News Releases

 NAMM, the National Association of Music Merchants, announced today that it will join the Coalition for Music Education in Canada in its sixth annual Music Monday event May 3, 2010, to demonstrate the importance of music education programs throughout North America, and to celebrate the many proven benefits of playing music for people of all ages.

 As the industry was conducting big business at the 2010 NAMM Show, college students hoping to break into the music products business were at the event learning lessons from seasoned professionals and gaining valuable insight about the trade.  For the first time, the NAMM Foundation hosted the recipients of its Music Products Industry Scholarships and President’s Innovation Awards to offer the best and brightest music product industry hopefuls first-hand industry experience at the NAMM Show.

NAMM today announced its search for a new staff director to manage market outreach and retailer promotion activities in order to increase active participation in music making. The Director of Market Development position will create and maintain national partnerships and promotions that will be executed in local markets to directly impact NAMM Member retail stores. Significant executive level music products industry experience is a key requirement.

 The NAMM Foundation announced today that it is now accepting applications for Music Products Industry Scholarships for the 2010 fall semester. The program supports individuals enrolled in college and university music education or music business programs who are preparing for careers in the music products industry.

While the 2010 NAMM Show drew thousands of music product retailers and dealers wanting to explore the latest trends and innovations from industry manufacturers, an event hosted by the NAMM Foundation called “Music Education Days” welcomed educators to attend the trade-only show and gain valuable insight about the best products that can be used specifically in school music education programs.

To help Members better understand and comply with the upcoming April 1, 2010 deadline of the Lacey Act, NAMM will host an informative, free Webinar on March 15 at 9 a.m. PDT.

Despite the economic downturn, corporate bands around the world are turning up the volume and discovering the fun and many stress-relieving and team-building benefits of playing music together in company bands. For the past decade, the best of these groups have competed for bragging rights and big prizes in the Fortune Battle of the Corporate Bands.

In an effort to promote the need for more music and arts education opportunities for children the Ad Council has teamed up with Americans for the Arts and the NAMM Foundation to announce the launch of new newspaper and magazine public service advertisements (PSAs) from The Arts. Ask for More. campaign. The PSAs are an extension of an ongoing national PSA campaign launched in 2001 and designed to increase parental involvement in championing music and arts education both in and out of school, including through community programs.

The NAMM Foundation's Wanna Play Fund will again be the beneficiary of a donation from former Gov.Mike Huckabee and the Huckabee program on FOX as identical twin brothers, Terry and Jerry Lynn, will produce an original painting during the show this weekend that will be auctioned on eBay to benefit the Fund.

The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) today announced that it has joined the list of organizations supporting the What’s Your Issue Song Competition designed to give youth around the world a positive outlet to express themselves using music.

 The NAMM Foundation announced today that applications can now be submitted for consideration for  a William R. Gard Memorial Scholarship.  The deadline for submitting an application is May 1, 2010. Employees of NAMM Member companies who are pursuing education or careers in the music products industry are encouraged to review grant guidelines at www.nammfoundation.org and submit an online application.  

From the classroom to the main stage, teen band After Math from Austin, Texas was crowned the national winner of the first annual SchoolJam USA competition presented by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) at the 2010 NAMM Show on Saturday. After Math competed against nine other top teen bands at the Anaheim Convention Center and received the first place award—a trophy in the shape of a platinum album—and the grand prize trip to Europe next March to perform at the international 2010 SchoolJam finals in Frankfurt, Germany.