The 2020 NAMM Show

“NAMM retailers who came to Anaheim and participated in the incredible NAMM U offerings undoubtedly came away with valuable insight, skills, and strategies for success in 2020,” says NAMM president and CEO Joe Lamond. “The new financial and innovation sessions along with the breakfast and idea center sessions, many taught by the industry’s most progressive dealers themselves, were packed from Wednesday all the way through Sunday, clearly our members are committed to life-long learning!”

Those committed members came out in droves to this Winter’s Anaheim gathering. Over 2,000 exhibitors representing 7,000 brands were visited by 115,888 attendees (roughly in keeping with 2019’s tally of 115,301). International members accounted for nearly 20 percent growth over the past two years. Registrants were an invited mix of industry professionals from across the crossroads and included domestic and international retail and distribution buyers and employees, exhibitors, entertainment tech, and pro audio buyers and professionals, media, artists, invited guests, and The NAMM Foundation GenNext (college music students and faculty), Music Education Days (school music administrators and buyers), and Nonprofit Institute (NAMM grantees and nonprofit affiliates) participants.

“The NAMM Show is the ultimate opportunity for industry professionals to come together to share their passion for music, build relationships, and learn from each other through the vast array of educational and networking opportunities that The NAMM Show has to offer,” said chair of the NAMM Board of Directors, Chris Martin of C.F. Martin. “It’s a place where we hold each other up, cheer each other on, and strengthen the industry as a whole.”

The Most Important Meal of the Day

Each day of the Show began with a NAMM U Breakfast Session in the Pacific Ballroom, inside the Anaheim Hilton. On Thursday, January 16, NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond hosted the “Breakfast of Champions” with a panel of industry leaders and innovators, including Bryan Bradley, Group One; Whitney Brown Gristaffi, Ted Brown Music; Noel Lee, Monster Cables; and David Schwartz, TEC Tracks offering their insight on the Crossroads and opportunities. Jason Mraz was presented with the Music for Life Award, an honor annually given to a musician or creative luminary whose body of work and artistry has inspired more people to make music.

Friday’s Breakfast Session welcomed digital marketing pioneer, Ann Handley as she addressed the fast-paced and always-on nature of modern marketing and answered the question, “Is ‘fast’ really the best path to drive marketing transformation at your business?” in her presentation, “Transformative Marketing,” and on Saturday, global customer experience expert and musician Scott McKain shared the five key characteristics of iconic organizations in “How to Build an Iconic Business.”

Pro Audio Represented

At A3E: The Advanced Audio + Applications Exchange, 13 sessions and 13 workshops explored how advanced audio applications are transforming the music industry, production, and performance. Future-focused sessions included “The Future of Game Audio: Music and Sound Design for Mobile Gaming,” where A3E explored the tools and techniques that are specific to mobile gaming and surveyed the landscape of opportunity for audio developers, musicians and sound designers; “The Future Indie Artist: New Technology for Independent Success,” which focused on emerging technology that every gigging musician must know to maximize their revenue, and more.

AES Academy at NAMM returned for its third year, with hands-on training, technical presentations, and career development from leading pro audio experts. In total, 11 Academy subject areas – Audio Education, Audio Career, Control Room, Electronic Dance Music (EDM), House of Worship, In-Ear Monitor, Line Array, Live Console, Microphone, Measurement and Optimization, and Wireless Academy – were presented by top thought-leaders, including Sylvia Massy, Leslie Ann Jones, Karrie Keyes, and Mark Frink, among others. Colleen Harper, executive director of AES, says of this year’s event: “The AES is uniquely positioned to provide authoritative audio training and education for NAMM attendees and our west coast membership, which is reflected in this year’s strongest-ever registration for Audio Engineering Society events during The NAMM Shows. The Society appreciates the resources and opportunities that NAMM made available for the AES Academy as we assembled leading audio experts to bring in-depth session content to our attendees, be they long-time AES members or our new members who now have access to AES resources for on-going professional growth.”

For audio pros seeking big-picture sessions with big names, TEC Tracks uncovered topics ranging from “Mastering in L.A.” to “Recording Vocals Outside of the Studio” with world-famous producer/engineers Ken Caillat, Joe Chicarelli, and special guests as they discussed their favorite vocal mic chains in getting optimal sound in less than optimal settings.

