Bridging Remote Experiences with Brick-and-Mortar Retail T hank you for featuring Sweet- water’s pedal display in your May 2026 issue. We appreciate the attention to our brick-and-mortar music store and how we bridge our remote customer experience with this brick-and-mortar retail. It means a great deal to our team. Sweetwater’s music store in Fort Wayne, Indiana, strives to be the first choice for local and regional customers and a must- visit destination for anyone pas- sionate about music and media. Guitars and pedals are a natural draw, but our roots in keyboard and recording technology run just as deep. Over the past five years, we’ve expanded into band and orchestra, video, cameras and home audio. This expansion has furthered our ability to create a space that inspires discovery and creativity while building lasting relationships with our custom- ers. Our pedal display is a great example of how we have enhanced our retail space to make shopping for the latest and greatest products in our assortment an exceptional experience for our guests. Thanks for helping us share. Adam Crampton Director of Music Store Operations Sweetwater Fort Wayne, Indiana Protecting Musicians’ Most Valuable Asset T here’s no way to start this without a huge thanks to Music Inc. and editorial assistant Kimberly Kapela for the Industry Profile feature in your April 2026 issue. Your article truly captured what sometimes feels like border- line insanity in the pursuit of tone. Thank you, also, for consistent- ly featuring companies and artists both large and small. Spotlighting small companies truly helps all music, as it brings forward more
us shine a light on the amazing work that our team does to give instruments a second chance. Since purchasing MIRC in 2020, we have worked tirelessly to become the industry leader in sustainability and have grown our wholesale and direct-to-consumer divisions to make MIRC’s high- quality refurbished instruments available across the country. We have received an outpour- ing of positive comments from all corners of the music industry. We would like to invite anyone travel- ing through Nashville, Tennessee, to stop into our new store, 8th Av- enue Guitar Works, and let us show you firsthand the love and care that goes into every instrument. Natalie Kyriakoudis & Jason Gano Owners MIRC Nashville, Tennessee Community-Focused Rental Experiences I n concurrence with the Rental Night feature in this issue [on page 44], I’d like to share that at Day Violins, instrument pet- ting zoos are about more than just trying instruments. They’re about creating access, building confidence and opening doors. Rooted in our belief that talent is universal and opportunity is not, each event is intentionally designed to give students a mean- ingful first experience while help- ing families feel welcomed into a supportive musical community. We focus on connection first, knowing that a single positive interaction can change how a student sees themself and their potential. Jenna Day Owner Day Violins Chantilly, Virginia
ideas, varieties and innovation. I also want to take this mo- ment to highlight Soursound Transformers. Bryan’s trans- formers are the heart of every one of my amps, and the tones he coaxes out of these hunks of iron are truly magical. I am lucky to have Soursound as a neighbor and thought partner for some crazy circuit ideas. If I could continue a point made in the article — one of the many reasons I started build- ing guitar amps around the turn of the century — 2000 that is — was to develop a watt- age control circuit that wasn’t just good enough, but something that actually improved the amp’s musicality. I was on a mission to help protect musicians’ most valuable treasure — our hear- ing. I started the company in 2019 after finally landing on a design that I’m proud of. With
stage volumes on the decline, and with the need for preserving household relationships on the rise, this is now a feature that I can’t live without. Finally, I want to thank all the wonderful people who helped support Eddie Wang Instruments and our goal in making the best musical instruments possible, from our customers, artists, dealers and friends. Thank you for making this dream a reality. Eddie Wang Owner Eddie Wang Instruments Portland, Oregon Leading in Sustainability W e wanted to reach out with a huge thank you to Music Inc. team members Kevin Maher, Kimberly Kapela and Katie Kai- lus for featuring our business in your May 2026 issue’s Industry Profile. We appreciate you helping
EDITOR’S NOTE: MUSIC INC. ENCOURAGES LETTERS AND RESPONSES TO ITS STORIES. EMAIL LETTERS TO EDITOR@MUSICINCMAG.COM.
10 I MUSIC INC. I JUNE 2026
Powered by FlippingBook