How You Got Your Invitation to Apply

When I first started shaping Backbeat Retreat, I kept circling the same question: Who should be in the room?
Not just who could attend — but who would make the conversations richer, the perspectives sharper, and the experience unforgettable.

There are more than 8,000 music stores in the United States. That’s a big number. But I wasn’t looking for a big list. I was looking for the right people — owners who care deeply about their craft, their customers, and the future of this industry.

So I built the list the only way that made sense: by hand.

Some stores surfaced quickly: shops featured in the NAMM Top 100 Dealer list, highlighted in trade magazines, or people I’ve met over the years at trade shows and dealer meetings. Those were the obvious starting points.

But I wanted more than the usual suspects. I wanted geographic diversity, different perspectives, and stores with a spark — something unmistakably theirs.

So I went state by state.
I visited websites.
I read Google and Yelp reviews.
I scrolled through social media.
I paid attention to how each store shows up in its community.

I wasn’t looking for perfection. I was looking for intention, care, and a point of view.

After all of that, a much smaller list emerged — a list of unique, thoughtful, quality‑driven dealers who stood out for all the right reasons. Those stores were offered the opportunity to apply for Backbeat Retreat.

You’re receiving this because your store is one of them.

Backbeat Retreat is designed to be a small, focused gathering — a place where independent store owners can step away from the day to day and spend time thinking, talking, and connecting in a way that rarely happens in our industry. It’s not a trade show. It’s not a seminar. It’s a room full of people who get it.

If the idea resonates, I’d love for you to consider applying.

Either way, thank you for the work you do and the way you show up for your community. It matters more than you know.