We are entering the summer season, nearing the mid-point of the year and turning the corner into fall. What better time to rejuvenate and refresh the way we are approaching our music businesses?
The good news is the Summer NAMM show is here, so my suggestion (to steal a lyric from Sir Paul McCartney) is: “Do me a favor, open the door, and let ‘em in.”
1. Let’s start with new products:
When you get out of your own business and onto the NAMM showroom floor, the first thing you may notice is the way merchandise is displayed. When we are in the same environment day in and day out, we become almost unaware of our own surroundings. Worse yet, we become stale in our own preferences, and we overlook how uniquely instruments may be displayed. No one knows better than the manufacturers the way to display products and make them pop and stand out. I will never forget the year Roland dressed everyone in white lab coats, reinforcing the idea that Roland is always a leader in experimenting with new technologies and applications for their products.
2. TEC Tracks in Nashville is a must:
Attending a TEC Tracks session brings us a better understanding of how hot new products are being used by today’s pros. Where else but at a Summer NAMM show can you interact with leaders in the Nashville recording community, and with tech products and production? We all know the pace is fast and ever-changing. So here is your chance to spend personal time with those in the know. “Hot Producers Hit Rewind” is the perfect example of how special these sessions are. Industry legends Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell, Jimmy Johnson, and Matt Ross Spang are the panelists for this unique Tec Tracks double session. The topic is how retro sounds are once again in super-hot demand and who better than Mitchell (“Uptown Funk”) to speak on this topic?
3. Want a fresh perspective on marketing, music education, or YouTube? NAMM’s Idea Center is right for you.
These may well be refresher courses from which you can benefit. If so, you should consider attending a session at NAMM’s Idea Center. Mike Ross (Sweetwater) will speak Friday at 12 p.m. on “Mindful Marketing,” and I believe it’s fair to say that when Mike speaks, we would all be wise to listen. “Strategies for Keeping Your Lesson Program Relevant” is a session that I will host on Friday at 11:30 a.m. addressing the changing landscape in music education. I think it’s accurate to assert that this is not your father’s Oldsmobile. Need tips on YouTube? Christie and Walter Carter (Carter Vintage Guitars) host “Essential Tips for Successful YouTube Videos” Thursday at 11 a.m. There are very few dealers who incorporate YouTube as well Carter Vintage Guitars. All of these sessions refresh our thinking and give us new and better perspectives, and serve any owner or manager or sales staff well.
4. Here’s one unique way to reinvigorate yourself and be inspired, while at the same time working on your business.
This is my best kept secret, but I guess it’s time to let the cat out of the bag. Working on your business means looking into the eyes of tomorrow. It means finding inspiration at every possible turn. It means seeing the unique where others may see the ordinary. My secret is simple: find time to see the new musicians at NAMM’s Nissan stage, and catch as many performances as possible while in Nashville. It serves us well to remember why we do what we do and what makes our industry so special. The Summer NAMM show brings a chance to look at what we do in our businesses with fresh eyes and difference perspectives.
In Closing
Working on your business is just as important as working in it. If the owner isn’t fresh, then there is no way he or she can be at his or her creative best. To stay unique, you must be inspired. If not, the cost is creative expression, and in the music business that’s an unproductive place to be. See you at the show!
