Hi there! My job is to take care of US sales and operations for SABIAN. I'm a drummer who gets to work for a cymbal company – what a blast! I've been in the music products industry for my whole career. I love being able to connect people with gear that inspires them. I can always tell when a drummer or percussionist finds the right cymbal; they hear music in their minds and then they just start playing along. Those moments make it worth all of the work.
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Hey everyone,
The drive from Harrisburg to Rockaway, NJ was quite a slog. With temperatures hovering around freezing, the driving rain sometimes mixed with fat, wet snowflakes. In spite of the weather, we made good time. We rolled into the parking lot of Ritchie’s Music around 11 am.
I was impressed with Ritchie’s right away – clean, bright and laid out well. The drum department was so precisely merchandised that I joked with the department manager, George Sigler, about having used a protractor to line up the drum sets! There was a big, open space already cleared for us right in the middle of the drum department so we got to work unloading our gear.
As we stood in the chilly air and surveyed the damp parking lot for a place to set up the lathe and anvil, it was looking to be an uncomfortable day for Allie. Fortunately, shop owner, Jim Riccio, was on hand and agreed to let us put Allie’s rig inside the store.
By the time we finished setting up customers were already showing up for the event. Paradiso Pizza had just delivered our order – which included 2 of the largest calzones I’ve ever seen – so there was just enough time to grab a quick slice or two.
Once the testing began, it was a non-stop wall of cymbal sounds. It was one of our busiest days on the tour and our crew was one short so we were always on the go. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time to gather as many details as usual, but a few things stood out. One customer bought a cool 22” ride with a power bell and promptly took it to Allie to have it customized on the spot. A few well-placed hammer strikes on the bow gave him exactly what he was looking for. Another customer left smiling after Allie custom hammered and lathed a set of 14” hats. Several customers brought in their favorite cymbals to find either a complimentary sound or a replacement. Every cymbal had a history and we had a great time comparing stories and sounds.
Thanks to the George, Jim and the whole crew at Ritchie’s! We had a great event and are glad to have you as a SABIAN Axcess dealer. Follow this link to see pictures from the event on our sabian.com BLOG!
