Music Trades articles from March 2009

Music Trades archives from March 2009

Tie dealer co-op to teaching and grow the market.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... WHEN DANNY ROCKS AND Alan Friedman solicited me (and probably half the industry) for a "Best Ideas" session from a retailer's perspective to be presented during the NAMM show in Anaheim, I sent along a promotion that worked for us last year. As...

Quarterly retail sales data.(Market Intelligence)
March 1, 2009... QUARTERLY RETAIL SALES DATA % CHANGE FROM PREVIOUS YEAR THREE MONTHS THREE MONTHS ENDED ENDED PRODUCT CATEGORY DEC. 31, 2008...

Sales fall as customers gravitate to low end.(Market Intelligence)
March 1, 2009... AFTER WEEKS OF HOPING FOR a Christmas miracle, the nation's music stores confirmed that they suffered one of the worst holiday shopping seasons in decades. For the quarter ended December 31, retailers responding to the The Music Trades'...

Survey indicates guitar hero does create "real" musicians.(Industry Briefings)
March 1, 2009... A November survey by Fender and the music education organization Little Kids Rock suggests that Rock Band and Guitar Hero video games are driving some students toward playing real instruments. Fender and Little Kids Rock asked 812 music...

New instrument attracts a million YouTube hits.(Industry Briefings)
March 1, 2009... A YouTube video of a new musical instrument based on ball bearings has attracted more than one million views. The "BeatBearing," created by Peter Bennet, a Queen's University Belfast student, is an example of minimalist modern design created...

Instrument thief apprehended.(Industry Briefings)
March 1, 2009... An Elkhart, Indiana woman is in jail after being accused of stealing musical instruments from the Conn-Selmer plant. Tara Clayborn, 35, was arrested on theft charges after a month-long investigation. Police called Conn-Selmer in December, after...

Weak January retail sales.(Industry Briefings)
March 1, 2009... A drop in gift card use and a reliance on post-holiday clearance sales are likely to be the main culprits for soft January retail sales among major U.S. retailers. "January is going to be a particularly tough month," said Kim Picciola, a retail...

The seeds of a recovery are present.(EDITORIAL)
March 1, 2009... "We anticipate moderating economic growth in the fourth quarter of 1.1%, with unemployment levels remaining steady at 5%." The Federal Reserve "Beige Book" January 13, 2008 "My forecast calls conservatively for the Dow Jones...

Textron exits music finance raising new challenges for retailers: retailers and suppliers scramble for alternatives as a major source of inventory financing disappears.(FOREFRONT: NEWS * ANALYSIS * INFORMED OPINION)
March 1, 2009... TEXTRON, THE LEADING provider of inventory finance to the music industry, announced on December 22 it would exit the business as part of a larger corporate restructuring. The announcement, which affects several hundred music dealers and...

Wireless pioneer Samson: honors retiring partner Joe Hoshino.(FOREFRONT: NEWS * ANALYSIS * INFORMED OPINION)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE HOSHINO GAKKI COMPANY was one of the first manufacturers to collaborate on wireless products with Samson Technologies. Moreover, Yoshiki "Joe" Hoshino and his company were instrumental in the growth of Samson,...

Clavia taps American Music & Sound as U.S. distributor.(FLASH)
March 1, 2009... CLAVIA DMI AB has appointed American Music & Sound as exclusive distributor of Nord products in the United States. The agreement took effect January 12, and AM&S plans to commence operations on or around April 1. "We are very pleased to...

Jail time in china for guitar counterfeiters.(FOREFRONT)
March 1, 2009... THE PROPRIETORS of two Chinese guitar makers, charged with producing and selling counterfeit instruments, are currently incarcerated as they await trial in Beijing. The dramatic legal action came after the four leading guitar makers, Fender,...

Record production for Taylor Guitars in 2008.(FOREFRONT)
March 1, 2009... AFTER PRODUCING a record 80,000 guitars, unveiling new product innovations, and expanding international distribution, Taylor Guitars marks 2008 as a year of exceptional growth. "We are humbled to have experienced such a successful year,"...

New S.N. Shure Theater pays tribute to company founder & audio pioneer.(FOREFRONT)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SHURE INCORPORATED recently celebrated the opening of the new S.N. Shure Theater at the company's corporate headquarters in Niles, Illinois. Shure Chairman Rose L. Shure and President/CEO Sandy LaMantia participated...

