the idea to the finished product, right here in our Pickering, Ontario, facility.

On our distribution end, we carry some of the most sought-after brands in Canada and highprofile lines in all of North America, including Dynaudio, Hughes & Kettner and HK Audio.

We also design and distribute the Applied Research and Technology (ART) brand, which we acquired many years ago. And we design and sell the Apex Electronics line of products, including studio tools, microphones, headphones and accessories.

The Retailer: You celebrated 55 years this year. What has been the key to your success?

Long: The key to our longevity is a great staff. We have many people that have been with the company 30 years, 40 years, and even more. Half of our staff have been with the company for more than 10 years. Our people care about what they do, and as a team we work together. This has always been the case, and I’m very grateful for everyone’s efforts. Many on our team are active musicians and users of our products. We do not put out any product that, as a group, we are not proud of. That is our secret.

The Retailer: Please tell us about your background and career.

Long: Yorkville is a family business that was started by my father. I have always been involved in music. I studied business and engineering [at] university. After that, I spent three years playing music professionally. I realized that was probably not a viable longterm career. Yorkville had an opening at that time, and I took it. This allowed me to combine my education and love for music. I have done almost every job at Yorkville over the last 35 years, and I can honestly say there has never been a time when I was bored.

The Retailer: What is the overall state of the industr y today?

Long: I have always been a glass-half-full type of person. There are always changes to how things are done in any industry, but I think that, overall, our industry is very healthy. We have tried to take advantage of the technologies available and incorporate those technologies in our designs. While our company is not the largest, we have always made a big commitment to engineering. Most of our products are in the sound reinforcement area, and I am amazed at how far technology has moved. It is now possible to get a great deal of performance out of a very small package. I really wish that type of technology had existed when I was touring Canada. While the industry has, of course, changed, there are still, and will probably always be, situations where

38

SEPTEMBER 2018

people will gather to listen to music. And every time that happens, we have an opportunity to be a part of it.

The Retailer: What technologies are changing the market and/or could change the market in the future?

Long: Over the last number of years, it was possible to increase the power handling and efficiency of speaker cabinets, resulting in a lot more output per pound of cabinet. While this will continue, I would say there are three things that will change the future of sound reinforcement, and all will lead to more userfriendly systems: DSP technology is making the equipment much easier to use. For most of the products that we now manufacture, it is possible to get very good sound with a minimal amount of user interface.

Battery technology is making it possible to make larger and larger systems without the need for AC power. This makes it quicker to set up systems, and at the same time, allows people to set up systems where there is no readily available AC power.

Wireless technology is improving, and it will continue to improve and come down in price.

This will enable people to hook systems up without the need for cables. Again, this will speed up the process, and make things a lot easier for the users.

The Retailer: Tell us about some recent product launches and ones that will be coming down the pike?

Long: Expect to see more battery-powered, lightweight and wireless products coming from our factory. We are working on the bestsounding speaker system Yorkville has ever created. That is saying a lot for a company that has been around for over 50 years.

The Retailer: Anything to add?

Long: Our company has always tried to be fair; to our employees, our customers and our suppliers. Over the years, all three groups have returned the gesture with incredible loyalty. I would like to thank everyone in the industry that has helped us over the years. I look forward to many more years of positive relationships.

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

39

M I SPY

Rhode Island Retail

MI Spy has friends who even know little of my secret identity. Some of them are old pals of mine who have scant knowledge of my sleuthing in the music world, even if they have heard me sing along with the oldies radio stations. (And not half badly, either.) Sometimes, those friends invite MI Spy to come out and visit, especially when their kids are not around and there is a spare room for yours truly to konk out in.

Two friends, one who has known me since high school (but don’t ask us to sing our respective school songs, at your own risk), invited MI Spy to visit them in the fair, old and historic city of Providence, R.I. Yours truly had not been there in a long, long time. But I did have fond memories of a charming city, a mix of college campuses, monuments, nice architecture and, er, Red Sox Nation hoopla. So, I figured I could check out a city known for its colleges, and also check out a few of the local music shops in the city itself and the nearby suburbs.

I readied the MI Spy Mobile with beverages, healthy snacks, musical choices and a big, unwieldy map, and tucked away the various baseball caps that did not feature the BoSox insignia. Soon I was heading to the highway, Interstate 95, which was cool running until somewhere in the wilds of Connecticut. But overall, the car ride was pretty decent, and Rhode Island soon came into view.

I stopped in the Ocean State’s westernmost tourism center and spoke with a rep who, it turned out, was also an amateur guitarist. He had choice things to say about two music stores that I would soon visit, and I would say that he was accurate. (You shall find out soon enough, pilgrims.) The amiable tourism rep also gave me a good map, and I was on my way.

40

SEPTEMBER 2018

Guitar Center Warwick u 1245 Bald Hill Road u Warwick, RI 02886 u 401.823.4433 In my many missions, I have learned that not all branches of major chain stores are the same.

Sure, each location may have the same logo and other cosmetic touches, and they may share a website and employee shirts, but there can be noticeable differences between branches.

I have shopped in Guitar Center in Brooklyn and Long Island, N.Y., as well as a location in New Jersey and another in suburban Maryland. In the Brooklyn and Maryland stores, employees greeted me shortly after I strolled inside, and asked me what I was interested in. I had valuable discussions about guitars and accessories in both these stores. These visits were excellent experiences.

So, when I walked around the Warwick branch for more than 15 minutes and only one employee addressed me, and that was in passing (“How’re you doing?”), I was miffed to say the least. What am I, vegan chopped liver?

There were nine or 10 employees on the floor, two gals and the rest guys, and not one approached me when I first walked in. Not one asked me what instruments I was interested in, what level of expertise I had or if I was wearing my Glenn Danzig socks that day. (I wasn’t.) I walked every corner of that store, twice in fact, and slowly. I picked up various musical instruments (a ukulele, an acoustic guitar, a mandolin) and tried out a few percussion instruments. I nosed through a collection of sheet music and vinyl. And not one employee asked me if I needed assistance, or if I liked a certain item.

At one point, I thought an employee was finally speaking with me because I heard a terse “Hello?” in the acoustic guitar room; but it was just a customer barking into her cellphone. Talk about a communication breakdown.

Near the wall of electric guitars, I stopped to listen to MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

a customer play “Misty” on a Fender. He was pretty good, and an employee did approach him and said, “You can play for as long as you want.”

I did overhear one employee at

the front checkout, speaking in a chatty tone with a young boy and his mother. And when someone on the PA asked for a guitar tech to come to the back, one employee said to another, “Hey, do you

know any guitar techs?” and they both cackled.

One time, I stood just a few feet away from an employee, while I looked over a Grateful Deadthemed uke, and the guy did not

41

say a word to me. He neatened up a shelf of somethings and then walked away. When I stood and admired banjos and put up my arms toward them (and the banjos did not fall into my arms), not one employee said to me, “Hey, nice customer, would you like to try out a banjo?”

To its credit, the store is clean and well organized.

Like the other Guitar Center stores I have visited, it is well stocked, and there are clearly marked sale items. There is ample parking in the strip mall within which it is situated.

And yeah, the MI Spy isn’t new to this game; I know full well that I could have smiled my award-winning grin and asked for help. But it was not that busy; someone could have spoken to me.

Ross Music Sales & Service u 1800 Post Road u Warwick, RI 02886 u 401.738.7677

A short and not difficult drive from Guitar Center Warwick, I found myself at another sprawl mall and located Ross Music. Actually, I found out about Ross (and Guitar Center) from the Rhode Island tourism rep/guitar slinger. Ross is not far from the local airport and is surrounded by other major chains, as well as a pizzeria. But I was not yet hungry for a snack, but rather, for a knowledgeable music salesman or woman.

As soon as I strode into Ross Music, I noted the fliers for local music venues and performers hanging on the wall by the entrance.

