Music Trades articles from May 2002

Music Trades archives from May 2002

Missing the boat with female customers. (Letters).
May 1, 2002... HAVING WORKED IN THE music products industry for almost 15 years, I have observed (and sometimes experienced) many aspects of the best and worst of how women and minorities are treated, the opportunities they are given and lost, and how they...

Problems in Argentina. (Letters).
May 1, 2002... Presently I cannot renew my subscription to your magazine because of tight budget problems. It is known worldwide what Argentina is undergoing due to serious mistakes of our present emergency government that are separating us citizens from...

Are fish musical? (Industry Briefings).
May 1, 2002... Experiments conducted at the Rowland Institute for Science in Cambridge, Massachusetts suggest that fish can tell the difference between classical music and the blues. Ava Chase recently placed loudspeakers in a fish tank and played music to a...

A new home for Louis Armstrong's cornet. (Industry Briefings).
May 1, 2002... A time-blackened cornet that Louis Armstrong first learned to play 90 years ago at the Colored Waifs Home in New Orleans has been placed on permanent display at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. The display...

Guitar as a deadly weapon. (Industry Briefings).
May 1, 2002... The son of a New Hampshire Supreme Court justice used a guitar to pound his father in the face after drinking for several hours, a prosecutor said Monday. John Christian Broderick, 30, was arraigned on a charge of assault and ordered held in...

Cops rob a guitar string merchant. (Industry Briefings).
May 1, 2002... Two Pontiac, Michigan, police officers are being questioned by Detroit police about allegedly stealing guitar strings from a homeless man. According to a report filed by the victim, after being stopped by the officers, he told them that he was...

Musical quarter shortchanges accuracy. (Industry Briefings).
May 1, 2002... Musicians and coin aficionados are up in arms about the recently minted Tennessee quarter that went into circulation at the end of March. The coin reflects an effort to celebrate Tennessee's unique musical heritage but is marred by several...

Violins with strings attached. (Industry Briefings).
May 1, 2002... Dr. Herbert Axelrod, one of the world's preeminent collectors of rare violins, has proposed a unique donation to the New Jersey Philharmonic. He wants to outfit the orchestra's 15 member first violin section with instruments by Stradivarius and...

Missing inflation. (Editorial).
May 1, 2002... Think back 25 years ago and try to remember the burning issues of the day... those imminent challenges that threatened to rain down pain and suffering on the nation at large. Near the top of the list was inflation. During the Ford, Carter, and...

Quarterly retail sales data. (Market Intelligence).
May 1, 2002... Customers are returning to music stores and buying as evidenced by the strong 2.3% sales increase reported by dealers in The Music Trades magazine s first-quarter retail survey. For the three month period ended March 31, responding music stores...

Damage free shipping! New packing machines at MBT plant make shipping damage a thing of the past. (Industry Forefront).
May 1, 2002... TO SPEED THE SHIPPING process and enhance customer service, MBT has recently installed two new types of "void-fill" packing machines at its distribution centers in Charleston, South Carolina; Fishers, Indiana; and Reno, Nevada. The new...

Steinway pulls bid for Boosey & Hawkes. (Industry Forefront).
May 1, 2002... STEINWAY Musical Instruments withdrew its bid on February 11 for the musical instruments unit of Boosey & Hawkes, the U.K. music publisher and instrument maker, sources familiar with the situation said. Boosey & Hawkes, which is under...

Capitol Hill struggle: working to include music in the "No Children Left Behind" legislation. (Industry Forefront).
May 1, 2002... A GROUP OF ACADEMIC, professional, and artistic experts in music education met March 7 with the 70-member House Education Caucus to suggest new priorities in the wake of the No Child Left Behind Act signed into law by President Bush. The...

Alive and kicking at 80, a reorganized premier focuses on U.S. market. (Industry Forefront).
May 1, 2002... DON'T TELL PREMIER you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, the Leicester, England-based firm recently shook up its management team and has embarked on an ambitious strategy to claim what it considers...

B.C. Rich Slipknot guitar a top 40 NAMM hit: Guitar Player honors new signature model. (Industry Forefront).
May 1, 2002... Guitar Player magazine, read by nearly 150,000 guitarists each month, has deemed the new B.C. Rich Mick Thomson Signature Series guitar one of the "Top 40 Hits of 2002 NAMM." The instrument, which was unveiled at the Winter NAMM show in...

