NAMM Welcomes Winner of Peter Gabriel's Remix Competition to Its Wanna Play? Booth at X Games 15

NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry, today announced that it will be hosting the winner of a recent Peter Gabriel remix competition at its Wanna Play? Interactive Music Pavilion located inside X Games 15 at the Home Depot Center starting today.

NAMM’s guest of honor is Mike Gorman of Morgan City, La., who won for his “LizardMix” of “Games Without Frontiers,” featuring lyrical complements by Lord Jamar of the hip-hop group Brand Nubian. Gorman’s remix will be the theme song for this summer’s X Games.

NAMM sponsored the competition with ESPN and Peter Gabriel’s RealWorldRemixed.com as part of its public awareness campaign called Wanna Play?, which encourages people to experience the proven benefits of making music. More than 240 contestants produced and submitted their unique remix of the Peter Gabriel song Online, providing them with a hands-on experience with this style of music making.

“Remixing is an art form that can be a fun and creative way for people to express themselves musically,” said Jeff Livingston, of NAMM’s market development department. “That’s really what this effort is all about for NAMM—to get people excited about expressing their musical side.”

"The art of remixing is important to me as I believe it brings an artist’s work to audiences who may have never heard of or even considered listening to a song in its original form until someone mixes it up with new ethnic or contemporary styling,” said Gorman. “The music, in part or in whole, gets to live on in new creative processes for different generations and cultures to enjoy. There are so many musical compositions just waiting to be retooled with new ideas and shared with others of varied musical backgrounds and tastes. Perhaps in some cases, these remixes can help deliver a message that needs to be told again. "

The Wanna Play? 40’x40’ Interactive Music Pavilion at this year’s X Games will provide attendees the chance to play electric drum kits, keyboards, synthesizers, guitars, basses, and DJ turntables with mixers. There will also be a small area for impromptu jam sessions and live performances by action sports athletes and Wanna Play? campaign supporters such as BMX pro Adam Banton and legendary skater Ray Barbee.

According to Livingston, a high number of action sports athletes play music and embrace the activity as a creative outlet such as Olympic gold medalist Shaun White, pro skater Mike Vallely, BMX pro Taj Mihelich and BMX pro and former X Games gold medalist Bruce Crisman.

“Having the music-making pavilion available to kids, teens and adults at an event like this is key to helping people recognize that playing an instrument can be a positive experience and can provide a similar type of excitement and energy that action sports offers,” Livingston said.

To hear the winning remix of “Games Without Frontiers,” visit www.RealWorldRemixed.com. To learn more about NAMM’s Wanna Play? campaign and to locate a music store retailer or music lessons being offered near you, go to www.wannaplaymusic.com.