Play Nice, Fellas
As we go to print with this June issue of MMR, a hot-button topic on our site (and in my in-box) and elsewhere is the recent parting of the ways…
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Six 'Best Ideas' for Print
[caption id="attachment_49701" align="alignleft" width="800"]Myles Reck with Kevin Cranley and Madeleine Crouch.[/caption]An ever-popular feature of the RPMDA is the annual “Best Ideas” session, which culls new retail ideas from the minds…
Craft
Draft beer. Handmade coffee. Artisanal chocolate. Heritage jeans. Hand-carved wooden iPad cases. It’s hard to avoid the retail collateral of the current hipster era, with its emphasis on the bespoke.…
Connecting with Clients and Employees Using Personality Type Indicators
Many tests have been developed to identify your personality, perhaps the best-known of which is the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator. Using a series of questions, it identifies your personality and…
Learning to Love Retail Analytics
Number crunchers have been harping on analytics for years – you’ve seen it take hold of sports (Moneyball and the rise of “sabermetrics”) while advanced infographics have become a staple…
Shure Keeps Up with Changing FCC Rules
In the Fall of 2012, the Federal Communications Commission announced plans for an incentive auction of UHF spectrum in the 600 MHz Band – adjacent to the previously auctioned 700…
Store-Branded Instruments Represent More than a ‘Vanity’ Label for Some
In the course of compiling our annual ’50 Dealer 50 State’ review and forecast each November, we’ve noticed that a fair number of dealers cite their own store’s brand –…
Step Up to the Plate, B&O Dealers
There’s much talk in the industry of “creating music makers” and, while it’s certainly an important first step to get that customer in the door, making that initial purchase, the…
The Music People Turns 35
It’s a rare venue or studio that doesn’t include at least a few items from On-Stage Stands, the flagship brand from MI manufacturer and distribution company, The Music People. That…
RPMDA Surveys Print’s Ongoing Redesign
As a core group of print music insiders met in Dallas for the 38th convention of the Retail Print Music Distributors Association (RPMDA) in May, a resilient picture of the…
How You Can Save Tens of Thousands of Dollars on Health Insurance in 2014
I’m like a lot of you out there. I am an entrepreneur. Sure I am in a fun business. I publish a magazine about the MI industry. However, at the…
Students Take Part In ‘Remote’ Piano Lesson Using Yamaha’s Disklavier
On Thursday, May 22, high school students in Las Vegas and Washington D.C. participated in the first ever three-site “remote” master class with a college professor located in New York.…
Fender Adds U2's Bono, The Edge to Board of Directors
U2 duo Bono and The Edge have joined the Fender board of directors.The singer and guitarist, both recruited by Fender majority owner TPG Growth, will work with the company to…
Trade Regrets: Bob Tudor
On May 23, PreSonus announced today the passing of Bob Tudor, the company's chief technology officer.Widely respected in the pro audio/MI industry, Tudor followed a long and winding road to…
Three Key Appointments at Roland
Roland Corporation U.S. announces the appointments of Brandon Ryan as product and artist relations manager – dance, DJ and media production, Peter Brown as product specialist – dance and DJ,…
Mapex Drums teams with Bandhappy for the Vans Warped Tour
The Mapex Drum Company has teamed up with BANDHAPPY for the 2014 Vans Warped Tour. Mapex Armory Drums and Falcon hardware will be the drum and hardware of choice for…
Hal Leonard Signs Distribution Deal with Samson
Hal Leonard Corporation has reached an agreement with Samson Technologies Corp. to exclusively distribute their consumer and professional audio products to music retailers throughout the U.S. Shipping on the Samson…
TC Group Appoints Glinvad as Managing Director of TC Group China
Originally from Denmark, Peter Glinvad has been working in China for 12 years. His in-depth knowledge of the Chinese culture and fluency in the language present distinct upside for TC…
New Ownership for Santa Rosa's Stanroy Music Center
Longtime downtown Santa Rosa, California music dealer, Stanroy Music Center, nearly closed up shop for good before veteran employee Steve Shirrell and friend Dustin Heald decided to step in.“Tupper &…
Music China 2014 Expands for Largest Ever Show