Tony Bennett and Yamaha boost spirits at children's hospital. (Industry Forefront).
May 1, 2002... LEGENDARY SINGER Tony Bennett visited the Blythedale Children's Hospital in Valhalla, New York, on December 21 to entertain the children and raise money for the institution. Bennett was accompanied by Lee Musiker on a Polished Ebony Yamaha S4...

Queenwood Publications sold to Neil A. Kjos. (Industry Forefront).
May 1, 2002... ANNE MCGINTY, president and co-owner of Queenwood Publications, has announced the sale of Queenwood Publications' assets to the Nell A. Kjos Music Company. The sale was effective March 31, 2002, and since that date all Queenwood titles have...

Dean Owners of America (DOA) inaugural meeting! (Industry Forefront).
May 1, 2002... DEAN OWNERS TAKE their guitars seriously. How else to explain the first annual meeting of the Dean Owners of America (that's DOA for short), where 50 of the faithful trekked to Dean headquarters in Clearwater, Florida. With company founder Dean...

Cymbal sales benefit children stricken with aids; Phil Collins & Sabian in unique charitable partnership. (Industry Forefront).
May 1, 2002... IN JANUARY 2000 Sabian and Phil Collins joined forces to launch a charity initiative. To raise funds, Sabian introduced Phil's Choice, a limited edition 21" hand-hammered Raw Bell Dry Ride cymbal stamped with the signature of Phil Collins. ...

Pennsylvania honors Martin for work with the disabled; guitar maker cited for integrating disabled into its 645-member workforce. (Industry Forefront).
May 1, 2002... C.F. MARTIN & CO., INC., of Nazareth, Pennsylvania, was presented with the 2001 Employer Award from the Pennsylvania Governor's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities. The award was presented on November 16 at the 48th annual...

Mackie expands "On the Road" territory. (Industry Forefront).
May 1, 2002... ON THE ROAD MARKETING has secured an expanded territory for the Mackie Designs product line. For the past six years the rep firm has handled the line in the six New England states and metropolitan New York and New Jersey. As of April 1 it began...

Unsung hero of the Grammys: A-T supplies 350 microphones for music awards telecast. (Industry Forefront).
May 1, 2002... WITH OVER 350 Audio-Technica microphones in use at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards this year, A-T turned in a true "platinum" performance. For the fifth consecutive year, a wide-selection of Audio-Technica microphones was employed for the...

Brasswind production returns to Hungary. (Industry Forefront).
May 1, 2002... JA MUSIK OF Markneukirchen, Germany, best known in the U.S. for its Meinl tubas and Courtois trumpets, has opened a new manufacturing facility outside of Budapest, Hungary. Staffed by 20 instrument makers trained at JA Musik factories in...

Marantz and Denon to merge. (Industry Forefront).
May 1, 2002... THE MARANTZ AND Denon brands have been merged with the creation of D&M Holdings. The transaction is expected to close by May 2002 and will create a global leader in the premium home theatre and audio-video (AV) market, while maintaining the...

Paul Reed Smith named top Maryland small business; governor honors guitar maker, citing strong growth, and excellence in good corporate citizenship. (Industry Forefront).
May 1, 2002... ALLAN STEPHENSON, DISTRICT director of the U.S. Small Business Administration's Baltimore district office, has designated Paul Reed Smith, founder of Paul Reed Smith Guitars, as winner of the 2002 Maryland Small Business Person of the Year...

Black Diamond sells direct to dealers. (Industry Forefront).
May 1, 2002... BLACK DIAMOND STRINGS has formally kicked off its campaign to sell its expanding line of guitar and bass strings directly to retailers. The Sarasota, Florida-based company has begun monthly promotions to dealers and established a phone crew to...

Aerosmith's Perry relies on Korg. (Industry Forefront).
May 1, 2002... AS AN INTEGRAL PART of Aerosmith, one of the most successful acts ever in popular music (the group was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame last year), Joe Perry has helped forge the sound of rock for nearly 30 years while becoming one...

