“Piperette” demonstration, 1971

Hammond promoted sales of its easy-play keyboard, “The Piper,” by hiring hundreds of college women to demonstrate the product in shopping malls across the country.

As musical instrument sales dropped and dealers were left with unwanted inventory in the 1970s and early 1980s, new marketing strategies became the key to survival. “Price, price, price,” not advertising, determined success in the new arena.

NAMM worked to promote music and instrument sales with its Discover Music campaign in the early 1970s and by organizing National Marketing Clinics for retailers. Manufacturers bought television air time and continued to run band clinics and workshops with celebrity endorsers. They also wooed dealers with fancy incentive trips to Europe, Africa, South America and the Bahamas–all based on sales.

Retailers ran big piano theme promotions often tied to a community event. They took instruments to fairs and enticed buyers with new demonstration techniques for easy-play organs.

The industry received numerous wake-up calls. Mass merchants like K-Mart offered rock-bottom prices for Casio’s first portable keyboards and sold thousands. Retailers who initially boycotted Casio had to take a closer look at new technology and accept shorter margins.

Benny Goodman, 1972
Benny Goodman worked to save music education in the Chicago public schools.

Taxpayer revolts, budget cuts and a decline in school populations eliminated many school music programs in the 1970s and 1980s.

The music industry worked to reverse the trend. The most dramatic battle was waged in 1972 to save music programs in the Chicago public schools. Spearheaded by the American Music Conference (AMC), the effort involved a large coalition of music-related groups and well-known musicians.

Although successful in Chicago, the industry watched helplessly as music programs vanished in dozens of cities across America. To stem the tide, the AMC produced a tool kit called “Support School Music” to help citizens campaign against budget cuts. Under Vito Pascucci’s leadership and NAMM’s support, AMC also worked to garner federal funding for school music.