2020 Parnelli Awards

Friday also saw the return of the Parnelli Awards to The NAMM Show. The Parnellis recognize the pioneering, influential professionals and companies for their contributions to the live production industry. The event brought together the live entertainment community in a vibrant annual gathering to recognize the best-in-class across 22 different categories, with Karrie Keyes (Pearl Jam monitor engineer, founder of Sound Girls) receiving the Parnelli Audio Innovator Award; Mark “Springo” Spring (production manager, Paul McCartney, and others) receiving the Parnelli Lifetime Achievement Honor; and Michael Strickland (Bandit Lites) the Visionary Award, which was presented by one of his first early clients, Garth Brooks.

“If there was any doubt that being part of NAMM was a good move, it is unequivocally removed now,” says Terry Lowe, MMR/ PLSN/FOH Magazine publisher and executive producer of the Parnelli Awards. “We’ve sold out shows before, but the demand was such now we had to add tables for 200 more and turned around and sold out again.” He added that being able to attract top talent has also been a boost. “With John Waite as host and Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard, drummer Carmine Appice (Rod Stewart, Ozzy Osborne), and Brent Smith (Shinedown) presenting, the show shattered all expectations. Being at this ‘crossroad’ of artists, people, technology, and the creative infusion of the young people entering is not only extremely good for the Parnelli Awards but rewarding.”

TEC Awards

On Saturday, the 35th Annual TEC Awards recognized 31 categories of products and projects in the areas of Technical or Creative Achievement, and the individuals, companies and technical innovations used in sound recordings, films, broadcast television, and video games.

At the TEC Awards, Joni Mitchell was recognized with the Les Paul Innovation Award, an honor which is given to individuals that have set the highest standards of excellence in the creative application of recording technology in the spirit of the famed audio pioneer, inventor, and musician, Les Paul. Of the award, Michael Braunstein, executive director of the Les Paul Foundation, offered “Like Les, she has been a trailblazer and a true renaissance woman – a songwriter, musician, producer, and influencer who made her mark with very influential songs in the 60s. She has pushed the boundaries of what it means to be a female singer-songwriter over the course of her four-decade career, and like Les Paul, she’s never been scared to take creative risks. We are thrilled that Joni Mitchell will join the list of extraordinary recipients that represent the spirit of the legendary Les Paul.”

Mitchell was introduced by Herbie Hancock, who spoke fondly of their decades of friendship, creative collaboration, and impact: “it’s hard to imagine a world without this courageous woman’s brave songs and records.” Mitchell remarked that she was “truly honored,” as several artists took the stage to give the folk songwriting heroine a musical celebration worthy of her long and revered career.

Eight New Board Members Announced at NAMM’s Annual Meeting of the Members

On January 18 at the Annual Meeting of Members at The 2020 NAMM Show, NAMM welcomed eight new board members to the organization’s Board of Directors. Each board member will serve a three-year term and provide oversight, input, and direction to the organization.

The new board members are: Helen Culleton, DiGiCo UK Limited; Saul Friedgood, Eastman Music Company: John Hopkins, Sweetwater; Abby Kaplan, Shure Incorporated; Tim Spicer, Spicer’s Music, LLC; Chris Tso, Full Compass Systems, Ltd.; David Via, Zoom North America; and Shawna Wingerberg, Antonio Violins and Ukes.

The meeting also celebrated the service, leadership and the many contributions of the outgoing members of the board, including Bryan Bradley, Group One, Ltd.; Philip Cajka, Audio-Technica U.S. Inc.; Lauren Haas Amanfoh, Royalton Music Center, Inc.; Alun Hughes, British Band Instrument Company Ltd.; Scott Mandeville, Tim’s Music; Eric Matzat, Palen Music Center, Inc.; and Chris Syllaba, Jordan Kitt’s Music.

Steve Vai Discusses His New ‘PIA’ Models With Ibanez at the House of Blues

Members of the press gathered in the Foundation Room of the Anaheim House of Blues on January 18 to hear Steve Vai discuss the new additions to his JEM guitar line with Ibanez: the PIA models.

