My name is Lisa Canning and I have been a pro wind instrument retailer for 43 years now operating both a brick-and-mortar location and an ecommerce business.
I have developed a passion and excellent reputation for providing musician with instruments that perfectly meet their needs on the first try usually- be they students, professionals, or enthusiasts. I have built an online repair training program for clarinet, flute and saxophone (WindRepairTrainingAcademy.com) to ensure more quality technicians are available to support more retailers. Over several decades of sales, I have developed a selling system for all wind instruments, which we call The Color-Ring™️ System, making it easier to stock fewer pro instrument to ensure you can sell what you have, reducing churn and lowering inventory costs. (www.lisasclarinetshop.com/color-ring️-system).
But before I get ahead of myself, let me tell you a little bit about me so you can better understand where my desire to help you succeed comes from.
Discovering the Magic of Quality Setup
Having graduated from Northwestern University in 1981 as a clarinet performance major, rising from the bottom to the top of my class between my freshman and sophomore years, I quickly came to learn that to not only play my best, but to compete effectively, excellent instrument set up was critical to my desire to continue to pursue music and to my performing success.
During this period, it was the failure of my own instrument and the purchase of a new instrument that helped make this clear. During my freshman year at Northwestern, I was still playing on a Buffet R13 Bb that my parents had purchased for me in high school. Having attended Interlocken Arts Academy, I practiced and played that clarinet upwards of 8 hours a day. Purchased second hand to begin with, and already 10 years old when it was new to me, it was then approaching mechanical failure- unbeknownst to me. All I understood was that it seemed the harder I worked the worse I played which made me think I had reached the limit of my ability. Feeling the pressure of being a music major, and worrying about not being able to support myself, I was the closest I ever was to quitting.
It was the legendary woodwind repair technician, Bill Brannen who told me that I needed a new instrument. He showed me how the pads would not stay seated because keys bent too easily making it unreliable. He helped me understand why my fingers could not recover from keys that had no bounce. Not acting in a sales capacity, but as a technical advisor, he was able to show me how my instrument was failing me. If my instrument had been sent out instead, for some unnamed technician to look at it, without this level of personal interaction with a qualified technician to advise me on my next steps, I am quite certain I would have quit.
As a result of his advice, I purchased another boxed Buffet R13 B♭ from a large mail-order retailer, in an effort to save a few dollars for my parents. When I received the instrument, I discovered it had a big deep sound but felt stuffy on some notes and had some pitch problems, so I took it to Bill Brannen, who had earned my trust, to adjust. Bill told me it needed a complete overhaul to play at the level I hoped. Trusting his judgement, I made the investment and yet when the instrument was returned to me, while it played significantly better, it did not have the same characteristics of sound or tonal color of the original instrument that I arrived in the mail un-serviced. I had to even look at the serial number to make sure it was not a different clarinet they had returned to me in error- which they had not.
After servicing, the instrument went from full and deep sounding, but not playing well, to quite bright and small. I went back to Bill and asked why this happened and he explained to me that instruments when properly set up can play very differently, despite the fact they are quality maker and it was a professional instrument. It was right then I realized how big of a difference proper set up made to the selection of the right instrument for me and actually this experience was the catalyst for starting from my dorm room my own clarinet shop at the age of 17.
Early on, I would pick out clarinets and Bill would overhaul them before I let my prospective clients try them for purchase.
It was this experience that became the foundation of how I built a business that taught me how to remarkably serve clarinet, flute, sax and oboe customers over the years and to steadily grow my business year over year. My business made Music Trades Top 200 retailers list for about a decade as a result of my commitment to quality repair and the sales system I developed. Today, I run Lisa’s Clarinet Shop which was just recognized in 2024 as a top 100 small business in America by The U.S. Chamber of Commerce. We were chosen out of 15,000 applications despite our sector having nowhere close to the volume of other small successful businesses because of our innovative business practices, agility, grit and resourcefulness.
My purpose in taking the time to tell you my story, is because while I use to see what I just shared as our ‘strategic selling advantage’, I know see that access to quality woodwind repair, and a selling system that has been proven across over 1000+ pro sales from clarinets to trombones- is something that can help those of you in retailing who seriously wants to grow your step up and pro wind sales in a declining market, as we have.
