News Releases

“Work hard, play hard” is a fitting motto for the 18 bands selected to perform at the three regional qualifying playoffs of the Seventh Annual FORTUNE Battle of the Corporate Bands. The final competition will take place at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio, in October.

NAMM, the trade association of the international music products association, today announced the 14 recipients of its 2007–2008 grants program, allocating more than $500,000 in funding to support community music-making programs. The new grants, while only a small portion of NAMM’s overall annual multimillion-dollar reinvestment back into the music products industry, serve an important function by enabling worthy organizations to run programs designed to increase interest and participation in making music.

NAMM, the trade association of the international music products association, today announced it will offer free materials to NAMM Member retailers who would like to show their support for music and music education in their communities. The Sesame Street Music Works Community Outreach Bundle and SupportMusic Community Action Kit can be used to show retailers’ support for families and schools, increase the size their sales markets, and promote their businesses as the source for music making and music education advocacy in their respective communities.

NAMM, the trade association of the international music products association, today announced that the U.S. Senate unanimously passed House Concurrent Resolution 121 on Tuesday. The Resolution states that music education grounded in rigorous instruction is an important component of a well-rounded academic curriculum and should be available to every student in every school. According to NAMM, the Resolution underscores the vital need for all children to receive the many scholastic, social and developmental benefits that are associated with making music.

NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) are launching MusicMakers, a national after-school music education program, at the BGCA’s National Conference in Orlando, Fla., tonight. The program will be launched at the Club’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony, where Joe Lamond, president and CEO of NAMM, and Verdine White, bass player of Earth Wind and Fire, both alumni of BGCA and supporters of MusicMakers, will be honored for their dedication to and passion for music.

NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry, today announced that Senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) sent a letter to David Walker, the Comptroller General of the Government Accountability Office (GAO), requesting that the GAO conduct a study on access to music and arts education in the American public school system since passage of the No Child Left Behind Act.

NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry, today announced it will again sponsor the Vans Warped Tour in order to provide NAMM retail Members with a free opportunity to promote their stores locally. Last year, more than 100 NAMM retail Members participated in the tour nationwide, taking advantage of the free prospect to get the word out about their stores at a local tour stop and tap into the spending power of thousands of concert attendees—an average of 10,000 people per stop.

Members of Congress discussed the benefits and importance of school-based music education for children on the House floor today, resulting in the passage of House Concurrent Resolution 121. After some discussion, the Resolution was passed unanimously, showing a display of continued support from Congress for music education as part of a complete education for all children.

NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry, today announced the schedule of activities for its upcoming Summer NAMM, which will be held in Austin, Texas, July 27–29, 2007. The event will kick off Thursday at 7 p.m. with the annual Pre-Show Party at The Hang, featuring free beer, free food and live music performed by NAMM Member company bands.

NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry, announced today that HBO’s documentary The Music In Me: Children’s Recitals From Classical to Latin, Jazz to Zydeco, which aired for the first time on Oct. 7, 2006, was recently named one of the 35 recipients of the prestigious Peabody Awards for 2007. The program is the first segment of a three-part series of documentaries celebrating the influence of music on children’s lives.

The Clark County School District (CCSD) Board of School Trustees has been named the recipient of the third annual VH1 Save The Music Award for Distinguished Support of Music Education. The CCSD Board was chosen for its commitment to ensuring that all students in the CCSD have access to the benefits of music education.

NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry, is gaining momentum for its Wanna Play? campaign, a program designed to reach out to potential music makers and draw them into music products stores nationwide. The organization has arranged for NAMM Member retailers in cities across America to appear on local and regional television news shows to demonstrate the many benefits of making music. The outreach also gives retailers the opportunity for free exposure of their store’s products and services.