Disneyland Band to Open 2015 NAMM Show

The Disneyland Band will officially open the 2015 NAMM Show, with a beloved American icon serving as guest conductor for this rousing musical performance.

Yamaha, the official supplier of musical instruments to the Disneyland Resort and a proud sponsor of the Disney Performing Arts program, will present the band to the music products industry, reinforcing the two companies shared deep commitment to music education and performance.

DATE/TIME: Thursday, January 22; 9:20 a.m.

PLACE:  NAMM GoPro Stage on the Grand Plaza, Anaheim Convention Center

When Walt Disney wanted a band for opening day at the park, he asked British bandmaster Vesey Walker to assemble one. The band was hired for a two-week engagement, but it became so popular that it was held over and still performs at the park today.

Having been directed by Walker, James Christensen, Jim Barngrover, Stanford Freese, Art Dragon, and Kurt Curtis, the band ranges from between 15 to 20 members, all of whom are professional musicians or music educators.

The band performs in parades, and gives concerts in various areas around the park, with a repertoire that includes marches, polkas, jazz, and waltzes, with perhaps the most-requested tune being the “Mickey Mouse March.”

For over 25 years, the “Disneyland Resort Salutes the American Band” program has introduced Orange County second-grade students to the history of the American Band, and the fundamentals of concert etiquette through annual concerts in the community performed by the Disneyland Band.

More than 40,000 students a year attend the concerts, and to date the “Disneyland Resort Salutes the American Band” concert series has introduced more than one million second grade students to the history of the American Band.