The relationship between Emergenza and MAPEX is fairly new – it started in 2001. Even if the two of them don’t often talk, there is a special spark between them. Maybe you are wondering why we are telling you all this, and what it has to do with you... To help you understand this little romance better, we talked with Daniel Yen, Product Manager at MAPEX Taiwan. He’s 33 years old, has been working at MAPEX for 10 years, and is very involved with his company. “My biggest dream is to market MAPEX to be one of the most powerful global brands in the entire music industry”. He is very focused on smart brand management integration, including global marketing and sales. But let’s start off by telling you a little something about this company. MAPEX is the factory brand name for drums made by K.H.S. Musical Instrument Company Ltd.. K.H.S. Musical Instrument Company Ltd. makes all types of percussion as well as fine band and orchestra instruments. MAPEX drums are more than wood and metallic chambers having other metal parts that tighten a head, they are precision instruments whose tuning and voicing are like no other because of KHS' unique manufacturing capabilities and their association with the world's top professionals. Asking Daniel about what makes a drummer special, he answers: “A drummer is a unique musician. But most importantly, a drummer, like all musicians, has to be unique for himself. Only in this way can he create something important for society”. Which really gives us some insight into how MAPEX looks at its clients. They are not just customers, but somebody they want to encourage, “to provide with the tools he needs, wants and can afford, to help him enjoy his music and to share the joy of drumming”. It’s evident that the company’s goal can be found in this statement. To realize this goal MAPEX is constantly “creating better equipment with good sound at a reasonable price, for young drummers who have less $$$ in their pockets”. The Research and Development team is made up of craftspeople with extraordinary knowledge about how quality sound functions, and is produced from all types of wood and metal, including precious metals. Artists who play on MAPEX instruments are actively involved in testing new designs and innovations. I asked Daniel what’s new at MAPEX and of particular interest to our drummers. Answer: “The latest product is the Janus Ergo pedal. Its interchangeable ergo plates provide drummers with more powerful and sensitive foot control”. Now maybe you are thinking: What about the relationship you were talking about at the beginning of this article? As Daniel puts it, “the cooperation between Emergenza and MAPEX is very positive because Emergenza is helping to pull musicians together to create music, and MAPEX is wholeheartedly in support of that. Since MAPEX supports various school rock music clubs and several community musical activities, it’s makes sense to support Emergenza with the equipment they need too. In this way Emergenza helps MAPEX to promote the brand name that is so well-known by musicians”. To sum it all up: As people always learn from people, as the present rock generation thrives on a varied musical environment, as musicians need contact with many different types of music to make their own music come alive, what could be better than a relationship between a music festival like Emergenza and a company like MAPEX? For more details about MAPEX and its products visit: www.mapexdrums.com