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YAMAHA'S GLENDA PLUMMER SHARES CAREER VIEWS WITH STUDENTS —Marketing Manager Joins SUNY Potsdam "Women in Music Business" Roundtable— GRAND RAPIDS, MI (April 16, 2001)—Glenda Plummer, senior marketing manager for Yamaha Corporation of America's Band & Orchestral Division, offered the benefit of her experience to future professionals on April 5 as a participant in the "Women Executives in Music Business" roundtable hosted by the Crane Institute for Music Business at the State University of New York at Potsdam.
Plummer, a 17-year veteran at Yamaha, was one of four female industry executives who visited classes and exchanged views in a special group discussion. More than 100 students planning careers in the music business attended the annual event. "I believe we had a powerful impact on the students," Plummer says. "The caliber of women on the panel was excellent, and so was the chemistry of the group. It's gratifying to turn around after the better part of two decades and find that my experiences can be useful and interesting to other people just starting out." During the panel discussion, the women executives addressed such topics as the history of women in the industry, how each panelist got her start, who their personal mentors were, the current status of women in the music business, wage fairness, and prospects for the future. Plummer's co-panelists were Sally Covaleskie, director of institutional sales for Steinway & Sons in New York; Carol Colato, president of J.D. Calato Manufacturing in Niagara Falls, NY; and Laurie Orr, manager of Brasswind and Woodwind in New York. Before convening their roundtable, the executives talked with students in several class sessions including "Women in Music", "Principles of Management", "Approaches to Women's Studies", "Mass Media and Society", and "Human Resources Management." Plummer says her own path to success in the music industry—as an influential decision–maker with the world's largest manufacturer of musical instruments—grew out of the value she found in the industry's atmosphere and personal relationships. "I was born and raised in Grand Rapids, and at first I selected Yamaha as an international corporation that would be an excellent place for me to work," she recalls. "I didn't know how right I was. The whole industry is so up-close and personal. And it's a wonderful feeling to know the work you do every day is putting musical instruments in the hands of kids who enjoy them." Her advice for young women hoping to embark on music careers is direct. "I would recommend that young women who are interested in the music business determine where they want to go, and go there," she asserts. "You need to persevere." She has great confidence in the next generation of music executives. "The young women I saw were very focused and very aware," she notes. "I think they're inspiring—they are bright, thoughtful young people. Somehow, they're braver than we were. They have a broad spectrum of opportunities, and they're more determined to take their place in the industry." For more information, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Band & Orchestral Division, 3445 East Paris Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49518; telephone (616) 940-4900; e-mail info@yamaha.com; or visit the Yamaha Web site at www.yamaha.com/band.
© 2001 Yamaha
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