I will be attending NAMM in January and have been receiving a lot of information from them since my media registration was approved.

Recently they tweeted this list, and I thought it was worth of sharing with readers of TheGuitarBuzz.

Top 10 Reasons for Giving Musical Instruments and Lessons This Holiday Season

1. You’re never too old to learn how to play music – A common myth, but music can be learned at any age, and studies show that making music is a life-long skill that enriches the lives of children and adults

2. Making music relieves stress – Recreational music making has been scientifically proven to help reduce stress and reverse the body’s response to stress at the DNA level. With the holidays as one of the most stressful times of the year, making music or giving a gift for someone special to make music for you, can help reduce stress for an entire family

3. Making music fights off depression – Depression affects about 19 million people in the U.S.**, and with the holiday season as one of the most vulnerable times of the year, music making can make all the difference in keeping spirits uplifted

4. Enrich your holiday experience – and your life! – with music making – Whether gathering around the piano to play holiday tunes or caroling around the neighborhood, or dancing to live music at a holiday party, music making vibrantly brings the entire holiday experience to life

5. Use music to create lasting family traditions – Each family has its own traditions, but music making offers a new way for families to celebrate the festive season together. From playing a favorite tune on the piano or jamming on the drums with a rock n’ roll rendition of a classic holiday song, music-making can create unique traditions for generations to share

6. Playing music together promotes bonding – As families and friends come together during the holiday season, playing music offers an exciting way for everyone to join in on the fun, creating a sense of togetherness

7. High play value of musical instruments – The average cost that parents will spend on giving gifts to their kids is $200, with many kids tossing those gifts aside in a matter of months and moving on to the next fad. But with the gift of musical instruments, parents can give their kids a priceless pastime that will last for many years or a passion for music to last a lifetime

8. Cost comparison/savings over time – On average, Americans are expected to spend $638 on holiday shopping this year, according to a 2009 National Retail Federation Report. When compared to the average price of music lessons and pre-owned instruments, the cost of music making is typically less in comparison

9. Biggest regret most people have – According to a 2009 Gallup Survey, 85 percent of Americans who do not play a musical instrument say they wish they had learned to play–the holidays are a perfect time to make that wish come true. For example, Rob Thomas, acclaimed recording artist and songwriter, regrets not taking piano lessons

10. Unleash your inner rock star (or your child’s inner rocker!) – Take virtual music making with video games to the next level and let yourself or your kids develop their talent with a real musical instrument, just like their favorite bands and artists

For more reasons and to learn about the benefits of music making, or to find music lessons providers or music stores near you, visit www.wannaplaymusic.com.

I returned from NAMM last night with a massive backlog of things to write about on the BUZZ.  I also recorded several videos that I will upload over the next few days.

One of the highlights was a 3rd row seat for The Gary Hoey Band at the Fender booth. Gary has been with Fender for 14 years and showed his appreciation by putting on a free (and killer) 30-minute set which included the title track of his upcoming cd… UTOPIA.

Note: More Gary Hoey Band videos can be viewed on my “YouTube Channel”…

Check this out:

I just returned from NAAM 2010…

NAMM, (The National Association of Music Merchants) is the longest running trade show in the United States and is attended by thousands of musical instrument and product retailers and manufacturers from around the world.

As a guitar blogger, my focus was clearly to check out the latest guitars, amps and guitar gear.

That said, I was quickly reminded of the mission of NAMM which is:

To unify, lead and strengthen the global music products industry and increase active participation in music making.

The crowd of over 80,000 registered attendees clearly illustrated the mass appeal of “music making“. At any given moment you could see young teens ripping out riffs on the newest Ibanez electrics while just a few isles away a man who reminded me of my grandfather was tickling the ivories of the latest Roland synth. It was cooler than cool.

From guitars and amps to fiddles and pianos, from trumpets and flutes to sound boards and drums.. virtually every type of musical instrument and accessory was on display by their passionate manufacturers who were ready to discuss their product offerings.

World-renowned artists were there. Carlos Santana, Stevie Wonder, Vince Gill, Yoko Ono, Gene Simmons, Peter Frampton and Orianthi are only a few of the dozens and dozens of musical icons that roamed the halls.

The NAMM show was informative… and VERY inspiring. Over the next few weeks, I will have a lot to write about. And I can hardly wait!

UPDATE: Just after writing this post, I found this link on YouTube. Not my favorite song, but the video is a total reminder of what I saw this week…

Thanks “gh05trider9“!  Check it out…

Most industries have a trade show.  The music industry is no different, and the “guitar portion” of the music industry trade show is a massive event in itself.

The show is called NAMM, which stands for National Association of Music Merchants.  The long form of the name is no longer used. Today, they simply say that NAMM stands for the interests of the global music products industry.

Admission to the trade show is restricted to companies that meet the association’s Membership criteria; in general, those companies that manufacture, distribute and/or retail musical instruments/products — in other words… the show is not open to the public.

Today, I received approval to attend the show as a result of the industry related content I write about on TheGuitarBuzz.com.  I will participate as a member of the media and will report about the events at the show on TheGuitarBuzz.com.

I will be traveling to Aneheim, California, January 14-17, to fill my head with the latest and greatest our industry has to offer.  I plan to meet with all of the major manufacturers to better understand what they are doing to break ground with new technology and add value to current product offerings. While I am there I will have the opportunity to visit with literally hundreds of people who are influential in the growth of the music industry.

Along with industry heavyweights, there will be many artists in attendance — many of whom endorse the products of exhibitors.  For example, last year Eric Johnson was at the Fender exhibit and Steve Vai was at the Ibanez exhibit.  With free concerts every night, I think I am heading for a 4-day stretch with 6 hours of sleep!