An Educators Guide to NAMM &
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An Educators Guide to NAMM & Ten ‘Must See’ Exhibitors By Ted Kuehnert Educational Services Manager, Bertrand’s Music Along with the SCSBOA Conference in January comes the NAMM Show, and the opportunity for you to see the “crown jewel” of shows for the music products industry just up HarBor Boulevard. With over 2000 exhiBitors, 6000 Brands and about 100,000 attendees from over 120 countries, the NAMM Show can Be overwhelming. This article will hopefully make your visit informative and enjoyaBle. The NAMM Show (National Association of Music Merchants) is “trade only” and not open to the puBlic. You will notice that Badges will Be primarily categorized as “Buyer” and “ExhiBitor”. In the crowded halls, you probably will see a celebrity artist or two, followed by an entourage. As an educator and SCSBOA MemBer, you have a spectacular opportunity to see it ALL and interact with the people who make the tools of our trade. Most will seek your feedBack on their products. It’s a great place to learn. The NAMM Show used to Be aBout manufacturers seeking orders however, that has changed over the last twenty years. It’s now more of a marketing event. Here you will find amazing products of everything under the sun along with introductions of new products from manufacturers. You will also find exhiBiting manufacturers you have never heard of. BRING YOUR MOUTHPIECE(S) if you play (a) wind instrument(s). You are ENCOURAGED by exhibitors to try their instruments. Even if you find a manufacturer you are not familiar with, try their gear out! There has Been a huge growth of manufacturers, from China primarily, that have come to the NAMM Show over the past 10 years. You will find some instruments you like however, there are a few things that you need to Be aware of. First, many of the band instrument exhibitors are trading companies that represent factories in China. You will Be able to identify these companies as they tend to not have the technical “know how” of the instruments they sell. ASK QUESTIONS. These exhiBitors are there to solicit house OEM brands to dealers. Second, most off-brand instruments have not been around long enough to determine reliability. You will see amazing copies of popular instruments By reverse engineering. Materials and manufacturing are EVERYTHING that separates a real instrument from something else. Last and most important, the majority of the off brand manufacturers do not supply parts for their instruments. This becomes a serviceaBility issue when (not “if”) the horn breaks, your repair technician will not Be aBle to get parts. That instrument will quickly Become a nice, oversized paperweight on your desk. Most will tell you that “parts are availaBle”. Ask to see their parts catalog. No parts catalog, no parts. It’s that simple. The following are a list of exhiBitors that you “must see” at NAMM. All of these manufacturers, with an exception of one, continue to invest in educational products and hold music educators in the highest regards. Buffet Crampon, Jacksonville, FL: Booth 4300 Buffet is your quintessential French clarinet manufacturer, but Buffet Crampon also has production facilities in Germany and China and runs other premium Brands: Besson, B&S, Antoine Courtois, Hans Hoyer, J. Keilwerth, Meinl Weston, Scherzer and W. Schreiber. Connolly Music Company, East Northport, NY: Booth 3500 Connolly is best known as the U.S. distributor for Thomastik-Infeld Strings, Dominant, Peter Infeld, Vision, Spirocore and Belcanto. They also distribute the duraBle and innovative K&M Stands. Conn-Selmer, Inc., Elkhart, IN: Booth 4600 Both “Conn” and “Selmer” are iconic names, but Conn-Selmer is the largest American manufacturer of band instruments of a conglomerate of legendary brands: Bach, C.G. Conn, Glaesel, King, Holton, LeBlanc, Scherl & Roth, William Lewis & Son, Musser and Ludwig. Conn-Selmer is also the exclusive U.S. distributor of Henri Selmer Paris and Yanigisawa. Conn-Selmer is a wholly owned suBsidiary of Steinway Musical Instruments (yes, the piano company) and has plants located in Elkhart, IN, Eastlake OH and Monroe, NC (Ludwig). D’Addario & Company, Farmingdale, NY: Booth 4834 One of the largest accessory companies in the world, D’Addario is mainly known for their strings. Their other brands include Evans (drum heads), Planet Waves, ProMark (drumsticks), Rico Reeds, Zyex, Amo, Vivo, Prelude and Helicore Strings. DANSR, Inc., Champaign, IL: Booth 3112 DANSR is the U.S. distriButor for Vandoren Reeds & Mouthpieces and Denis Wick. Other Brands include Jones DouBle Reeds and Juno. DANSR is also a financial services company for the school music industry. Eastman Music Company, Pomona, CA: Booth 4610 Eastman came on the scene recently in 1993 as a string instrument company. Since then, they have grown incrediBly By offering fine wind instruments. Other Brands include Wm. S. Haynes Flute Company, S. E. Shires Brass and is the U.S. distributor for Backun Clarinets. Jinbao Musical Instruments, Tianjin, China: Booth 3276 While unknown to most Americans, Jinbao is the largest musical instrument manufacturer in China making wind, stringed and percussion instruments. What is most significant in seeing this exhibit is that JinBao does a lot of OEM for unfamiliar Brands you might see in the U.S. market; especially low and marching Brass. Products from this exhiBit will allow you to draw your own conclusions. KHS America, Mt. Juliet, TN: Booth 3220, 3240 While KHS might not sound familiar, quite a few of their Brands will: Jupiter Band Instruments, Hohner Musical Instruments, Altus Handmade Flutes, XO, Majestic Concert Percussion, Azumi Flutes, Mapex Drums, NFUZD Audio, Anacleto Accordions, Lanikai Ukeleles, Sonor Drums, Hercules Stands, Rockwood, Green Tones, H. Jimenez Guitars, Kohala Ukeleles, Nomad Stands and Quantum Marching Instruments. KHS America is Based in Taiwan. Yamaha Corporation of America, Buena Park, CA: Marriott Ballrooms A short walk from the main convention halls, Yamaha is an aBsolute must see however, you are probably not likely to see anything from their Motors Division: motorcycles and watercraft. Roland Corporation U.S., Los Angeles, CA: Booth 300A Located upstairs at the convention center, Roland is a leading manufacturer and distributor of electronic musical instruments, including keyBoards and synthesizers, guitar products, electronic percussion, digital recording equipment, amplifiers, and audio processing devices. Other Brands include Boss and V- MODA. Show Hours The NAMM Show is open to attendees Thursday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Sunday 10:00 to 5:00 p.m. When is the least crowded day to go? Sunday! Transportation The Anaheim Convention Center is a close walk from the Hyatt, however if you aren’t up for the walk, the Anaheim Resort Transit (ART) can get you there and Back. See a hotel concierge for more shuttle information. About the Author Ted Kuehnert is the Educational Services Manager for Bertrand’s Music and is a music industry veteran of 25 years. Ted has held sales and marketing management positions with PRO TEC International, SKB Corporation, Yamaha, Conn-Selmer and started his own Band instrument company, Suite. [email protected] .