Honored by Indian government: Sara-Trans.(FOREFRONT)
March 1, 2009... SARA-TRANS EXPORT Corporation, a leading manufacturer of bags for the music, sports, and travel industries, was recently cited by the Government Of India's Ministry Of Commerce for achieving the Highest Turnover for Export of Bags. ...

Behringer observes 20th Anniversary At NAMM.(FOREFRONT)
March 1, 2009... JANUARY 2009 MARKED the 20th Anniversary for Behringer. At a Winter NAMM press conference Uli Behringer had the opportunity to reflect on the last two decades: "If anyone had asked me 20 years ago if Behringer would have 3,500 employees around...

Loud technologies to go private.(FOREFRONT)
March 1, 2009... LOUD TECHNOLOGIES will voluntarily withdraw its shares from listing on the NASDAQ stock exchange sometime in February. Company officials said the move was prompted by the high costs for continued stock exchange listing, management time to...

Distribution deal inked with DrumFun: Hal Leonard.(FOREFRONT)
March 1, 2009... HAL LEONARD HAS REACHED an agreement with DrumFun to exclusively distribute DrumFun's popular Turn It Up and Lay It Down line of play-along CDs for drummers. The deal went into effect January I and covers all trades worldwide. The...

Eventide stompbox rebate program launched.(FOREFRONT)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] EVENTIDE HAS launched a factory mail-in rebate program for its best-selling stompboxes: TimeFactor, ModFactor, and the recently announced PitchFactor Harmonizer stompbox. Effective through April 23, 2009, the...

VHT amps: boutique performance, affordable price.(FOREFRONT)
March 1, 2009... SINCE THEIR INTRODUCTION to the market 20 years ago, VHT tube amps have earned a reputation for capturing the elusive tonal quality associated with high-dollar boutique amplifiers. Now exclusively distributed domestically by The Music Link and...

Allparts new distributor: N-Tune.(FOREFRONT)
March 1, 2009... ZERO CROSSING, maker of the innovative N-Tune Onboard Chromatic Guitar and Bass Tuner, has entered into a new distribution agreement with Allparts Music Corporation. Allparts has providing guitar and bass parts to manufacturers, wholesalers,...

Moves headquarters to Texas: Tradition Guitars.(FOREFRONT)
March 1, 2009... TRADITION GUITARS, Inc., has relocated its national sales office and warehouse operations from Tennessee and Indiana, respectively, to the international sales office and warehouse located in Fort Worth, Texas. As a result, Tradition continues...

Rosie O'Donnell selects Hailun pianos for new kids' music school.(FOREFRONT)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] AT GRAND OPENING ceremonies for her youth arts school, Rosie O'Donnell thanked executives from Hailun Distribution USA for their generous help in providing pianos for the new facility in mid-town Manhattan. The...

Now distributing Tabacco cables: JT Musical.(FOREFRONT)
March 1, 2009... JT MUSICAL INC. is now the sole North American distributor for new Tabacco professional-grade instrument cables direct from Italy. Over the last 40 years Vincenzo Tabacco has built, repaired, and modified amps for some of Italy's most revered...

Larrivee uses Rosignolo products: Ventureback.(FOREFRONT)
March 1, 2009... BECAUSE A QUALITY investment deserves quality protection, guitar care expert Ventureback has launched the Rosignolo "One Good Name Deserves Another" campaign. Larrivee Guitars is now using Rosignolo Step One Cleaner in its factory for the final...

Shipping redefined with RIF: Music Freight.(FOREFRONT)
March 1, 2009... ON NOVEMBER 26, 1945, the incomparable Charlie Parker led a record date whose tracks included "Koko," "Now's the Time" (a 12-bar blues incorporating a rift later used in the late 1949 R&B dance hit "The Hucklebuck"), "Billie's Bounce," and...

Amazon.com vs. eBay.(RETAIL WEB WATCH)
March 1, 2009... IN A DIFFICULT RETAIL CLIMATE, Amazon.com was one of the few retailers that enjoyed positive results for the fourth quarter of 2008. For the three month period ended December 31, the online retailer posted sales of $6.7 billion, an increase of...

