A Special Shout Out I wanted to send a quick note of thanks for allowing your readers to get to know a little more about me and the great work happening here at Conn Selmer. Your From the Top fea- ture in the November issue of Music Inc. did an outstanding job of capturing one of my core beliefs as a leader: that people really do matter. We have so many great peo- ple who work in our company, but I’d like to highlight one in particular: Jerome Jackson, an employee at our Elkhart fac- tory. For more than 30 years, Jerome has handcrafted bells in our factory, and I’m sure he’s responsible for many of the instruments your readers are playing today. I’m deeply grateful to all our craftspeople, artists and teach- ers who dedicate their lives to making instruments, creating beautiful music and inspiring the next generation. Can you imagine what life would be like without them? John Fulton President & CEO Conn Selmer Elkhart, Indiana Passing Down to the Next Generation I wanted to share the latest up- date on my book: “The New Musician.” Reception to the book has been gaining mo- mentum, especially from major universities. NAMM’s senior program manager Eric Ebel and I recently participated on a national call hosted by George Mason University. We discussed multiple topics covered in “The New Musician,” with a special focus on entrepreneurship. The seminar was presented by pro- fessor Dr. Karalee Dawn who heads up George Mason’s Col- lege of Visual and Performing Arts department. We were also
One of the many sessions held during PASIC50.
joined by Summer Pittman in Nashville, Tennessee. When I wrote this book, my intent was to reach this exact audience, because I believe the future of our industry is reliant on today’s rising musicians. It’s a new and different time for young musicians, and there’s now more fast-paced data than ever before. My passion has always been to communicate and connect with today’s rising artists; shar- ing the teachings handed down from the uniquely successful artists, writers and performers who have set the stage for us. Many thanks to former Hal Leonard CEO Larry Morton, as well as all the wonderful folks at Hal Leonard, for making this work come to life. Menzie Pittman Owner Contemporary Music Center Haymarket, Virginia A Little NAMM Love W e find that The NAMM Show is the best place to build and strengthen relation- ships — with our fellow retail- ers, our suppliers and even with- in our own team. Many of these connections have turned into friendships that span decades,
even though we may only see each other once a year in Ana- heim, California. As a business owner, I also see NAMM as a powerful staff development op- portunity. We bring our future leaders so they can deepen their understanding of our industry and our business. That invest- ment pays dividends back home as well, inspiring other team members who aspire to attend in the future. Whether it’s industry trends, advocacy issues, new products, new manufacturers or best practices, The NAMM Show provides the best envi- ronment for my team to engage more fully with our customers and our mission. Jonathon Breen President The Music Shoppe Normal, Illinois 50 Years of PASIC T hanks to the 7,800 attendees who were able to join us for PASIC50 last November. It was a remarkable event that cel- ebrated the history and beauty of the percussive arts. It truly was the greatest four days in drums and percussion. We kicked off with the
traditional African sounds of the Wulu Drum and Dance En- semble and concluded with a powerhouse concert from Ga- lactic with Jelly Joseph, whose funk-infused rhythms had thousands of attendees danc- ing. Their fiery performance enticed musicians like Gregg Bissonette, Matt Billingslea, Ash Soan — and even me — on stage with the band. In between, more than 100 ses- sions featured musicians from around the world celebrating percussion in all its forms, from timpani to tap dancing, maracas to marimbas, and drumlines to drum sets. We even took the music outside, where 150 musi- cians performed Inuksuit in a nearby park. It will be hard to top PASIC50, but we’re going to try. Plan to join us for the PASIC 2026 conven- tion, to be held November 11–14, 2026, in Indianapolis. Joshua Simonds Executive Director Percussive Arts Society Indianapolis
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10 I MUSIC INC. I JANUARY 2026
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