Richman, Eastman Music Com- pany’s executive vice president. “When you think about it, a com- pany like Eastman makes instru- ments for beginning musicians. We understand the high end of the market, but we also understand the lower end of the market. And the low end is what really suffers when these products are made less accessible. It becomes very chal- lenging for schools or parents to afford a quality instrument for their child.” Robbins, CEO of EarthQuaker Device in Ohio, offered a prime example of how tariffs are impact- ing the MI industry’s American manufacturers. “My company manufactures guitar effects pedals in Akron, Ohio,” Robbins said. “We have 35 employees, two manufactur- ing facilities and we make more than 50,000 pedals a year. It’s always been very important for us to manufacture in Ohio. It would have been less expensive and easier to outsource it. But for us, it was important to create good jobs in Akron and to maintain control over our supply chain.” Robbins noted that today EarthQuaker Devices manufac- tures about 50 different pedals. “In order to make all of those pedals, we use over a thousand individual, unique components from 16 different countries,” Rob- bins said. “And they go across 34 different harmonized tariffs, and it’s the tariff code and the coun- try of origin that determine the tariffs’ cost. “For us, a small company, even though we’re making 50,000 ped- als a year, it’s been a real challenge to even be tracking all these com- ponents. When the tariffs initially hit last April, we had spent the early part of the year preparing. We knew something was coming, but we weren’t prepared for the catastrophe that ended up hap- pening. We saw sharp increases in our prices for what we pay for raw materials to the tune of 30%.” As a strong supporter of U.S. businesses and U.S. manufactur- ing, Robbins brought that sense
with her into her meetings on Capitol Hill. “Our company was awarded the 2019 Exporter of the Year by the Small Business Association, and for an Ohio company to win that [award] was a really proud moment for us,” she said. “Re- cently consumer spending, which we rely on, has been even more crunched by increasing infla- tion and things like fuel prices. So, there’s all kinds of motiva- tion for companies to move their manufacturing overseas. If I was doing my manufacturing overseas for products that are destined to go to other markets, I could just export them from there. I wouldn’t even need to bring them to the U.S. and have tariffs applied to them. “That’s what a lot of people are moving to do. They’re mov- ing to have regional locations, they’re moving to have consoli- dated warehouses and other ter- ritories to serve their international business. So, it’s really fascinating and sad, in fact, to see how some- thing that is purported to help us manufacturers is harming us.” THE RESPONSE NAMM 2026 delegates made the trek from across the country to Washington, D.C., including Jen- nifer Lantz of Bandwagon Music & Repair in Nashville, Tennessee, who referred to her group as “The Tennessee Dream Team.” Lantz met with Sen. Bill Hagerty (R– Tenn.) staffers and Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R–Tenn.). “The committee’s office asked some really great questions,” Lantz said. “We were pleas- antly surprised that everybody was ready to talk about tariffs this time around. The first two meetings were with senators, and that was our focus. Marsha Blackburn’s office is already a huge supporter of music educa- tion and music as a whole. We really wanted to focus those ef- forts on the tariffs, and I hope she can lead the charge going forward in trying to find exemptions for musical instruments and parts.”
Jerry Goldenson, president and CEO of KHS Music, also based in Tennessee, described an especially interesting moment in their Capitol Hill meetings. “One thing that came up in our meeting with Sen. Hagerty’s staff was that we met with Nate Kennard, who’s the general coun- sel,” Goldenson said. “The coolest thing happened, which is that he shared that he majored in piano performance and political science. When he was taking interviews at very high-end law firms, he just point-blank asked them, ‘Why are you interviewing me?’ And they said, ‘We look for musicians be- cause we found that musicians, or folks with a musical background, pick up on patterns way better.’ So, he was very much on board.” Jenna Day, owner of Day Violins in Chantilly, Virginia, said one of the most memorable moments of this year’s Fly-in was the Congressional Record event. “People from across the po- litical spectrum came together
through a shared appreciation for music and the arts,” Day said. “In a city often defined by division, it was remarkable to see senators, representatives, their spouses, community leaders, professional musicians, music industry leaders and even Miss America gathered in the same room. “As the event unfolded, I watched lawmakers step away from their official roles and be- come performers, sharing their talents through piano, guitar and song. The room filled with mu- sic as voices blended together. What could have been a room full of differences instead became beautiful harmony. In the midst of a noisy world, music brought people together, reminding all of us that connection, under- standing and collaboration are still possible when we focus on what unites us rather than what divides us.” MI Myrna Sislen is the former owner of Middle C Music in Washington, D.C. She remains an active supporter of music education.
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