Re: Just a suggestion

[Mayer Pasternak <mayer...>]

The average world music buyer in your local music store has a safety clip
through his cheek and at least 9 studs in one of his ears. Their cognizance
of Jewish music is totally lacking. In general they are disinterested. In
some stores they do not have the ability to buy from new vendors that are
not set up at the corporate level and the corporate buyers are totally
disinterested in our genre of music. I have spoken to the corporate buyers
at HMV and Borders and their reactions have  been - who needs this stuff
anyway. When I tell them that my customers complain that these products are
not found in their stores they said we'll send them to you (that's fine but
I think it's a disservice to our community).

So it would be extremely helpful for people to go to their local Borders,
Tower, Virgin, HMV or whatever and ask for this kind of music. What will
most likely happen is they will say they can't find it in their computer
system so they can't order it. For the ones that are willing to expand their
selections - you can have them call Tara and we would be happy to set up
their stores with a viable Jewish music selection.  We have a listening
station program that lets people preview albums and the music sells itself.
The few mass-market stores that have install them are doing very well with
them. We are now in the process of contacting these stores on a one by one
basis to try and expand the number of outlets that carry the music discussed
here. It would definitely be helpful if they felt that they were filling a
consumer need.

This past year I went to San Francisco to the NARM (National Association of
Recording Merchandisers) to represent Jewish music I took a booth and
displayed a complete product line of music that was viable on the broad
based market. I even had a big Jewish top 100 banner displayed. Well to say
the least all the Yiddin came out of the woodwork - at least 30 - 40% of the
industry is still Jewish. They felt good that "we" had $200 representation -
however for most of the buyers there - we were just a curiosity. (The entire
trip produced one sale 5 months later to a independend music store in Texas)
So until the buyers are confronted with a real demand that they need to
fill - it will be hard to find quality Jewish music products in your local
mass market stores.  So go ask them to provide a robust selection especially
if are in a location that does not have a Judaica store nearby.  Most of
them do not know that this material is available, what it is or how to get.
So teach them - the alternative is that their shelves will be filled with
foreign Judaic titles that have no meaning to the general consumer - but
they got it from their normal world music distributor - and when it doesn't
sell they will say that Jewish music isn't viable.


-----Original Message-----
From: RUSSHARD (at) aol(dot)com <RUSSHARD (at) aol(dot)com>
To: World music from a Jewish slant. <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Date: Thursday, December 17, 1998 2:01 AM
Subject: Just a suggestion


>In light of the recent list discussions of what music stores do and don't
>carry, my suggestion would be to go to a couple local music stores in your
>area and ask for CDs by your favorite Jewish artists.  I happened to do
this
>in the spring when there was a band I particularly admired.  I live in an
>urban area and covered the territory.  Some were fairly well-stocked, and
some
>had no idea who I was talking about.  Turns out that the buyers vary from
>store to store, and in least one instance, the floor staff loved the band I
>was after and took the matter on personally to make sure they ordered more
>CDs.
>
>So, do your favorite musicians a favor by making sure the places you shop
are
>reminded that we consumers enjoy and buy music by Jewish artists.  This
idea
>may seem simplistic, but hey...
>
>