June 27, 2026
As the politicians like to say… I’m suspending my campaign.
Backbeat Retreat 2026 has been cancelled. But there is a very real possibility that Backbeat 2027 may move forward.
The idea for the retreat grew out of the conversations I wish I had been able to have while building Royal Music from its founding in 1992. I was fortunate to find a handful of mentors who shaped what became a genuinely successful career in this industry. Some were long-term champions. Others made a huge impact with only a few key interactions. I owe them a debt of gratitude, and Backbeat was my attempt to repay that debt to the next generation of store owners.
To paraphrase Talking Heads: We’re on a cruise to nowhere…
Before founding Royal Music, I urged my old boss to charter a paddlewheel riverboat for a sunset dinner cruise on the Toms River with our students and customers. The idea was simple: the students would cover the cost, and we’d have a captive audience for a three-hour cruise — dinner, dancing, great company, and a featured instrument played live so people could hear how good it might sound in their home.
The sticking point was the $2,500 deposit. In 1990, that was a substantial sum. My boss said, “If you think it’s such a great idea, you put up the deposit.”
So I did.
The cruise was a huge success, and over the years I hosted dozens more. I never asked anyone to buy anything during the cruise, but more times than I can count someone would come in weeks or months later and say, “That instrument on the boat sounded phenomenal — which one was it?”
The Backbeat Retreat was like that first River Lady cruise, just on a different level. I signed contracts with the hotel, reserved a room block, and committed to a food and beverage minimum without asking anything from the dealers except their consideration. I believed wholeheartedly in the concept, so I put my money where my mouth is.
I then compiled a list of just over 200 dealers — mostly from reading interviews in trade magazines or watching NAMM panel discussions. If you’re reading this, you’ve seen the marketing:
I love talking to dealers. I love our business. I love talking shop. My wife gets mad because I’ve dropped in on so many music stores during vacations that she’s asked, “Do you just want to be home at the store?”
Thank you to everyone who took my call. I’m especially grateful to those who offered insights and feedback — about my qualifications, the need for the retreat, and even the website itself. One dealer pointed out that there was no indication of who I was anywhere on the site. My hope was to make the retreat about the attendees, not about me. After that call, I added my personal website, but I still believe the retreat is about the people in the room, not the person hosting it.
I was surprised to learn that many dealers were having conversations about both the retreat and me among themselves without ever reaching out. Initially that bothered me, but as I reflect on it… that’s exactly what Backbeat was designed to spark: conversations store owners need to have. If this project lit even a small spark in your business, then maybe it’s already done part of its job.
If you’d like to stay connected, please opt in to the retreat mailing list. I’ll continue to blog and share ideas you may want to try in your stores. The future of Backbeat will be shaped by those who remain open to the idea — those who read, think, call, question, and stay engaged.
Backbeat 2026 is cancelled, but Backbeat 2027 remains a real possibility. I’m open to revisiting it, but I also have other work to do in the meantime. I’ll keep sharing ideas through blog posts and conversations, and if enough store owners want a retreat in ’27, I’ll build it.