Matt Jonns

We are doing a great price on the Yamaha NP-30 portable grand in celebration of our launch! We think you will really struggle to find this cheaper anywhere on the net.

http://www.umbrellamusic.co.uk/productdetail_219.aspx

About the product:

The Graded Touch Keyboard smoothes with 76 keys the way for the coming pianist.

It contains 10 high-quality instrument voices and a metronome.
Also 10 Voice-Demos and 10 Piano-Songs are built in.

Because of the slim and compact design and the light weight, the NP-30 is the perfect portable instrument. In addition to this you can use the NP-30 both with battery power and AC adaptor.

The NP-30 is available in silver and black.

Keyboard 76 keys (Graded Touch)
Sound Source AWM Stereo Sampling
Polyphony (Max.) 32
Voice Selections 10
Effect Reverb
Volume Master Volume
Controls Dual, Metronome, Transpose, Tuning, Touch (Hard/Medium/Soft/Fixed)
Pedal SUSTAIN PEDAL*
Demo Songs 10 Voice Demo Songs, 10 Piano Preset Songs
MIDI Local On/Off, Transmit/Recieve channel, Program change On/Off, Control change On/Off
Jacks/Connectors MIDI (IN/OUT), PHONES/OUTPUT, DC IN 12V, SUSTAIN
Main Amplifier 6W + 6W
Speaker (12 cm × 6 cm) × 2
Power Consumption 20W
Dimensions (WxDxH) 1,244mm × 259mm × 100mm
Weight 5.4 kg
Power Supply Adaptor: PA-5D (optional)
Batteries: Six AA size, LR-6 or equivalent
Accessoires Owner’s Manual, Music Rest

We only have a few left so be quick to catch this amazing bargain!

Matt Jonns

www.umbrellamusic.co.uk

eScala are a musical group that have been together for two years after meeting on a tour bus traveling round the UK and Ireland. They were part of the string section of the orchestra and it was there that they became great friends and decided to form a band incorporating both their talent for playing classical music and their love of contemporary styles. eScala, who are Victoria, Izzy, Chantal and Tasya, were classically trained at the Guildhall School of Music, Royal Academy and Royal College of Music and have spent years of intense work honing their skills.

In dedication to eScala the electric string quartet recently seen on Britains got talend Umbrella Music are doing a silly deal on the Yamaha Silent Violin SV-120!

http://www.umbrellamusic.co.uk/productdetail_244.aspx

Available in three colours
The Concert Select Silent Violins come in antique brown, black and candy apple red.

Jack size
The output jack on the Concert Select Silent Violins is 1/4" for secure and solid fit.

Four tuning adjusters
Precise tuning done quickly and easily.

Shoulder Rest
Included for ease in playing and holding the instrument.

Other features
An auxiliary cable and two (2) AA batteries are included.

* Instrument size
4/4 size only
* Neck
Hard maple
* Body
Spruce
* Fingerboard/pegs
Ebony
* Bridge
Hard maple
* Side body/chin rest/tailpiece
Molded plastic
* Tuning adjusters
Four, one for each string
* Strings
D'Addario Helicore strings
* Sensor
Piezo pickup
* Electronic controls
Master volume; reverb type select; AUX IN volume
* In/out jacks
Headphone out; LINE OUT; AUX-IN
* Power supply
Two AA batteries or AC adapter
* Body color options
o black(SV-120BL)
o red (SV-120CAR)
o brown (SV-120BR)

http://www.umbrellamusic.co.uk/productdetail_244.aspx

I really enjoyed listening to them on Britain's got Talent- they are phenomenal musicians and it was great to ee how they could change something that is perceived as not very "cool" and turn it into pop, fascinating children and teens throughout the country.

The Line up:

Izzy (violin)

Izzy comes from a highly musical family and is one of the top young performers in the country. Having recently performed a solo performance at The Royal Albert Hall with her brother Magnus, Izzy Johnston has proved to be extremely talented in all areas of music. She has even been known to dabble in a bit of acting from time to time, one achievement standing out, where she was invited to South Africa to feature in a Persil Advertisement!

Chantal (viola)

Chantal studied at The Royal Academy of Music. She was recently invited to perform on solo viola in Dubai for the launch of the new Baldessarini Boutique and was featured in the Middle East OK Magazine. She has performed with major pop artists including Blue, Aled Jones and War of The Worlds. She has performed in world famous venues including The Royal Albert Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Barbican and many more. She has many other interests including art, sport and film.

