NAMMphoria

NAMMphoria

For musicians, California’s Winter NAMM is the original legalized high

by Dendy Jarrett

Most NAMM show reports emphasize the gear—not surprising, given that NAMM’s a showcase for the latest and greatest gear from manufacturers all over the world. But that’s just part of the story. No, we’re not talking about something that sounds like thousands of radios, all tuned to different music stations and turned up to maximum volume. Nor are we talking about the after-hours parties, the before-hours (and bleary-eyed) breakfast meetings, or the NAMM exercise program of walking mile after mile—whether in the convention center itself, or from that parking place which you suspect was actually in Bakersfield.

We’re talking about something much more important: the human element that reaches into every corner of the Anaheim Convention Center.

Sometimes it seems you cross paths with everyone you’ve ever met who was in any way related to music. Maybe it’s just a quick wave and hello as you pass each other on the escalators, or maybe you sit down and spend some quality time with friends you haven’t seen in years. Maybe it’s seeing Talking Heads’ Jerry Harrison having the consideration to hand some earplugs to our own Craig Anderton as they watched Joe Perry, Johnny Depp, and Alice Cooper tearing up the stage (and peaking sound level meters!) at the TEC Awards. Maybe it’s the stars you see who aren’t mobbed but respectfully given their space with just an approving smile or a “thanks.” Then there are those who have new gigs with a new company in a new town, or switched careers entirely, or look so much happier than they did the year before…or are trying to find that new gig with a new company, as they hope to start a new phase of their lives.

NAMM isn’t just a trade show: it’s a block party with over 100,000 potential friends of all races, religions, political views, and musical tastes. Fights don’t break out. Security guards look extremely bored. People not only open doors for each other, they queue up politely in lines when the elevators overheat from the traffic. Disneyland may be “the happiest place on earth”…but NAMM is the coolest.

And when the show’s finally over, the carpets are rolled up, the gear gets loaded onto pallets, the lights dim, and tens of thousands of people turn into a few stragglers dealing with the last of the booth breakdowns, something from NAMM remains: you’re high on the power of music—a means of communication that transcends barriers and knows no demographic limitations.

And if you’re a musician…you know exactly what I mean.

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Dendy Jarrett is the Publisher and Director of Harmony Central. He has been heavily involved at the executive level in many aspects of the drum and percussion industry for over 25 years and has been a professional player since he was 16. His articles and product reviews have been featured in InTune Monthly, Gig Magazine, DRUM! and Modern Drummer Magazines.