On the Road to The NAMM Show: Believe in Music Wraps

On Thursday, January 20, NAMM’s Believe in Music opened to welcome a global contingent of professionals and music enthusiasts from more than 120 countries and territories for professional development, live interviews, networking opportunities, and performances. The event, which was billed as a preview of The 2022 NAMM Show and closed Sunday, January 23, saw participants engage with brands, a full suite of education spanning 11 tracks and 115 speakers, view new products at the NAMM 2022 gear sneak peek, and enjoy the Believe TV’s livestream of interviews with top artists and pro audio luminaries as a primer for The 2022 NAMM Show.

“This year’s Believe in Music event served as a bridge in bringing our global industry together as we make our way to The NAMM Show in June. The industry-enhancing education, quality content and valuable networking opportunities were important reminders of just some of what we experience at the show,” said Joe Lamond, NAMM President and CEO. “And while gathering virtual is a great way to experience aspects of The NAMM Show, in my opinion, there is no substitute for stepping onto the Anaheim campus, running into old friends, and discovering new products, strategies and tools to help propel your business forward.”

For the 15,000 registrants, the event created a social network of industry activity from members across the globe to network, learn, and be inspired. At press time, international registrants from Afghanistan to Zambia representing more than 120 countries and territories attended, and nearly 20,000 messages and contacts were exchanged or made.

With all eyes focused on the June reunion in Anaheim, Believe in Music served as a preview of the event to come.

Tom Sumner, President of Yamaha Corporation of America, shared, “For Yamaha, Believe in Music served as an important ‘road stop’ on the way to The NAMM Show. We’re grateful for the technology to connect us all, but nothing beats being together in person. We look forward to returning to The NAMM Show to launch new products, reconnect with global partners, meet with our dealers, and unite with the industry at large.”

“It has been two years, too long since gathering—manufacturers, retailers, and musicians alike—as one in the heart of Anaheim, California,” remarked John Powell, President of AlphaTheta Music Americas, Inc. “We are incredibly proud of the massive strides Pioneer DJ and its industry peers have made in transforming the music industry for the better during this time apart and look forward to driving this momentum forward together at NAMM in June.”

“We're very excited to return to the June show. I am looking forward to the return to normal that only comes from meeting face-to-face with our vendors and manufacturers, the NAMM Idea Center sessions, and seeing and feeling the newest products in person that we can bring back to our customers...We always come back from the show energized and ready to grow,” noted Jeremy Chapman, owner of The Acoustic Shoppe.

“With the extra time manufacturers have to create new products and supply chain issues easing mid-year, the team at Full Compass and I are anxious to touch and hear new products, connect with industry friends, and recharge from the positive energy and enthusiasm that The NAMM Show has delivered for many decades. The NAMM Show is the foundation of our industry, and having it return this June makes it that much more special,” shared Chris Tso, Vice President of Merchandising and Marketing.

“For HARMAN, NAMM is more than the premier platform to showcase our products, it’s the soul of the industry where creators and builders converge to shape the future of music,” said Frank Joseph, Senior Director of Marketing, North America, HARMAN. “NAMM is engrained in the DNA of our JBL, AKG, and Soundcraft brands, and we very much look forward to seeing everyone back at the show.”

Tim Paul, owner of Piano Trends Music & Band Co., shared, "Not only am I looking forward to presenting at the NAMM Idea Center but the opportunity to reconnect with ‘Nammily’ friends and contacts, as it will once again fill the valuable need for the music community to be together. We look forward to the energy and valuable information that can only be found by attending The NAMM Show, which will certainly brighten our outlook and create positive thinking this June.”

Believe TV

On Thursday, Believe TV, hosted by Lamond and Herb Trawick (Pensado’s Place), featured a day of industry updates and live keynote interviews with notable artists, including a special opening interview with Keb’ Mo’. When asked about the importance of gear and who influences the design of gear - the artists or the manufacturer - Keb’ Mo’ expressed his gratitude. “Any time I pick up any piece of gear, I know that there’s a bunch of people standing there who put that gear together... It really speaks to how much help you’re getting when you’re going for your dream. So, there’s a deep sense of gratitude so that I can play and have my dream, and hopefully, when they’re making the gear, they have their dream too.”

Other live interviews for the day included Elliot Easton (The Cars) and the super producing duo of Denzel Baptiste and David Biral, better known as Take A Daytrip (Lil Nas X, Juice WRLD, Sheck Wes, and others), and Lola Romero, the Chief Engineer at Aftermath Records (Dr. Dre, Snoop Dog, Kanye West, Travis Scott, and others).

Romero was asked about her career journey and responded, “I just set out to be a really good engineer. After a little bit of time at this, I realized I’m really touching people, giving a lot of young women the confidence to go into music and into roles in the industry in positions that maybe aren’t as common.” And on her advice for young professionals, she shared, “Immerse yourself in anything that’s a goal for you. Really, really learn about it and how you fit in, and how you can contribute to accomplishing your end goal.”