Nastasya (cello)

Cellist Nastasya Hodges graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2004 and enjoys a diverse and exciting career spanning a whole range of musical styles. Trained as a classical musician, Tas has performed with the prestigious London Symphony Orchestra. She was also on the War of the Worlds tour in 2006 and recently she has recorded with the Arctic Monkeys. She has been a member of 'The Heritage Orchestra' recording their first album in Abbey Road which released on the 14th August 2006. She has performed at the Montreaux and the London Jazz festivals. Her passion is music and languages - she speaks four!

Victoria (violin)

Victoria, a child prodigy in her day, is a highly gifted violinist. She graduated from The Royal College of Music in 2006. Victoria has toured with Simply Red and War Of The Worlds amongst others. Victoria has gained loads of experience in a very short space of time. Victoria loves all styles of music, including pop, rock, funk and classical. She has recently performed with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra as well. As well as playing violin, Victoria enjoys sport and traveling.

Check out their site @ http://www.escalamusic.com/

Thanks for reading!

Matt Jonns

www.umbrellamusic.co.uk

eScala are a musical group that have been together for two years after meeting on a tour bus traveling round the UK and Ireland. They were part of the string section of the orchestra and it was there that they became great friends and decided to form a band incorporating both their talent for playing classical music and their love of contemporary styles. eScala, who are Victoria, Izzy, Chantal and Tasya, were classically trained at the Guildhall School of Music, Royal Academy and Royal College of Music and have spent years of intense work honing their skills.

In dedication to eScala the electric string quartet recently seen on Britains got talend Umbrella Music are doing a silly deal on the Yamaha Silent Violin SV-120!

http://www.umbrellamusic.co.uk/productdetail_244.aspx

Available in three colours
The Concert Select Silent Violins come in antique brown, black and candy apple red.

Jack size
The output jack on the Concert Select Silent Violins is 1/4" for secure and solid fit.

Four tuning adjusters
Precise tuning done quickly and easily.

Shoulder Rest
Included for ease in playing and holding the instrument.

Other features
An auxiliary cable and two (2) AA batteries are included.

* Instrument size
4/4 size only
* Neck
Hard maple
* Body
Spruce
* Fingerboard/pegs
Ebony
* Bridge
Hard maple
* Side body/chin rest/tailpiece
Molded plastic
* Tuning adjusters
Four, one for each string
* Strings
D'Addario Helicore strings
* Sensor
Piezo pickup
* Electronic controls
Master volume; reverb type select; AUX IN volume
* In/out jacks
Headphone out; LINE OUT; AUX-IN
* Power supply
Two AA batteries or AC adapter
* Body color options
o black(SV-120BL)
o red (SV-120CAR)
o brown (SV-120BR)

http://www.umbrellamusic.co.uk/productdetail_244.aspx

I really enjoyed listening to them on Britain's got Talent- they are phenomenal musicians and it was great to ee how they could change something that is perceived as not very "cool" and turn it into pop, fascinating children and teens throughout the country.

The Line up:

Izzy (violin)

Izzy comes from a highly musical family and is one of the top young performers in the country. Having recently performed a solo performance at The Royal Albert Hall with her brother Magnus, Izzy Johnston has proved to be extremely talented in all areas of music. She has even been known to dabble in a bit of acting from time to time, one achievement standing out, where she was invited to South Africa to feature in a Persil Advertisement!

Chantal (viola)

Chantal studied at The Royal Academy of Music. She was recently invited to perform on solo viola in Dubai for the launch of the new Baldessarini Boutique and was featured in the Middle East OK Magazine. She has performed with major pop artists including Blue, Aled Jones and War of The Worlds. She has performed in world famous venues including The Royal Albert Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Barbican and many more. She has many other interests including art, sport and film.

Nastasya (cello)

Cellist Nastasya Hodges graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2004 and enjoys a diverse and exciting career spanning a whole range of musical styles. Trained as a classical musician, Tas has performed with the prestigious London Symphony Orchestra. She was also on the War of the Worlds tour in 2006 and recently she has recorded with the Arctic Monkeys. She has been a member of 'The Heritage Orchestra' recording their first album in Abbey Road which released on the 14th August 2006. She has performed at the Montreaux and the London Jazz festivals. Her passion is music and languages - she speaks four!

Victoria (violin)

Victoria, a child prodigy in her day, is a highly gifted violinist. She graduated from The Royal College of Music in 2006. Victoria has toured with Simply Red and War Of The Worlds amongst others. Victoria has gained loads of experience in a very short space of time. Victoria loves all styles of music, including pop, rock, funk and classical. She has recently performed with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra as well. As well as playing violin, Victoria enjoys sport and traveling.