Music China, Asia’s leading musical instruments show, is adding one more exhibition hall to its 2014 line-up, and will now offer nine halls covering 98,000 sqaure meters. The show, which…
NAMM D.C. Fly-In 2014
NAMM’s D.C. Fly-In allows members to perpetuate NAMM’s vision of a world in which every child has a deep desire to learn music and a recognized right to be taught;…
GC Discontinues Relationship with Behringer
On May 16, 2014, Guitar Center gave direct notice to Behringer (of parent company, MUSIC Group) that they would no longer be carrying any of their products in-store and terminating…
Fender Promotes McDonald to Executive VP
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) has promoted industry veteran Richard McDonald to executive vice president, Fender Brand. The move represents a larger strategic shift that aims to improve alignment and better…
Mapex Supports the Boston Crusaders Spring Fling
As a precursor to the 2014 competitive marching season, the Boston Crusaders are hosting their annual “Spring Fling” event featuring a preview performance, dinner service and a silent auction fundraiser.…
Flatland Guitar and Lutherie Opens in Fargo
A pair of North Dakota guitar vets have opened a brand new retail and repair business called Flatland Guitar and Lutherie. The Fargo store, which opened in April, focuses heavily…
Cordoba Names Ren Ferguson VP of Manufacturing/R&D for Guild Brand
On the heels of Cordoba Music Group’s announcement of their intent to acquire Guild from Fender Musical Instrument Company (FMIC), CMG has now announced that Ren Ferguson will join the…
Gretsches to Present Savannah School with Grammy Enterprise Award
[caption id="attachment_49647" align="alignleft" width="1815"]Fred & Dinah Gretsch. Photo by Jonathan Hobson.[/caption]Gretsch Company president Fred Gretsch and CFO Dinah Gretsch will appear at the Savannah Arts Academy this coming Friday, May…
TMP Fills Key Roles
The Music People, Inc. (TMP), parent company for the On-Stage family of brands and TMP Pro Distribution, announces that it has recently filled two key roles, bringing on Samantha Pink…
Trade Regrets: Kay Koster
Kay Koster was a pioneering women retail owner, who not only successfully ran a business on her own beginning in 1940, but also personally repaired guitars and amps of all…
Trade Regrets: Harry Carter
Harry Carter was already a school band director when he opened a music store in Ottumwa, Iowa in 1948. Carter and two partners set out to develop a store that…
Trade Regrets: David W. Seville
David W. Seville, a longtime fixture in the industry, passed away on May 6th from complications of diabetes. Seville was born in Birmingham, England and became a well-known opera singer both in recordings…
D’Addario NYXL Launch Event
To celebrate the unveiling of D'Addario's new NYXL electric guitar strings, a special launch event took place at the Carle Place Guitar Center on Long Island on Thursday, May 1st…
NAMM Announces Top 100 Dealers of 2014
The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) applauds thriving music instrument and product retailers from around the world with the announcement of the 2014 Top 100 Dealers. These industry trailblazers…
D'Addario and ESP Partner with USA-Made Products
D'Addario is proud to announce a new OEM partnership with one of the world's leading guitar manufacturers, ESP Inc. ESP Inc. is already using D’Addario strings on their imported LTD…
SKB Large Watertight Drum Hardware Case
iSeries Injection Molded cases are molded of ultra-high-strength polypropylene copolymer resin and are water and dustproof. The cases include a patented "trigger release" latch system, comfortable, snap-down rubber over-molded cushion…
Pigtronix Rototron
The Rototron is a new rotary speaker simulator effect that achieves 3D realism in a compact, easy-to-use pedal, recreating the sounds of dual-rotor 122 and 147 Leslie cabinets. Independent Slow…
Radial JDI Duplex(tm) Two Channel Direct Box
The Radial JDI Duplex is a two-channel direct box designed for professional touring and studio recording. It's a passive direct box that is equally capable of handling low-level instruments as…
Chauvet Rogue Fixtures
The Rogue delivers features like LED gobo morphing, variable speed scrolling and multi prism rotation in an affordable price range. The Rogue R1 Spot, powered by a 140W LED that…
Tycoon Percussion Robert Vilera Signature Timbales
Designed in conjunction with master timbalero Robert Vilera, Tycoon Percussion's new Signature Model Timbales boast high-quality stainless steel shells with heavy-gauge, die-cast counterhoops. The 14" and 15" drums also feature…