aVeub'rT (oAse5 GOODNEIHBOR ocotorfo E nesspersons, the industry will be a Lot better in the future." Getting For Don Rose, it was a double -team effort by Dreese and involved with Wenick that brought him aboard. the Berklee "They painted a picture of the Berklee trusteeship that would be Newbury Chain Is A College of challenging, rewarding and fun," Music was a Rose says. "I'm grateful to both unique way for both Berklee of them for having made the Member -In -Sp frit effort, as I'm really enjoying my myself and Newbury COLLEGE OF MUSIC involvement. In some ways, Mike Comics to give some- is my model for the kind of corn - Of The CIMS Team to com- munity involvement that I was thing back the looking for - Berklee is special munity," says Mike because it's directly relevant to music. Dreese, Newbury Comics' "I'm tremendously impressed with the amount of time and effort that Mike puts in BY TRRY BARNêS CEO. As first a trustee, and as a trustee and chairman of what is the now chairman, of Berklee's college's fund raising entity," continues Rose. "He has been the chair of the annual Institutional Development fund -raising gala for several years and has Committee, Dreese has been a generous contributor himself in raised hundreds of thou- many ways." The Coalition of Independent Music Stores Gary Burton, Berklee executive VP, puts it (CIMS) was born in 1995 at the National Association Of sands of dollars for the in perspective. "There's this terrific connec- Independent Record Dealers (since renamed Association For school's endowment and tion with what Newbury Comics does in Independent Music, AFIM) convention in San Francisco. Sitting in a bringing contemporary music into their ongoing programs. room with 15 other independent retailers, Don VanCleave -owner of stores and what Berklee does in preparing Magic Platter in Birmingham -found himself in unusual company. Dreese had been involved in music ther- young musicians to go into this industry," apy with the Boston Institute for Art he says. "Mike chose to become involved on "I was an indie -store businessman for some time," he recalls, "and I Therapy, and, when Berklee added music the committee and then as chair because he never had dialogue with other indies." therapy as a new major several years ago, Berklee's Gary Burton would have the most impact for the college The meeting took on momentum as the he came on board. "Before I made a corn - with his many contacts in the industry. retailers fleshed out the idea of an organiza- mitment, I surveyed the landscape, as it was very important "Mike not only is a successful businessman, but he gen- tion of indie stores that would share informa- for both credibility and fund -raising efforts," Dreese recalls. uinely loves the music and wants it to succeed in many tion and try to capture a portion of the promo- "Quincy Jones was an early alumnus, but Berklee has only ways," Burton adds. "He has stayed very close to the bands tional dollars that were flowing from labels to been a for-profit school for about 25 years. I saw a lot of and the musicians -the real essence of Berklee's mission. challenges and some ways I could really help make a differ- His fund -raising activities have brought in a Lot of dollars mostly large chains. ence." through donations of sales on his Wicked Disc label and In the same room was Mike Dreese, founder One of his first goals was to involve more music -industry other galas to provide scholarships to our summer music of Newbury Comics, then a 15 -store chain COALITION INDEPENDENT executives on the board, including Paul Wenick, then Boston camp for at -risk public- school kids, and to [provide for] our that was already an anti -establishment suc- manager for PolyGram Distribution; Tim Collins, for- own endowment." branch cess story. MUSIC mer Aerosmith manager and head of his own management "We agreed right then and there that he was STORES firm; and Don Rose, president and co- founder of Rykodisc. "When I had Aerosmith, Mike and I did all kinds of good too big to be part of what we're doing," things together," Collins says. "He is the quintessential recalls VanCleave, now managing director of CIMS. But, in spirit, capitalist- with -a- conscience. Mike is in the middle of any Dreese was already a member. He wanted to help. good cause in Boston related to music. At Berklee, he's been "I'm not a founder of CIMS," says Dreese, "I'm more like their innovative and creative to overcome that part of academia godfather." He was willing to share his own trade secrets with fellow resists change of any kind. He's very inclusive in his that indie retailers. approach, and what I love best about Mike is that you always know where you stand with him-he's a real straight - shooter. INVITING THE COMPETITION "With all the things we've learned in this business, we've got CIMS chairman Terry Currier, owner of Music Millennium, recalls to give back and help make it even better," Collins adds. "If we Dreese's generosity. "A couple years ago, Mike invited me to come help to train the next generation of musicians to be better busi- to a Newbury event with Radiohead and the Dandy Warhols," Currier explains. "He even offered to put me up and all! Could you imagine Best Buy inviting Circuit City, or Tower inviting Wherehouse to one of their shindigs ?" "Some of us have flown to Boston to see Newbury's computer systems and all their operations," says VanCleave. "I've seen Lee Berk Dreese With Berklee's President Eliot Mike sacrifice weekends to take a couple guys on tours of his stores. We've all elevated the way we do business because of Mike. ONE -STOP PROMOTING Today, CIMS represents 65 of the most aggressive independent retailers in the country. "Together, we're over $100 million in annual retail sales -about the same as one good -sized chain." VanCleave says. For record companies, the coalition is a force in breaking new artists. Labels can set up promotions with 65 stores with one phone call -not 65. VanCleave and other CIMS members meet up with Dreese at a IO COLLEW A variety of retail conventions, where they compare notes on the ÑEW&UKY 606 FOK CAuSE marketplace. "I see Mike Dreese more than I see my relatives -probably once STEUE TRH111lRN a month," says VanCleave. "You can hang out with any of the BY Newbury executive staff, and they're all very smart." 56 BILLBOARD SALUTE BILLBOARD MARCH 6, 1999 www.americanradiohistory.com.