Library

Library & Resource Center

Established in 1946 when NAMM was only 45 years old, the NAMM Resource Center provides its Members, the media, academic researchers and the general public with access to historical data about this great industry.

Scope
The broader scope of the collections is the history of the music products industry. Within that broader scope, materials are categorized into five main subject categories:

  • NAMM History
  • Manufacturer History
  • Retail History
  • Music History (especially as it pertains to instrument and product innovations)
  • Legacy Collections

Drawing on more than a century of NAMM research, records and archives, the Resource Center has access to everything from statistical records on retail music products sales to videotaped interviews with more than 1,000 of the people who have shaped this industry's history.

We hope you find what you're looking for right here, but if you have any questions, please contact us at 760.438.8001 or via e-mail at library@namm.org.

Publications

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PLAYback Magazine

Previous issues of PLAYback can be viewed in the ARCHIVES section of nxtbook. PLAYback is NAMM's quarterly publication providing Members...
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2009 NAMM Global Report featuring Music USA

NAMM's mission is to unify, lead and strengthen the global music products industry and to increase active participation in music making. In addition,...
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Cost of Doing Business

Thank you to the Retail Members who participated in the 2009 Cost of Doing Business Survey!
NAMM Member participants will receive access to a...

Oral History

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Oral History Video Clip Tutorial

Click on this image to view a brief tutorial on how to easily navigate NAMM Oral History Video Clips.
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Phillipp Alexander

Philipp Alexander is proud of his musical past. His family formed Musik-Alexander in Mainz, Germany in 1782. They began as brass instrument makers...
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Rosemary Bailey

Rosemary Bailey was ten years old when she was hired by Hammond as a concert artist. Over the years, she took part in the growth of the organ market...
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Rich Berger

Richard Berger is the President of Grover Musical Products. Richard also oversaw the Trophy Grover Company as well as Grossman Musical Products,...
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Ingbert Bluthner

Ingbert Bluthner followed in the rich history of his family tradition of building world-class pianos. Under Ingbert’s leadership the company...
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Brenda Dillon

Brenda Dillon has played a vital role in the development and acceptance of group piano lessons based on the concept of recreational music making. As...
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Duane Eddy

Duane Eddy has been a strong influence on generations of guitarists and played a key role in making instrumental songs viable as hit makers in...

In Memoriam

Remembering oral history interviewees who passed away in 2009.

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Gordon Keller

Gordon Keller owned and operated a string of piano stores in and around northern Virginia and became a much-celebrated figure in the area due to his...
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Lee O'Connor

Lee O’Connor was a noted trombone player in the golden era of the big bands. His experience on the radio, traveling from town to town for name...
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Vic Mizzy

Vic Mizzy wrote a number of hit songs for popular music, movies and television beginning in the 1940s. He wrote “The Jones Boy” for the...
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Sam Hinton

Sam Hinton was a national treasure. It seems appropriate to use that term when talking about him because he become an important and invaluable...
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Lucien Wulsin

Lucien Wulsin’s grandfather was taught the piano business by D. W. Baldwin, the founder of the world-famous piano company. What he learned was...
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Les Paul

Les Paul will forever be known for his role in the popularity of the electric guitar, the design of the Gibson Les Paul guitar, the multi track...
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George Fullerton

George Fullerton befriended Leo Fender back in the days before Leo quit the radio repair business and started in the guitar making business. George...

What's New

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NAMM'S Oral History Interview with Ravi Shankar

Ravi Shankar was called the Godfather of World Music by his longtime friend George Harrison. Ravi’s role in bringing Indian music to the world...

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Oldest Known NAMM Member Photo Donated

NAMM Receives Donation of Photograph Depicting Membership In 1915 from Granddaughter of Past President Alfred LaMotte NAMM recently announced that...
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Dan Del Fiorentino receives the 2009 Sandy Feldstein Service Award from RPMDA

  The 2009 RPMDA Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah, attracted over 200 attendees, including 45 exhibitors and approximately 40 first-time...
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NAMM Resource Center Receives Magazine Donations To Build Industry's History Library

Vintage Publications Capture Important People, Companies and Events That Shaped the Industry A collection of music trade magazines covering a...
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NAMM Adds 38 Industry Interviews to Its Historical Archive During the 2009 NAMM Show

NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry, recently announced that its resource center staff completed 38 interviews...

In Memoriam: a Tribute to Industry Leaders

Each year, our passion-driven industry gathers at the NAMM Show.  It is a time to buy and sell, a time to see old friends and make new...
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Industry Legend Henry Z. Steinway Passes Away at 93

Henry Z. Steinway was quite articulate when speaking about the incredible history of the Steinway and Sons Piano Company.  One could say that...

© 2009 NAMM, the International Music Products Association