COVER STORIES

The Unusual Suspects

Our annual “Salute to Lesser-Publicized Music Products” focuses on any product sold through music stores that might be getting less attention than it deserves. This year, our collection of 20 products encompasses a wide range of categories: books, microphones, light fixtures, drums, mixers and, perhaps most numerous, accessory items.

Always Accessorize

Over the past several years, brick-and-mortar MI stores have underscored the fact that accessory items have become their bread and butter in terms of everyday sales. This month, to dovetail with our issue theme, we interview a few top retailers to get valuable insight into how they’re making the accessories category work for their store.

Interview

Five Minutes With

Mission Report

MI Spy

Ahhh…Chicago IL. The Windy City! City of the Big Shoulders! Cornucopia of Guitar Cases! Well, the last one might not be one of the city’s nicknames, but it might as well be. This month, our resident super sleuth visits Chicago in search of a bag or case for a very special acoustic guitar.

Columns

Special To The Retailer

Chrissy Hansen, formerly Director of Marketing at Reverb, believes that video is essential to any retailer’s online marketing strategy. She offers five reasons to prove it.

Front And Center

Tish Ciravolo founded Daisy Rock Girl Guitars in 2000 with a mission of introducing girls, and women of all ages, to the guitar. And, in an age in which discrimination persists in some quarters, she remains a bulwark for an inclusive MI industry.

From The Trenches

A wise person said, “The customer may not always be right, but he’s always the customer.” That applies to everyone who comes through the door, even when seeing someone walk in makes you think, “Uh-oh…it’s that guy.”

Shine A Light

Matt and Nikki Ray might be accountants by trade, but their business acumen, love of music and keen eye for hiring staff have helped to make EatMyBeats a one-stop shop for anyone looking to “make music with attitude.”

Retailer Rebel

As those who work in MI retail stores deal with lines of parents, trying to explain rental contracts and answer questions about repairs, it’s easy to overlook the most important thing: the kids.

Veddatorial

In this month’s extended Veddatorial, Dan Vedda expounds upon his belief that the music products industry is at a crossroads. A lack of knowledge about—or the willful denial of—the true potential before us can dramatically reduce our success in the marketplace.

Under The Hood

VocoPro had wireless mics’ less-than-reliable reputation in mind when designing its latest wireless mic offering, the Hybrid line, which includes the Hybrid-Play and Hybrid-Acapella systems. The stellar results speak for themselves.