MIDI@40 and Hip-Hop@50 Anniversary Celebrations Await at The 2023 NAMM Show

CARLSBAD, Calif. – February 7, 2023 – The 2023 NAMM Show will celebrate two of history’s most impactful musical innovations: the 40^th anniversary of MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) with MIDI@40 and the 50^th anniversary of hip-hop, with Hip-Hop@50. Each day of the show, which takes place April 13–15, in Anaheim, California, will offer the intertwined story of hip-hop and MIDI, and the relationship between technology and music creation. Together, hip-hop and MIDI — as an underlying, enabling technology — have had a global impact in breaking down barriers and making music more accessible. In fact, MIDI drum machines, sequencers, synths, and turntables are at the heart of many of the iconic records that made hip-hop the cultural phenomenon that it is today. 

As part of the MIDI@40 celebration, the MIDI Zone in the front of Hall A of the Anaheim Convention Center will celebrate a wide range of products and innovations using MIDI. In total, 30 companies will be displaying the latest in MIDI innovation, and The MIDI Association will be demonstrating MIDI 2.0, the most important upgrade to MIDI since its debut at The NAMM Show in 1983. View the NAMM Show map.

“MIDI@40 not only showcases all of the amazing MIDI products that have impacted music over the past 40 years but also looks forward to the future with MIDI 2.0 products that will continue to shape the way music is made for decades to come,” shares Athan Billias, president of The MIDI Association.

As part of the convergence, a series of panel discussions will examine the impact of MIDI technology.

On Friday, April 14, from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m., A3E: Advanced Audio Applications Exchange will present “MIDI 2.0: What Developers Need to Know About Free Tools for Developing MIDI 2.0 Products and Apps.” The panel discussion will feature members of the MIDI 2.0 working group, including Pete Brown, Florian Bomers, Mike Kent, and Torrey Walker, as they discuss recent changes to the core MIDI 2.0 specifications and the MIDI 2.0 API on Apple, Google, Linux, and Microsoft operating systems. They'll also explain the tools that The MIDI Association is providing to all developers to help make MIDI 2.0 devices easier.

Immediately following the session, attendees can delve into “MIDI 2.0: What Musicians Need to Know About MIDI 2.0.” The panel session, featuring Athan Billias, Craig Anderton, Brett Porter of Art and Logic, Michael Cain of Ekwe and artist Moldover, will introduce the new MIDI 2.0 products at The NAMM Show and provide an overview of what new MIDI specifications will mean to musicians, including MPE, Orchestral Articulation and Piano Profiles, Get and Set Device state, SMF2 MIDI Clip Files, and much more.

On Friday, Hip-Hop@50 will present “Chuck D on Hip-Hop@50.” Hosted by Brian Hardgroove, the session will feature an in-depth conversation with legendary rapper and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame leader of Public Enemy, Chuck D. Come hear the history of this American cultural phenomenon through the lens of a legend that influenced the genre like no other.

The MIDI@40 and Hip-Hop@50 celebrations will come together on Saturday, April 15 from 3–5 p.m. on the Yamaha Grand Plaza Stage with a performance by Resonant Alien, the new band featuring Brian Hardgroove and DJ Johnny Juice of Public Enemy. 

At Saturday’s anniversary celebration, lifetime achievement awards will be presented to (or posthumously honor) legendary music industry innovators who created the modern music production environment of synths, drum machines, and sequencers, including Bob Moog, Don Buchla, Ikutaro Kakehashi, Tsutomu Katoh, Roger Linn, Tom Oberheim, Alan Pearlman, Dave Rossum, and Dave Smith.

The afternoon event will be hosted by world champion juggler and MIDI power user Mark Nizer and will feature musicians, composers, and performance artists who represent the beautiful diversity of cultures and people from all over the world, along with music from different genres and generations brought together by music and MIDI. 

The show will close with a performance from The Ambassador of Soul, Ellis Hall. Blind since the age of 18, Hall has written nearly 4,000 blues, gospel, and soul songs and performed with the likes of Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Herbie Hancock, Tower of Power, Bobby Womack, and Stevie Wonder.

“The MIDI@40 and Hip-Hop@50 celebrations have come together in a perfect creative storm,” added Brian Hardgroove.  “Hip-hop and MIDI have both made music more accessible to more people and changed our global culture."

The MIDI@40 and Hip-Hop@50 celebration joins the return of much-loved industry award events, including the Parnelli Awards, the TEC Experience, and the She Rocks Awards, as well as other event gatherings and networking opportunities, including the Top 100 Dealer, Pro Audio Pool Party, Women of NAMM and NAMM Young Professionals receptions, and more.

In addition to the events and receptions, attendees of The 2023 NAMM Show will enjoy a robust show floor with exhibiting brands, including Adam Hall; ADJ; Allen & Heath; American Music & Sound; Apogee; Avid; beyerdynamic; C.F. Martin & Co.; Casio; Conn-Selmer; d&b audiotechnik; Ernie Ball; ESP; Harman; IK Multimedia; Ibanez; Kala; Kawai; KMC Music; Konig and Meyer; Line 6; Pioneer; Sennheiser; Shure; Tama; Ultimate Ears; and Yamaha, among many others. 

Registration for The 2023 NAMM Show is now open at https://www.namm.org/thenammshow/attend