COVER STORIES

Honored To Serve

Our industry is fueled by passion and a profound personal commitment to one of the most joyful activities in human experience: making music. As a direct outgrowth of those aspects of our industry, the MI community is heavily invested in charitable, philanthropic and community-affirming work. In honor of that, we present our annual “The Good Stuff” cover story.

Speaking Of Sound…

As part of our annual look at the pro-audio market, The Retailer reached out to some high-profile names in MI retail to gauge the health of this particular vertical and to glean some insight into how music store owners can cash in on new opportunities for pro-audio equipment sales, service and training.

INTERVIEW

Five Minutes With

Chris Doss’ appreciation for Audix moved him toward a career at the company. In this interview, he talks about Audix’s, and his own, moral fiber, as well as their shared devotion to the dealer network. Doss also discusses breaking into system installations.

MISSION REPORT

MI Spy

For this month’s deep-cover excursion, the MI Spy was ostensibly shopping for a pair of headphones for his son, who wanted them for practice on his electronic drums. Our resident super sleuth started his search in the northern part of San Diego County CA and finished it at the southern end, near the U.S.-Mexico border.

COLUMNS

Special To The Retailer

Chances are, you can think of at least one business with which you have a personal connection. But how does a person feel an intimate connection to a company or its products? Through branding.

Anniversary Spotlight

Following several decades of advances in digital mixing, Yamaha continues to enjoy the loyalty of many audio engineers and musicians worldwide, as it celebrates its 30-year milestone in the digital mixer field.

Front And Center

Kristy Porter is all about business––the music retail business, that is. Since 2001, she’s been a top performer at Guitar Center, one of the largest music retailers in the country, where she’s served in numerous prominent roles.

From The Trenches

There’s a great deal of wisdom in Charles Darwin’s observations about “survival of the fittest.” Here in the brick-and-mortar retail environment, however, a more fitting observation might be “survival of the persistent.”

Shine A Light

Ed Intagliata recently started his 40th year as the Owner and Manager of Cassell’s Music. It’s a store whose heart is big as can be, and it’s one that fosters community and camaraderie among local music makers.

Retailer Rebel

Gabriel O’Brien is acutely interested in organizational tools that offer him efficiency and convenience. After doing a little searching and downloading a few apps, he found one that really stuck out: Slack.

Veddatorial

Dan Vedda is dismayed when he hears the supplier/dealer connection expressed in terms of “us” versus “them.” It’s too easy for some of us to forget that the “people part” of our business works both ways.

Under The Hood

MXL Microphones’ DX-2 Dual-Capsule Variable Dynamic Instrument Microphone allows limitless customization of tone and pickup, while boasting an innovative design for optimal microphone performance and placement.