Within two minutes of going in, the fellow behind the counter asked me if I was interested in the drum sets I was eyeing. I confessed to him that I just thought they were kind of cute (little kid-sized sets) and I really wanted to look into guitar effects pedals. He then spoke at length with me about various pedals, such as the wah wahs. He showed me several different types of pedals and a few different brands.

He made a point of showing me pedals available for sale at various prices, including one less expensive brand with which I was unfamiliar. “Look, I have to stock less expensive ones for the teens who come in and don’t have a lot of money. I want to make music fun again,” he said, and I understood.

As we chatted, I learned that the store opened in 1960. He also offered his opinions on the Vox brand of equipment.

This indie store was of a good size and had a wide variety of new and used guitars and basses, brass and woodwinds, drum sets and percussion, sheet music and accessories, as well as venue equipment. It also gives lessons, and a man walked in for his weekly lesson as I headed out.

Overall, the vibe here was friendly and professional, and it seems to cater to people of various abilities, interests and ages. And that’s the way any musical instrument shop, especially an independent, should be run.

Empire Guitars u 1271 N. Main St., Rear Entrance Providence, RI 02904 u 877.55.TWANG 401.383.0880

The MI Spy has decided that Empire Guitars gets a special award for funkiest entrance in Old Rhody. It also gets an award for Store Most Like a Funky Museum. And these are both tips of the hat.

Empire’s entrance is a riot of color, too. Painted on the front wall are grinning fishies, hearts and guitars, and two sequences that read “E A D G B E.” Musical literacy rules! Seriously, that is a darn good idea. And the store provides three parking spots in front.

Inside the store, I was very, very impressed by how many different guitar effects pedals it stocked.

Frankly, I do not think I’d ever seen so many big-name brands, as well as little-known and custom-made products. They seemed to be everywhere, neatly displayed in counters, on the floor and on shelves. The store also stocks a good variety of electric and acoustic guitars, new and used, as well as basses and other stringed instruments, amps and other equipment.

It also displayed a few unusual stringed instruments, such as narrow two-neck one stringer and a sitar.

There were two employees. One was chatting with another customer who wanted to sell him used equipment, and then to the next man who strolled in, he announced, “You’re the guy from Google! How are you?”

This employee spoke with me about the plethora of pedals, and said, “Some people want to set up lots of effects on their boards, so they like these tiny space-saver ones.”

I’m telling you, some were near miniscule, but he knew about them all, it seemed.

Then I spoke with the other employee about the sitar, and he was extremely knowledgeable, but in a relatable way.

“Look at these sympathetic strings, and how the sitar is laid out,” he said, explaining all the parts. “It gets a lot of looks! It was made sometime “...superb quality, and will ‘wow’ your teachers and directors alike....” in the 1980s.” If the MI Spy Rick Thacker - Plum Grove Music budget had a wee bit more room for some spare cash, I would have been very tempted.

Trusted in the classroom, on the marching eld and under the spotlight.

Empire Guitars is not huge, but it is a sizable store, with a lot packed inside. It’s on a side street though, so customers have to look for it carefully. But I may not have ever seen so many effects in one store; this was amazing to see. www.jpmusicalinstruments.com | info@jpmusicalinstruments.com

JP Musical Instruments

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SEPTEMBER 2018

Luca Music u 1530 Mineral Spring Ave. u Providence, RI 02904 u 401.353.3800

Luca Music immediately made me think of the song lyric, “My name is Luka. I live on the second floor,” Suzanne Vega’s classic song. Funny enough, Luca Music is on the second floor of this building.

It is a big corner building and takes up a lengthy floor. It has a lived-in feel to it. There were salespeople and teachers and a cashier, all conversing with customers and students.

I spoke at length with a salesman about effects pedals and some of the more esoteric instruments stocked in the store. When I asked him about wah wah pedals, he said, with amusement, “Just yesterday I was talking to one of the instructors about Cry Babies.” We went to look at what he had in stock.

When I mentioned that two of my old guitar pedals from a particular brand had rusted out, he said not to blame that manufacturer, because he had some of those many years earlier, and when his house had been flooded, he dried out the pedals and they still worked. This kind of conversation I do appreciate, because it shows that the salesperson really The Sale does use the equipment.

I’ve often had fantastic experiences at Guitar Center. So, I defiI asked about the curious stringed musical instruments such as the nitely feel my visit was the exception, not the rule. I look forward lutes, the odd-looking banjo-like things and some others. “When (a Boston to my next visit to a GC. store) went out of business, we bought their inventory.” He explained that Among the other three stores I visited, I was truly pleased the banjo-like instrument was actually a Turkish specialty. The store also and impressed with the inventory and the service at each. All stocked a few sitars. three are indie stores that are really into their mission, and that On the other side of the sales floor, Luca Music stocked many pianos showed. The people working at all three have been involved in including a slick white model, as well as keyboards, drum sets and other the music store business for quite some time, and their expertise instruments. It also has a few side rooms where music lessons take place. was obvious, as was their care.

The store was well kept — although perhaps a bit more staid than EmFor sheer guitar-nerd heaven, Empire Guitars is one excelpire Guitars — with a much less trendy feel, which I couldn’t quite explain. lent treat, and our winner this month, although only by a slight But overall, it is a very good store for not only the neighborhood, but also margin. The amount of effects pedals was dazzling. If you want as a destination. obscure or if you want mainstream, this place really does seem to have it all.

If you want a wider variety of musical instruments, either Ross Music or Luca Music would be a very good choice. Luca did have more pianos, so if that is your interest, head there.

We are dedicated to Music Retailers We are St. Louis Music SLM Marketplace Everything In Accessories

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

260 Brands 13,000 Products

43

I N T H E T RENCHE S

What Every N e w M usic Store Own e r Should Know PART 2

By Allen McBroom Last month, we talked mainly about what a potential new music store owner should do to get ready to open her store. This month, we’re tackling some issues related to stocking the store, and next month we’re going to talk about store debt. So, let’s dive right in.

First, we’ll look at acquiring inventory and a general approach to setting up your store. Member stores of the Independent Music Store Owners Group (IMSO) offered a lot of insight on opening a new store.

Bryan Loy of Paradise Music in North Carolina offers some great advice: “My two cents says to not get sidetracked by the glamour photos in the trade magazines. Focus on building your stock of the things that keep people playing. You can buy a lot of music accessories with the amount of money that one would invest to get, say a high-dollar amp franchise, and you’ll make a heap more money on them. It’s not nearly as glamorous, but I have found eating and paying the bills to be pretty high on my list of priorities. Get your fundamental requirements taken care of first.”

Joyful Noise Music in Oregon echoed Loy’s comments, and introduced the 80/20 rule. “Figure out, find and stock the 20 percent of items that sell 80 percent of the time. While margin is great, cash flow is necessary.”

Remember that you can sell inventory, but you can’t re-sell freight charges. Music Makers of Petosky in Michigan had this observation: “It’s not only how much you sell it for. It’s equally (or more) important how much you buy it for. Buy it when it’s on promo. Always take advantage of those early pay invoice discounts. Do business with vendors who offer free freight, or programs which minimize freight.”

Having the right mix of inventory is part science, part finance and part art form. Successful stores (and by successful, I mean they are still open) constantly evaluate their inventory, and they pay close attention to what does and doesn’t sell. Every few months, run an inventory report (you’re putting your inventory into a computerized inventory system; that’s a given) on the age of your inventory. If an item has been in the store for a year, we refer to that as “having a birthday.” Anything in your store that’s had a birthday needs to go. Mark it down, slash the price, use it for a giveaway drawing if you have to, but do something, and get it out of the store. Creativity helps in running a store. One of our IMSO members had a guitar he couldn’t sell for love or money, so he placed it on the counter with a sign that said, “Not For Sale.” It had a new owner within a week.