Other artist interviews included Brandon Boyd (Incubus), Brittney Spencer, Luke Spiller and Adam Slack (The Struts), Matthias Jabs (The Scorpions), and Steve Vai.

Education for Today and Tomorrow

Professionals accessed the strategies and tools to further their careers and businesses by connecting with top thought leaders on the platform to meet challenges and thrive in any climate. Believe in Music offered four tracks of education for professionals in the music products, pro audio, and live event production industries: Business, Audio Production and Music Technology, and Entertainment Technology. For music educators and advocates, non-profits and college-aged students and faculty, The NAMM Foundation presented sessions in GenNext, Music Education Days, Music & Social Justice, the Nonprofit Management Institute, and Music & Wellness.

Business Track

The Business Track brought together the top minds in the industry to offer actionable strategies, tactics, and best practices for music retailers and brands to navigate to the next level. At the heart of the track were NAMM U sessions on pressing topics, including a keynote-style session from author, futurist, and “Retail Prophet” Doug Stephens, “The Customer of the Future.” Stephens shared key shifts in demographics, technology, economics, and media, all of which are changing the very essence of how customers buy as we emerge from the pandemic.

Other top-of-mind sessions included “How to Use Facebook Ads to Increase Your Lesson Students” from Ayana Webb of The Musical Webb; “Social Media, Video and Digital Ads: Keys to Online Marketing for 2022” with Tracy Hoeft of Amplify 11; and Dennis Stafford of Organiksol Marketing, who presented “Music Retail: How to Put Artist and Influencer Marketing to Work.”

Audio Production and Music Technology Track

Sessions for recording, live sound, and house of worship professionals, as well as music technologists, dove into the latest tools, tips, and innovations while also exploring the landscape of new technology. Programs included:

TEC Tracks

TEC Tracks offered big-picture sessions and high-profile topics in recording, live sound, and music business, featuring industry thought leaders. Highlights included interviews with top producers, engineers, and artists, including “The Future of Mastering” with GRAMMY Award winner and eight-time nominee Emily Lazar; “The Future of Music and Challenges in the Next 5 Years” with SoundExchange CEO Michael Huppe; and “Post-COVID Live Sound Tour Trends,” featuring industry touring vets Robert Scovill and Mark Frink.

A3E (Advanced Audio + Applications Exchange)

For the future-minded, A3E featured future-forward education on how next-generation content creation is reshaping the entertainment industry. In a special session, industry leaders Jack Joseph Puig, GRAMMY Award-winning producer, engineer and the vice president of creative innovation at Waves Consumer; Daniel Rowland, Oscar-winning engineer, producer and the head of strategy and partnerships at LANDR Audio; and Maya Ackerman, CEO and co-founder of WaveAI and a Woman of Influence in 2020, presented a robust discussion of “Artificial Intelligence, Artificial Creativity and Their Impact on Music and Content Creation: Deep Dive Data Analysis.”

Entertainment Technology Track

Entertainment Services and Technology Association (ESTA)

ESTA offered two in-depth educational sessions for entertainment technology and design professionals, as well as those responsible for their safety, including “50 Years of Show Technology Evolution: Have We Reached a Maturity Point?” Expert John Huntington of City Tech and author of Show Networks and Control Systems and Introduction to Show Networking presented his research via a detailed show technology history timeline documenting the trends, looking at where we are now and speculating about the future.

Pro Production Sessions

Front of House and Projection, Lights & Staging News magazines welcomed Chris Lose, live entertainment production expert, and Phay MacMahon of Phamous Productions to discuss how you can reduce stress on the road at “Take the Stress Out of Touring.” The duo explored how artists and their crew can work together more effectively to ensure their needs are being met and covered topics ranging from creating a well-laid-out rider to music breakdowns—vital elements of a successful tour.

“PLSN and FOH magazines were proud to participate in Believe in Music,” said publisher and producer of the Parnelli Awards, Terry Lowe. “We all logged on and enjoyed our columnist and lighting/video designer Chris Lose talking with production manager Phay MacMahon about crew members reducing stress on the road of a major tour. The entire Believe program was enlightening and entertaining and set the stage perfectly for the in-person NAMM Show and Parnelli Awards to be held in Anaheim in June. The live event and concert touring industry will all be there for that, and you should plan on being there, too."

Event Safety Alliance (ESA)

The Event Safety Alliance (ESA) addressed safety in event design, risk management, and the importance of communication in “Stop the Show: The Who, When and How of Show-Stop Procedure.” In this session, Jim Digby of the Event Safety Alliance, along with Bryan Huneycutt and Tyler Scollon, discussed the importance of a pre-established show-stop procedure, including the important details of who needs to be involved in the decision, the circumstances when you would consider using it and how to manage crowd expectations to avoid even worse unintended consequences.

