News Releases

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.

The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) today announced the final registration and exhibitor numbers for the 2010 NAMM Show, the longest-running trade show in the United States. At show close, NAMM reported 87,569 registrants, a 2 percent increase from last year. International registration experienced a 2 percent decrease from last year.

Day four of the 2010 NAMM Show brought music products professionals to the Anaheim Convention Center for one final day of meetings, networking, education and music.  The NAMM University Breakfast Session began with music from the Ontario High School Percussive Chairs. In addition, NAMM’s Director of Marketing and Communications Scott Robertson presented Wanna Play? Awards to companies that feature music products in their advertising and in turn, inspire people to make music.

 NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry, presented Wanna Play? awards today to six companies that use music products in their television ads, helping to inspire people to make music. The recipients of the 2009 Wanna Play? Awards are:

NAMM held its Annual Meeting of Members today during the 2010 NAMM Show. After introducing past presidents in attendance, reviewing the new annual report and recapping highlights of the year, Chairman Tom Schmitt called for the vote of the new slate of the NAMM Board of Directors. The following NAMM Members were elected for service from 2010 to 2013: Michael Canning is a professional manufacturers representative and the president of Cadon Technical Sales, which represents a variety of companies in the music products industry.

 The third day of the NAMM Show featured a breakfast session offering retailers insight on strategies for a changing retail world, a kickoff to the show opening with the Los Angeles Unified School District All City Marching Band, and the first-ever SchoolJam USA teen battle of the bands finals competition.

The second day of the 2010 NAMM Show drew crowds to the Anaheim Convention Center for learning sessions, business meetings, product demonstrations, networking, live music and many celebrity appearances. The morning Breakfast Session focused on “The Post-Crisis Consumer” and opened up with an award presentation to honor music product industry companies that have been in business from 25 to 175 years. Attendees then heard a performance by composer, vocalist and musician Victor Wooten.