Accessories are small-dollar items, but they have higher margins than your guitars and keyboards. You’ll sell a lot more string sets than you will guitars. If you’re unsure which strings/sticks/etc. to buy, ask your accessories distributor which SKUs (i.e., stock keeping units) sell the best.

Ed Intagliata at Cassell’s Music in California (the “No Stairway” store in Wayne’s World) wrote a great guideline for buying stock.

44

According to Ed, “There are four different ways that products sell, regarding how long it takes to sell them and at what profit margin they sell at. Your target goal should be three months at 40-percent GPM (gross profit margin, or cost divided by 60 percent). Some will be higher, some will be lower, but in order to survive, use the three months at 40-percent GPM as your goal. You need to determine, as best as you can, which category your inventory items fall into.

Category A: Fast turns with a high GPM (less than 90 days with more than 40-percent GPM) Category B: Fast turns with a lower GPM Category C: Slow turns with a high GPM Category D: Slow turns with a low GPM

As you can see, you need to make sure you load up your store with A items and not run out. B items are OK, as the fast turns make up for the lower GPM. C items are not as desirable but are still OK because of the high GPM. D items are to be avoided unless absolutely necessary. Too many D items will sink your store and put you out of business. Be sure you know each item and where it falls before you order it!”

True, you’ll have to have some working store time to make some of those determinations, so tear this article out of the magazine and staple it to the wall of your office. In a year, you can use Ed’s formulas more effectively.

Joe Mullens at Performance Music Center in Massachusetts had this to say: “Remember, cash is king! Take every available discount you can get. Always ask for more. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no.” He followed with perhaps the best advice of all: “Be honest, sincere and helpful to your customers, employees and vendors.”

Next, prepare yourself for a complete change in your personal life.

Stephanie Canady at True Audio in Illinois offered some wisdom along those lines. “Be ready to sacrifice time, money and privacy. Time: Being the owner, unless you have lots of money right off and can hire people right away, the store will consume most of your life. Money: You have to invest in yourself. If this is the life you want, be prepared to pay for it before it pays you. However, know your limit. How far are you willing to put in for you to maybe make it another year? Privacy: You will likely never again be able to be in public without someone knowing you from the store, so running to Walmart in your pajamas with messy hair is a very bad idea. You belong to the public now.”

“If you work with your spouse, be sure to give each other grace, lots SEPTEMBER 2018

of it,” Canady added. “It’s hard working with a spouse, and not for the faint of heart, but it can be very rewarding, personally and for the business.”

Scott Gilreath at Musical Depot in South Carolina continued that train of thought: “Just realize that opening and/or owning your own music store (owning any business, retail or otherwise), it’s not just part of your life. It is a way of life. There are many advantages and disadvantages to owning a business, and you will have to carefully weigh them out and decide what is best for you. Keep in mind that taking that leap will require your 100-percent commitment 100 percent of the time. You will live, eat, breathe and sleep your business. At times, you will have nightmares. There will be extremely hard times. However, you will never have any other job in your life that will be more fulfilling, more gratifying and create more pride than owning your own business.”

Bob Josjor at Lou Kraus Music in Nebraska added eight sentences to the conversation, but these short observations speak volumes. “Don’t even open the doors unless you have one year’s expenses in the bank. (Yes, it can be done without that, but it isn’t wise.) If you work with your spouse as a partner, keep work at work and home at home. It doesn’t matter what you like. It only matters what the customer likes. I once asked my mentor what the best guitar in the shop was and he replied, ‘Whichever one the customer is interested in.’

Know your product. If you can’t discuss features, benefits and value, then all you have to talk about is price.”

Dave Byers at DC Music in Ohio also offered the benefit of his years in the MI business with the following points. There’s a wealth of experience in his lineup. Here we go…. u Cash flow is major. No cash, you’re dead. u Stay out of debt. It’ll suck you under in no time. u Have a spot in a decent location. Great visibility, signage and view from the outside.

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

u Your store should look awesome inside. Never stop making it look better. All employees should look professional. u Don’t have dumb hours and policies. Take credit cards.

Don’t be closed or have store hours for the week you can’t say in five seconds. u There’s no margin left, so

you must do it all or as much as possible. Do sales in store/ online, schools, rentals, layaway, repairs, lessons, installs, run sound, etc. u Hire good people. Keep them busy and productive. This is a daily challenge. You cannot afford to pay nonproductive or negative people.

u Team up with good vendors that offer you the best product, profit and customer service. u You can’t pay freight on amps, drum sets and big stuff.

Buy in bulk. Try buying from the same side of the country you live on to save freight. u Promote! Make fliers about (continued on page 61)

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SHINE A LIGHT

DRUMMING UP A COMMUNITY SPIRIT IN DENVER

By Michelle Loeb

Rupp’s Drums 2045 S. Holly St. Denver, CO 80222 (888) 756-5777 www.ruppsdrums.com Mon. – Fri. 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Sat. 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Alex Simpson, Owner/Operator

46

At 26 years of age, Alex Simpson is almost as old as Rupp’s Drums, the 34-year-old business he purchased from former owner Brad Telepo in April. But don’t let his youth fool you. Simpson brings to the role a work ethic and community spirit that makes him the ideal person to carry on the legacy started by Bob Rupp in 1984.

“Bob Rupp is an energetic businessman who, through the force of his personality, was able to single-handedly create a customer base that still remains loyal to the store over 34 years later,” said Simpson. “Each day, someone comes in and talks about shopping with Bob Rupp.”

Simpson had been a sales manager at Rupp’s from 2012 to 2015 before leaving to pursue other opportunities, including stints as manager at Rocketspace Rehearsal Studios in Denver, studio manager at The Collective School of Music in New York City and manager at Michiko Rehearsal Studios, also in Manhattan.

It was his time in New York that made some of the strongest impact on the business plan he put in place upon purchasing Rupp’s. “The drumming community in New York City, though incredibly competi-

tive, was also surprisingly inclusive, welcoming and tight knit,” said Simpson. “When I made the decision to purchase Rupp’s Drums, I decided to do it in order to foster a strong Colorado drumming community, similar to what I found in New York.”

Simpson continued, “The scene in Denver is young, and it’s growing quickly. There are many bands and drummers here, and it’s ripe for something like that — a place where people want to go to meet other people and be a part of a community.”

To help foster that sense of community, Simpson is launching a weekly hang for drummers at the store, in addition to hosting drum clinics, masterclasses and other happenings designed to bring people together. However, Simpson’s plans go beyond simply curating a calendar of events. His focus is on making the everyday business conducted on the sales floor as welcoming and inviting as possible.

“When I first worked here, I loved having my own customers who I knew by their first names, who I hung out with outside of the store and who only bought from me,” said Simpson. “I’m trying to bring that genuine, relationship-driven approach back to the store because, if I’ve learned anything in this industry, it’s that there is no shortcut to earning a person’s trust.”

Simpson currently oversees a staff of eight people, including an operations manager, drum instructors, web contractors and sales associates who specialize in specific areas, such as used/ vintage gear acquisition and educational outreach.

“Our entire staff is made up of working drummers with years of experience on the stage, on the road and in the studio,” Simpson noted, though that isn’t the main criteria he looks at during the hiring process. “I am of the mind that it is far easier to teach someone product knowledge, systems and sales techniques than it is to teach someone the right attitude. The most knowledgeable, experienced drummer in the world could hand me their SEPTEMBER 2018

résumé, but if they don’t come across as earnest and passionate, I likely wouldn’t hire them.

It is incredibly important to me that my employees are honest, grounded, friendly people who customers want to be around and work with.”

Simpson can often be found on the sales floor, remaining active in the store rather than managing from afar. Leading by example, one of the main lessons Simpson teaches his staff is that it’s more important to build a relationship than it is to ring up a sale.

“If someone walks in here expecting the Guitar Center treatment and we exceed that by taking an extra five minutes to talk about their favorite music, or just have fun and make them feel listened to — like they are part of something — then it’s OK if they leave empty handed because I know they will come back,” he said. “I always go the extra mile for them because eventually they will have a big purchase to make and they won’t go anywhere else.”

