As we decided to return to the Midwest Homeschool Conference in Cincinnati this year, I looked at my colleague Annie Dean and said, "Either we sold CDs to everyone who was interested in classical music last year and we will not sell another CD or everyone who purchased CDs last year will have told their friends and it will be wonderful. GREAT NEWS! It was the latter and we were flooded with families saying, "I bought one CD last year and am coming back to buy ALL the others," and "I heard about you from a friend who said I had to stop by the booth and listen."
For two and a half days, we had 3 and 4 headsets going with people waiting in line to listen to the London Philharmonic Orchestra with Yadu the narrator. Twice as many CDs went out the door as the year before, setting a new homeschool record for us.
I love going to the shows and meeting the actual people who will enjoy our CDs hour after hour. The smiles that come across faces as they put on the noise-canceling headsets and are transported to a different world are marvelous - peace and joy are the only way that I can describe them.
One new aspect to the booth were the new wireless headsets by Sennheiser. Wonderful sound and no wires! Many asked if we were selling them... no, but certainly recommending them.
BTW - The Tortoise and the Hare won a Parents' Choice GOLD, the most coveted award in the children's toy/media business. While all of our CDs have won Parents' Choice awards, this is our second GOLD. (4 SILVER as well.)
Bonnie Simon has introduced thousands of children to the joy of music as a teacher, a concert producer, an orchestra executive, a CD producer, and has published articles on children and music. Your child loves music and loves to sing. What do you do now? Ask Bonnie.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Museum Store Association Conference
On the road again! My first trip to Austin, TX in 30 years; have not been here since husband/conductor Stephen Simon conducted the Austin Symphony years ago.
As always, fun to watch people's faces as they put on the wireless Sennheiser headphones and they are transported to a different world. Many big smiles!
While selling to retailers sends many more CDs out the door, I miss the homeschool parents who come and listen and talk and then gently take their new CDs and you know that they are going to entertain the whole family on the drive home.
Back to NYC tomorrow, to DC at the end of the week, and then off to Japan for 3 weeks.
As always, fun to watch people's faces as they put on the wireless Sennheiser headphones and they are transported to a different world. Many big smiles!
While selling to retailers sends many more CDs out the door, I miss the homeschool parents who come and listen and talk and then gently take their new CDs and you know that they are going to entertain the whole family on the drive home.
Back to NYC tomorrow, to DC at the end of the week, and then off to Japan for 3 weeks.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Return to Midwest Homeschool Convention
IF YOU ARE IN CINCINNATI, COME SEE ME AT OUR BOOTH 1222 and/or
COME TO ONE OF MY TALKS ON FRIDAY AT 2 pm OR SATURDAY AT 3 pm.
I left the 80+ degree heat of New York City yesterday to arrive in the cool weather of Cincinnati. Last year we came to the Midwest Homeschool Convention and were so captivated by the wonderful families that we met that we knew we would return again this year. The show opened last evening and I was delighted to meet so many parents and children who were interested in new listening experiences. From the 5-year-old boy who would have spent the entire evening with the headset on to the 14-year-old who knew Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake but had to admit that he had never heard a version played on electric guitar (a 4-minute version on track 3 of the same CD that has the London Philharmonic Orchestra playing the original score), once again we found that the parents here are in sync with our belief that the greatest education happens when parents and children can experience things together.
I have been busy with new technology at the booth, working with Sennheiser's new Bluetooth wireless headphones. People visiting the booth love them. Come try them out. (You may put them on your Christmas list for next year.)
Today, Friday at 2 PM at Millennium Pavilion, in my talk titled "A Musical Adventure: Creating Maestro Classics" I will talk about the creation of the Maestro Classics series - from the Kennedy Center to London's Abbey Road Studios to Carnegie Hall to orchestras nationally. Tomorrow, Saturday at 3 PM, I will be on my soapbox at the Millennium Pavilion talking about the importance of listening in an increasingly visual world - "You, Music, and Your Child: Ten Ways to Introduce Music into Your Children's Lives."
As the sun rises this AM, I trust that today will bring a host of new experiences that will continue to make this my favorite show.
COME TO ONE OF MY TALKS ON FRIDAY AT 2 pm OR SATURDAY AT 3 pm.
I left the 80+ degree heat of New York City yesterday to arrive in the cool weather of Cincinnati. Last year we came to the Midwest Homeschool Convention and were so captivated by the wonderful families that we met that we knew we would return again this year. The show opened last evening and I was delighted to meet so many parents and children who were interested in new listening experiences. From the 5-year-old boy who would have spent the entire evening with the headset on to the 14-year-old who knew Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake but had to admit that he had never heard a version played on electric guitar (a 4-minute version on track 3 of the same CD that has the London Philharmonic Orchestra playing the original score), once again we found that the parents here are in sync with our belief that the greatest education happens when parents and children can experience things together.
I have been busy with new technology at the booth, working with Sennheiser's new Bluetooth wireless headphones. People visiting the booth love them. Come try them out. (You may put them on your Christmas list for next year.)
Today, Friday at 2 PM at Millennium Pavilion, in my talk titled "A Musical Adventure: Creating Maestro Classics" I will talk about the creation of the Maestro Classics series - from the Kennedy Center to London's Abbey Road Studios to Carnegie Hall to orchestras nationally. Tomorrow, Saturday at 3 PM, I will be on my soapbox at the Millennium Pavilion talking about the importance of listening in an increasingly visual world - "You, Music, and Your Child: Ten Ways to Introduce Music into Your Children's Lives."
As the sun rises this AM, I trust that today will bring a host of new experiences that will continue to make this my favorite show.
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