DW honors top independent dealers. (Industry Forefront).
May 1, 2002... DURING THE RECENT NAMM Music Expo in Anaheim, California, Drum Workshop recognized the outstanding efforts of several top U.S., Canadian, and British drum dealers by presenting them with the company's first annual dealer awards. "As we...

Introducing students to the music industry: Roland hosts high school songwriters at open house. (Industry Forefront).
May 1, 2002... ROLAND RECENTLY demonstrated its dedication to music education by hosting an event for the Huntington Beach High School Songwriters Class on March 22, 2002, at the Roland Corporation U.S. corporate headquarters in Los Angeles. The Academy...

Ross Mallet endorser Locke master classes. (Industry Forefront).
May 1, 2002... INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN jazz vibraphonist and Ross Mallet Instrument endorsing artist Joe Locke recently conducted jazz master classes at the University of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee. Held in the Fine Arts building of the Rudi E. Scheidt...

David Bryan joins Steinway roster. (Industry Forefront).
May 1, 2002... STEINWAY & SONS has named pianist David Bryan to its Worldwide Artist Roster. As the keyboard player, songwriter, and founding member of Ben Jovi, Bryan has sold 100 million albums, played to millions of people in 42 countries, and circled the...

Net4Music renamed MakeMusic! Inc. (Industry Forefront).
May 1, 2002... NET4MUSIC INC., best known for its music download site and Coda notation software, will now do business as MakeMusic! Inc. MakeMusic! is focusing primarily on serving active music makers by providing products and services based on Coda's...

Luna Pro begins shipping names new CEO. (Industry Forefront).
May 1, 2002... LUNA PRO LIGHTING has begun shipping its lighting line throughout the U.S. and South and Central America as promised earlier in the year. Rich Turin, Luna president, is optimistic about opening orders but cautions, "Keeping the customer...

Life begins at 90: Jordan Kitt's, America's top keyboard retailer holds lavish anniversary bash, saluting top employees and key suppliers. (Retailer Update).
May 1, 2002... FROM THE LAVISH surroundings at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in McLean Virginia, to the rousing performances by the Mount Zion Baptist Church Choir and entertainer Mark Russell, Jordan Kitt's Music's 90th anniversary celebration was an unforgettable...

Long's takes MBT Lighting award. (Retailer Update).
May 1, 2002... AS A PART OF ITS TEN-YEAR anniversary celebration, MBT Lighting and Sound has named Long's Electronics of Irondale, Alabama, its "Dealer of the Decade." April Levine, MBT Lighting sales representative, who has been working with Long's...

Christian Johnson forms Adrian Guitars. (Retailer Update).
May 1, 2002... CHRISTIAN JOHNSON of West Linn, Oregon, has purchased the guitar business of Robert Adrian Music, Inc. The new company is called Adrian Guitars and is located in Oregon City, Oregon. The full-service specialty guitar shop provides sales,...

New member for GC board. (Retailer Update).
May 1, 2002... GUITAR CENTER has appointed Dr. Larry Livingston to the its board of directors. Livingston is dean of the Flora L. Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California, where he is also professor of conducting. He has conducted...

New York schools honor Paul Ash. (Retailer Update).
May 1, 2002... PAUL J. ASH, president of Sam Ash Music Stores, was recognized by the New York State School Music Association on the 30th anniversary of "Music In Our Schools" Month for his role in its creation. More than thirty years ago Ash was president...

A Memphis institution turns 80: responding to a changing market, Amro Music thrives under the third generation of family management. (Retailer Update).
May 1, 2002... WHENEVER MIL AVERWATER was in need of new students back in 1921, he would throw open the windows of his second-floor studio in downtown Memphis, organize his fellow teachers, and begin to play. The impromptu concerts never failed to get people...

Piano Music Center opens in Palm Springs. (Retailer Update).
May 1, 2002... PIANO MUSIC CENTER, which opened its first store last fall in Riverside, California, recently hung out a new shingle in Palm Springs, California. The new 1,800-square-foot store is the only music store in Palm Springs to carry the complete...

Guitar Center opens 100th location. (Retailer Update).
May 1, 2002... GUITAR CENTER OPENED its 100th location on Thursday, February 21, in Little Rock, Arkansas. Darren Feldman, director of marketing and promotions, said that the historic opening was celebrated in "true Guitar Center style. The opening of our...