Check out their site @ http://www.escalamusic.com/

Thanks for reading!

Matt Jonns

www.umbrellamusic.co.uk

Umbrella Music to stock Breedlove and Hamer Guitars...

http://www.umbrellamusic.co.uk/products_0_breedlove_1.aspx

Umbrella Music are proud to announce that we now stock the fantastic range of Breedlove and Hamer guitars. These guitars are just beginning to make a name for themselves in the UK for their pleasing aesthetics and phenomenal tones.

Breedlove - A Quick History of the Guitar Manufacturer.

Thirty Five years ago, an extraordinary decision was made. It was on a six month surfing trip in Mexico that young artist and musician Kim Breedlove decided his life’s calling - the building of stringed instruments. Beginning with a strong art background and a refined sense of design, Kim acquired the tools and the training he would need to build guitars, mandolins, banjos and other fine instruments that he envisioned. At a very young age, he reached an elite level of instrument building by producing instruments of legendary quality. He has dedicated his life to this masterful artistic endeavor, and the capabilities of the luthiers of Breedlove are a testament to this
dedication.

Breedlove Atlas Series AD25/SR Plus Acoustic Electric Guitar

Kim now serves as the Master Luthier, Chief Designer, and Art Director for all Breedlove
instruments and genres.

Today, Master Luthier Jayson Bowerman and President Peter Newport lead a team of 43 employees on a mission to create extraordinary guitars and mandolins. Building on Kim Breedlove’s strengths, we are in continual pursuit of excellence in both the development of contemporary, original guitars and mandolins, and in the celebration of vintage-style instruments. Our Custom Shop produces an incredibly wide variety of instruments, and we are steadily adding to that range. Cutting-edge contemporary designs like our new Chambered Electric Guitars emerge alongside more traditional instruments such as the new Signature FF Mandolins, our new Revival Series Tenor
guitars, and even a new Weissenborn-style Hawaiian slide guitar. Each day, we feel like we’re just beginning to discover what our Luthiers are capable of.

As you can see they are not a huge company which another reason wy i like their guitars so much. You know that each guitar. that leaves their factory has been checked, checked again and then checked once more to ensure that it is in the best possible order before being sent. Also if we ever have any problems they are very easy to get in contact with.

They are also able to offer fantastic custom guiatrs. These take quite a while to make, are pretty expensive but well worth it. If your looking to spend £3000 plus, Umbrella Music can help.

I am particularly impressed with Breelove's new travel guitar, the Atlas C25:

The Atlas C25: the travel guitar perfected.

Built around a small concert-shaped body with smooth cutaway, the Atlas C25 Travel Acoustic-Electric Guitar features a short 19" scale length for extreme portability. Tuned to A, it delivers a surprisingly big sound thanks to the expertly braced solid Western red cedar top and 3-1/3" deep mahogany body. It has black binding, black/white/black rosette, offset abalone Breedlove pattern fingerboard inlays, satin finish, hand-rubbed neck, and chrome tuners. L.R. Baggs electronics give the Atlas C25 instant amplified sound.

Breedlove crafts acoustic guitars that reflect the principles of uncompromising craftsmanship, environmental consciousness, and customer focus. The best aspects of traditional guitar making are fused with new ideas and relevant technology to create instruments with unsurpassed tone, feel, and visual appeal. Each spectacular instrument in the Atlas Series is designed and engineered to attain these same qualities at an accessible price. They're all set up and hand-inspected at Breedlove headquarters and come strung with light-gauge D'Addario EXP strings.

Breedlove Atlas C25 Passport Travel Acoustic-Electric Guitar Features:

* Small concert-shaped body
* Tuned to A
* 19" scale
* 3-1/3" body depth
* Soft cutaway
* Solid Western red cedar top
* Mahogany back and sides
* Scalloped X tenor bracing
* Black body and neck binding
* Black/White/Black rosette
* Offset Breedlove pattern fretboard inlay
* Satin finish
* Rosewood bridge
* Rosewood fretboard
* Double-action truss rod
* Chrome tuners
* L.R. Baggs pickup/preamp system
* D'Addario EXP light-gauge strings
* Designed by Kim Breedlove, crafted in Korea
* Quality assured in Bend, Oregon USA

I personally feel that this beats the Taylor model hands down for a fraction of the cost; i cannot recommend this guitar highly enough.

A few of our other favorite models are the AD20sm and the AD200sm. The AC200/SM is a full-bodied concert-sized guitar with solid Sitka Spruce top and Mahogany ply back and sides. This guitar exhibits trademark Breedlove technology with scalloped bracing, pinless bridge, and JLD Bridge Truss System. The AC200SM has a satin finish, Pearl position markers and chrome hardware and includes a deluxe soft shell case.