Revitalizing the Wind Instrument Market
According to most reported metrics, the school service and wind instrument segment of our industry faced a decline across all four quarters in 2024. This could potentially make it the worst year in our industry’s history, following 2023, which already set a record for the lowest sales in 50 years. Now is the ideal time to reverse your store’s trajectory.
In a world that on so many levels is failing, we are part of an industry that offers so much to encourage human expression, shared language, collaboration. We should be at a 50-year high, in my opinion, honestly. Society wants what we can offer if we can create more connection and spark for those who are curious about participating or trying to decide if they are serious. Either way, we need more of those who start to play, to play for life, and in the end, we play an important role to get them to do so.
Essential Elements For Growth
The essential elements for growth include an increase in qualified specialty wind repair technicians and an increase of knowledgeable specialty sales personnel that can work on even a fractional basis for a retail store just like yours. Drawing parallels with the automobile industry, where the presence of skilled technicians and salespeople is indispensable, it is evident that our sector will also benefit significantly from this investment. Today, high-quality wind instruments can command prices comparable to used and new vehicles, underscoring the necessity of expertly trained professionals to drive sales. Without them, it’s easy to see why we face the devastating decline in sales we do.
So what are the benefits for this investment?
The Impact of Proper Instrument Adjustment
When properly adjusted, wind instruments are not only significantly more pleasurable to play but also speak volumes regarding the retailers’ commitment to customer satisfaction. Over our 1000+ pro sales, we can attest to the novice or the expert noticing the difference and being able to properly choose what feels best to them despite the difference in their sophistication as musicians. Our research has shown that having a limited stock of well-adjusted step-up wind instruments available for trial can streamline the buying process. When customers have the opportunity to play an instrument that is already at optimal performance levels, they are less likely to request multiple options, thus simplifying their decision-making process. This is especially true, when combined with the use of a sales system that helps to identify the color and shape of sound they need most in their new instrument to become more successful immediately. This tailored approach also positions your retail shop as a quality provider in the eyes of potential buyers and makes it far easier to charge a higher price to cover all of the additional education and service provided.
Differentiating in a Competitive Landscape
As the saying goes, “If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always gotten.” It’s time to try new things in what is the most challenging periods for wind instrument sales in over half a century, worsened by declining birth rates and a flood of imported brands. To succeed in this saturated market, we must focus on differentiating our products. Enhancing the playing experience through proper instrument adjustments becomes a pivotal factor. Step-up instruments that are meticulously pre-adjusted beyond creating more enjoyment for the musician, at the end of the day, see higher purchase rates with much lower churn. Successful pro shops and high-end specialty retailers have long understood that presenting pre-serviced instruments during trials leads to more favorable purchasing decisions and instead of losing all of that business to them, you can play a key role in your community to drive it to you.
Achieving Cost Efficiency
The best part of both an investment in specialty repair and sales, is that we have developed a low-cost system for attracting both. Having spent the better part of 10 years developing education that affords the transfer of skills and knowledge, our methodology offers a low investment, low risk solution for retailers at a time when our industry needs investment, benevolence, support and collaboration. I would be most happy to help you understand in your particular situation how to achieve this if specialty repair and sales would provide increased value to your business.
Conclusion: A Call to Action for Wind Music Retailers
As music retailers, we have the power to make a significant impact on the woodwind market by investing in sales and repair training. This dual focus not only enhances our customer offerings but also positions our businesses for success in a competitive marketplace. By prioritizing quality repair and a knowledgeable sales force, we can revitalize woodwind sales and create a loyal customer base that appreciates the value of well-prepared instruments. Together, let’s forge a path toward a more prosperous future for the wind instrument industry.
Emphasizing both sales training and repair excellence is not merely an option; it is a necessary strategic initiative that will help elevate our industry, ensuring that every musician can find and play their perfect instrument.
Quick links:
Leveraging Repair Training To Boost Wind Sales for Retailers
Wind Repair Training Academy
https://windrepairtrainingacademy.com/
Lisa Canning is the “chief clarinet picker” and CEO of Lisa’s Clarinet Shop in Downers Grove, Ill. Canning is a regular contributor to MMR’s sister publication, SBO+.
