SKF NOTE: Drummer and music educator Sonny Igoe was a longtime Modern Drummer Advisory Board Member.

Igoe and the other Board Members really did advise MD, particularly Founder/Publisher Ron Spagnardi. MD relied on the Members’ experience to guide some policy decisions, to write columns, make recommendations, and to provide answers to reader questions.

It may have been all of them, but certainly some MD Advisory Board Members were kind enough to endorse MD through in-house advertising.

This letter from Sonny Igoe both advises Spagnardi and endorses the magazine.

“I have been an M.D. subscriber since it’s (sic) inception and have fully enjoyed it.

“However, I think that the magazine should be provided at no cost to members of the advisory board, in exchange for whatever prestige the use of our names lend to the publication. It’s not a question of being too cheap to buy it, which most of us do or would do anyway, because we like it.

“It’s a matter of principle. Many of the board members I’ve spoken to feel the same, whether or not they have ever mentioned it or not. No matter what, I’ll still subscribe!”

Both Igoe and Spagnardi had understandable positions. Board Members serving without compensation adds a measure of credibility to their work. As with almost any small business, MD was likely running on a single-digit profit margin. Every dollar counted.

But what would it have really cost to provide Board Members free magazine subscriptions? It would have been a nice gesture.

Maybe after reading Igoe’s advice, Spagnardi did offer Board Members free or discounted subscriptions. I don’t know.