Simpson’s passion for customer service and face-to-face contact runs counter to the clichés often associated with people of his generation, whose heads are often down, looking at their phones. But Simpson doesn’t see himself as an “old soul,” and is in fact confident that customers both young and old want the same thing. They just need somewhere to get it.

“Customers walk in all the time with a link on their phone showing a low price and free shipping and handling, and they are ready to get into it with someone. To me, it’s actually a positive thing,” said Simpson.

“This is them reaching out to you. If buying their drum gear online was pleasurable, they would just do that. They want to buy it from you; otherwise, they wouldn’t give you the chance. That’s your opportunity to remind them why they are standing in front of you.

“Each time is a chance to convince the customer that shopping locally is the correct MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

thing to do,” he continued. “You don’t say it but you show it, and they will figure it out. It becomes apparent to people that you can’t get that experience or value elsewhere and next time, they won’t even look online first.”

Having only been at the helm a few months, Simpson is remiss

to pat himself on the back for his successes and is content to look ahead and plan for the future.

“This is my shot to give back to the community,” said Simpson. “The key to success is the decision to put down roots and try to make this place different and make real relationships.

It’s hard to get past life’s many distractions and focus on what is important, but my family taught me to have integrity and honesty, to want to know more about everything and make real connections with people, and that is the way I want to live my life and run my business.”

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N O T Y O U R AV E R A G E C O L U M N

By Tim Spicer Summer. The word summer used to excite us as children. Summer meant relaxation, no school and being carefree. Now, many of us fear summer, which can be one of the slowest times of year in terms of sales.

Even though summer is ending now, it’s important to look back on what you did this summer. In the MI world, not only can summer mean fewer retail sales, but dips in lesson programs and less cash flow. If you have a lesson program, summers can be your opportunity to boost enrollment and cash flow.

This can be possible through a diversity of summer camps and unique lesson programs.

Our first summer after our store opened, I watched as our lesson program enrollments dropped more than 30 percent in June and July before leveling back out in August. We scratched and clawed to survive that summer, then determined to change our strategy for future years. With a focus on summer camps and specialized lesson programs over the last five years, we have been able to turn the income dip into an income spike during June and July. This year we experienced an increase of 15 percent in lesson enrollments during June and July.

Summer is now our second busiest season of the year. For us, summer revenue starts with a variety of camps and a reformatted lesson program.

This June and July we hosted 11 camps, serving many different age groups and interests. Several of these campers have since enrolled in our weekly lesson program.

Holding summer camps is a great opportunity to acquire more students. Diversity in camp offerings has been key for us. Our campers this summer ranged from ages 3 to 68. We hold a Camp Kazoo, which is a four-day music exploration camp for kids ages 3 to 5. Rock Camp Jr. is for ages 6 to 7 and gives students their first look at playing together as a band. Our Rock Camp is a halfday camp for ages 8 to 11, where we place campers into bands and teach them how to cover songs and write original songs. Rock Camp Pro is a camp held in collaboration with Auburn University. During this camp, we bring in professional songwriters and teach the campers about the music industry as we prepare for a rock show with professional sound and lighting.

The past few years, we have gone beyond normal rock camps to offer new programs for different interests. Theater camps can bring an entirely new demographic to the business. Theater camps also provide an opportunity for lesson students to become the 48

CRUEL SUMMER?

backing band, playing music for the camp’s acting and singing. Another camp often left out of many lesson programs is a camp geared toward adults. We just held our first Adult Rock Camp, and it was a huge success! We spent an extended weekend with a group of adults ages 22 to 68. This was a relaxed camp that gave adult musicians an opportunity to brush up on their skills, learn new riffs and play music together. We took over a local bar for their performance and packed the bar with friends and family to see the final show. There’s a lot of attention currently being placed on youth students in our industry, but there are other generations interested in music programs that can boost your income.

Summers are also a great time to restructure your lesson program. Before jumping to summer lesson discounts, as we did our first summer, try creating flexible schedules that can float to meet the scheduling needs of the students. We spent a lot of energy on making our lesson scheduling as flexible as possible during the summer. When customers ask to take off during the summer so they can travel, we suggest the students stay in the program, but float their schedules to meet their travel/work needs.

We also increase our marketing on group lessons leading up to the summer. We create ad campaigns directed at area school music teachers, and we offer them collaborative group classes on ukulele and guitar. Not only do we get new students enlisted in our program, but we continue our public relations with local music and band educators.

We also have turned this into multiple school music bids for classroom ukulele sales.

Through diverse summer camps and an adaptive lesson program, we have been able to make June and July some of our most profitable months of the year. Planning the right summer camps and lesson programs to fit your needs takes work, but can be very rewarding financially during the typical slower months of the year.

If you are interested in expanding your lesson program, I would suggest checking out Mason Music, The Candyman Strings & Things and Music on the Hill. All three of these stores have incredibly diverse programs and are really pushing the boundaries of what can be accomplished during the summer months.

If you have any questions or comments for me, I’d love to hear them. You can reach me at tim@spicersmusic.com.

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VV R E TA ILING B E TTE R

THE VALUE OF VALUES

By Robert Christie

Your core values will be far more

effective than any list of rules and regulations in

determining the

outcome of most situations.

50

When a new member joins your team, how much of their training encompasses your company’s core values, purpose and vision? These important components of your store’s culture are often covered somewhere in your employee handbook (you have one, right?) or on posters in your breakroom. Both are great, but more is needed. To have your coworkers take your company’s culture seriously, you have to spend time teaching them about what you value and why.

Some may not believe in the importance of corporate values and assume they are just words you plaster on fancy posters or that are used to fill up space on your website. It seems everywhere we look, we can find examples of companies that claim to be one thing but are quite another when it comes to the actual experiences of their customers, suppliers and employees.

For this reason, I’m encouraged by the increased talk about culture and values happening in our industry. That is because, whether you think they are important or not, they are at the heart of how your business is perceived and, more importantly, experienced.

It’s a fact that every business has a culture. Many are by design, while some are not. If you are not working to establish your unique culture and impress your standards on everyone you work with, you’re risking a default culture. The practice of establishing this “culture by default” is full of pitfalls and dangers.

Do it at your own peril. To shape the experience your business provides, a deliberately crafted set of values that are talked about, taught, taken seriously and acted upon are key. Simple lip service is not enough. I’m sure you know of at least one business that is “all hat and no cattle” when it comes to its stated values. These companies are most often perceived as disingenuous and inauthentic, two things you definitely don’t want your business to be, especially in the current retail climate.

What are your core values? What is the culture of your company? As you think about your answer, you need to reflect on what sets you apart. Let’s agree to look beyond concepts like honesty, transparency or even sustainability. While these are important, they are basic tenants expected of any business or worker. Dig deeper and identify what makes your company’s people, and the work they do, special. For example, here at Central Music, one of our core values is our role in “building a more musical community.”

Whatever you decide, try to keep your list short. We want our stated beliefs to be easy to teach, remember and act on.

Take your time and consider your list carefully. These values will guide how decisions are made, and will determine how we judge our performance. If you already have a list, honestly examine how it reflects who you are and how well you live up to it. Embrace change if needed. Another one of our core SEPTEMBER 2018

values is “striving for constant improvement,” even if it means a change in our own list.

Your core values will be far more effective than any list of rules and regulations in determining the outcome of most situations. Creating a rule for every situation, then constantly enforcing all those rules, is simply not possible. Values, being what they are, can be applied to all circumstances and interactions. Empower your coworkers to question things they may see or hear that are at odds with your standards. Encourage them to ask hard questions and take on the responsibility of living your values while at work.

Once you have compiled your core values, you’re not finished.

Your values and vision need to be real, and they need to be engrained in everyone’s decision making, guiding their actions and interactions. This kind of buy-in doesn’t happen overnight.

