remained in the Higgins family. “We’re a family store, so it was started by my dad and my mom, and I’ve got two sisters and a brother-in-law working with me,” Brian said. “The fact that we achieved a 60 year milestone in the place we grew up, in our little community of Catonsville here, we did it as a family. It’s only been one owner right from the beginning, and it stayed right within the family. My mom is so proud that we’ve made it to 60 years.” The Higgins family has experienced four generations of customers walking through its doors. “There’s a real family atmosphere when you come into our store,” Brian said. “People have literally grown up shopping in the store and that’s something to be proud of. It’s re- ally large, but it still has that small family atmosphere, and we’re proud of that.” To celebrate the milestone, Bill’s Mu- sic hosted a 60th anniversary dance at the Knights of Columbus on Oct. 11, with more than 250 attendees, including former em- ployees and long-time customers. “We had a lot of older employees and customers [attend],” Brian said. “We had one of the most famous bands in Baltimore that we used to book back in the 1970s for the dance floor.” — By Kimberly Kapela {billsmusic.com} Also, the influencer and content-creator community has been one of The NAMM Show’s fastest-growing segments in the last two years. Receiving the TSE Staying Connected Award solidifies NAMM’s commitment to this ever-growing segment of show attendees. “The NAMM Show is dedicated to serv- ing our global retail audience while creating massive brand demand with our influencer audience,” said John Mlynczak, NAMM presi- dent and CEO. “Winning these awards for two incredibly vital audiences demonstrates that The NAMM Show is truly the leader and visionary in adding value to the industry we serve.” The 2026 NAMM Show will celebrate NAMM’s 125th anniversary, along with 50 years in the city of Anaheim, California from Jan. 22–24, 2026. {namm.org}
Tracey Higgins, Brian Higgins, Bill Higgins, Jamie Higgins and Nancy Higgins.
BILL’S MUSIC CELEBRATES 60 YEARS IN BUSINESS B ill’s Music in Catonsville, Maryland, is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.
down the East Coast,” said Brian Higgins, man- ager. “We have a ton of inventory. We’re one of the absolute largest music stores that you’ll ever walk into, which is 36,000 square feet.” Over the years, the store has expanded seven times along Frederick Road and now offers new, used and vintage instruments, rentals, repairs, lessons and band rehearsal spaces. More than 500 students visit the store weekly, and six decades later, the store has
Since the grand opening by founder Wil- liam “Bill” and Nancy Higgins in 1965, the store has become a destination for musicians and the biggest family-owned music store in Maryland, drawing customers from across the state and the East Coast. “We built up a nice reputation, not just in our local area, but all of Baltimore and up and
NAMM Show Wins Gold at Trade Show Executive’s 2025 Awards N AMM received the highest honors from the annual Trade Show Executive (TSE)
Gold 100 Awards & Summit. The association won two highly competitive Grand Awards, the Fastest-Growing Gold 100 Retail Show in 2024 and Staying Connected Award, both highlighting shows that set the gold standard for the industry in 2024. The awards, held Oct. 14–17 in Rancho Mirage, California, spotlighted the 100 largest and most distinguished trade shows of 2024 in the U.S., the Gold 100 brought together more than 200 show organizers and vendors to celebrate the successes of the last year and discuss the event industry’s most significant trends. The TSE Gold 100 Awards & Summit culminated at the Awards Gala, where the coveted Grand Award winners were announced — with this year’s winners representing the
NAMM’s Cindy Sample (left) and John Mlynczak hold up the two awards they received at the event. biggest and brightest shows that set the gold standard of excellence in a variety of categories. NAMM took home the gold for fastest- growing retail show, recognizing The NAMM Show as the largest bounce-back of a retail- focused event in the U.S.
14 I MUSIC INC. I DECEMBER 2025
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