Breedlove Atlas Series instruments are designed and engineered by Kim Breedlove, and are quality assured at the Breedlove Custom Shop in Tumalo, Oregon.

The Atlas Series includes six-string Concerts, Dreadnoughts and Jumbos, twelve-string Concerts and Jumbos, and four and five-string acoustic basses. We also offer a nylon-string Atlas acoustic guitar in a concert size.

Check out Breelove at Umbrella Music, wepromise you will not be disappointed!

http://www.umbrellamusic.co.uk/products_0_breedlove_1.aspx

Matt Jonns
www.umbrellamusic.co.uk

Hello,

Umbrella Music are pleased to announce that we now stock Yamaha's range of Clavinova. The Clavinova has become the world's most popular digital piano due to its phenomenal sound and stylish aesthetics.

Umbrella Music are proud to stock these fantastic pianos and we intend to do them justice. A lot of internet retailers order lots of stock from Yamaha and then get rid of their Clavinova’s as quickly as possible never communicating with the customer after the initial purchase.

We feel that this is not how Clavinova’s are supposed to be sold; Umbrella Music will set your Clavinova up for you if you are located in the South East of the UK. We will also hand deliver the piano and leave only once the piano is where you want it to be. With us there is no danger of getting a large box delivered on your doorstop with no after sales help.

With prices that compete with everybody in the UK there really is no better place to purchase a Yamaha Clavinova.

Check out http://www.umbrellamusic.co.uk/products_114.aspx for the full range.

The new CLP Range is just out and looking better than ever!

Thank you

Matt Jonns

www.umbrellamusic.co.uk

Hi,

Umbrella Music are doing a fantastic promotion on a few products in celebration of our launch.

We are doing the Yamaha EZ-200 light up keyboard for just £99, which is an incredible deal. The EZ-200 is perfect for the starter piano player as it uses the power of light as a super teaching tool. The keyboard also boasts fully touch sensitive keys and an array of sounds and drum beats. This is quite simply an unmissable deal!

We are also doing an unbeatable price on the Yamaha DGX-620. There are not many of these left in the country but we bought them in bulk so we could still sell them. They are truly amazing digital pianos for their price, offering weighted keys that feel much more like a higher end piano than a £400 keyboard!

Also check out our silly prices on Tanglewood guitars, we are doing a mass deal on all models you will not be able t o find any of our models cheaper elsewhere.

For all these great deals check out www.umbrellamusic.co.uk/Special_Offers.aspx

Thanks!

Matt Jonns

www.umbrellamusic.co.uk

I took the bold decision to stock Nord synths and Stage Pianos. They are absolutely phenomenal bits of kit i have rarely been so impressed by a stage piano.It plays so well that it seems silly to spend a fortune on an acoustic piano when you can do so much more with this.

The range is as followed:

NORD STAGE
NORD WAVE
NORD C1
NORD ELECTRO

www.umbrellamusic.co.uk

They all have their unique qualities and are used for certain situations.My personal favorite is the Stage, mainly because the piano sound is exceptional. With this you can mix in an organ sound, synths or both. The after touch on the Piano is second to none with really handy light up dials so when your on stage you can see what's going on!

I have high hope for sales of these items as they are relatively exclusive, there are only 20 or so people who can sell them in the country and they are going from strength to strength so hopefully we should get some interest.

Other news is that the site is now fully up and launched but we are having a few teething troubles, however everything works and orders can be placed.

This is now coming into the dreaded quiet period for the Music industry but hopefully with the added bonus of our new site things should tick over.

Matt

www.umbrellamusic.co.uk

PMT purchase Sound Control Shops

Simon Gilson, the co-owner of Professional Music Technology (PMT) has told MI Pro that his retail chain, which recently bought the Norwich, Manchester Salford and Leeds City stores from the defunct Sound Control, has now completed the purchase of the Turnkey/Soho Soundhouse brands.

Rumours that the store, situated at 114 to 116 Charing Cross Road in London’s ‘tin pan alley’ region, would be closing have also been confirmed by Gilson. “There won’t be a West End presence for a while,” he said. “To be frank, we are not particularly proud of our online presence at the moment, so the purchase of Turnkey and its assets means we now have the shop’s excellent retail portal, which will now become our web-based operation.

“In time, there will be a new Turnkey/Soho Soundhouse store, but it will be a matter of the right premises coming along. Believe me, it will be great to get a good, new West End store – Soho Soundhouse is one of the longest standing and most well known MI brands – but it has to be the right place at the right time.”

