NATALIE MORRISON, 29 SENIOR SEGMENT
SCOTT MARQUART, 35 FOUNDER & PRESIDENT STRINGJOY
MARKETING SPECIALIST, EDUCATION YAMAHA
What do you consider to be your most significant professional accomplishment so far? Starting a new string brand from scratch — with just $500 and no outside funding — and building it into a globally respected company is by far my proudest professional ac- complishment. When I founded
What do you consider to be your most significant professional
accomplishment so far? My most significant professional accomplishment is creating the Women of NAMM podcast “ReVoicing the Future.” In March 2020, as the world began adjusting to COVID-19, I noticed that Women of NAMM (then Smart Women in Music) primarily focused on in-person programming. With everything rapidly shifting online, I saw an opportunity to fill a gap. I pitched the idea of launching a podcast that would give women in the music industry a platform to share their stories — offering to handle all aspects of production myself. The founders immediately supported the idea. On June 30, 2020, “ReVoicing the Future” launched. Since then, alongside my team — Stephanie Lamond and Julia Olsen — we’ve interviewed over 65 women all across the industry. The podcast uplifts and celebrates women’s expe- riences while building community and serving as a resource to inspire others. Can you share a time when you demonstrated leadership in the workplace? I try to show up as a leader every day — and I’ve learned that leadership takes many forms. You don’t need a title or senior role to lead. At my previous company, I embraced leadership by getting involved in initiatives that were bigger than myself. One of the efforts I’m most proud of was starting a women-focused employee resource group, a space for women across the company to connect, support one another and grow together. Even after I’ve moved on, the group continues today. At Yamaha, I lead cross-functional teams to execute our pres- ence at major music education events, always looking for ways to work smarter and collaborate more effectively. I also represent Yamaha through my roles with NAMM Young Professionals, the Women of NAMM podcast and, most recently, the American String Teachers Association (ASTA) Board of Directors. Leadership also shows up in how I use my voice and plat- form. I’m often invited to speak on panels at music education events, and in high school and college classrooms where I share my journey. PROFESSIONAL AWARDS, MEMBERSHIPS & RECOGNITIONS: NAMM YP Board Member ASTA Board Member, 2025 Quadrant Foundation Board Member Women of NAMM Leadership Summer Participant and Scholarship Winner, 2022
Stringjoy, the string market was one of the most competitive and entrenched segments of the MI industry, domi- nated by legacy brands. Breaking into that space and creating a name for ourselves required not just innovation, but per- sistence, ingenuity and an obsessive focus on quality. We built trust one player at a time by listening, delivering a superior product and showing that
strings aren’t just accessories — they’re central to how an instrument feels and sounds. Today, Stringjoy is sold world- wide, stocked by industry leaders like Sweetwater and Guitar Center, and used by top artists. The fact that we’ve changed how many musicians think about their strings is something I’m incredibly proud of. Can you share a time when you demonstrated leadership in the workplace? Leading Stringjoy through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic was one of the most demanding and defining peri- ods of my leadership. With major supply chain disruptions, widespread uncertainty and health concerns looming, it would have been easy to falter. But with a focus on transparency, adaptability and the well-being of our team, we kept our operations running safely without a single day of shutdown, and through careful planning and communication, we grew significantly during that time — both in revenue and in reach. I also led efforts to secure stocking agreements with major retailers like Sweetwater during that period, which proved pivotal for our post-COVID momentum. The experience re- inforced my belief in agile leadership: meeting each challenge with clarity, collaboration and an unwavering commitment to our mission. It was a turning point that set us up for even greater success.
PROFESSIONAL AWARDS, MEMBERSHIPS & RECOGNITIONS: Cover Subject of MMR Magazine Music Inc. Product Excellence Award Winner
36 I MUSIC INC. I JULY 2025
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