20 Years of Showing Up: NAMM Brings the Music Products Industry to Capitol Hill
May 22, 2026
For five days in May, the music products industry made Washington, D.C., its home — and Capitol Hill its stage.
This year’s NAMM Advocacy D.C. Fly-In marked the 20th anniversary of the event, as 100 member delegates and partners from 74 companies representing all 50 states came to Capitol Hill with two goals: ask Congress to protect federal funding for music education and request tariff exemptions for musical instruments, along with the components and raw materials used to make them. What unfolded was a demonstration of what organized, passionate, industry-wide advocacy looks like when it’s done right.
About the NAMM Advocacy Fly-In
For two decades, NAMM has brought the music products industry to Washington, D.C., for its annual Fly-In. The annual multi-day event unites music retailers, manufacturers, educators and advocates from across the country to meet directly with members of Congress and their staff on the issues that matter most to the industry.
Delegates are trained and prepared to make the case for sustained federal investment in music education and, in recent years, trade policies that protect the supply chains the industry depends on. The Fly-In is built on the belief that personal relationships and direct conversations move policy, and that the people closest to music — the ones who make music products, sell them, teach how to play or use them and champion music education in their communities — are the most powerful advocates for it.
Training Delegates on Briefing Day
Before any delegate walked into a congressional office for meetings, they spent a full day training. Legislative Director and Counsel for Representative April McClain Delaney (MD-6) Andrew Donlon kicked off the day and provided critical information on how to have effective meetings and impressed upon delegates the importance of making a personal connection.
Delegates also heard from experts on the federal funding for education landscape and studied NAMM’s music education ask: Increase Title I-A and Title II-A, and fund Title IV-A at its authorized level of $1.6 billion. On tariffs, the training covered the legal authorities driving current trade actions and the direct impact on HTS Chapter 92, the classification covering musical instruments and their components. Modeled congressional meetings and a storytelling workshop with Slapdash Productions founder, artist and advocate J. Dash ensured that by the time delegates arrived on the Hill, they were ready to deliver their message about the life-changing power of music education and the need for tariff exemptions.
Delegates Met With Critical Committee Members on Tariff Relief
NAMM President and CEO John Mlynczak set the stage the week before the Fly-In, when he testified about the impacts of current and possible tariffs before the Section 301 Committee. Then, during the Fly-In, Mlynczak held several high-level meetings with key members of Congress, where NAMM’s advocacy connected to those close to the decision-making table.
The tariff delegation, led by former NAMM Chair and former President of Yamaha Corp. of America Tom Sumner, focused on members of the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee, making a specific case for Chapter 92 exemptions that would protect supply chains and the small businesses and school music programs that depend on them.
Delegates Advocated for Funding and Access to Music Education
The meetings held around music education advocacy were equally impressive. Delegates held an estimated 150 meetings with members of Congress, congressional staff and legislative aides — reaching senators on the Appropriations and HELP Committees, House members on Education and the Workforce and appropriators on both sides of the aisle from states across the country.
Among the week's meaningful moments was John Mlynczak's presentation to Congressman Jim Clyburn (SC-6) of a music history sign curated by the Smithsonian Institution. South Carolina's creative economy supports nearly 68,000 jobs and contributes $9.4 billion to the state's economy (NEA/BEA Arts and Cultural Production, 2023) — a reminder that this is not just a cultural conversation but also an economic one.
Star Power on Capitol Hill
The 2026 Fly-In brought exceptional artist advocates to Washington. Miss America 2026 Cassie Donegan, whose platform centers on promoting arts education in schools, was present from the first day to the last — connecting with students at the Day of Service, holding meetings with senators from Tennessee and New York and performing at both the NAMM Jam and the bipartisan Congressional Record event on Capitol Hill.
Queen Cora Coleman — an internationally acclaimed drummer, producer and entrepreneur, whose career spans more than 40 countries and includes performing alongside Prince and Beyoncé — joined the Texas delegation, attended the Day of Service, presented Congressman Lloyd Doggett (TX-37) with the SupportMusic Champion Award and performed at both the NAMM Jam and the Congressional Record events.
Together, these artists supported the industry's message at every turn.
