NAMM to Exhibit at AARP Event & Expo to Demonstrate the Health, Social Benefits of Recreational Music Making

NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry, will be exhibiting at the sixth annual AARP Life@50+ National Event & Expo at the Boston Convention Center, Sept. 6–8, 2007, demonstrating to nearly 25,000 attendees the social and physical wellness benefits experienced by people over age 50 who participate in recreational music making (RMM).

RMM involves making music of any type for the pure pleasure it brings to the player. The activity entails no formalities in style or method, and research has shown it to physically and socially benefit people of all ages, especially those entering their older years.

“The Creativity & Aging Study,” a study funded by the NAMM Foundation and published in the Journal of Aging, Humanities and the Arts in 2007, states that seniors who are involved in participatory art programs for older adults show positive effects in relation to physical health, number of doctor visits, medication usage, depression, morale and activity level.

In addition, according to “The Einstein Aging Study” published in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2003, leisure activities such as making music are associated with a reduced risk of dementia.

“This opportunity opens up a dialogue between our Members and attendees to discuss the beneficial programs that are available to people of all ages at their local music stores that can help them experience music making hands-on,” said Morgan Rigwald, director of market development at NAMM. “It also provides an opportunity to communicate one-on-one with attendees about how very powerful picking up an instrument can be in terms of continued wellness for people over 50.”

To expose attendees to the many facets of RMM, NAMM has arranged for its Members who are retailers and manufacturers of music products, to host multiple hands-on music presentations at the NAMM Music Village booth focusing on RMM programs and products. There will also be a new Lesson Area hosting mini music lessons, a Presentation Stage where speakers will talk about the benefits of making music each day, and a daily drum circle.

NAMM will wrap up its activities at the Expo with a performance by a local New Horizons Band. Located nationwide, New Horizons Music programs provide entry points to music making for adults, including those with no musical experience and those who were active in school music programs but have been inactive for a long period.

For more information about RMM, go to http://rmm.namm.org/ or visit the New Horizons International Music Association at http://www.newhorizonsmusic.org/nhima.htm.