“I built the [first] JEM around my idiosyncrasies as a player,” Vai said. “When it came time to start evolving this guitar, I was so excited about it, and I just thought, ‘What is that, what would be the evolution?’ Because the JEM, as successful of an instrument it is, it’s a 25-year-old Steve Vai when I see it. And it was time for a 60-year-old Steve Vai.”

Vai discussed many of the changes made to this new version of the JEM, including the grip, the slight adjustment to the volume pot placement (“for 35 years I just kept hitting it a little bit,” he said), and the inlay.

“I wanted to smooth out the body a bit,” he explained. “I love the JEM, but it’s got the hard edges. So, all the edges are beveled a bit. We beveled this back a bit, which is nicer to the feel when you sit. This was the first time I’ve ever done anything like this. I didn’t realize it was going to feel so nice. I would have done it 35 years ago.”

Explaining the name of the series – which stands for “paradise in art” – Vai mentioned how the model errs on the artistic side, from its shape to the overall feel.

“The PIA started to take on more of an artistic shape, as opposed to like a badass metal shape. That’s just what came out. I don’t fight it. I just let it come out, because Steve Vai gets the fuck out of the way,” he said. “Why did I call it the PIA? Because it’s a very artistic guitar. It’s a kind of art, and it feels like paradise to me. These guitars will probably be around perhaps long after us, but I cannot be more pleased with the response from the fans, and from the people who have seen it.”

Paul Reed Smith Celebrates 35th Anniversary

There was much to discuss at the PRS Guitars booth on January 17, when the company shared its abundance of new models and celebrated 35 years in business.

Paul Reed Smith started the press conference honestly: “I’m somebody that lives in the moment and doesn’t worry about the past.” Still, he was moved not only by the company’s notable milestone this year, but also by their growth in recent years.

“PRS has grown almost 60 percent in the last three years,” he shared at the press conference, in between showing off new PRS models. Among the new models on display was the 35th Anniversary Private Stock Dragon guitar, the ninth installment since PRS’ first Dragon model in 1992.

“I don’t want to just make guitars that are art, I don’t want to just make things that are beautiful, I want instruments that you can’t keep your hands off of,” he said after finishing a demo.

Fender and Jammcard Provide a ‘Jamm Jam’ for the Books

Fender and Jammcard made the art of the jam session into a more arena-ready ordeal on Friday, January 17 for their “Jammcard x Fender Jamm Jam” event at the Mariott’s Platinum Ballroom. Musicians like Mateus Asato, Gina Gleason, and Ana Karina Sebastiao made musical magic together at the center of the ballroom, while onlookers watched the spectacle from a bleacher-like setup.

Celebrating Fender’s new American Ultra Series of guitars, players also paid tribute to the majesty of the Telecaster, Jazzmaster, and Stratocaster.

Some starpower highlights included playing from Mark Lettieri (Snarky Puppy), Ari O’neal (Beyoncé), Nik West (Prince), Nicole Row (Panic! at the Disco), Dmitry Gorodetsky (Charlie Puth), and Daru Jones (Jack White).

Roland and BOSS Present Fifth Annual Lifetime Achievement Awards

On Wednesday, January 15, Roland and BOSS prepared for the official start of the 2020 Winter NAMM show by presenting their fifth-annual Lifetime Achievement Awards.

This year’s award recipients included drummer Omar Hakim (Roland) and Swedish guitarist, Yngwie Malmsteen (BOSS), both of which have worked with Roland and BOSS for decades.

Malmsteen was awarded his BOSS lifetime achievement award first, accepting the honor from BOSS president Yoshihiro Ikegami. Malmsteen commented, “This was very unexpected for me. I’ve been long time friends with everybody here and in fact, I’ve been using the Roland/BOSS products for 40 years. The first time I actually used something that became a staple in my sound was a Roland DC-10 and one of the biggest things that might be overlooked is when you play guitar, especially the way I play, you need a lot of gain. When the gain goes up, so does the noise. Way back in the ‘80s, I went to sound check and I didn’t know my tech had replaced the noise gate with a BOSS NS-2, and I thought the amps were off because the they were so quiet and when I made a sound, I almost scared myself. If you want good high-end sound, you need the NS-2 in the chain. I also use the BOSS switching system, which is absolutely fantastic, and I couldn’t do a show without it.”

Hakim – who has drummed for legends like David Bowie, Michael Jackson, Journey, and Miles Davis – accepted his award from Jules Tabberer-Stewart, the global strategic product marketing manager (drums), at Roland.

