My late father owned a clarinet. If memory serves, I first discovered the archaic black instrument standing on its face in the corner of a closet at home when living with my parents. I was then very young, perhaps 7 – 9 years of age. My father may have demonstrated the instrument following its discovery by me; but, judging by the strength of my memory, it was an unimpressive rendition. The wind instrument was accordingly put back into the closet. I believe my father played the instrument in a band when attending University of New Brunswick but I cannot recall further detail.
The clarion has however sounded more loudly today than those many years ago. This afternoon during my ritual vehicular outing, listening to CH 78 SiriusXM Symphony Hall with Preston Trombly, I heard disturbing intelligence. Sales of instruments are in an Olympic decline. This interests me because I played the piano until about 2 years ago. During my lifetime I have had four pianos; namely, a Mason and Risch upright, a Heintzman grand (another Canadian model), a Steinway Salon Grand and a Korg electronic piano. And that’s not counting the very unique piano I was first given at 10 years of age when I publicly announced my interest in playing: namely (and I’m not kidding) a folding cardboard keyboard of about three octaves painted in customary black and white.
Considering I was already playing my neighbours’ piano by ear, I soon abandoned the folding cardboard keyboard. I still persist to wonder aloud what could possibly have inspired my mother or school teacher or whomever to invite me into a musical experience with such a preposterous “instrument”. Thankfully my first piano teacher had a Steinway so I was properly initiated in the end.
Yet, as I say, the news today from Mr. Trombly is upsetting because it no doubt precedes a new era of musical instruments (many of which I commensurately suspect with have to do with Artificial Intelligence). While it may be no more (or less) than the transition to electric vehicles, it nonetheless heralds an uncomfortable prospect for many.
I don’t for a moment believe there will be an absence of musical instruments. But the nature of the instrument will change. Any possible relief from routine tuning would be a welcome advent. Size and material will be relevant to the extent that cost is a factor. I’m expecting novel creations from Asia.
CH 78 SIriusXM Symphony Hall
Classical music for everyone
Classical music from yesterday and today performed by top orchestras, chamber music ensembles and instrumental soloists. Featuring Baroque and Beyond, Classics on Film, Living American, SiriusXM Presents the Philadelphia Orchestra, Vox Choral and The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
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Preston Andrew Trombly (born December 30, 1945, in Hartford, Connecticut) is an American musician and broadcast personality. He is a program host on Sirius XM’s Symphony Hall classical music channel.
Trombly earned his Bachelor of Music from the University of Connecticut in 1969. He received a Master of Musical Arts degree from the Yale School of Music in 1972. He has been a Fellow in Composition and Conducting at the Tanglewood Music Center (1970), a Guggenheim Fellow (1974–1975), and a resident fellow at the MacDowell Colony. Trombly’s visual art has been shown in multiple exhibitions, principally in the New York area.
In the early 1980s Trombly was active as a saxophonist and jazz clarinetist. He played with the Jaki Byard group, and also as a soloist. He has taught at Vassar College, CUNY and the Catholic University of America.
Trombly was a classical music program host at WNCN-FM from 1991 to 1993, and at WQXR-FM from 1991 to 2000. He was also a newscaster and staff announcer at WOR-AM from 1991 to 2008. He joined Sirius Satellite Radio in 2000.
In 1997 Trombly married Margaret Mary Kelly, then the director of the Forbes Magazine Collection.
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Mason & Risch, founded in Toronto in 1871, was a premier Canadian piano manufacturer known for high-quality, durable instruments with superior, warm tone. While early models (1900–1930) are highly regarded, the brand was later absorbed by Aeolian-American and discontinued in the late 1980s. Restored, vintage, and well-maintained models remain popular and valued in the market.
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The sales of musical instruments have experienced a turbulent period, characterized by a sharp post-pandemic decline following the 2020–2021 boom, particularly in traditional acoustic and school-service categories. While some sectors, such as digital, high-tech, and entry-level gear sold online, show signs of growth, many brick-and-mortar stores are facing shrinking revenues, with 2024 described by some industry analysts as one of the worst years for sales in the school/wind instrument sector.
Here is a detailed breakdown of the trends:
The “Boom” and “Bust” Cycle:
The pandemic induced a massive spike in demand for instruments, particularly guitars and ukuleles, as people sought at-home hobbies. By 2022–2024, this demand cooled rapidly, resulting in an oversaturated market with high inventory and declining sales.
The market is currently flooded with used instruments from pandemic-era beginners who stopped playing, making it harder for new instruments to sell.
UK and International Data:
Reports indicate that in the UK, imports of acoustic and electric guitars dropped by 56% and 31% respectively in 2023, with similar declines in digital pianos and drums.
Factors Driving the Decline
Economic Pressures:
Inflation and reduced disposable income have forced consumers to cut back on discretionary, high-ticket items like premium guitars and pianos.
The popularity of electronic music production, software-based instruments, and, in some cases, digital alternatives to acoustic instruments has reduced demand for traditional, high-end, or bulky instruments.
Increased input costs for materials, coupled with tariffs on imported goods (especially in the US), have pushed up prices, reducing demand.
High-tech innovations, such as digital pianos and guitars with built-in AI, are gaining traction.
There is a strong demand for specific, high-quality, or specialized gear among “serious musicians”.
While 2024 and early 2025 have shown declines, the market is undergoing a necessary correction, with projections indicating a potential, albeit slow, recovery driven by the return of live music and the integration of technology in instruments.
2024 Music Industry Data Reflects Continued Call to Action for Industry Stakeholders