NAMM Announces Wanna Play Week, May 5–9

NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry, today announced that May 5–9, 2008, will officially be known as Wanna Play Music Week, a time to recognize the vital role music and music education plays in the lives of all Americans.

Kicking off Wanna Play Music Week on May 5, NAMM will lead U.S. musicians, music organizations and music lovers everywhere to join with the Canadian-based Coalition for Music Education in its fourth annual Music Monday celebration.

On Music Monday, NAMM will invite music makers and musicians from American symphony orchestras, rock bands, jazz ensembles, school bands, as well as hip-hop, rap, blues and folk artists to perform the same song together on the same day and at the same exact time—to demonstrate music's importance in our lives.

The Music Monday song will be "Our Song," composed by Canadian singer/songwriters Amanda Walther and Sheila Carabine, DALA. The song (in many arrangements) can be downloaded at www.musicmonday.ca.

Wanna Play Music Week is part of NAMM’s nationwide Wanna Play? campaign dedicated to increasing awareness of the proven benefits of playing musical instruments for people of all ages. For more information, interested parties can visit
www.wannaplaymusic.com.

"The members of NAMM and its many partners across the country believe in the power of music and music education in our lives and our schools," said Joe Lamond, president and CEO, NAMM. "On the first Monday of May, the United States and Canada will create the first North American demonstration of this belief in music and we'll invite anyone who wants to play or sing along to join the celebration."