Fletcher and Lowrey sponsor concert series. (Retailer Update).
May 1, 2002... FLETCHER MUSIC CENTERS of Florida and Lowrey Organ Company have become the official music providers for Cypress Gardens and the exclusive sponsors of the Cypress Gardens Concert Series. Cypress Gardens, located in Winter Haven, Florida, is...

West L.A. Music wins Audix sales prize. (Retailer Update).
May 1, 2002... AUDIX MICROPHONES recently named West L.A. Music its top performing independent retailer. "The staff and management at West L.A. are the consummate professionals," said Cliff Castle, Audix vice-president of sales. "They combine tremendous...

National Piano Institute takes top Yamaha award. (Retailer Update).
May 1, 2002... NATIONAL PIANO INSTITUTE, founded by Tony Siciliano, has been presented with an award by Yamaha Corporation of America for being Yamaha's "No. 1 Promoter of Pianos, Disklaviers, and Clavinovas Nationwide." Since 1988 National Piano...

Keyline Sales honors top dealers. (Retailer Update).
May 1, 2002... KEYLINE SALES & Marketing Services of Lake Mary, Florida. recently presented awards to those dealers who achieved outstanding results in 2001. The dealers honored were: Greg Billings, Piano Gallery of Naples, Florida; Cecil White III of...

The key to promotion ... keep it simple, do it often! Promoting your business is more art than science, some thoughts on how to do it without denting your checkbook. (Bob Popyk On Selling).
May 1, 2002... Getting your name out there to create more customers is what the retail business is all about. People have to know about you, what you do or sell, and where you are. You want to look like you are not only in business, but you are successful at...

New buildings, new currency transform Frankfurt fair. (Evolutionary Changes In Frankfurt).
May 1, 2002... On the surface, much about the 2002 Musikmesse was new. Held in Frankfurt, Germany, March 13-17, this was first of the annual international music fairs to occupy the much-expanded facility, featuring two bright new exhibit halls. Messe also...

Customer service the key to school music success: dealers gain insights and inspiration at 40th annual conference. (The State Of School Music ...).
May 1, 2002... If music products retailing is generally a tough row to hoe, the school music business poses a significant additional challenge: its uniqueness. The knowledge, skills, and perhaps even temperament needed to succeed as a school music dealer have...

Print music in a post 9/11 world: retailers report that global turmoil sparks renewed appreciation for music making. (Print music: the state of the market).
May 1, 2002... FOXES MUSIC CO. Falls Church, Virginia In a challenging time for print music retailers, Foxes Music enjoys some powerful blessings. First, it is located in northern Virginia, which James Edmonds calls "a pretty happening area, with one...

A copyright primer: how print publishers negotiate a legal labyrinth to secure rights to the songs you want to sell. (Print music: the state of the market).
May 1, 2002... Viewers around the world watched with approval as singer/pianist Alicia Keys strode on to the stage of the Temple Theater in Los Angeles to accept a Grammy award for her hit song "Fallin'." The next day, print music retailers responded by...

Audio pioneer Electro-Voice turns 75; from Oscar night to outer space, E-V products have passed the toughest tests with flying colors. (Company Profile).
May 1, 2002... During the early months of 1930, Knute Rockne, the legendary Notre Dame football coach, was suffering from an acute case of laryngitis. Unable to yell commands to his team across the practice field, he was desparate for help. Al Kahn and Lou...

Howard heads community product effort. (People).
May 1, 2002... LARRY HOWARD IS THE new manager of product development at loudspeaker manufacturer Community Sound, located in Chester, Pennsylvania. He was formerly with Tannoy's North American office in Ontario, Canada, where he was business and product...

Sabian promotes Houlden and Mason. (People).
May 1, 2002... SABIAN LTD. HAS promoted Jackie Houlden and Robert Mason to key marketing posts. Houlden moves up from European sales supervisor to European sales manager. A major player in Sabian's continued market and sales expansion in Europe, Houlden,...

Hansen & Stephani in new posts at Hal Leonard. (People).
May 1, 2002... HAL LEONARD CORPORATION has expanded its sales team with two new senior management appointments. Mike Hansen, who has rejoined the company after a four-year hiatus from the music industry, is now the key accounts manager for the music trade,...