Conquest sound sold to Jozaitis.(FOREFRONT)
March 1, 2009... CONQUEST SOUND COFOUNDER Larry Spalla has sold all interest in the firm to Jozaitis, Inc. The new ownership is presided over by Jeanna Jozaitis, an employee of Conquest Sound for several years. All Conquest employees will remain with the...

Courtroom sound system revamped with Audix.(FOREFRONT)
March 1, 2009... MICHIGAN'S 54TH JUDICIAL Circuit Court turned to the Audix Micros Series to resolve audio and video problems the court had been experiencing while in session. "The main concerns were that the judge, the court reporter, and the jury were...

Fixed bridge Vibrato on Taranaki guitars: Trem King.(FOREFRONT)
March 1, 2009... TREM KING FIXED BRIDGE vibratos are now being used on production guitars made by Taranaki Originals of Germany. Taranaki Originals are now available in two configurations: The P-type has three cream-colored P-90-style pickups. The H-type has...

Publicly traded industry firms.(FOREFRONT)
March 1, 2009... PUBLICLY TRADED INDUSTRY FIRMS PRICE AS OF P/E FEB. 3, 2009 RATIO Apple Computer Inc. $91.51 17.00 Avid Technology $10.39 n/a...

Bain takes 40% loss on guitar center.(FOREFRONT)
March 1, 2009... PRIVATE EQUITY FIRM Bain Capital has written down the value of its investment in Guitar Center by 40%, as of September 30, 2008, citing a "deteriorating economy." Private equity firms like Bain disclose their performance to investors each...

House of guitars "expo" drives holiday sales.(RETAILER UPDATE: NEWS FROM THE RETAIL FRONT LINES)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE HOUSE OF GUITARS in Rochester, New York, hosted a series of "expos" during the pre-Christmas period to promote the choice of musical instruments as holiday gifts. These events provided a kickstart to the holiday...

Best Buy trims staff, puts music store expansion on hold.(RETAILER UPDATE: NEWS FROM THE RETAIL FRONT LINES)
March 1, 2009... ABOUT 500 EMPLOYEES at Best Buy Co. Inc.'s Richfield, Minnesota, headquarters have accepted voluntary buy outs as of January 8. The electronics retailer offered the buyouts to most of its nearly 4,000 headquarters employees in an effort to...

New Georgia location added: Jackson's Music.(RETAILER UPDATE)
March 1, 2009... LONGTIME YAMAHA DEALER Jackson's Music has opened a new outlet in Buford, Georgia, to complement its stores in Riverdale and Douglasville, Georgia, and Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Yamaha Artists Sonny Emory and Chuck Leavell showed up to...

Bookmark, Rieman, and Beacock stores take top honors in High School Musical display contest.(RETAILER UPDATE)
March 1, 2009... BOOKMARK MUSIC OF PACIFIC Grove, California; Beacock Music of Vancouver, Washington; and Rieman Music of Urbandale, Iowa, are the winners of Hal Leonard's contest to celebrate the availability of its High School Musical 3 (HSM3) songbook. In...

Musicorp rep cited for service: Jim's Music Center.(RETAILER UPDATE)
March 1, 2009... JIM'S MUSIC has named Musicorp Sales Representative Dan Murdy 2008 Sales Representative of the Year. Jim's Music's Rob Joly and Rick Meyers presented an award plaque to Murdy at the NAMM show. Jim's Music Center has been a customer of...

Phil Rich named v.p. of merchandise: Guitar Center.(RETAILER UPDATE)
March 1, 2009... Guitar Center has appointed Phil Rich to the position of vice president of merchandise for guitars and amplifiers. In his new role, Rich will oversee the purchasing and merchandising of all stringed instruments and amplifiers. He is poised to...

Cascio Interstate Music DrummerFest spotlights world class talent.(RETAILER UPDATE)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CASCIO INTERSTATE Music presented one of the Midwest's premier drumming showcase events with its eighth annual DrummerFest 2008, an all-day extravaganza drawing more than 1,000 attendees. Held November 15, 2008, this...