Three Signature Events Highlighted the Power of Music
The Day of Service. Modeled after the successful Network with the Pros event at The NAMM Show, 45 music industry professionals spent Monday afternoon talking honestly with D.C. high school students about the skills cultivated through music education and what a life in music can look like — a reminder of why this industry makes this trip every year.
The SupportMusic Champion Award Reception and NAMM Jam. On Tuesday evening, NAMM presented the SupportMusic Champion Award to the co-chairs of the Congressional Musicians' Caucus: Congressman Ron Estes (KS-4) and Congressman Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), both of whom champion music and arts education across the aisle. Later that evening, the third annual NAMM Jam — curated once again by Mike Risko of Mike Risko Music and sponsored by Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center — featured performances by Miss America 2026 Cassie Donegan, iconic percussionist Queen Cora Coleman, Capitol Hill staffers and over a dozen NAMM member delegates.
Congressional Record Event: A Bipartisan Celebration of Music Making. Held Wednesday evening on Capitol Hill in conjunction with the Congressional Musicians' Caucus and the Congressional Arts Caucus, Congressional Record is a bipartisan event celebrating the unifying power of America's musical, artistic and cultural heritage. The event, in its second year, highlights the positive impact that music and arts education and cultural preservation have on communities across the country. Co-organized by NAMM, Congressional Record, the Smithsonian Institution, the Recording Industry Association of America, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of State Humanities Councils and Americans for the Arts, the event showcased the musical talents of members of Congress performing with special guests, including Miss America 2026 Cassie Donegan on vocals and Queen Cora Coleman on percussion. The bipartisan event made clear exactly why this work matters.
Take It to the States With the SupportMusic Coalition
The Fly-In closed with a "Take It to the States" session that turned the week's energy forward, guided by Music for All Advocacy Committee Chair Anne Fennell. Critical state education data and resources provided by Arts Education Partnership Director Jamie Kasper gave delegates powerful information for their work at home. Team Indiana — representing Conn Selmer, Music for All, W.H. Paige & Co. and the Percussive Arts Society — served as a case study in what sustained state-level advocacy looks like in practice. The message was clear: Federal advocacy in May only moves the needle when it is backed up by engagement at home, in state capitals, at school board meetings and in community conversations that shape music education outcomes.
The SupportMusic Coalition exists to make that work possible — connecting music educators, retailers, manufacturers, parents, students and advocates in a national movement. Join at https://www.namm.org/support-music/coalition.
2026 Fly-In Participants
5 Core Inc
Absolute Music
All County Music
Alliance of Independent Music Merchants
American String Teachers Association
AmpRx
Aulson Inlay LLC
Bandwagon Music & Repair
Bertrand Music
Brass Bell Music
Brighton Music Center
C. F. Martin & Co., Inc.
Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center
CMA Foundation
Conn Selmer
Connolly Music Company
Creative Music Center
Day Violins
Dietze Music
Duke of Pearl LLC
EarthQuaker Devices
Eastman Music Company
Eckroth Music
Electric Violin Shop
Ernie Williamson, Inc
F-flat Books
First Note Music Consulting
Friedman, Kannenberg & Company, P.C.
FU-Tone / EVH
Full Compass Systems Ltd
Gator Cases
Greenblum & Bernstein, P.L.C.
Hosa Technology, Inc.
Houghton Music, LLC
Icon Studios
ILMEA
Inspire EDU
Island Music Co.
Johnson String Instrument
Jordan Kitt's Music
KHS America
Korg USA, Inc.
Latinfiddler Music Productions
Lion Global
Maple Leaf Strings
Marshall Music Company
Mas Y Mas
Mike Risko Music
Miss America 2026
Music & Arts
Music for All
Music Will
NAfME
New York Sound and Hearing
Pennsylvania Music Educators Association
Percussive Arts Society
Prince William County Public Schools
QSC
Save the Music Foundation
Sims Music, Inc.
SlapDash Productions
Spicer's Music
Swanson Consulting/Association for Popular Music Education
Ted Brown Music
The Band Shoppe MD
The College Music Society
The Music Shoppe
The University of South Carolina
Tim's Music
W.H. Paige & Co., Inc.
We Pay the Tariffs
White House of Music
Xchange Market USA, LLC
Yamaha Corporation of America