Brefka named A-T Sales Manager. (People).
May 1, 2002... Audio-Technica, U.S., Inc. has appointed Tracy R. Brefka as sales manager for professional products. He will manage sales territories in upstate New York, New England, eastern Pennsylvania, Michigan, Delaware, southern New Jersey, Texas,...

Shure names two managing directors. (People).
May 1, 2002... SHURE INCORPORATED has appointed Mark Brunner and Rob Cappucci as managing directors of two newly created business units. Brunner will manage the Musical Instrument and Touring Sound business unit, while Cappucci will oversee the company's...

Pugh takes top Telex rep award. (People).
May 1, 2002... TELEX COMMUNICATIONS, Inc. recently presented C.L. Pugh, an Ohio-based sales representative firm, with top honors for the year 2000 Telex/EV sales. Comprised of Bob Tevs, Jason Jacquemain, Toni Daquila, Dorothy Lasko, and Jerry Varsa, the firm...

Yamaha 02R96, the next generation of digital console. (Product News).
May 1, 2002... YAMAHA'S COMMERCIAL Audio Systems Division has introduced the 02R96 digital mixing console, the long-awaited successor to the revolutionary 02R. The 02R96 builds on the success of breakthrough digital console technology that includes the...

Zildjian introduces Deluxe Cymbal Rollerbag. (Product News).
May 1, 2002... ZILDJIAN HAS UNVEILED its Deluxe Cymbal Rollerbag. The result of years of research, the Rollerbag allows users to tow their cymbals and other gear on a set wheels with an extendible handle. The Rollerbag features rugged luggage-grade wheels and...

History repeats itself. (Product News).
May 1, 2002... IN 1843 ROBERT CLARKE invented the tinwhistle. The first ones he manufactured were called "Megs." Meg was the Victorian word for a halfpenny, and that is precisely what Clarke's tinwhistle cost to buy. In making such an inexpensive musical...

Ovation goes off on a Tangent. (Product News).
May 1, 2002... IN KEEPING WITH a 35-year tradition of "doing something different," Ovation's new Tangent Series brings the traditional Ovation Roundback to a new level and direction. These guitars are visually different from the standard Ovation models, yet...

Roland expands Intelligent Piano line with three new grands. (Product News).
May 1, 2002... FOLLOWING THE SUCCESSFUL introduction of the KR-1077M, Roland Contemporary Keyboards has expanded its popular KR-Series lineup with three new digital grand pianos: the KR-777 Digital Intelligent Piano. the KR-977-MH Digital Intelligent Piano...

Going to Extreme Isolation. (Product News).
May 1, 2002... DIRECT SOUND HEADPHONES, L.L.C. has introduced Extreme Isolation Headphones (patent pending), which feature external sound attenuation by an impressive 29db. Designed especially for drummers and other musicians playing in loud environments, the...

Ibanez highlights new finishes. (Product News).
May 1, 2002... IBANEZ IS COUNTING on hot new guitar and bass finishes attracting players to check out the new models and features it introduced at the NAMM show in Anaheim. "What better way to draw the moth to the flame than with cool, extreme, and high-tech...

Pro-Mark's new drum mat. (Product News).
May 1, 2002... PRO-MARK HAS UNVEILED its new Skid-Proof Drumset Mat. Made of a unique polymer-based material, the new mat is much lighter in weight and far more durable than carpet. It eliminates the need to use spikes on bass drums, foot pedals, and hi-hat...

Cremona Maestro Series violins. (Product News).
May 1, 2002... SAGA MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS has introduced a new range of violins designed for the most discriminating players. The Maestro Series includes eleven models based upon instruments crafted 300 years ago in the workshops of northern Italy. They are...

Clevinger Natural Double Bass Pickup. (Product News).
May 1, 2002... Clevinger's new Natural Presence Double Bass Pickup installs in seconds without tools, and with no alteration to the instrument. In addition to complete freedom from batteries, the new pickup offers arco and pizz at balanced levels and a...

Flashbacks: a look backwards at people, products, and events, as recorded in the pages of The Music Trades.
May 1, 2002... 100 YEARS AGO PRICING PROBLEMS WITH PIANOS Morris Steinert, founder of M. Steinert's, writes, "The production of any article of trade or its commercial value can be determined and is known to the manufacturers as well as to the...