Play Drums held its annual Open House at the Anaheim Hilton on January 24 to celebrate its 30th Anniversary with percussion industry leaders and introduce the newly redesigned PlayDrums.com website, which aims to inspire and educate a wider audience of drummers.
“The highlight of our year is to host the Play Drums Open House gathering at the NAMM Show in Anaheim,” said Play Drums Board Chair Dave Jewell, Yamaha (Retired). This year’s event honored industry veteran John Wittmann and drummer and educator Rick Latham. Their talent, dedication, and vision have inspired countless music students.
John Wittmann is Associate Vice President of the Yamaha Artist Relations Group, leading the team supporting Yamaha Performing Artists nationally and internationally. He began his career as a high school band director, has toured extensively as a drummer, and has given hundreds of drum set clinics. Wittmann is a frequent presenter at NAMM, PASIC, and other major music conferences and is a national advocate for music and music education.
“I had the pleasure to work alongside John at Yamaha,” states Jewell. “He is the consummate professional, and his positive impact on this industry and countless students is unprecedented. I am proud to call him my friend.”
Rick Latham is known as a percussionist with the unique ability to move within many musical styles and performing situations. For 40 years, he has been active in the Los Angeles music scene, touring and recording with a diverse collective of artists with B.B. King, the Edgar Winter Band, and Rick Derringer, among many others. Rick earned a bachelor’s degree in percussion from East Carolina University and a master’s in percussion at the University of North Texas. In addition to touring, Latham provides masterclasses, drum clinics, and workshops worldwide, writes and records for various artists, and teaches privately. He is the author of several books on drum technique.
“Ricks’s unparalleled talent and versatility have made him a true icon in the drumming world. From his groundbreaking techniques to his best-selling drum instruction books to his dynamic performances with legendary artists, Rick continues to inspire and shape the future of modern drumming,” says PMC board member Jennifer Parsley-Schuch, Alfred Music.
A new Drum Lesson Locator has been added to the recently redesigned PlayDrums.com website to help parents and students find local drum lesson instructors. Drum instructors and music stores offering lessons can register here: https://playdrums.com/drum-teacher-listing-submission/
In addition to maintaining an ever-evolving destination for all things drumming, the website will expand its educational video library, making it an essential hub for drummers seeking to begin developing or expanding their skills.
“Our members, who are the leading brands of the percussion industry, attend this event to help us celebrate the accomplishments of peer leaders in the segment, meet up-and-coming industry colleagues, and learn more about Play Drums and its programs and how to support them. This market development nonprofit organization has been creating more drummers by putting sticks in hands for nearly 30 years,” explained PlayDrums Executive Director Antoinette Follett.
PlayDrums.com Experience Drumming! Initiatives include bucket drumming teacher training opportunities, grants for Experience Drumming community events, and the Drum Lesson with a Pro giveaway during International Drum Month that offers drummers a free lesson and connection to their local music retailers. Generous annual grants from the NAMM Foundation have supported these programs.
Open House refreshments were sponsored by Play Drums members Yamaha and Tamburo Drums.
