QSC Founders Honored with NAMM Milestone Award
QSC founders Pat Quilter, John Andrews and Barry Andrews were honored at the 2018 Winter NAMM Show with the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Milestone Award for 50 years of…
Village Music Wellington Redefines What it Means to be an MI Store
Ah, the joys of visiting your favorite music store. Parsing through any new clearance items, ogling at the guitars hanging on the walls with pride, and… visiting the in-house café?…
The New Stomping Ground: StompLight Brings Top-Notch Lighting Effects to Performances of All Types with Ease and Versatility
It seems like such an obvious idea – the upsides are clear for all to see – you’d assume that folks must have developed this sort of thing decades ago:…
Guitars and Vinyl – Sometimes it’s a Marriage that Leads to a Deep and Lengthy (Customer) Engagement
Chocolate and peanut butter, fish and chips… Here’s another couple of things that seem to go together well: musical instruments and vinyl records. A few shops here and there have…
Chuck Surack of Sweetwater Sound: 2018 Recipient of MMR’s Annual Don Johnson Industry Service Award
Chuck Surack is, of course, best known as the founder of Sweetwater Sound (although he’s involved in a number of other business ventures, as well), but he’s every bit as…
UpFront Q&A Messe Frankfurt’s Michael Biwer
For some long-time attendees, Musikmesse Frankfurt has appeared to be “in decline” in recent years. A handful of big-name exhibitors have opted not to participate, attendance was seen to be…
Acing Accessibility: Virgin Musical Instruments on their Mission to Make Music Simple
Virgin Musical Instruments has a motto – “Keeping music simple” – but making music easy and accessible for other people in real life is by no means any small feat.…
Boutique Microphones: Adding a touch of personalization to a burgeoning mass-market sector
Microphones are big business. NAMM’s sales statistics for 2016 show the overall category is the fifth largest overall in revenue, just behind fretted and wind instruments, pro audio, and the…
Heir to the Throne: A Chat with Courtland Gray of Peavey Electronics
Peavey Electronics Corporation is an American MI icon – one of the world’s largest audio equipment manufacturers and suppliers, and the brand behind a number of legendary amplifier and sound…
The Ideal in Service: 4 Keys to Success
In business we often think of “service” as the interaction between the customer and a retailer during a sales transaction, and today most businesses approach it just that way. But,…
Fort Pitt Piano Company: A Family Tradition of Encouraging Family Tradition
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s newest and most luxurious piano retailer, Fort Pitt Piano Company, celebrated their grand opening on November 1, 2017. Local business owners, musicians, music teachers, and residents celebrated the…
You’ve Gotta Be In It To Win It
In early January it was confirmed that Gibson Brands would not be attending the 2018 Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim. Rather, the organization is focusing on the Consumer Electronics (CES)…