I just thought I would let you know that if you live in the Greater Toronto area ... and you might like to come out to Kanile'a's Launch Party in the GTA ... it will be in Richmond Hill, ON on April 10th starting at 6:30 pm.
It will be at Cosmo Music. 10% off on selected models.
Damn! Missed that an it's not too far away... could have driven there.
I was at Cosmo Music the previous weekend before the event, and didn't see a single poster or notice about it. I spent about an hour looking at and trying different ukes and not a single salesman mention it, either.
Yea Ian I know what you mean. I too had been in the store a couple days before hand as well. Luckly Sam13 mentioned it to me in a PM. We actually met up there and it was a marvelous event. The owners of Kanile'a, Joe & Kristen Souza were there. Joe did a great talk with slide show presentation about every aspect of their building process. He even played a few songs and one of them Kristen hula danced to. He took questions and had 6 or 7 ukes displayed that we were all allowed to play. These are now the ones in stock and for sale at Cosmo, great reason for a return trip.
It was really impressive to listen to Joe describe how he started out as a player then was offered the oppourtunity to apprentice as a builder. Then to finally start building his own instruments out of his garage and progressing to the company they are today. He is such a humble genuine man when he speaks to you, really makes you feel comfortable. With that kind of personal touch and involvement it makes you want to buy one of his instruments. The fact they are drop dead gorgeous and sound spectacular doesn't hurt either.
I think the music shop owners need some basic lessons in marketing and building customer base. They should have looked for uke clubs in the region and asked school boards who is teaching ukulele, then invited them. And done a media release to advise every community newspaper about it.
Of course, that's my own background, so I see things in terms of communications and media relations. Maybe they don't care.
I think the music shop owners need some basic lessons in marketing and building customer base. They should have looked for uke clubs in the region and asked school boards who is teaching ukulele, then invited them. And done a media release to advise every community newspaper about it.
Of course, that's my own background, so I see things in terms of communications and media relations. Maybe they don't care.
I thought the very same thing. It was almost embarrassing that the Souza's made that kind of effort and there were maybe 30 people there instead of 300. Cosmos is making a big effort to carry a lot of ukuleles and a broad range of brands but they need a marketing 101 lesson
The music shops in the GTA don't seem to know that a large and healthy ukulele group are looking for quality instruments. They are focused on everything but ukuleles. That is why I purchased my Pono at Mim's Ukes in the US.
Maybe some day they will wake up and smell the potential market for quality ukes.
Our group in Niagara-on-the-Lake has 50 members and not one store on the Peninsula that sells mid and high end ukuleles.
The music shops in the GTA don't seem to know that a large and healthy ukulele group are looking for quality instruments. They are focused on everything but ukuleles. That is why I purchased my Pono at Mim's Ukes in the US.
It's the same all across Ontario. Some effort made in Orangeville (Broadway Music) and Ottawa (OFC), but not much elsewhere.
I've bought most of my ukes in the USA, too.
We have had as many as 34 people out to our ukulele night (for a town of 20,000 that's not bad!), but I can't convince the local music store to go beyond Mahalo and Makala yet. They're good folks, just blind to the growing wave of uke players. They're bringing in high-end guitars, but not ukes. And strings? *sigh*
It's the same all across Ontario. Some effort made in Orangeville (Broadway Music) and Ottawa (OFC), but not much elsewhere.
I've bought most of my ukes in the USA, too.
We have had as many as 34 people out to our ukulele night (for a town of 20,000 that's not bad!), but I can't convince the local music store to go beyond Mahalo and Makala yet. They're good folks, just blind to the growing wave of uke players. They're bringing in high-end guitars, but not ukes. And strings? *sigh*
I will second the sentiment about string choice, or lack there of. Long and McQuade are huge Martin dealers so you think they might carry the Martin M600 series florocarbon strings, but they don't. I did go into the location in Pickering and I had they order me a concert and tenor set, only $4.95 a set and should be here in about a week.