Local musician doubles as repair tech: Bill's Music.(RETAILER UPDATE)
March 1, 2009... BILL'S MUSIC of Baltimore, Maryland, has made local musician Alex Muehleisen its new brass and woodwind repair technician. Muehleisen has been repairing instruments, including trumpets, trombones, and tubas, for more than three years. He has...

Go out and get people into your store: the wit and wisdom of KISS's Gene Simmons, how to turn a kazoo into a $400 sale, and other thoughts after spending four days at the NAMM show.(BOB POPYK ON SELLING)
March 1, 2009... The consensus of opinion at this year's NAMM Show seemed to be that it was no longer "business as usual." Gene Simmons from KISS related that at the opening breakfast on Thursday morning. For those of you who were not there, I took some notes...

Is this what a recession looks like? There were crowds, smiles, and even some optimism, yet the recent economic turmoil unquestionably cast a shadow over NAMM. What does it all mean for the industry and what should we expect in the coming year? In the following pages, we try to explain.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... The news during the weeks leading up to the NAMM Show couldn't have been much worse. In unison, media outlets churned out the same grim fare on an hourly basis: "Christmas sales lowest in three decades," Financial Crisis Deepens, Unemployment...

2009 NAMM report.(Part 1)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HOHNER--Scott Emmerman; Stefan Althoff, Sonor; Klaus Stettler; Clay Edwards; Dr. Hans Braunig; Arthur Cheung; Wu Hsieh, chairman, KHS; Karl-Heinz Menzel, gen. mgr., Sonor. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

2009 NAMM report.(Part 2)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ALFRED MUSIC--Steve Manus, pres; Gabriel Lara, Music Distributors, Spain; Anthony Monzino, Mogar Music. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] L.R. BAGGS--Ryan Angle, Ben GeBauer, John Mooy, Ricky Taylor, Brian McManus, Bo...

2009 NAMM report.(Part 3)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] FISHMAN--Dave Fournier, Chris Di Maria, Kevin White, Jason Cambra. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ALLEGRO FINANCIAL--George Huebner, Meghan Keller, Michelle Roberts, Sheryl Bonci, Vic Richmond, Brent La Mascus. ...

2009 NAMM report.(Part 4)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ERNIE BALL--Scottie Ball; Sterling Ball; Brian Ball; Mattias Meyer, Musik Meyer, Germany. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MUSEUM--Mark McCauley, Sylvia Keller, Bill DeWalt, April Solomon,...

Taking the pulse of the music industry.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... Based on your experience, show attendance by U.S. dealers at this year's show compared to last year's was: 2009 2008 No change 11.6% 28% Up 5% 3.5% 14% Up 6-10% ...

Rants & Raves--assessing the NAMM show.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... "If consumers, fans, groupies, and other non-trade attendees were kept out of the show, manufacturers could realistically judge dealer attendance, and in turn, evaluate the true value and effectiveness of the trade show. The circus atmosphere...

Alicia Keys and Yamaha announce new partnership.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... INTERNATIONAL MULTI-PLATINUM R&B sensation Alicia Keys and Yamaha, announced a new partnership to distribute piano-inspired sounds and future products. One of the sounds was introduced on January 17, 2009, for an intimate gathering of press and...

The future of online retailing.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] FRESH OFF AMAZON.COM'S newest foray into music retail, Amazon Director of Audio and Video Noah Herschman joined Jim Hovey, CEO of American Musical Supply, and...

Jupiter honors John Gronemeyer.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] KHS AMERICA president Tabor Stamper (left) presented a Lifetime Achievement award to Jupiter Band Instruments Senior Vice President of Sales John Gronemeyer. Effective April 30, Gronemeyer is retiring from Jupiter...

Roland V-Piano adds new realism and musical expression.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CULMINATING A MULTI-MILLION dollar investment and ten years of research and development, Roland unveiled its groundbreaking new V-Piano at NAMM. The event was headlined by jazz artist David Benoit. Unlike...

Kawai honors top sales efforts.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] KAWAI SALES ACHIEVEMENT AWARD--Hirotaka Kawai, pres.; Cathy Krubsack, Lacefield Piano, St. Louis, MO. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] KAWAI DEALER OF THE YEAR AWARD--Hirotaka Kawai, pres.; Wayne Reinhardt, Schmitt...