We attain values that are real and permanent by teaching them as part of our training and reinforcing them through example. As you teach you coworkers what it means to be part of your team, tell the story of your company, pointing out how your values shaped your business. Remember to talk about your values when you discuss your decision making. Foster a culture where people are praised for acting on your ideals and corrected for violating them. Succeed in this, and you will have a team whose behavior is driven by your core values.

An important piece in successfully incorporating your core values into your culture is to base your personnel decisions on them. When hiring, include behavior-oriented interview questions related to your core values. Expectations on both sides can be made clearer when there is a discussion of your ideals and how they make you unique. After making a hire, apply your core values in performance reviews or when considering promotions. Even if it’s MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

VV

difficult, separate from team members who violate your principles or are unable to fit your culture.

Keeping these types of workers in your organization sends a bad message, undermines your values and can create discord.

Your homework is to evaluate your core values and establish a program to see that they proliferate all aspects of your business.

This will provide fertile soil for your corporate culture to take root and, in time, help you attain

the vision you have for your business. If you didn’t before, I hope you’ll agree with me that your core values are important. Don’t let them be a meaningless poster on the break room wall, or worse, a punchline.

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51

V E D D AT O R I A L

By Dan Vedda A couple of articles back, I mentioned in passing that we signed on with another company as an affiliate for band instrument rentals. That small sentence triggered a flurry of calls and emails asking about the process, my satisfaction with it and whether I thought it would be worth doing for other stores.

I will confess, I was startled at the level of interest in the topic — far more than I’ve had for any full column over the last couple of years — so I decided to address some of the questions I’ve been pelted with since the article hit print. Affiliation is a growing solution for smaller stores, but it is not one I entered lightly.

First, a caution: I absolutely do not recommend this for every store. If you’re not currently serving the school band and orchestra market, signing on as an affiliate can certainly bring in extra revenue. It will also bring in extra work: paper or digital documentation; large amounts of customer handholding; and (again, if you’re new to the band and orchestra side of things) a world of different expectations, standards and even terminology. Do not think of it as a seamless pass-through followed by a commission check.

If you have been serving the school market but have been on the periphery in your area — that is, you are not one of the major school retailers who send reps to schools and constantly interact with instrumental directors — this may be a way to reduce your fleet costs while still being a part of the market.

Let me walk you through the reasons I decided to go the affiliate route. Since the recession 10 years ago, we found it increasingly difficult to foot the bill for a rental fleet, particularly since we are not one of the dealers that field a team of reps to keep the directors happy. Our customers have always been the students and their families, since we’re hyper-local and teach hundreds of students every week. So, we cut back on the size of our rental pool for several years to the point where we did most of our rentals with orchestral strings, which have been easier to maintain and require far less replenishment (since people seldom buy halfsize violins, for example).

Certainly, we walked away from some business, but I question how much profit that business would have generated, given the competition in our market and the costs of supporting a larger pool. Those who read this column regularly will also be aware that I have some deep reservations about the presumed “standard” way of conducting school business.

However, demand for rentals from our store never diminished, due to the strength of local programs and our large student enrollment. We were turning our own customers away, and in many cases, they were dealing with other players in the market and coming away dissatisfied. So, when I was approached by a couple of national chains that enlist affiliates (after rejecting overtures from a couple of regional concerns attempting to build an affiliate network), I was at least ready to listen to the pitch.

Bottom line, I opted to become an affiliate because I was able to serve my customers better. In my opinion, the business was already waiting for me, had I the means to provide instruments. I also knew that putting out the word that we could provide instruments again would bring in ancillary business for accessories, books and, of course, lessons, including lessons on non-B&O instruments like piano and guitar. In that sense, then, becoming an affiliate was a no-brainer: I could serve my customers, get addi-

THE ABCs OF AFFILIATION

52

tional business and save the cost of a rental pool. Just as important, I could also walk away at the end of a year if the situation did not work out as desired.

You will notice that I did not mention commission, the main reason some stores opt in as an affiliate. Yes, we get a commission on every rental, and there is a check every month that helps the cause. However, the amount, in my opinion, is just enough to cover my extra work documenting everything their way, handling the inevitable glitches that come with dealing with a national corporation, and making sure that my customers understand the difference between my store and the rental company.

That last part is crucial. When you become an affiliate, you are giving another company direct access to your customers from within your store. That company’s policies, customer service department, even the quality of their instruments and maintenance reflect on you. Many customers will see their experience as one with your store. Expect then to bite the bullet and cheerfully correct issues that are not your fault. Plan to do small repairs even if you are not compensated, because it will make your customer happy. And never forget that the rental company could pull the plug, enter the community themselves, or try to displace you and sell directly to your customers.

So being an affiliate is neither a panacea nor a spiral into oblivion.

I made the decision based on serving my customers while taking into account our unique market situation and the competitive landscape. As disclaimers often state, “your results may vary.” I will say that going into my second year, I’ve had no problems that I didn’t expect. I will also say, though, that I know that the company I work with (and other companies serving the same niche) has a growing list of former affiliates, proof that the arrangement does not work for everyone.

Finally, what company did I affiliate with? I am not mentioning it, because I will neither endorse nor disparage any companies. As far as I’m concerned, they are not identical, yet they are much the

Facebook page, and as always, post an inquiry if there’s another topic you’d like to see covered here.

(Please post to the page rather than in a private message so others can see the discussion.)

Get your drum on!

Stephen Perkins of Jane’s Addiction with his son Eden.

Drumming, it’s for everyone. Find out how to get started at www.playdrums.com

PMC-Perkins_MusicInc.indd 1

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

same, and the needs and conditions of your store and market have more to do with your choice.

If you have a story about your experience as an affiliate, feel free to share it on the Veddatorial

The Percussion Marketing Council is a non-profit 501-C corporation dedicated to the advancement, understanding, and enjoyment of drums and percussion.

For more information, contact 440-582-7006

6/20/18 1:40 PM

53

U N DER T H E HOOD

LD SYSTEMS’ CURV 500 TS

By Brian Berk

To be ultimately successful, all manufacturers need that “elevator pitch,” a way to separate themselves from the competition. The Adam Hall Group tries to separate itself thanks to its special closeness to its customers. “Whether this is via our many sales representatives, the approximately 25 large-scale annual trade fair appearances, or the additional 20 or 50 internal customer showroom events, the top priority for us is having lively exchanges with our customers,” said Viktor Wiesner, the company’s product manager, Pro Audio. “This means our customers are directly or indirectly involved with every product decision. This openness and readiness for discussion is what makes the Adam Hall Group so special. To enable us to deal with every suggestion and idea fairly, we have strong in-house development and product management teams who use various methodologies, such as Design Thinking Workshops.”

When it comes to the touring and array markets, the Adam Hall Group believes it is “one step ahead” with its LD Systems CURV 500 TS. The product is designed to be a compact, powerful system with the advantages of an array that is particularly easy to transport and can be set up in just a few steps. As with all CURV 500 systems, a SmartLink adapter and pluggable satellite allows the musician to focus on the gig and doesn’t require a technician, said Wiesner.

“Following our successful launch of the first LD Systems CURV 500 systems, we wanted to address the needs and wishes among touring bands and the rental market to expand the series with an even more powerful product. In combination with the powerful but lightweight 15-inch bass reflex class-D subwoofer with DSP control, the CURV 500 TS is a flexible PA solution for extended professional live and music sound reinforcement with high pressure and dynamic range and coherent output,” he said.

According to the product manager, for the first time, music retailers can offer their customers a mobile array system that is compact and particularly easy to transport with the CURV 500 system. The CURV 500 TS offers 25 premium drivers combined with a patented WaveAhead technology that delivers high-definition sound at 1,000 watts RMS and up to an SPL of 131 decibles. The system is easily scalable for applications of various sizes in the near and far range, making it particularly flexible for live events, DJs or bands, for example, stated Wiesner.

