Klarinet Archive - Posting 000164.txt from 2003/03

From: "Will Casada" <clarinetcowboy@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] More corporate shenanigans in the instrument manufacturing world
Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2003 13:36:28 -0500

Here's my two cents worth:
If the music business does what has been suggested, and becomes one big
conglomerate that nobody likes, then nobody will buy their horns and they
will go out of business. They would go out of business because people like
Rossi in Chili would still be making excellent horns. Even if Rossi joined
the conglomerate, other people would go out on their own and make decent
instruments unless it was against the law.
I hope that makes sense. Anyway, that's the extent of my knowlege on
the matter.

Will Casada

>From: "Rebecca Brennan" <rjbrennan1221@-----.com>
>Reply-To: klarinet@-----.org
>To: klarinet@-----.org
>Subject: Re: [kl] More corporate shenanigans in the instrument
>manufacturing world
>Date: Tue, 04 Mar 2003 18:05:15 +0000
>
>I'm not sure I understand what is being said here, but I have a feeling
>that I need to because this is my future.
>
>In earlier discussions I read about the Leblanc factory fire and the
>selling of Buffet. This isn't on the topic (I will get to it though, I
>promise), but will the prices in these two brands go up? Will the way
>Buffet clarinets are made change?
>
>Back to the topic<<<tra la lala la lala bum de dum trum....roll...and here
>we go!<<<
>
>What I understand from this post is that some instrument companies that
>were once competitiors now are partners and that more companies will do
>this and sooner or later there will be only one brand and they will not
>care about our needs as musicians only profit and we have the corperate
>sons of bitches to blame for this. Sorry, but this makes me mad!
>
>What is this world coming to? I hope I misunderstood, but what goes through
>my brain right now is this:
>
>1)The corporate people who know nothing about instruments will make them.
>2)They will not be quality as we know it.
>3)What does Wal-mart have to do with this? If I have to send my future
>students to wal-mart to get their instruments I might as well just kill
>myself right now!
>
>I'm not too worried right now because I have a feeling that I didn't
>understand what I read very well.
>
>Please help me to understand this better.
>
>-Rebecca
>
>
>
>
>
>
>>From: "Lacy, Edwin" <el2@-----.edu>
>>Reply-To: klarinet@-----.org
>>To:
>><idrs-l@-----.org>
>>Subject: [kl] More corporate shenanigans in the instrument manufacturing
>>world
>>Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2003 11:02:56 -0600
>>
>>As of a couple of months ago, there is a new mega-corporation in the music
>>world called "Conn-Selmer, Inc."  This is true - I didn't make it up.  The
>>unlikely merger between these two former competitors means that one
>>corporate entity owns and controls the brand names Armstrong, Artley,
>>Bach, Benge, Buescher, Conn, Emerson, Glaesel, King, Ludwig, Musser,
>>Scherl & Roth, and Selmer.  Further, not mentioned on this list are other
>>brand names that previously have disappeared in earlier buy-outs and
>>takeovers by some of the above, including Linton, Lesher, White, and
>>Cleveland.  But, that doesn't even tell the whole story.  Amazingly, the
>>corporate entity under which this company operates is called "Steinway,
>>Inc."  That's right; the so-called "parent" is the Steinway piano
>>company.  Note also that all the names on the list of brands are also the
>>names of formerly independent companies, some of whom at one time competed
>>with each other. 
>>
>>This seems to continue the trend toward larger and larger corporations. 
>>If the trend continues to its logical conclusion, there eventually would
>>be only one company in the entire musical world, and perhaps even further
>>in the future, only one corporation of any kind - and its name will
>>probably be "Walmart."
>>
>>A couple of things we can be certain of - this decision was not made in an
>>instrument manufacturing plant or by musicians, but rather in some plush
>>corporate offices, likely in New York City, and it has nothing to do with
>>trying to ensure quality in the manufacture of musical instruments or
>>service to musicians.  What it is all about is the almighty dollar. 
>>Decision-making in the future is not going to be based on the needs of
>>musicians, but on the needs of the managers and corporate executives.
>>
>>Competition among musical instrument manufacturers was in the best
>>interest of musicians.  Companies used to try to improve their
>>profitability by making better and therefore more desirable instruments;
>>now they try to improve profitability by cutting costs.  This has led to
>>moving manufacturing facilities to other countries,
>>out-sourcing to suppliers who have no clue as to what making a musical
>>instrument is about, and reducing payroll costs by laying off skilled
>>workers, all ultimately resulting in worsening quality.
>>
>>There may be some good to come of all of this.  This will probably ensure
>>the success small, specialty manufacturers, sometimes called "one-man
>>shops" - although they can have more than one employee, sometimes quite a
>>few.
>>
>>Except for the information about the corporate merger itself, the
>>above consists only of my opinions, based on my interpretation of events. 
>>Others may disagree, and that is their right.
>>
>>Ed Lacy
>>University of Evansville
>>
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