A Community in Harmony W e were humbled and thrilled to be featured on the cover of your October issue. The irony certainly wasn’t lost on us that the article about our Portland, Oregon, “community in harmony” appeared during the same month as disparag- ing national news likened an isolated two-block area with dancing inflatable frogs and ukulele-playing retirees to a war zone. Portland is far from that. We have a rich culture that includes music venues, record- ing studios, boutique instrument manufacturers, repair shops and dozens of music retail stores. We joke here that it seems as if everyone plays an instrument, and it’s not uncommon to see a band fronted by a tube sock wearing autoharp player in pigtails. We also like working together in the face of adversity. Music Inc.’s timing on this feature was perfect, and Katie Kailus did a great job listening beyond our own individual sto- ries to see the larger message of a community in harmony — one that is much different from the misinformed national narrative that’s on autoplay. Harmony is what music is all about, isn’t it? You can’t have it without melody. It takes multiple voices to create it, and by its very definition, harmony can’t exist in isolation. In our brick-and-mortar busi- ness alliance, the three of us have learned to share resources and knowledge while keeping expertise and needed sales reve- nue in our community. We hope we’ve offered up a retail model that encourages collaboration, with an abundance ethos that demonstrates in real time that there’s plenty of business for all. Thanks for taking an inter- est in our story and giving us a
Sales Success feature. I always enjoy seeing what other compa- nies are doing for the holidays, both in terms of sales and for their teams. Recitals will be in full swing when this is pub- lished and although I’ll have heard “Jingle Bells” played so many times, there’s no mistak- ing the excitement surround- ing the holidays. Music plays a big part in that excitement through concerts, caroling or simply humming along while you’re shopping at a local re- tailer. Thanks to everyone for sharing, and Happy Holidays! Kidder Music Peoria, Illinois Cheers to Continued Success B eing an owner of a few music brands, I can’t thank Kevin Beth Kidder Houlihan Owner Maher and Kimberly Kapela, as well as the entire Music Inc. Mag Team, enough, for their support and creative vision throughout the years. When you get the rare op- portunity to mesh business with pleasure, magic happens. To the Music Inc. Mag Team: Thank you for always being willing to work with us and our unique needs, always being able to draw out the key points in a feature story [like our November issue Industry Profile], and always having your finger on the pulse for our industry. Cheers to many more years.
chance to share a different side of Portland with your readers.
that make their musical journey easier. Looking ahead, we’re ex- cited to continue expanding on these ideas with new in-store experiences, behind-the-scenes workshops, and additional sea- sonal promotions that highlight our workshop and luthier ser- vices. We’d also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our dedicated staff and the musicians who sup- port us. Their enthusiasm and trust are what make it possible for us to keep innovating while staying true to our mission of making music more accessible.
Hank Failing, Ryan Lynn & Brad Boynton MLK Music Mall retailers Portland, Oregon
Bundling for the Season W e were honored to be featured in a recent issue and are grateful for the spotlight on Violin Shop Tampa’s holi- day bundles. Since the article’s release, we’ve seen even more momentum building — not only with customers here in Florida, but with musicians across the country who connect with us through our online shop. The response to our curated string bundles has been especially encouraging, showing us that players value both the quality of products we carry and the care we put into creating packages
Evan Rubinson CEO Meters Music Tampa, Florida
Rachel Phillips Marketing Director Violin Shop Tampa Tampa, Florida
Holiday Success T hank you to Kimberly and Music Inc. for including Kidder Music in the October issue’s Unwrapping Holiday
EDITOR’S NOTE: MUSIC INC. ENCOURAGES LETTERS AND RESPONSES TO ITS STORIES. EMAIL LETTERS TO EDITOR@MUSICINCMAG.COM.
10 I MUSIC INC. I DECEMBER 2025
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