PMC's Annual Membership Meeting Launches New Market Development Programs for 2020

In attendance at the January meeting in Anaheim: (Left to Right) Karl Dustman, Stacey Montgomery Clark, Rick Latham, Gordon Campbell, Dave Stanoch, David Jewell, and Brad Smith. Photo Credit: The Music Trades

January 27, 2020 (CLEVELAND, OH) -- This year’s annual Percussion Marketing Council (PMC) Membership Meeting and Percussion Industry Gathering launched the PMC’s 25th Anniversary celebration and provided a roadmap of market expansion initiatives for 2020. Three new creative market development programs have been designed for 2020 to create new players while motivating existing drummers and connecting them with PMC members, percussion retailers, and instructors.

A year-long campaign called “Get Your Sticks Together” aims to create new drum studio students for retailers who offer active in-store private drum lessons. Starting in February, the PMC will give 12 free drum lessons to one randomly selected winner each month during 2020. Percussion retailers interested in participating can receive free national exposure for their studio lesson-program offerings by signing-up at www.PlayDrums.com, thereby increasing visibility for their lesson programs. Each of the 12 percussion retailers that provide the private drum lessons to the contest winners will be recognized at next year’s PMC Members Meeting in January 2021.

The annual May International Drum Month campaign gets a complete makeover with the “Lesson with a Master” promotion, offering existing players a chance to win a one-hour live video drum lesson with an internationally recognized celebrity artists: Gorden Campbell, Rick Latham, Rich Redmond, and David Stanoch. Special recognition was made for the Master Artists Campbell, Latham and Stanoch in attendance at the meet and greet portion of the January Membership Meeting in Anaheim.

Drawing even further attention to the PMC’s 25th anniversary, a selection of commemorative-edition snare drums, cymbals, hand-drums, electronic pad, and instruction book collections have been donated by 18 PMC members. Each product has a special 25th anniversary commemorative badge, indicating the significance of the one-of-kind product offering. Consumers will enter the contest through www.PlayDrums.com website and monthly winners will be randomly chosen beginning in May, supporting International Drum Month, and continuing through all of the 25th anniversary celebration year.

The Members Meeting included special recognition for Brad Smith for his many years of service to the PMC and his decade-long membership on the Executive Committee. While he steps off the Executive Committee platform, he continues his service as “special counsel” to the four officers. Karl Dustman was recognized by Percussive Arts Society Executive Director Joshua Simmons for his term of years and contributions to the PAS Advisory Board 2014-2019. 

As a regular part of the members meeting, the executive officers touch on the various campaigns, events and programs that continue to grow the organization for the future. Executive Officer Karl Dustman explained the 2020 expansion of the following programs: “Hand Drumming For Life,” created by Remo’s John Fitzgerald, builds upon the growing interest of percussion in health and wellness based upon the successes in music therapy; “Percussion in the Library,” geared towards creating first-time percussion experiences during the summer months when libraries look for educational connections to attract and engage all-age audiences; and “March to Your Own Drum” works with local marching percussion and drum corps facilitators to bring positive first-time marching percussion experiences at regional festivals and competitions where the public can play, learn, and experience marching percussion instruments and performance requirement off-the-field, up close and personal.  

“Over the past 25 year years, the PMC has connected thousands of wanna-play and existing drummers with the PMC mission and nationwide retailer network through a series of educational programs and free online promotions that have consistently grown in scope, participation and impact throughout the organization’s tenure,” states PMC Executive Officer David Jewell. “We are fortunate to have internationally recognized drummers and educators like Gorden Campbell, Rick Latham, Rich Redmond, and David Stanoch helping the PMC promote and create more nationwide awareness for these one-of-a-kind online contests and market development initiatives. The “Lesson with a Master” will be a life-changing drum-lesson experience for each winner.”

Membership to the Percussion Marketing Council is open to all percussion instrument manufacturers, distributors, publishers, trade organizations, and educational alliances.  For more information on any of the nonprofit’s organization market development initiatives visit www.playdrums.com.