The notoriously dour philosopher Heraclitus issued the maxim from which this editorial takes its title some 2,500 years ago (give or take) and, hey – when you turn a clever, accurate phrase, it sticks around. That grumpy, proto-goth Greek dude was clearly onto something.
There’s lots of “change” afoot in the industry these days. Certainly the ongoing evolution of Internet commerce and the continuing battles between the mom-and-pops and the big box retailers are arenas for transformation, as are the never-ending acquisitions, personnel shifts, and re-branding that goes on throughout the MI trade.
Specific to this moment in time, however, there are a few significant evolutions that have been on my mind.
Many of us will soon be returning to Nashville for yet another round of Summer NAMM. This time, however, we won’t be endlessly roaming the aisles of our old familiar stomping grounds at the Nashville Convention Center. 2013 marks the Show’s debut at the brand new Music City Center – a 1.2 million square-foot Silver Level LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified facility with a 350,000 square-foot exhibit hall and all the bells and whistles you might expect.
New, big building – “Big deal,” you may say. Well it is kind of a big deal, in ways both subtle and profound. A couple years ago, more than a few amongst our ranks were wondering aloud whether the Summer gathering, which by that point had many noticeable no-shows amongst suppliers and a dwindling attendance, would survive at all. The commitment of NAMM to booking at Music City Center was a bold statement of intent and early indicators suggest that the move is paying off. A number of big names are returning to the convention (see Kevin Mitchell’s feature on page 46) and pre-Show “buzz” is unquestionably… uh… buzzing.
On a more personal level, while the new Center is only blocks from the old address, it still means that those of us who’ve been to Summer NAMM so many times that checking into the same hotel as last year (and the year before, and the year before…) felt as familiar as walking into the family home, will have to adjust to some “new” (albeit geographically close) territory.
Another Nashville-related change: Gruhn Guitars has moved. While the legendary retailer’s new location on 8th Avenue South will, no doubt, be a wonderful showcase for the many drool-worthy guitars (and other gear) that George and team have collected, it’ll nonetheless be strange for me to no longer count moseying down to 400 Broadway to stare slack-jawed at instruments I can’t afford as part of my annual Summer NAMM routine.
Closer to home, there have been some seismic shifts over here at MMR. On the heels of longtime publisher Sidney Davis’ retirement this spring came a number of changes: new ownership, a major redesign, a new home office, and new members of the MMR team. As we navigate through these exciting and ambitious changes, we certainly welcome your feedback – let us know what you think of our redesign (Let us know what you’re thinking about anything industry-related, while you’re at it). I can be emailed directly at cwissmuller@timelesscom.com.
As for my own take on all this abundant change that’s swirling about, I find myself returning to a quote – albeit not one quite as highbrow as Heraclitus’ nugget of wisdom – from Mick Jagger: “The past is a great place and I don’t want to erase it or to regret it, but I don’t want to be its prisoner either.”
Right on, Mick.