Hakim added, “This means the world to me. What I realized when I reviewed my time as a Roland artist, what came to mind right away is the importance of relationships. It’s one thing to discover gear and to figure out how you are going to deploy it into your professional life but what’s really made this journey with Roland special is all the friendships I’ve developed over the last 25 years. I’ve always been a fan of Roland’s gear and even more importantly, what we don’t realize is that Roland gear has been part of the foundation of a lot of the music we’ve been listening to for the past 50 years. And the thing about Roland is that the passion has always been about creating inspirational tools that make music and musicians want to create. It’s that relationship you have with an instrument when you pick it up and it makes you want to play. . . I always felt like Roland supported me in my passion for creating music and it’s that passion that moves everything forward.”

Summing up the evening, Roland vice president of Artist Relations & Business Development Brian Alli noted, “Roland and BOSS are honored to recognize Omar and Yngwie. These individuals personify the timeless, yet ever-changing nature of music and have demonstrated a truly lifelong dedication to creating their own sound while inspiring others. Sincerely thank you for helping make Roland who we are today.”

Sennheiser Toasts to 75 Years

Sennheiser celebrated their 75th anniversary with a party on the NAMM show floor on Friday, January 17. CEO Daniel Sennheiser opened the celebration with some remarks of gratitude, followed by a set from Florida-based act Ari and the Alibis.

“We’re here to celebrate 75 years of innovation in the audio industry, and that wouldn’t happen without all of you,” he said to buyers, retailers, members of the press, and general fans.

Summer NAMM will be held July 9-11, in Nashville, Tennessee, and The 2021 NAMM Show will take place January 21-24 in Anaheim, California.

Voices from the Show Floor …

“The Show seemed much busier – it also seemed like it was more consumer-driven than buyer-driven on the floor. It definitely is more of a media event now. More like a conference for displaying products instead of buying products…”

Tish Ciravolo, Daisy Rock Girl Guitars

“The Show was good. Probably more positive of [an] outlook than we have seen for while in relation to the guitar market. I would say this was one of the better shows we have had in last four or five years, overall. My takeaway is that dealers and distributors are not as fearful as they have been for the last few years about the business. Concerns would still be lack of younger players and consumers for the guitar market to grow at faster pace.”

Tim Pfouts, S.I.T. Strings Co.

“We felt the show was stronger than 2019 and our attendance and orders from our retailers was up over last year. In particular, we heard a lot of retailers say that November and December were good months, so they came into NAMM with optimism and openness to talk about new products and sales programs.

“We also noticed an increased amount of international attendees, especially from Asia and South America. Pro Audio and Recording buyers were higher than last year as well, so that’s a trend that seems to be going up.”

Larry Morton, Hal Leonard

“The show was much busier than [in] years past. We had a great energy around us. I think the economy doing well helps a lot. Our rock stations were also big game-changers for us.”

Owen Matthews, Electro-Harmonix

“NAMM definitely seemed busier this year and I think it may be the start of a trend. Last year felt crazy-busy as well. Thursdays are typically pretty low-key with light traffic, but this year, Thursday had the feeling of a typical Friday at NAMM… booth traffic was heavy and steady all day long. The PRS booth was buzzing from start to finish each day and the vibe was strong and positive. We’re celebrating our 35th Anniversary this year and we had several anniversary models that added some extra excitement to the mix, especially the 35th Anniversary Private Stock Dragon. We were also extremely honored and humbled to receive the MMR Dealers’ Choice Award for the Silver Sky model which was timed perfectly with the expanded offerings of Silver Sky that we launched at the show (limited run of Silver Sky Nebula and Silver Sky Maple). All in all, this year’s show was one for the books and quite possibly one of our best shows ever.”

Bev Fowler, Paul Reed Smith Guitars

“This 2020 Winter NAMM presentation felt like a banner year with so many companies bringing out their best and brightest to face the coming year. While much in the evening news seems to paint a grim picture of society, if this NAMM Show is an indication, musicians from every corner of the world are finding solace and inspiration in the music they’re making and the community of fellow musicians and instrument makers. As an industry, we’re fortunate to be looking at the future with the momentum and encouragement of fresh growth. This year feels like an expansion in our industry as more players than ever enjoy the experience and camaraderie of making music.”

