One of the key exhibitors at this year’s Music Ireland ‘06 will be Roland, an internationally-respected brand whose involvement shows how seriously the musical instrument community views the event.

As one of the first supporters of Music Ireland, the chief executive of Roland Ireland, Gerry Forde, is delighted the weekend has become so successful so quickly.

“It was great to make it happen the first year, to justify our initial faith in the concept,” he says, “but it’s even more rewarding to see so many new exhibitors come aboard for this year. Having the support of Hot Press has been invaluable to the credibility and the profile of the event.”

Given that he was a musician himself with ‘80s Dublin rock outfit Eugene, Forde has the advantage of having seen the musical business from both sides of the counter.

He’s been a stalwart of the Irish industry since the mid ‘80s, and has no doubt about the importance of Music Ireland to the industry here.

“It’s hugely important to the industry,” he maintains. “Prior to Music Ireland coming into being, there was no real focal point for what is a very sizeable industry in Ireland. There was nowhere we could go to swap ideas and nowhere even to discuss problems of mutual concern. Thanks to Music Ireland, all that’s changed and it makes me feel very positive about the future of the industry.”

But what does the event mean to Roland as a major brand on both the Irish and international market? “It’s an essential event for us. It gives us a chance to exhibit our products to our end-users, the musicians. But it’s a two-way thing. It’s just as important that it gives us the chance to talk to, for example, drummers and to listen to them and their problems and their needs – so that we can respond to those needs and explore how we can meet them in the future.”

The Roland stand at Music Ireland ‘06 will contain virtually the entire range of the company’s offerings, with special emphasis on e-drum products, as well as lots of guitars, stage pianos and synths. But there’s bound to be a lot of interest in a more recent development, the increasing popularity of home digital pianos for both professionals and non-pros.

“This is a growing end of the market,” Gerry says, “and Music Ireland ‘06 is the perfect opportunity for us to show what’s available from Roland.”

Jackie Hayden