Music Education Champions to Unite at The 2018 NAMM Show

The NAMM Foundation has announced a multitude of opportunities for college music students and faculty, music educators and administrators, emerging professionals and nonprofit leaders, and advocates to advance their networks and education, as well as to rally in a united spirit in support of music education. Each day of the Show, The NAMM Foundation will present dozens of sessions and opportunities to learn, network with peers and engage on the topics at the fore of music education advocacy.

Before the Show officially opens on Tuesday, January 23, NAMM members will put “advocacy into action” through the annual Day of Service. The 2018 Day of Service will be held at Orange Grove Elementary School in Anaheim where NAMM members will help students learn to play ukulele, guitar and drums, as well as engage in choral and movement sessions. Now in its fourth year, NAMM members will gather to support the Anaheim Elementary School District and its efforts to provide music education to every child.

Once the Show opens on Thursday, January 25, The NAMM Foundation will launch three education symposiums curated to a variety of music education professions. For pre-K-12 music teachers and administrators, The NAMM Foundation presents Music Education Days (MED). Now in its eleventh year, the program will offer music teachers and administrators 33 informational sessions, networking opportunities and the chance to experience the newest innovations in school band and orchestra instruments. MED attendees are also invited to participate in “rapid-fire sessions” of the latest in product information with a popular new program called the “Music Educator Showcases.” The Showcases are designed to offer attendees speed-round presentations of a variety of musical instruments, software and programs for the classroom and beyond.

Alongside established music educators and administrators, The NAMM Foundation will again welcome college-aged music students and faculty to attend GenNext. The program provides access to education sessions organized by the College Music Society (CMS) that explore career options in the music industry and for faculty, provide one-of-a-kind professional development opportunities. Participants will also experience special events and concerts, while developing camaraderie with their peers and with music industry professionals that will enhance blossoming careers and provide meaningful professional connections. The GenNext program will welcome more than 2,000 college music students and faculty, including 94 recipients of NAMM’s President’s Innovation Award.

For the first time ever, The NAMM Foundation will host The Nonprofit Management Institute: a series of five progressive sessions covering best practices in nonprofit governance and management. The program will welcome nearly 100 of the Foundation’s partner organizations and grantees, and cover “Fundraising and Development,” “Program Development, Documentation and Assessment,” “Technology and Social Media,” and “Best Practices from NAMM Foundation Grantees.” At the end of the series of sessions, participants in all five sessions can receive a certificate of completion.

For those seeking musical inspiration, The NAMM Foundation’s Celebration of Music Education concert will take over the Grand Plaza on Thursday evening, featuring a musical performance from a surprise guest. On Saturday, all NAMM Show attendees are invited to the The Grand Rally for Music Education an annual celebration that honors the champions and advocates of music. This year’s event features a performance by FORTE, the classical crossover-operatic pop trio of tenors; an "inside the practice studio" interview with Grammy-nominated, singer-songwriter Vanessa Carlton; and student performances by the recipients of the 2017 "What Makes Music Education Great in My School District" video contest.

At the end of each day, Lounge 88 on the Convention Center’s third level will come alive with Roomful of Pianos; a concept which will see spectacular multiple piano music, with pianists from around the country performing symphonic arrangements, jazz explorations, and clangorous delights for 10, 20, or 50 players with the music of by Beethoven, Bernstein, Ellington, and Holst. Performances will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and complemented by a variety of educational sessions for participants and piano professionals.

For a complete list of NAMM Foundation activities, please visit https://www.nammfoundation.org/articles/2017-09-15/namm-foundation-events-2018-namm-show

In addition to the education symposiums, NAMM’s Public Affairs & Government Relations team will also host eight policy update sessions designed to distill the most pressing regulatory issues, including an Import/Export Panel on CITES, where industry experts discuss the current status of the CITES listing of all rosewood (dalbergia) species and its impact on the international instrument trade, with emphasis on actions of the CITES organization in the last six months and industry plans for the 2019 Conference of the Parties. At the International Roundtable: Global IP Protection, experts from United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will discuss property protection strategies covering patents, trade secrets, trademarks and copyright outside of the U.S. The policy sessions will also include a NAMM Fly-In reunion and information session that will announce plans for NAMM Fly-In scheduled for May 23-24, 2018.

In addition to the education and various musical showcases, professionals will have the chance to experience the latest in musical instruments and pro audio on The NAMM Show floor from nearly 2,000 exhibitors representing 7,000 brands, enjoy daily performances on the Grand Plaza and Arena Stages, as well as networking events with like-minded professionals.

Music Education Days, GenNext career development and The Nonprofit Institute are just three programs from the suite of professional development opportunities at The 2018 NAMM Show, which also includes NAMM U; TEC Tracks; A3E’s The Future of Audio program; Audinate’s Dante Certification Training; AES@NAMM: Pro Sound Symposium Live and Studio curated by the Audio Engineering Society; and event technology sessions, curated by ESTA (Entertainment Services and Technology Association); The Pro Production Sessions presented by Front of House and Projection Lights & Staging News magazines; and Lighting&Sound America/PLASA. These educational sessions will take place at the NAMM U Education Center at the Hilton Anaheim, located next door to the Anaheim Convention Center, and are open to NAMM members.