NAMM's breakfast of champions.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] NAMM KICKED OFF its first-day Breakfast of Champions session with Yamaha President Mitsruru "Mick" Umemura, a player on the industry's international stage for more than a quarter-century. In an interview with NAMM...

The wit & wisdom of Gene Simmons of KISS.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... FILE THIS UNDER "Now For Something Completely Different." NAMM capped off its Breakfast of Champions with an appearance by Gene Simmons of KISS, whose full remarks (discreetly sampled here) were not rated for general audiences. "I'm going...

Percussion Council sets 2009 agenda.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... THE PERCUSSION Marketing Council discussed in its all-member meeting ongoing initiatives to promote interest in drumming. In 2008 PMC's Percussion In The Schools program reached more than 3,300 students through eight in-school assemblies held...

New products from D'Addario.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] D'ADDARIO presented a multitude of new products from all of its divisions including Fretted Strings, Bowed Instruments, Evans Drumheads, HQ Percussion, Rico Reeds, and Planet Waves. Shown are National Sales Manager...

Godin honors top sales reps.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] GODIN GUITARS presented awards to its top sales performers of 2008. Pictured are (l-r) Mario Biferali, special accounts manager; Greg Hess and Duane Hess, Godin reps for the Western U.S.--2008 Award of Excellence in...

LP celebrates 45 years.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Latin Percussion hosted a Latin music lover's extravaganza at the NAMM show in observance of the industry-leading company's 45th anniversary. NAMM President Joe Lamond presented LP founder Martin Cohen with a special...

Fender teams with Toyota for Road Worn Competition.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Fender teamed with Toyota USA to launch the Road Worn Competition, a nationwide band competition engaging musicians, and the dealers who support them, to submit their music for a chance to win a prize package worth...

Ukulele boom!(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... A PROMINENTLY PLACED Hawaiian Pavilion at the 1915 Pan Pacific Exhibition in San Francisco initiated the country's first ukulele boom. Intrigued by the exotic island territory (not yet a state), the U.S. populace developed a fascination with...

Mouthpiece maker Babbitt marks 90th year.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] J.J. BABBITI'--Bill Reolein, chmn.; Karl Urban, Urban Plating; Rocky Giglio, pres. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] AT NAMM--Rocky and Jobanna Giglio, Donna Kott; Bill and Diana Reglein; Gina Massaro, Melissa Reglein....

Top Samick dealers feted at NAMM.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SAMICK TOP DEALER AWARD--Bryan Hostettler, Greg Durthaler, Piano Solutions, Carmel, IN; Jay Cross, v.p. mktg. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SAMICK TOP DEALER AWARD--Baik Lee, pres.; Joe Onofrio, Onofrio Music,...

Gator sales rep awards.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] GATOR SALES AWARD--Dustin Pesnell, Freed Sales; Mark Stone, v.p./gen, mgr; Jerry Freed, chairman; Jason Jensen; Sammy Serrag. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] GATOR SALES AWARD--Mark Stone, v.p./gen, mgr.; Pat Lee,...

RCF sales reps honored.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] RCF PRESENTED AN AWARD recognizing its top sales representatives. Pictured are: (l-r) John Krupa, director of sales, RCF USA; Jason Longobardo, On The Road Marketing, NY; Kevin Famoso, store manager, IDJ Now,...

Levy's leathers honors top international sales performance.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] LEVY EXPORT AWARDS--Harvey Levy, v.p., presents the Karge Market Award to EMD Nordic's Benny Englund and Niklas Tarnhamn. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] LEVY EXPORT AWARDS--Serge Olar, Musik Olar, Switzerland,...

Alfred presents Dealer Awards.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... ALFRED PUBLISHING recognized Groth Music of Bloomington, MN, and Middle C Music of Washington, D.C., with the Alfred Premier Dealer Award, a semi-annual honor presented to dealers that go above and beyond the call of duty with their product...

Victor Wooten signs with Hartke.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] VICTOR WOOTEN, considered by many to be the most influential bassist since Jaco Pastorius, performed at the Samson Technologies booth, where he also officially announced his endorsement of Hartke Systems bass amps....

New K Custom Hybrids, Rezos from Zildjian.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ZILDJIAN IS EXPANDING its K Custom Hybrid and A Custom Rezo cymbal lines, adding new signature model drumsticks and upgrading the packaging of its box sets. The company's "Buy the Inch" promotion will allow U.S....

