5 REASONS WHY THE NAMM SHOW IS THE BEST THING EVER
Did it seem like all of the sudden, every musician you know was posting pictures of some musical event a couple of weeks ago that left you scratching your head wondering, first of all, why you had never heard of this event before and second, why you weren't there yourself and what the heck is going on at this NAMM Show? It was about 10 years ago for me when I first learned of The NAMM Show and found myself asking those exact questions. In 2019, I was able to attend for the first time ever as an "Exhibitor Artist", thanks to Warm Audio. That first time attending, I really had no idea what to expect. As a matter of fact, my husband (a drummer) and I attended for just one day and vowed that next year, we wouldn't miss a minute of it because you can't possibly see all there is to see in one day. So, this year we arrived a day early so we wouldn't miss a second of it!
On the flight home, I started putting these thoughts together because I was being asked via social media what this NAMM Show thing was all about and I found it hard to explain. So, here's my attempt to explain it.
What is NAMM? According to their website, they are the "National Association of Music Merchants". To be a member of NAMM, you need to be a manufacturer of musical equipment or instruments or accessories, a retailer of such, a music school, a musical equipment rental service, a creator of music tech software and more. It's actually a trade show. Watch this video on their website to get an idea of what it's all about https://www.namm.org/
Now, why do I think it's the best thing ever? Here are my personal 5 reasons why.
1. It's proof that music unites us. If you'll pardon the tired cliche, the NAMM Show is a living, breathing example of this. I saw every shade of skin color, people of a variety of nationalities, I heard languages I didn't recognize. I saw worn out, 60 year old dudes and 20 something baby-faced punks both wearing Rush t shirts. I saw old ladies with walkers and wide eyed dreamer teens. Husbands and wives, partners and friends, dads and kid, moms and kid, bandmates. I saw classical pianists and hard rock drummers. I saw children's choirs, uke ensembles, rock bands, a capella groups, acoustic folk artists, rappers and DJs. As much demographic variety as you can imagine and we were all there because we shared something in common; a love of music. How beautiful is that? In a world that seems more divided than ever, I had to step back and enjoy the view of all of us, from every walk of life, experiencing the joy of music together.
2. NAMM is cool. The company and it's foundations play a major part in providing resources for music education programs across the states. They have an historian who has been documenting the stories of music companies, craftsman, musicians and industry veterans so we have a record of the important history being created and the legacies forming right before our eyes.
3. There really is something for everyone. If you just wander through the show, you'll pass every category of equipment or musical instrument you can imagine. Pass by the area with the drums and you hear a persistent tat-tat-tering, crashing and thumping. Browse the acoustic pianos and the mood suddenly shifts to this dreamy feeling from a fine dining restaurant. Now meander through the brass instruments, you'll be transported to a smokey jazz club. There's handcrafted wooden instruments, cutting edge electronics, rows of sheet music and method books, a room full of guitars plugged into pedal boards with a set of headphones, inviting every guitar player to experiment. Whatever it is you love about music, you'll find it.
4. It's a chance to connect with those who make your musical experiences possible. Being a musician can sometimes feel lonely. Especially if you are a private teacher or working out of your own studio (like me). Having the opportunity to walk up to the people who work at the companies, who make the gear and software you use every day makes you suddenly feel like you are connected. Warm Audio is the company that sponsors me and is the company that gives me and Justin the coveted NAMM badge. Walking over to their booth, Artist Relations dude Royce recognizing me instantly, giving me a big hug and Justin a big hand shake makes me feel connected to them. And to see they had in rotation the two videos of me in my studio working with two of my artists (watch Lillian and Elyse here) was pretty surreal. I'm sure the NAMM show is experienced in different ways, depending on what your involvement with music is. But for this producer who is pretty much always tucked away in her home studio, it's a breath of fresh air...literally.
5. Live, "in the moment" music making will never be replaced. Anyone who works mostly "in the box" like me (programming instrumentation, recording, editing and mixing music all in a computer) needs to be reminded of what collaborative music making feels like. And, in my world of creating music on a computer, there is even a fear of Artificial Intelligence coming in and taking over our jobs. Well, I witnessed so much great, live music without click tracks and samples or any sign of AI anywhere, performed by musicians who had perfected the craft of not only playing their instruments proficiently but the skill of syncing in with their fellow bandmates. There's nothing quite like it. The highlight of NAMM for me was witnessing the absolute, 100% impromptu music making by the master of vocal improvisation himself, Bobby Mcferrin. Tears flowed down my face as we participated in and observed raw creativity in real time (he is my literal idol and has been since I first saw him perform live in 1990-ish, watch this). Then, Tower of Power blew our faces off with a perfect show for nearly 2 hours, as the band celebrates over 50 years in existence. Now, you can watch their show (and upcoming Netflix Documentary) on your TV but I will guarantee to you, that it isn't the same experience as watching and listening to them in person. I'm so grateful for all that I witnessed. It's a reminder of why we work and practice and labor over all the details. It matters.
Because Music Matters to All of Us!
