REFOCUS - Music Inc. Magazine

EVENT
Indie Retailers Gather
in Elkhart
Last October, the Independent
Music Merchants Group (IMMG)
hosted its biannual member
meeting in Elkhart, Ind. IMMG is a
non-competitive sharing and buying
group with 43 active members
across the country. Along with two
business and sharing meetings,
the event included a tour of the
Conn-Selmer factories, as well
as tours and sessions at the E.K.
Blessing, Gemeinhardt, American
AWARDS
Kephart Inducted
The Iowa Rock
n Roll Music
Association recently
announced
the induction of
veteran retailer
Russell (Rusty)
Kephart and
his dealership,
Kephart’s Music
Center, as recipients of the
Hall of Fame Lifetime Achieve-
emony
will be held this coming
September in Okoboji, Iowa.
PERSONNEL
FC Appoints Two
Full Compass Systems of Madison,
Wis., recently promoted
Kyle Kjensrud from product specialist
to assistant product manager,
publications and e-commerce.
He’ll play a key role in merchandising
initiatives, selecting products
for print publications and assisting
with stock recommendations.
Kjensrud will also work closely with
the marketing department to enhance
the Full Compass website.
Additionally, the company hired
Jim Ripp as its new assistant
sales manager. Ripp comes to Full
Compass with a wide range of
ence
related to the music industry.
18 I MUSIC INC. I MARCH/APRIL 2012
Following a banner year in 2011,
school music retail chain Music &
Arts recently rolled out a new store
format and made several key personnel
changes.
The new store model, which debuted
at the company’s Arundel Mills,
Md., location, is designed to improve
the customer experience and create
a community atmosphere. Features
include a dedicated performance
stage with a professional lighting
and sound system, as well as seating
for 50 people; a workshop room; 12
music lesson studios; expanded group
lesson offerings; a parent lounge; a
climate-controlled, soundproofed
acoustic guitar room; an Ultrasonic
Power musical instrument cleaner;
and an ongoing series of free classes
and clinics. Music & Arts also recently
added four new retail locations.
Additionally, the company has hired
Anjan Shah as director of marketing
and promoted David Fuhr to vice
president of retail sales. Shah has more
than 18 years of experience in entertainment
and retail marketing with
an emphasis on the music industry.
Fuhr began his career with Music &
Arts in 2001 and, in his most recent
Music & Arts’
Kenny O’Brien
MUSIC & ARTS I EXPANSION
M&A RINGS IN 2012
WITH NEW FORMAT
role, led a team of sales managers that
doubled the profitability of the lesson
program, grew overall store profitability
by 25 percent and maintained positive
lesson enrollment growth.
“2011 was a banner year for Music
& Arts, and we’re thrilled to begin
2012 with such great momentum,” said
Kenny O’Brien, president of Music
& Arts, which is based in Frederick,
Md. “When my father opened the
store six decades ago out of our family
home, he never could have imagined
the success of our music shop today.
We’re excited to begin 2012 on a high
note and look to greater success in
the future as we continue to introduce
and encourage the importance
of music education into the lives of
families across the country.”
That message got an extra push,
with the company’s launch of Pass the
Music On! last year. The non-profit
partnership with Music 4 More collects
and refurbishes donated used
instruments and redistributes them
to underprivileged kids. Music & Arts
also supports the Mark Wood Electrify
Your Strings school tour, the Baltimore
Symphony Orchestra’s OrchKids Program
and El Sistema programs.