The Clarinet BBoard

The Clarinet BBoard The C4 standard

New Topic | Go to Top | Go to Topic | Search | Help/Rules | Smileys/Notes | Log In

Previous Message | Next Message

Re: The Value of Endorsers?

Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2006-04-06 17:47

(Disclaimer - I am maker of the Forte' Bb and C clarinets)
It often amuses me (I love it though) at the arcane discussions that we have on the BB after returning from various state music educator's conferences and interacting with elementary, middle and high school band directors and music educators whose plight is light years away. The vast audience and cash cow is in their back yard. No doubt there are advanced programs scattered about but they are in the minority. Instrument makers and reed companies know where the money is and many "artists" and endorser's job as well as print media is to help sway this group. An advertisement of the Simpsons playing XYZ instrument would no doubt garner better response and brand recognition than e.g. Carl Leister's endorsement for XYZ. A certain amount of attention has to be paid to our more experienced 15-20% of the market however to preserve the fragile high end market.

BTW- Thanks to Selmer Paris for sponsoring John Cippolo for an Atlanta master class and concert.

A recent initiative of the Atlanta Clarinet Association is to offer services to local schools that ask for help with their woodwind sections. We put together a syllabus of topics (e.g. improving tone, reed and mouthpiece issues, etc.) which we thought would be of interest but were surprised that when we presented it to band directors that they wanted help with the most elementary of issues - e.g. getting the clarinet player to make a sound approaching a commonly accepted note!
L. Omar Henderson

Post Edited (2006-04-06 18:48)

Reply To Message | Avail. Forums | Flat View

Newer Topic | Older Topic

Topics

Author

Date

The Value of Endorsers? new

Tom Puwalski

2006-04-06 11:00