“Depending on the positioning of the satellites, it is possible to optimally adapt them to virtually any venue,” he said. The CURV 500 TS carries an MSRP of $1,799 and includes a 15-inch subwoofer, two array duplex satellites, two array satellites, a SmartLink adapter, a distance bar, a speaker cable and a power cord.

The Adam Hall Group will not let the product’s features stand on its own, however. It is placing full support behind the product with presentations and demonstrations taking place worldwide at numerous trade fairs and in its modern showrooms in the United States, Singapore, Barcelona and Poland. “The exclusive showroom in our new Experience Center at the Adam Hall Group headquarters in Neu-Anspach, near Frankfurt, [Germany], on the Main, is a recent, new addition to this. Customers/dealers can also sign up there to see and hear the CURV 500 Touring Array System. We also place ads in pro-audio magazines and have had the system evaluated in detailed test reports by independent editors,” said Wiesner.

“Personal contact with customers plays a key role for us. That’s why our trained sales representatives undertake a large part of the promotion activities worldwide and advise their customers in professional discussions,” Wiesner added.

Thus far, the company has been quite pleased with the feedback it has received on both its CURV 500 and CURV 500 TS models. “Our classic CURV 500 system has already been very well received by the market, so the desire for even higher performance with identical technology quickly arose. The result of this is the Touring Array System,” said Wiesner. “So, we found a gap in the market and filled it very successfully. Our feedback from the markets is consistently positive. Both customers and users (continued on page 61) 54

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Ad Index

Company

THE CHANGING FACE OF RETAIL

Pg

ALFRED PUBLISHING..............23 AMAHI UKULELES...................19 AUDIX CORPORATION.............55 BANDLAB TECHNOLOGIES....29 BOURNS PRO AUDIO................60 CELESTION.................................9 CHAUVET LIGHTING............ C-III CHESBRO MUSIC.......................31 DAKOTA SAXOPHONES...........33 DEXIBELL...................................49 FENDER.......................................7 FISHMAN TRANSDUCERS.......47 GALAXY AUDIO........................3 JOHN PACKER............................42 KALA BRAND MUSIC CO........35 KIRLIN INDUSTRIES.................16 KYSER MUSICAL PRODUCTS...............................22 MANHASSET SPECIALTY COMPANY................................6 MARSHALL ELECTRONICS.....27 MUSIC NOMAD..........................37 NAMM..................................... 14-15 PRO X...........................................41 PRS GUITARS.............................25 QRS MUSIC TECHNOLOGIES.. 21 RAIN RETAIL SOFTWARE........10 RAPCO/HORIZON COMPANY.32 RAT...............................................34 RC WILLIAMS............................59 REMO...........................................36 ROADHOG...................................37 ROLAND......................................5 STRING SWING..........................12 TECH 21.......................................45 TRUSST........................................30 U.S. BAND & ORCHESTRA SUPPLIES.................................43 VOCOPRO....................................13 WD MUSIC PRODUCTS............8 WIREWORLD..............................28 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.

58

(continued from page 37) musically well-educated music customer coming into a store and saying, “Oh, I didn’t know you carried that” is amazing because he comes in the store every month.

Wilcher: One of the things I’ve noticed, and it really bothers me, is sound contracting with houses of worship. We have local churches that will buy everything on the internet.

They will call me and say, “I can get it on the internet.” I responded to one in a peaceful manner and said, “Of all of the people sitting in your pews in your congregation, where are they from?” Of course, they are from the same town. Of all the people in a community, if a church can’t support a locally owned business, what’s happening?

I feel like I have to reinvent myself every day. Every day, I ask myself, What am I going to do today?

McBroom: I would say we are cautiously optimistic. What I’m seeing is a fundamental change in the generally accepted definition of retail. In the 1910s, stores that bought into the idea of having a telephone were considered uppity and enjoying something frivolous.

Today, it is a foregone conclusion that people will use the internet and are tied to it.

I was sitting outside with my beautiful, wonderful bride the other night. We were having a quiet beverage. Right in the middle of enjoying the wonderful evening, it dawned on me: We were both looking at our phones. We were browsing Facebook, Instagram, whatever.

The internet and means of accessing it have become part of the normal flow of life for us as a society and culture.

So, we have dived into ecommerce. We have an eBay site.

We have a Reverb site. We have a website. And I’ll admit it: We sell highly selective items on Amazon. I don’t want to give up any of these markets. The “new” retail is realizing that our market is not standing in front of us at a counter with cash. Our new retail is that, plus people standing, sitting or reclining with a phone in their

‘Reduced margins make it harder to run the business.

I could really use one more employee, and I’d like to pay all employees better, but there’s only so much money to go around when you are working with reduced margins.’

— Chuck Marks

pajamas at 10 p.m. on Sunday night, buying from whomever has the lowest price on Amazon, whomever has the best feedback on eBay, whomever has the best photos on Reverb and occasionally, whomever had the item on a website.

We recently sold an accordion. It was a consignment from one of our customers. It was exquisite and high end. It sold for more than $3,000. Could our consignment customer have sold that item themselves? Yes. But he doesn’t have the resources we have. We had a person come into our store, describe all of the features of the accordion for half an hour, and we videoed it.

We edited it down to about eight minutes and posted it on Reverb. eBay does not allow you to put a video up because it’s linked to YouTube. eBay calls it active content. Reverb calls it a selling tool. Big difference. We are not an accordion store. We know nothing about accordions. We’re stupid about accordions. But I did enough research to find out this was a special accordion.

So, today, the nature of retail has changed. There are significant differences between these three third-party platforms.

Amazon is all about price. If you are an Amazon retailer, you may get an email that says you may not have the lowest price on Amazon. They know nothing about what you’re selling. They treat shaving cream, motorcycle

tires and guitars the same.

They take a 15-percent cut of your sale. eBay is about quality of your listing and feedback.

Reverb is about the quality of the listing and the photos. Your own website is a reflection of who you are as a company. That’s the new face of retail. As retailers, we can accept this, cope with it, adapt to it or vanish.

The Retailer: What products are selling well for you this year?

Wilcher: Ukuleles. We do have a monthly ukulele group, which has helped. The last two or three seasons, we sold more ukuleles than guitars. And we are well known as a guitar store.

But no one thing has carried our sales. The used market has been good. I had a bass guitar that had been hanging on my wall for eight years. Of all places, I put it on Facebook Marketplace. A guy from Phoenix, Ariz., within an hour, got ahold of me and told me he had been looking for the bass for five years. I put it right in the box and sold it. Allen is right.

You just don’t know where your market is anymore. Facebook has become a huge marketing and sales tool for us.

McBroom: If it weren’t for CITES regulations, we’d be a worldwide market. But because of that, we’re pretty much restricted to selling within the country if it has rosewood or any other restricted wood in it.

SEPTEMBER 2018

Marks: Ukuleles are definitely big. They are part of a movement of people wanting to play music like older people/ retired people. People who would find it harder to pick up a guitar. They are easier to play.

There are groups in our area we have connected to, and we are fortunate that they have sent some people to us. James Madison University has a group called JMUke. They bought a bunch of ukes from me, and they have open classes where they invite people to come and get free uke lessons as a way to spread music making. Ukes are a happening thing.

Acoustic guitars are also solid, and electrics aren’t that bad. I don’t agree with the “death of the electric guitar.”

McBroom: To mention brands that are good for us: Amahi Ukuleles. Gordy also has two thumbs up on Amahi (in the background). From our experience, Amahi Ukuleles is the best bang for the buck in the ukulele world. It’s a relatively small, family-owned company. They make orchestral strings and ukuleles.

That’s it. When you call them, you will probably talk to a family member.

The other company is Fishman. Fishman has long been known in our industry for its acoustic pickups. A few years back, it branched out into acoustic amplifiers in three models: The Mini, Artist and Performer. The Mini and Artist, to us, are “killer.” We have trouble keeping them in stock.

