Playback - Summer 2008 - (Page 28)

MUSIC NOTES I got a lot out of the meeting I’m a new NAMM Member and it explained more about what NAMM is doing. For me, I want to increase my participation in NAMM, and I got to hear a lot of the concerns people are having out there. — Tony Gariaelo, TG Inc. NAMM Hits the Road for Town Hall Meetings L.A., WAShINGTON, D.C., ChICAGO AND BOSTON NAMM’s four-state Town Hall Meeting tour ended recently on a high note. Many Members took advantage of this opportunity to meet face-to-face with fellow retailers, manufacturers and reps to discuss the challenges facing the industry today and to share ideas and best practices for succeeding despite the conditions. NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond led the open forums, which covered NAMM’s current activities, including its ongoing work advocating for music education and new retailer opt-in programs, as well as NAMM’s consumer-facing public awareness campaign called Wanna Play?, which is designed to engage people of all ages in making music. The four tour stops in the areas of Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Chicago and Boston were valuable opportunities for NAMM staff to communicate the association’s mission to music products dealers, to open up a two-way dialogue with Members about industry issues and to discuss how NAMM can better serve its Members and the industry. “I got a lot out of the meeting,” said Tony Gariaelo of TG Inc. “I’m a new NAMM Member and it explained more about what NAMM is doing. For me, I want to increase my participation in NAMM, and I got to hear a lot of the concerns people are having out there. As an industry, we need to come together as a group to increase the pie for everyone.” “It’s great any time we can come out and hear feedback from dealers, who are our customers,” said Joey Arias of Crafter USA. “We can take that information back to the office and do business better in the future. I liked the talk about reaching more non-traditional consumers of various age groups, and I think some of those ideas will come in handy to us later this year.” Pete Sides of Sides Music said, “First of all, it’s good to be at a meeting like this because it always gets my juices flowing, and I’ve been involved in the industry for more than 50 years. I find it just as stimulating and challenging today as it’s been in the past. If you don’t stay in touch through meetings like this, then you’re likely to fall behind because the speed of change in the industry moves faster than ever before.” Be sure to check out the Viewpoint on the last page of this issue to read more comments from NAMM’s Town Hall Meetings. 28 PLAYback

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Playback - Summer 2008

Playback - Spring 2008 Contents From the President NAMM Events Music in the News The Local Community Music Store: A Family Affair Commercial Retail Washington Watch Reps in the Field New Domestic Members International NAMM Foundation Music Notes Resources Viewpoint Playback Supplement : Summer NAMM08 Concerts & Events Artist Appearances What to See NAMM University Sessions

Playback - Summer 2008

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