The 2022 NAMM Show: An Educator’s Experience
As a music teacher and founder of Musicology, a music tech startup, I had the exceptional opportunity to experience The NAMM Show from both an exhibitor's perspective and as an attendee in Nashville and Anaheim this past year.
I have been the proud owner of a music school for over two decades that provides lessons in-home lessons and music education in an afterschool program. I knew of NAMM and The NAMM Show long before I became a Member, but I always thought it was only for pro Audio and guitarists. Boy, was I wrong! Let me tell you about my experience from a music educator's perspective.
In July of 2021, Summer NAMM in Nashville marked our first in-person conference experience as an exhibitor. I had already exhibited virtually at many Music Teachers' Association events, but it didn’t have the same appeal. It was so refreshing to meet many people I had only met virtually in the past, hug them, and see their displays live and in person. NAMM made every effort to collaborate with educational organizations like the National Association of School Music Dealers (NASMD) and hold networking events to meet other educators to learn about their schools and teaching style. I was floored by the amount of creativity displayed! Many booths showcased their instruments, accessories, classroom games, tools, and music books on the show floor. There were so many music educators from all across the country, and the keynote speakers focused on nothing but music education and inspiring young minds to keep music alive!
This past June, we attended The 2022 NAMM Show in Anaheim, California. The very first thing I noticed was how well organized the floors were. The pro audio and lighting were in its own hall, guitars in another, and many booths for education grouped in their own hall together, which was larger than I expected! The most memorable experience was seeing the Disneyland Band live. It is impossible to reproduce the energy experienced at The NAMM Show through the Internet!
Meeting Horzt Wittner from Wittner metronomes was like meeting a celebrity, and seeing his booth in person, with hundreds of metronomes clicking back and forth, was an experience I will never forget! Hal Leonard also had a very impressive booth with an insane selection of new music to browse through. All of their top executives were present and ready to speak to anyone at any time! This kind of face time is only available at The NAMM Show.
On Level two of the Anaheim Convention Center, we wandered from room to room and explored, touched, and felt different pianos, everything from Yamaha to Kawai and Bechstein. It was especially impactful to our business to have access to so many high-quality pianos in one space and to be able to play and feel them all firsthand, as well as speak with experts from each organization.
From an educator's perspective, The NAMM Show is worth every effort to attend in person as the complete experience, including its energy and inspiration, is felt at each and every booth. We at Musicology look forward to many more to come!
To learn more about Musicology, please visit https://musicology.ca/.