The Mini is the go-to amplifier for solo performers. Fishman deserves huge kudos for knowing who it is and doing what it does best. I cannot say enough good things about Fishman and Amahi. I’m not saying other companies aren’t good, but these two are right at the top of the pyramid.

Wilcher: The Music People is great. They have been very supportive since we founded the IMSO. We have a great relationship. They listen to us and strive to help the independent retailer.

MUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

The Retailer: Speaking of IMSO, what are some of the topics discussed on your forums?

Wilcher: Well, the customers and strange requests we get in our stores is definitely one thing. I think Allen can speak even more to it, though.

McBroom: Well, let me redirect it a bit. Chuck, when you joined IMSO and were approved, you got access to the forums. What did you find useful?

Marks: I think there’s a lot of good information. I’ve been an IMSO member for a number of years now, but I just haven’t been very active before. I carry SIT Strings because I was looking for a different string brand.

I went on the forum and saw multiple dealers saying how great SIT is to work with and what a great brand it is. There are several brands I’ve chosen to carry based upon IMSO forum recommendations.

There was also a discussion about credit card processing and what company people use for that. It was good getting different perspectives and getting an idea what percentages people were paying. It was good to know whether I was in line or not with other retailers.

Techniques and concepts of how to approach things in the store have been really useful.

There’s a wealth of information.

McBroom: Some of the topics we cover are combatting online lessons, how to display products like gig bags and more. We have a thread called “Everything Else,” where we cover anything odd or weird that happened that day in the store. It’s so funny. We could have a thread where a store owner in Arizona says, “I had a guy come in today and do this.” Somebody in Minnesota will say, “I think that guy has been in my store.” And it will be echoed by someone in New Jersey, where they say, “Oh yeah, he’s a regular. I just don’t know what to do about it.”

We also have people who talk about tax issues, workman compensation issues, safety issues

‘The last two or three seasons, we sold more ukuleles than guitars. And we are well known as a guitar store.

But no one thing has carried our sales.’

— Gordy Wilcher

and what brand is selling best.

What’s unusual about the IMSO is it’s only store owners. It’s not managers, employees or anyone else. It’s only owners that are fully involved in their stores. If you ask a question, someone is going to open up and tell you their heartfelt truth of how they did it and what worked.

Wilcher: One thing I always hear is, “I’m glad I found you guys. I felt so alone. All of a sudden, I found a group of guys that are going through the same thing. We are a family.”

Marks: You can feel like you’re alone [as an MI retailer].

Some people may not want to do it anymore. But you go on the forums, and you see how other people are handling problems.

I say, “OK, I can go into work tomorrow…” Even though there is reason for pessimism in the industry, it’s encouraging that people get up every morning and keep strategizing ways to make it work.

McBroom: There’s an article series I’m writing in the Music & Sound Retailer about new things MI retailers should know. We’ve canvassed MI retailers in IMSO and asked them if you were advising a new store owner, what would you tell them? The answers that come out are stunning. I look at the answers and say that [experienced] owners need to know this information, too. We need to be reminded of some of these things. People

like Gordy and Jim DeStafney [of Blues Angel Music] have been doing this for decades. They have insights you just can’t learn otherwise without spending a lot of money. So, I strongly recommend joining IMSO to take 20 or 30 years out of your learning curve.

The Retailer: Let’s end with Summer NAMM. Why did you come to Nashville, and what were you looking to get out of the show?

Wilcher: I always have a goal.

It’s always about finding 10 new

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59

items I can add to the store.

But Summer NAMM this year was more about strengthening partnerships with some of our suppliers. Most iconic brands got that way by retailers who 40 or 50 years ago decided to sell their products. I sometimes feel like retailers can be forgotten. Maybe it’s selfish, but my goal is to remind them. I say, “What about us? Don’t forget about us.” I think the industry has lost a lot of its heart and soul. If you look at a lot of the iconic brands, they’ve become

corporate America with hardly any music people involved. It’s all about the bottom line. But that’s just me venting [laughs].

Marks: I don’t come for specific things. I come to refresh and revitalize. I like to talk to some of the people I work with and meet face-to-face with them. There’s not as extensive an array of products as the winter show, but I still get to see what’s out. The chance to get out of my store and refresh my perspective is what I hope for most. You always look for

that new, magic product, but I don’t usually take on something brand new just because I stumbled upon the booth at the show.

McBroom: I like going to a lot of NAMM Idea Center presentations. It’s good to learn how other people are handling social media, how they handle lessons, how they handle rentals and how they approach other things. We hear these presentations from brilliant people. God bless NAMM for providing this.

NAMM is like the hospital for music retailers. Music retailers go [to a NAMM Show] to get new treatments and what they need to carry on into the next year and next decade. IMSO is the support group. We talk to each other and tell each other, “It’s OK.” Like, “We know you had a terrible summer, but it’s OK, because August is coming.”

We love NAMM. We cannot do what NAMM does. And we’re tickled pink that IMSO is there to help us understand how we fit into the big picture.

THE FINAL NOTE: BRAD SMITH

(continued from page 62) especially when it’s my kids. To see and hear that music spark flourish in our next generations is a thrill … and the price is right.

Also traveling is the spice of life, and I love to visit new cities.

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

Smith: December 2007 Led Zeppelin reunion concert in London honoring Ahmet Ertegun, compliments of my rock star brother — the closest feeling I’ll have to winning the Willy Wonka golden ticket. We sat behind Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page’s wife, and to my left was Dave Grohl, screaming like a fanboy from ’72.

The whole show was surreal.

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

Smith: I love seeing the originals. The ones who set the bar so high that there are generations

of players still trying to reach for it. So, my top five of those who’ve passed would be Hendrix, Buddy Rich, Elvis, Sinatra and, of course, The Beatles on their first American tour. Seeing footage of those shows represents to me the “Big Bang of Rock.”

The Retailer: What musician are you hoping to see play in the near future?

Smith: Right now, my wife Lori and I are obsessed with seeing Cat Stevens.

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

Smith: “Venus” by the Shocking Blue and “Hocus Pocus” by Focus. I can tell you every detail of the artwork of the 45 and lip sync every word and yodel. Those songs are little pop gems that still drip with vibe. Also, my Dad played Johnny Cash constantly in our

www.bourns.com/proaudio 60

Brad Smith with Kenny Aronoff

house, something for which I am eternally grateful. Other childhood songs that still give me chills are “An American Trilogy” by Elvis, “The Way You Look Tonight”

by Sinatra, and the song where words and music are perfectly married, “Over the Rainbow.”

The Retailer: What songs are on your smartphone/ iPod, etc. right now?

Smith: I mostly stream Spotify when I’m on the move and listen to CDs and vinyl when home.

As you can sense, my taste is very eclectic, but my DNA is infused with classic rock. Swing music is the happiest music ever recorded. That was the golden era of songwriting and musicianship. Any party gets a lift when

you put on a Louis Prima or Perez Prado recording.

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

Smith: Last Winter show, Erik Paiste warmed up a 90-inch Paiste gong until it roared like a jet engine to conclude the show.

It was a physical and aural sensation that I’ve never experienced.

I saw Danny Gatton play guitar at a musician magazine-sponsored NAMM event at the Cubby Bear in Chicago in the early ‘90s. I never witnessed so many guitar players weeping. Last year at the annual GAMA (Guitar & Accessories Marketing Association) reception, we awarded James Burton the first Guitar AmbassaSEPTEMBER 2018

dor award. Upon acceptance he went on a storytelling jag that covered Elvis, Ricky Nelson TV shows, and the early days of touring in the '50s. It’s those moments that I tell myself I am one lucky guy to call these moments “work-related.”

