Hiwatt United Reunited Worldwide
The historic British Amplifier brand, Hiwatt, and official trademarks for Hiwatt across the world - have been reunited. Managing Director, Darren Atkinson says; “It was a tough go of it…
NAMM's Joe Lamond: ‘Advancing Music Education is the Right Thing to Do’
In many ways he’s the face of the MI industry – and, ever-smiling, Joe Lamond’s is a face nearly all of us see at each NAMM Show and many other…
Going Flat Out: EH and BH Clarinets
Two of the most common and popular types of clarinets are the EH and BH clarinet. This is largely due to the fact that both are transposing instruments, meaning that,…
Crystal Morris of Gator Cases Looks Back on Two Decades: ‘20/20 Perfect Vision and Outlook’
Formed in 2000 by Crystal Morris and her father Jerry, Gator Cases quickly emerged as designers and producers of some of the most sought-after cases and bags for instruments, percussion,…
Get A Grip: Clarinet Ligature Sales
With only 7.1 percent of participants in this month’s dealer survey – sent out to over 250 MI retailers – reporting that sales of clarinet ligatures are down and nearly…
The Beat of Ernie Ball Goes On: Newly-Appointed CEO Brian Ball Steps Up (Again)
Five years ago, we at MMR made a rather bold statement: We proclaimed that Brian Ball, son of Sterling Ball, had stepped into the “role he was born for” as…
‘You Can’t Save the World if You Can’t Pay the Rent:’ Net 30 Terms Need to Go
When it comes to selling stuff locally, the retailer is worth keeping around, so can we please stop pretending that net 30 terms work? Traditionally, retailers pay cash for big…
Spotlight on High School Music Service: A Successor’s Perspective
In 1978 Donald Watkins purchased High School Music Service from Lloyd Reitz, who founded the company in 1946. When Watkins retired in 1997, Greg, Donald’s son, already had a decade’s…
Smart Women in Music
Success in the music business has many integrated parts. While it is imperative to know your craft, you are also well-served to have a competent understanding of music history, excellence,…
Setting the Pace for a Strong Year
"If someone tells you trade shows are yesterday’s news, they are making a gross miscalculation,” wrote Henry DeVries in a May, 2019 Forbes article. “When I ranked marketing tactics during…
NAMM Show 2020 at the Edge of Music’s Future
Got milk? Probably not, these days. The classic 1990s-era advertising campaign promoting more consumption of moo juice (whose first television commercial was directed by the bombastic Michael Bay, no less)…
D'Addario Brings Artist Performances and Demos to the X Stage at Winter NAMM
The X Stage at the D’Addario Booth is set to be filled with artist pairings and demos throughout the 2020 NAMM Show, from January 16 to 19 in Anaheim, California.…