Gilson went on to reveal that PMT had been involved in negotiations for Turnkey before, but were outbid by Sound Control just as everything seemed to be going through. The chain had also been in the frame for the Academy of Sound purchase, but that time the asking price was simply viewed as excessive by the Southend-based chain.

“This has been a very exciting four weeks for PMT,” concluded Gilson. “It stands there alongside our opening day in Southend in 1991 and the opening of our Birmingham superstore. After the disappointment of the Academy and Turnkey negotiations, I have to say it is sweet to finally get Turnkey, as well as a couple of Academy stores.”

PMT was also able to confirm that the respective managers of the stores listed above, Colin Ford, Carl Jones and Giles Massingham, would continue in their roles, as well as all the store staff being kept on."- M.I Pro

This fascinates me- what are PMT going to do that is so different from Sound Control? They will be stocking the same products selling at silly prices! I fully expect to see them pop in 3 years...Th purchase of Turnkey and Soho Soundhouse is an interesting one. Turnkey has got a great web site so i can see their thiking behind this one however i still dont understand in the long run what they expect to do differently from the wy Sound Control ran the establishments. I guess we will wait and see.

LIMS Latest...

Record numbers promise best UK MI trade show for decades
With just eight days to go until the first London International Music Show (LIMS), the organiser of the show, MB Events is reporting pre-registration trade figures that are already going way beyond the numbers of the best of the most recent BMF trade shows. With trade registrations reportedly increasing by several dozen per day – and the traditionally good turnouts from the public at shows such as Drummer Live and the London Guitar Show (which go to make up two of the four shows at LIMS) the MI industry in the UK is daring to compare the new show to the halcyon days of the BMF in the 1980s at Olympia.

Clive Morton of MB has told MI Pro that all the VIP trade badges have now been mailed, but added that more can still be done. “If you know a retailer who for what ever reason has not received their badge, they can phone 0844 557 2388 to trace their badges, or they can collect them at the trade desk in the concourse,” he said.

He went on to point out that, as an added incentive, trade visitors do not have to pre-register. They can simply turn up and register at the trade desk. They must, however, bring some form of ID to prove that they work in the MI industry.

“If dealers do register online,” continued Morton, “it gives them instant access to the show at any of the five entrances instantly.”

I am pretty excited about this now. I have my V.I.P Pass from Ashton Music and i will be there on the Thursday looks like it's going to be great...

Hi,

Sound control went into administration a few weeks back which was a huge deal in the music industry. Apparently they turned over something silly like £60 million a year and to go bust on that is mind boggling. It is reported that certain suppliers lost upwards of £1 million, some even more.

I was trying to work out whether this is a good thing for me o not; on one hand it is one less competition company but on the other hand they were mainly a retail shop something I admired as there are lots of companies out there who trash there prices stick stuff on the web with little or no customer service and expect to do well.

It is reported that quite a few of the current "big boys" are going to take control of some of the shops. I wonder how they are going to be any different form Sound Control and also how they expect Supplier confidence when they have just lost millions; what are they going to be able to do that Sound Control didn't? I personally will never go down the route of having huge retail stores as I think that it will be impossible to survive that way. You have to stock too much, employ too many staff and incur too much costs i.e. huge rent. However opening a new shop is high on my priority list, albeit a smaller operation.

I see no reason why a shop half the size of the Sound control stores wouldn't do well and this is how I will expand creating a fantastic atmosphere in the shop also.

These are testing times for the music industry, it will be those that are smart enough that will survive because if you aren’t prepare to go bust!

Hello,

My name is Matt Jonns and i run a company called Umbrella Music. www.umbrellamusic.co.uk

I am 20 years old which some would say is young to be doing what i am doing and in some respects it is. Everyday i deal with issues most other 20 year olds are not dealing with; Tax, VAT, wages, bills etc. These are the bad bits about running your own business but there are many exciting challenges that i meet every day.

One of the most rewarding things i have ever experienced is working my ass of and it working and me getting a new customer who wants to spend a good ammount of money with me. Alot of our buisness come form the Education sector and this requires an immense ammount of work, which sometimes results in not atually getting the contract. That can be hard to take.

This current climate may not be the best time to be going into business. With the credit crunch, oil prices it appears people have less money than ever to be purchasing musical instruments but sometimes you have to be optimistic. The glass is always half full for me

I have a good unit of staff; from my sales team to my teachers and technicians who are great to work with. Without good staff you can't get anywhere.

So if your not too busy check out my site and give me some feedback it's early days so any comments will eb evry welcome!