In 1972 when Ikutaro Kakehashi founded Roland, the music industry was an entirely different animal. Major labels and vinyl records were on the rise, cassettes had barely come out and downloading wasn’t even on anyone’s radar. Even so, the company was committed to serving artists and musicians with the design, manufacturing and distribution of electronic musical instruments, professional audio equipment and music accessories. And while few artists from that period of rock ’n’ roll history are still going strong, Roland has maintained its longevity, becoming the world’s leader in all of the aforementioned areas, along with a multitude of multimedia products.

A quick perusal of the Internet, CD browser bins or any instrument store will point out an illustrious list of artists throughout the years who’ve used Roland’s products both onstage, in the studio, in rehearsal settings and even for personal enjoyment. Though the company doesn’t have an official artist program, some of its contemporary Christian/worship artist partnerships include Lincoln Brewster, Marcus Cole, Tommy Walker, Israel Houghton and Michael Hodge.

Though every season of Roland’s catalog includes ambitious new products and cutting-edge instrument-related inventions, this summer’s is destined to be one of the most exciting to date. The company is currently promoting the Edirol R-09 Wave/MP3 Recorder and the Roland RD-700SX Digital Stage Piano. In fact the R-09 has recently won many awards from the industry, including E-Gear’s Editors Choice Award and the International Academy of Science “Award for the Most Outstanding Technology of the Year.”

Of course, Roland’s most famous lines of pianos, organs, keyboards, guitars, basses, drums, percussion, recording gear and video performance tools remain available—though updated models are constantly being developed to utilize today’s top technology. And outside of strictly retail contexts, the company also hosts a variety of clinics (relating to keyboards, recording, guitar and percussion) throughout the year.

If your garage-band budget doesn’t allow you to experience a clinic in person, you can instead be a part of Roland’s expansive online community. Musicians on all levels can take advantage of several tracks, such as the Roland Users Group Insider, Track Talk, Music Education and even the spiritually slanted Worship Connection.

Promotions also abound on the site, which at press time ran the gamut of scoring Bass Synth Patches, free VS-Plug-Ins, a JUNO-G Expansion & Gig Bag, plus a CR-7800 Sound Set. Those bonus items are merely icing on the cake of this all-encompassing instrumental organization, sure to set trends well into the future just as it has for the past 35 years.

For additional information of services, products and promotions, log onto www.rolandus.com.