The NAMM Foundation Tracks

For attendees in music and arts advocacy, management and education, social justice, and emerging professionals, The NAMM Foundation presented a series of mini educational tracks, including:

GenNext

A collaboration between The NAMM Foundation and The College Music Society (CMS), the education series offered college-aged students and faculty access to career—and professional development—opportunities. Program highlights included “Big Ideas to Improve Accessibility From Yamaha Master Educators,” “Finding Your Fit: Careers in the Music Industry,” “What's It Like Out There? Insights From College Music Program Recent Graduates,” and “Preparing Music Students for a 21st Century Income.”

Music Education Days

School music teachers and administrators joined for a series of informative sessions, inspiring performances, and opportunities to preview the latest instruments, products, and tools relevant to today’s changing music classrooms. The track included “Music-Making for All: Ukulele Strings Attached!,” where specialists Peter Luongo and James Hill previewed the Teaching Ukulele Workshops to be offered at The 2022 NAMM Show and offered classroom-tested techniques to develop ear training, notation reading, vocal harmony, and theory. Other sessions included “Music Administrators Forum: Support Music Education,” where administrators and arts leaders discussed the challenges and opportunities to provide quality access to music and arts instruction during this time, and “TECHnically, It’s About the Individual and the Ensemble” where Technology In Music Education (TI:ME) offered strategies to engage students with technology in multiple ways.

Music and Social Justice & Nonprofit Management Institute

As part of the Nonprofit Management Institute, the Music and Social Justice track welcomed participants to an in-depth conversation about diversity and inclusion. In a special session, “Embracing Diversity, Equity and Opportunity: Building a Sustainable Ecosystem,” Anqwenique Kinsel, Arts Education Collaborative, Pittsburgh; Christie McKinney, Chorus America; David Dik, Young Audiences Arts for Learning; Habib Bako Independent Sector; and Mary Luehrsen (NAMM) discussed examples that illuminate diversity, equity, inclusion, opportunity, and access as key elements of sustainability of a 21st century non-profit.

Music and Wellness

For participants seeking health enrichment, Thursday and Friday offered an interactive session, “Start Your Day with Rhythm—A Wellness Experience with Drumming.” Author and music therapist Christine Stevens guided the audience on a live musical journey to release stress, connect with the heart and deepen the body’s healing potential.

Notable Believe in Music Moments

Twenty artists from twenty countries kicked off Thursday in the Believe in Music Global Livestream. Starting at 6:00 a.m. PT, the morning of performances kicked off with The Brass for Africa Teacher’s Band (Kampala, Uganda) and headed to New South Wales, Australia, for a special performance from the melodious epic folk band, The Heart Collectors. Shortly following, Tokyo-based Keisuke Ito performed original songs on the Shamisen, a traditional three-stringed Japanese guitar.

Other performers included Philippines-based alternative rock band Mayonnaise, a fan favorite from last year’s Global Livestream; At’ Adau, a fusion band from Sarawak, East Malaysia playing traditional and modern instruments; Kenyan recording artist, Apesi (Mnyama Mkali); classical and improvising accordionist Pawel Janas from Warsaw; Renegade Brass Band from the UK, combining raw hip-hop with brass instruments; Dutch pianist and composer Martin Fondse, the country’s 2021/2022 “Composer Laureate,” with violist Saskia Meijs; Chennai, India’s Mandolin U Rajesh and his band DHRUVA playing Carnatic classical music; contemporary Mexican jazz band Troker; Peruvian ukulele star Emanuel Rivera, Argentine soul singers Fémina; and Brazil’s supreme heavy metal bassist Felipe Andreoli.

Throughout the day, Daring Greatly shared their harmony-rich, rock ‘n’ roll folky sounds with the audience. The band, the brainchild of brothers Patrick Croome (vocals, acoustic guitar) and Liam Croome (vocals, keys), Brayden Tario (drums, vocals), and David Mills (electric guitar, pedal steel), recently released their latest, six-song EP, Give Myself to the World.

Closing out Thursday, the Women’s International Music Network presented the She Rocks Spotlight Series at Believe in Music. Hosted by Laura B. Whitmore, founder of The Women’s International Music Network and The She Rocks Awards, the She Rocks Spotlight featured performances from GRAMMY award-winning singer, songwriter and actress Laura Dreyfuss and New Zealand singer, songwriter and actress Jamie McDell.

Future Outlook

The 2022 NAMM Show returns to Anaheim, California June 3-5 and registration will open in March. During The NAMM Show, Swapcard, the technology platform used to hold Believe in Music, will host NAMM Show+ -- a digital extension of the Show.

To learn more about health and safety protocol and prevention measures, please visit NAMM’s Safe&Sound program online: /thenammshow/2022/safe-and-sound