Thriving in China: Cherub Technologies.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... UNEMPLOYMENT, CLOSING factories, house foreclosures, and failing banks. No we're not talking about the U.S, we're referring to China, where a major wave of economic consolidation is underway. Chinese factories that sprang up over the past...

SKB showcases manufacturing investment at NAMM.(2008 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] DON'T TALK ABOUT A global recession to SKB owners Dave Sanderson and Steve Kottman. The two are not only optimistic about current market conditions but have made a huge new manufacturing investment at SKB's Orange,...

Yamaha restructures keyboard division to better serve changing market.(2008 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... WHEN A CONSUMER UTTERS the words, "I want to buy a piano," what are they actually referring to? A grand, a digital, a portable keyboard, or perhaps a player piano. In recognition of this shifting consumer behavior, Yamaha Corporation of America...

Roland & Martin develop acoustic preamp.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] LEADING ACOUSTIC GUITAR MAKER C.F. Martin has teamed with electronic music pioneer Roland Corporation to develop a new acoustic guitar pre-amp. The result of this collaboration is the new AP-1, which uses Roland's...

Korg honors top retail performers at NAMM.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... KORG USA HONORED OUTSTANDING retail performance in a challenging economy with its USA Key Note Awards. The awards were presented at the 2009 Winter NAMM Show to top dealers in six categories. Winners included: Best New Dealer--Musician's...

Gemini honors top retail performance.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... GEMINI PRESENTED ITS Dealer of the Year awards at the NAMM show. Universal Electronics of Miami, Florida, and Asmar Sound of Waukeegan, Illinois, were named Dealers of the Year. Internet Dealer of the Year honors were awarded to Musician's...

Pearl River's new Ritmuller line.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... PEARL RIVER'S "All New Ritmuller" line, designed to combine the essence of European craftsmanship with the latest in musical technology, met an enthusiastic audience at the NAMM show. In a redesign effort spearheaded by European master designer...

Samson presents next-generation handheld digital recorder.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... In 2007 The Music Trades designated the handheld digital recorder as its Product of the Year. The category is full of top-level competitors, but the market is anything but saturated, as evidenced by booming sales and innovative products...

Stellar success for FLEABASS at NAMM.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... FOR ALL THE TALK OF recession and economic pain, the NAMM show still had some exciting bright spots, most notably the launch of the FLEABASS company. The creation of Red Hot Chili Pepper's bassist Flea, FLEABASS is offering a distinctive new...

Steinway pinpoints institutional opportunities in challenging market: re-affirming its patnership with dealers, piano maker also offers inventory financing alternatives.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] STEINWAY & SONS President Thomas Kurrer emphasized the importance of long-term thinking while company Chairman Kyle Kirkland invoked the wisdom of legendary investor Warren Buffet as they outlined recession...

Sabian's AXX X-Plosion.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sabian debuted its new cymbals for 2009, including the AAX XPlosion fast crash and splash, the lightweight and versatile Alu Bell, and several models from its Vault Collection, a series of cymbals buried for eight...

ESP Guitars in tune with "Xtreme" market.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... IN ADDITION TO announcing new signature model guitars co-designed by Metallica stars Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield, ESP Guitar outlined two ambitious lifestyle marketing campaigns that tap into demographics likely to relate to its products...

Audix names top sales rep for 2008.(2009 NAMM REPORT)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] AUDIX SALES REP OF THE YEAR--John McFadden, Rob Schnell, and Bob Brennan, Reflex Marketing; Cliff Castle, v.p.; Gene Houck, sis.

MIAC's Kowalenko steps down after 30 years of service.(PEOPLE: MOVERS AND SHAKERS)
March 1, 2009... THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS of the Music Industries Association of Canada has announced that Al Kowalenko will be stepping down from his position as MIAC executive director effective August 31, 2009, after 30 years of continuous service to the...

Choi to head Young Chang North America.(PEOPLE)
March 1, 2009... VINCENT CHOI was appointed president of Young Chang North America effective November 1, 2008. Transferred from Young Chang Korea three years ago, Choi has worked for Young Chang since 1995. Before coming to the U.S. he was manager of overseas...