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

Smith: Harold Edstrom, Everett (Leonard) Edstrom and Roger Busdiker, the founders of Hal Leonard. I’d want to hear about those moments after World War II when they decided to start the company that I’ve now worked for for over 25 years. We could talk about how this company they started has arguably had the most impact on making more musicians than any other single company in our modern history. People want access to play their favorite songs.

That is why people pick up an instrument, and Hal Leonard arranges songs so they are accessible to any level of player.

Of course, our Chairman Keith Mardak and President Larry Morton would have to join us, and I’d get to pick up the tab.

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

Smith: It’s our local retailers who join us in community outreach that are my most memorable experiences. This past June, we worked with a local retailer to promote Make Music Day. Every year the Percussion Marketing Council sponsors a Free Drum Lesson tent at the Vans Warped Tour and Hal Leonard is the Milwaukee host, along with a local retailer.

It’s amazing how generous our local retailers have been with their time and talent as we work side by side and give boys and girls their first pair of sticks. That annual connection for me has been a blast.

The Retailer: What is the best thing about MI? Smith: The people and the mission. Music is religion to me and we are providing the tools and the instruction for folks to join in the long hisMUSIC & SOUND RETAILER

tory of music makers. Music is woven into every part of our life and the MI industry makes sure we give people — at any stage of life — the ability to participate.

Think how music is always a part of the important activities in our lives. From graduations to funerals, from weddings to road trips, music is our soundtrack, so to be part of the industry that makes us all have a voice... it is the greatest industry for me.

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

Smith: I consider Paul McCartney outside because he is an industry unto his own. He could stay home and cash checks but he tours and keeps writing and keeps pushing. Didn’t he play drums on a song from the Foo Fighters’ last studio recording?

The secret to a long life is staying active in making music. Paul is a world treasure. My personal champ is my wife Lori, who is on the front line of raising our children, Milo and Alma. She definitely works harder than I do. And she does not get to punch out or hang with James Burton. I could not do this without her support.

The Retailer: What technology could change MI down the road?

Smith: Affordable, accessible, interactive, life-size holograms.

Can you imagine: “Jam with Jimi Hendrix! Select his outfit — white Woodstock or the military London garb. Ready? ‘Wild Thing’ in the key of E!” Seriously, we seem to be on the verge of reliable, longdistance, no-latency collaboration video in real time. I’d love to jam with my college bandmates, even if we live across the country. Avid has done it with Pro Tools recording. The ability to have a meaningful long-distance, real-time jam session could create a whole new way to enjoy making music.

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

Smith: I’d love to play pro sports, but that requires skills and talent. I’d enjoy being a publisher or documentary film maker. The thrill of bringing

a story to life and connecting people and events is satisfying.

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

Smith: Wauwatosa, Wis., just west of Milwaukee, has a great balance of city amenities and suburban comfort. It’s 10 minutes from Hal Leonard and has four ice cream (or frozen custard stands) nearby. Concerts are free on summer Wednesdays.

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

Smith: A 1929 Dobro resonator (my mom’s childhood guitar), a 45th anniversary Les Paul (a gift from my brother), an Al Kaline autographed baseball (I got when I was 8), a 1963 Ford

Falcon (honoring my Dad who worked for Ford for 30 years), and my wedding ring (the secret to daily happiness).

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

Smith: “Hal Blaine and the Wrecking Crew,” since that was my first book that was published by a company I worked for (Mix Books). I got to go on a mini author tour with Hal that has brought me in touch with many famous and interesting people I still know today. Another one is “The Soul of Tone” written by the late Tom Wheeler for Hal Leonard Books. Tom was a master storyteller, and he was so good at explaining our fascination with the confluence of art and science.

IN THE TRENCHES

(continued from page 45) your store. Pass them out to everyone, stuff them in bags, hand them out, etc. Get on social media and pay for posts to reach people within 10 miles of your store. u Be very active in the used market. Buy, sell, trade. The best margins in the business are there. u What you love often doesn’t sell. You’re not a museum. You’re a retail shop. Low- to mid-range products turn 10 times as much. u Raise your prices. Most stores close because they’re not making enough. There are some spots where you better be sharp on price. Learn where the others are that you can gain margin on.

Accessories and add-ons can have great margins. u Profit is not a four-letter word. It’s not a sin to make money. Without it, you’re out of business.

u Try to be a “happening” store. Have stuff going on, including in-store concerts by a solo artist or duets, seminars, etc. Do fun things people can’t do online. u Enjoy. Life is short. If you’re not enjoying what you’re doing, do something else.

At least 25 music stores contributed to this series of articles, and while there isn’t room for all the advice that was contributed, let me say that everything we’ve talked about up to this point were all points of agreement among those in the discussion.

Next month, we’re going to address the last part of this series, which will be store debt. There were some divergent views on that topic, so that should make for an informative column.

Happy trails…

UNDER THE HOOD: LD SYSTEMS’ CURV 500 TS

(continued from page 54) appreciate the overall concept and the performance of this special system, as it represents a unique sound and optical alternative to conventional sound reinforcement solutions.”

Adam Hall’s LD Systems brand will certainly not rest on its laurels following the CURV 500 system release. “‘Pro Audio in Motion’ is our slogan at LD Systems,” said Wiesner. “We’re constantly working on new ideas and we have no desire to rest on our laurels with the CURV 500 TS either. For example, the right

accessories for making it even more convenient to work with the system are already available.

These include a padded protective cover for the subwoofer, a satellite carrying bag and a stackable caster board. The Touring Set is part of the CURV 500 series. There will definitely be some more innovations in this area in the future.”

According to Weisner, Adam Hall is always working on its next generation of models, including additional CURV series models.

Stay tuned.

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THE FINAL NOTE

Brad Smith (right) with his sister, Pam, and brother, Chad (of Red Hot Chili Peppers fame).

BRAD SMITH

Vice President, MI Products, Hal Leonard

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

Brad Smith: First, thanks for asking these questions. It’s given me a chance to reflect.

It’s inspiring to be reminded how fortunate I am to work in the music products industry.

Along the way, I’ve worked closely with some great minds that have certainly influenced my career.

My most influential mentors are my parents Curt and Joan Smith, who showed by example how to conduct and pursue one’s ambitions.

It amazes me how much I was learning while I wasn’t even paying attention. My career influencers are my first boss, David Schwartz (founder of Mix magazine), Hal Blaine (how to work with musicians), Marv Hagopian (father in-law, man of huge integrity and humor), Walt Disney (amazing capacity to have wild ideas come alive: the ultimate “doer”), Bill Shultz (education is the gateway to future players), Fred Gretsch (commitment to quality and customer engagement), Neil Young (always follow your muse) and Martin Luther King Jr., who said, “It’s never the wrong time 62

to do the right thing,” a simple creed that helps motivate me.

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

Smith: From Keith Mardak, Hal Leonard’s chairman, who told me to work on the written form of communication. In business, it’s a critical part of moving a good idea forward.

Also, he advised me, when in Japan, try the shabu-shabu.

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

Smith: Does air-guitar strumming to Beatles songs when I was eight count? (see photo above) My first real performance was playing an acoustic guitar in a church group.

The church is one of the best breeding grounds for young, barely competent players.

That experience gave me the confidence to keep playing.

The Retailer: What instrument do you most enjoying playing?

Smith: I started playing guitar when I was

10 and still play almost every day. I appreciate the thrill of controlling the sound and the nuances one has with a palm mute or finger tremolo. Aren’t we all amazed at how 10 people could play the same guitar, and they all would have some slight variance of time, rhythm and selection of voicings? It’s an amazingly versatile instrument. The cello is an instrument I wish I played. I love seeing a drummer give the band a great workout. The living metronome for the band and the crowd.

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

Smith: I played a basketball shooting game with Katy Perry on an arena stage in front of 15,000 people. Google “Brad the Dad Katy” and get a good laugh. Also, my younger brother is the drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Those facts are entirely unrelated.

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

Smith: Seeing local talent perform, (continued on page 60) SEPTEMBER 2018