Andy Powers, Taylor Guitars

“This year’s NAMM Show was very successful for Yamaha. We expanded our presence at the Grand Plaza Stage adding to our Friday Night All-Star Concert on the Grand a superb night with Tower of Power on Saturday. What a great show for the NAMM audience. We also presented the Night of Worship with Michael W. Smith to a sold-out and overflow house in the Hilton. NAMM attendees stopped me the rest of the show to say what a moving performance Michael gave.

“It’s always great to be able to show our dealers the new gear and let them get hands on with our instruments – we’re really proud of them. This year dealers were really attracted to our new B&O products including our new bari the YBS-480 and new silent bass YBS-300. Dealers presented both those items for Sunday’s Best-in-Show.

“We were also really happy with the performances on the stage in our booth. Performances from Daniel Ho and Antonio Sanchez were specifically memorable and they drew big crowds in our booth.

“We had our first planning session for The NAMM Show 2021 the Sunday morning of the 2020 show…”

Tom Sumner, Yamaha Corporation of America

“As always, I think the best part of NAMM is the opportunity to meet with the sellers, manufacturers, and buyers that make up the Reverb community. While we’re in constant contact with our users throughout the year, we love hearing success stories and feedback in person at the NAMM Show. This year, we had the opportunity to preview our upcoming documentary, “The Pedal Movie,” which is in many ways a love letter to some of the people and brands that have helped us grow Reverb into what it is today. We got some great feedback and are feeling energized as we head into 2020.”

Kevin Drost, Reverb.com

“This was a show full of energy – and a lot of excitement about the gear releases for the year ahead. We’re also seeing more partners zeroing in on creating great content and developing their brand and ours through storytelling – and the appreciable impact on their sell through. Brands like Harmony, Heritage Guitars, Teisco and MONO have such rich histories that the dealers have a lot to choose from. And we are extremely passionate about that. Quality brands need quality content. This year’s NAMM really brought that to life! “

Randy Couvillon, Bandlab Technologies

“Winter NAMM 2020 was a great success for Adam Hall and our brands. The show was well attended and we enjoyed the diversity of industry professionals who spent time with us. We received many complements (and pre-orders) on our new LD Systems Maui 44 G2 Column PA System, and our new ICOA Loudspeaker. We also received special interest in our new wireless Microphone systems that were used for scheduled performances at both our Indoor and Outdoor stages. We are already looking forward to next year!”

Paul Narvaez, Adam Hall

“We were extremely encouraged by the high turnout and the enthusiastic audience. The vibe was incredible, and it was great to have so many musicians hanging out with the Peavey family this year. Dealers seemed optimistic and generally in good spirits. One item of particular note was comments I received from our European dealers and distributors: they commented on how good it felt to attend a show with such high traffic and a positive vibe. I’m not sure what that says or doesn’t say about trade shows in Europe, but it was interesting nonetheless.”

Fred Poole, Peavey

Best & Worst in Show

BEST TIME-SUCK

The little island of vintage effects at the Reverb.com booth absolutely had nothing to do with me being five minutes late for my next appointment…

WORST LETDOWN

For those of us in colder portions of the country (and beyond), part of the appeal of Winter NAMM is getting a chance to enjoy some summer-like weather. So what’s with the lows in the mid-40s this January?

WORST PROOF THAT NAMM REALLY IS THAT BUSY

By all accounts, the Gibson Concert on Thursday was a rager – too bad I couldn’t make it in time because, after my Uber app finally connected me with a driver, the estimated arrival time to pick me up was 28 minutes(!).

BEST ECO-FRIENDLY INITIATIVE

In an effort to reduce the use of single-use plastic, Martin, REVERB, and the NAMM show offered free water refill stations throughout the convention center, allowing guests to top off their water bottles. The initiative no doubt reduced the sales of bottled water at the show, but also saved NAMM-goers a significant amount of cash, too.

BEST SKATE-INSPIRED DISPLAY

As far as over-the-top NAMM displays go, the skate park inspired setup from Pearl on the second floor certainly was among the most memorable. Complete with a matching bass drum decal and skateboard, this was one display of creativity that was hard to miss by even the busiest NAMM-goer.

BEST EYE-CATCHER