NAMM Starts Tonight, and We Have Some Passes To Give Away!

The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) have descended upon Nashville for their summer trade show.  They are showcasing the cool, innovative, future of music technology.  You know the musicians are going to be paying attention, and I know a lot of musicians of all abilities read this blog.  Unfortunately, the full event isn’t open to the public, but, but, but…  let me tell you about NAMM’s Public Day on Saturday.  AND, we are giving away a passes to a couple of lucky winners.  You can enter to win by email, retweet, or a facebook “like”.  We will announce the winner on Friday at 5pm.

So, what does NAMM’s Public Day entail?  It’ a unique look inside the typically trade-only show for master classes & seminars, live performances, shop talk with industry insiders, interactive opportunities to play music, musicians galore, and a chance to see hundreds of global music companies, technologies, music instruments and buzz-worthy products.

If you don’t like free tickets, then you can grab your $15 pass here.  This is bound to be a pretty fun way to burn through a couple of hours this weekend…. oh yeah, it’s air conditioned too.  You can check out the full schedule for Saturday if you click that little read more button down there.

Saturday’s Public Day Sessions

World’s Fastest Drummer Heats
10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Level 1 Lobby East

How to Use a Workstation
11 a.m.–12 p.m.
Room 102
Join Rich Formidoni, technology product manager for Korg USA, for a 30-minute workshop on incorporating a workstation keyboard into a recording studio. Rich will be demonstrating Korg’s acclaimed Kronos Music Workstation, with a focus on songwriting, recording, effects processing and computer integration. You’ll be amazed at how a workstation can speed up your songwriting, and inspire you to stay creative!

10 Essential Band Marketing Strategies
11 a.m.–12 p.m.
Room 211
From social marketing to PR, direct marketing and much more, Laura B. Whitmore, owner of Mad Sun Marketing and journalist for Guitar World, presents practical tips on how to beef up your visibility.

Win a Digital Record Deal with GUITAR PLAYER RECORDS
11 a.m.–3 p.m.
Room 214
Bring a CD of your best original song, play it for the editor-in-chief of GUITAR PLAYER, and he might select it for a special “Wanna Play Music Day” compilation on GUITAR PLAYER RECORDS.

Live Sound Basics
12 p.m.–1 p.m.
Room 207
Two of the top Live Sound experts in the country, Barry Sanders and David Hall, will give you the basics of Live Sound. Learn how to plug it in and make it work in a Live Sound environment.

10 Ways to Make Better Sounding Recordings
12 p.m.–1 p.m.
Room 211
Michael Molenda, editor-in-chief of GUITAR PLAYER magazine, discusses how to avoid common mistakes home-recording musicians make and how to ensure your tracks are professional quality.

New TC-Helicon Vocal Effects Pedal for the Acoustic Singer/Songwriter
12:30 p.m.–1:30 p.m.
Room 102
Join TC-Helicon’s Laura Clapp as she presents a 20-minute in-depth demonstration of the latest vocal processors live onstage. The performance will cover features, presets, ease of use and examples of how to achieve today’s hottest vocal effects quickly and easily in live performance. Those attending can enter to win the latest TC-Helicon gear. Winners will be drawn at the end of each demo, so don’t miss your chance to win!

So, You Want to Be a Session Player?
1 p.m.–2 p.m.
Room 208
Hear from some of Nashville’s top session players, including Craig Krampf and Dave Pomeroy, on what it takes to be a studio musician and enjoy a demonstration as they perform a couple of songs the band had never heard before as if they were recording them, simulating the real world of recording songs in short period of time.

10 Tips for Effective Pre-Production
1 p.m.–2 p.m.
Room 211
Michael Molenda, editor-in-chief of GUITAR PLAYER magazine, presents 10 easy steps for making sure your songs, arrangements and production concepts are locked and loaded for successful studio sessions.

Live Sound Tips & Tricks
1:30 p.m.–2:30 p.m.
Room 207
Two of the top Live Sound experts in the country, Barry Sanders and David Hall, will tell you how to make your next live gig sound great!

TheGigEasy Demo
2 p.m.–3 p.m.
The Demo Room, Room 102
Darren Kramer presents a live performance and hands-on workshop with six iPads running various apps.

World’s Fastest Drummer Finals
2 p.m.
Level 1 Lobby East

10 Tips for Writing a Hit Song
2 p.m.–3 p.m.
Room 211
Moderated by Laura B. Whitmore (singer/songwriter, journalist for Guitar World, owner of Mad Sun Marketing and producer of the Women’s Music Summit), this roundtable discussion features top songwriters and publishing professionals offering insight into the writing and business strategy behind a hit song.

Panelists include Greg Becker, music, lyricist and top-line melody writer who work has sold more than 20 million units worldwide; Pat Finch, Nashville music publisher who has secured/published thousands of cuts and hundreds of singles including two GRAMMY-winning songs; Shane Adams, president of Artist Accelerator, a music production and artist development company; Stephony Smith, BMI’s 1998 Songwriter of the Year, with nine songs that have hit the Top Ten and over 120 cuts by a number of award-winning artists.

10 Ways to Exploit Facebook for Success
3 p.m.–4 p.m.
Room 211
Michelle Esposito, NAMM’s PR and interactive media manager, moderates a panel of social media experts to give tips for using interactive media to reach new listeners, customers and to facilitate dialogue with fans. Panelists include Chad Corley, web sales and marketing manager for Breedlove, Bedell and Two Old Hippies, and Ashley Mixson, senior account director for Girlilla Marketing, a Nashville-based digital marketing agency.