News Releases

NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry, today announced its NAMM University session lineup for the upcoming 2009 NAMM Show, January 15-18, 2009 in Anaheim. Highlighting the four-day program will be the always-popular NAMM University Breakfast Sessions featuring up-close and personal discussions with industry opinion leaders, new ideas, and plenty of good take-home value as well as a free breakfast each show day provided by NAMM.

Americans for the Arts, The NAMM Foundation and the Ad Council announced today an additional phase to their national public service advertising (PSA) campaign, entitled “The Arts. Ask for More.” designed to promote the benefits of arts education for children.  Created in collaboration with Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, the new television PSAs help inspire children to play music, dance and draw together with their family and friends by featuring characters from the popular Disney Little Einsteins franchise engaged in the arts.

NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry, today announced that attendance at its NAMM University courses held during a record 2008 Music China Show demonstrated a 53 percent increase over last year, with 950 people attending the nine courses.

CARLSBAD, Calif., October 17, 2008—NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry, today announced that its Trade Show Director, Kevin Johnstone, has been inducted into the prestigious Platinum Circle of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events. The Platinum Circle celebrates the contributions of outstanding individuals in the trade show field for 25 years or more.

Trading suits for guitars and neckties for drums, Procter & Gamble’s The Consumer Republic from Switzerland was crowned international champion during the eighth annual FORTUNE Battle of the Corporate Bands hosted Saturday, October 4, at the legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (The Rock Hall).

The NAMM Foundation and Disney Channel today announced that they will again team up to allow middle and high schools across the United States the opportunity to apply for a grant to put on their own school stage production of Disney's High School Musical or High School Musical 2. The public affairs initiative utilizes the popularity of the High School Musical movies and the licensed amateur theater adaptations to encourage more kids to get involved in music and the arts.

The NAMM Foundation today announced it has awarded a grant to Drexel University, which will be conducting research on how video games that simulate music making, such as Guitar Hero or Rock Band, might serve as an inspiration or learning tool for middle-and-high-school students to develop musical skills. The proposed research will investigate the following questions regarding musical video games:

Executives at eight FORTUNE 500 companies loosen their neckties and pick up musical instruments for the finals of the Eighth Annual FORTUNE Battle of the Corporate Bands at the legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, on October 3–4, 2008. All finalists are amateur, company-sponsored bands ready to live out their rock ‘n roll fantasies and have a blast making music.

NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry, continued its efforts to ensure a professional business atmosphere at its trade shows by announcing today a new policy change, which will prohibit visitors under the age of 16 from attending the shows.

The NAMM Foundation today announced that its 2009 Request for Grant Proposals initiative will open by close of business, September 16, 2008, at www.nammfoundation.org. The Foundation seeks to fund proposals for projects that further the music products industry’s mission of creating more active music makers of all ages and expanding access to music making.

Americans for the Arts Action Fund, in conjunction with NAMM, the National Association of Music Merchants, announced today it will host two events at the national political conventions designed to encourage support for and awareness of the importance of arts and arts education. Both events are part of ArtsVote2008, a national initiative created by the Americans for the Arts Action Fund to promote the arts during the presidential election.

The Center for Education Policy Analysis at the School of Public Affairs, University of Colorado Denver, today announced the award of a grant from the NAMM Foundation to conduct research on the economics and benefits of music education in Jefferson County public schools, Colorado’s largest school district. The proposed research will investigate the following: 1. What are the total resources used in music education in the district, and how do these resources vary by school?