‘The Wild West of MAP Pricing’ I n your May 2024 issue, in the Letters to the Editor section, there was a comment about the industry and MAP policies from Mantova’s Two Street Music’s owner Anthony Mantova. I wholeheartedly agree with Anthony’s comments. MAP poli- cies seem to be a thing of the past. There is zero enforcement, so why even have them? With manufacturers selling direct and setting up their own Re- verb shops, the focus seems to be just selling product at any cost. I have seen numerous big-box retailers blatantly violating MAP policies on their own websites and the manufacturers who set these policies just don’t care. You don’t have to go to Amazon for good deals anymore. During this post-COVID hangover, I assume the manufacturers are a little hesitant to create any waves with their larger dealers for fear of some blow-back. It’s all about moving product. It’s the Wild West for online pricing.
industry. In particular, I wanted to express my appreciation for Katie Kailus, your editor, for her participation as a panelist at our recent Zoom event, the “School, Band & Orchestra Executive Roundtable: Trends, Educational Techniques, and Technologies to Retain More Renters.” The panelist discussion brought together B&O retailers and industry experts, providing a platform to explore the evolv- ing landscape of music education and technology. As the CEO of Blustream and moderator of the panel, I was thrilled to witness the overwhelming turnout and enthusiastic engagement from both panelists and attendees. As a panelist, Katie high- lighted steady industry growth mirrored by pre-pandemic rental numbers and the signifi- cant adoption of online rentals. Other panelists, including Jeff Bertrand, emphasized leverag- ing transformative technology, such as Blustream’s product ownership AI, to enhance the customer experience and reduce rental returns. Garrison Grisaffi shed light on trends in music education, and Bill Steppan from AIM Tri-Tech emphasized the crucial role of technology in fos- tering connections and meeting customers’ preferences in today’s music retail landscape. As the industry evolves, embracing innovation and pri- oritizing customer-centric ap- proaches will be essential for driving success.
don’t take the extra time to cre- ate that community atmosphere. Smaller independent stores need to use this as a way to help them stand out above the others. When I created AmpliTeach, one of my main missions was to create an all-in-one music school platform that music stores can use to run their music program. Music store owners know a lot about selling instruments but most don’t have the experience to set up and run a successful lesson program. AmpliTeach is a soup-to-nuts music school solution that includes schedul- ing, payroll, teacher training and certification, reports, email and text lesson reminders, teachers’ resources, and more. But the most important thing included is the Rock House Method Cur- riculum, which is included free. I embrace the challenge and
hope that I hear from many more music store owners on what their needs are and how I can help them get the results they want. I’ve owned and operated successful music schools my whole life. I have a passion for music instruction, and I hope I can help many music stores “stand out” and be success- ful. The more people learning to play music will make the world a better place. John McCarthy Founder AmpliTeach West Haven, Connecticut Embracing Industry Innovation I am writing to extend my grati- tude for Music Inc. magazine’s continued dedication to show- casing the latest developments and insights within the music
Paul Tobias President Tobias Music Downers Grove, Illinois
‘Stand Out’ with a Music Lessons Program I know many music store owners and after talking with them, I realized most need additional income to make ends meet. Com- peting with chain stores is a daily challenge. Everyone I talk to says they need something to make them “stand out.” A success- ful lesson program can be a real savior! It’s additional income, it brings customers into your store weekly and it creates a commu- nity in your store, which is prob- ably the most important thing. Chain stores usually have young, inexperienced sales people who
Ken Rapp CEO Blustream Worcester, Massachusetts
EDITOR’S NOTE: MUSIC INC. ENCOURAGES LETTERS AND RESPONSES TO ITS STORIES. EMAIL LETTERS TO EDITOR@MUSICINCMAG.COM.
12 I MUSIC INC. I JUNE 2024
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