Last month I had a heated discussion with a group of people in the music business. One member of the group remarked how comfortable he felt walking into a music store 20 years ago, because most of the store customers were his age, and had similar interests. He made the observation that he still felt that way in a music store today. That got the group riled up. To us, it meant that there weren't enough new musicians. How frustrating! All of us passionately believed the instruments, recording and learning tools available today were much better than when we first set foot in a music store. It led us to question what gets people to not just listen to music, but to be moved to create it.

Our little group agreed that hearing music live was one of the primary motivators to get people into making music.

The discussion made me think of the Michael McDonald feature in this issue of All Access. I first saw Michael live in 1983, soon after the release of his debut solo album (it's a round, black vinyl object that stores music—kind of like a CD, only bigger) If That's What it Takes. The album was in heavy rotation on several FM stations. And I purchased the album and made the drive from my home in the San Francisco Bay Area to see him perform in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Michael and the band were outstanding. But that show was the first time I had heard a Yamaha DX7 keyboard. I was immediately moved by the sound and the versatility of the DX7, and it wasn't long after I made the trek to my local music store to buy one.

Fast forward (kind of like scan on a CD or DVD player) to 2003. Michael McDonald released Motown. It's a great CD, and his fans found it quickly, even though it wasn't in heavy rotation. I knew it was a great CD. Every time I played it in my home, whoever heard it ran out and bought it. Strong word of mouth and a TV commercial eventually made Motown yet another platinum Michael McDonald album.

Oh, I saw Michael live again in April 2004 in Minneapolis. He was playing a new Yamaha Motif ES8 keyboard. Walking out of the concert I heard audience members speaking, in astonished tones, about the sound of his new keyboard. I was thinking the same thing. I guess I'll be making another trek to a music store in the near future.

Most of you who read All Access are already musicians. I think it's the job of all of us to get the rest of the world into making music. So share your passion for music…it's contagious.

I hope you enjoy this issue of All Access.

Sincerely,

Tom Sumner
Vice President/General Manager
Pro Audio & Combo Division
Yamaha Corporation of America