Believe in Music kicked off on Jan. 20, 2022, with a Believe in Music live stream; and offered live and on-demand education sessions and events.
NAMM Foundation Event Highlights
GenNext
BIG Ideas to Improve Accessibility From Yamaha Master Educators
Watch these riveting thought-leaders beat the clock as they share their BIG IDEAS for accessing a successful and rewarding career in the music industry. Each will provide a 90-second BIG IDEA on a variety of topics that will lead to difference-making career moves starting today! Followed by a Q&A. Presented by: Marcia Neel, Senior Director of Education, Yamaha Corp. of America; Serona Elton, Director of the Music Business and Entertainment Industries Program, University of Miami, Frost School of Music; Donny Gruendler, Vice President of Education, Guitar Center, Inc.; Stan Renard, Assistant Professor of Music Marketing, The University of Texas at San Antonio and David Cutler, Distinguished Professor of Music Entrepreneurship and Innovation, University of South Carolina-Columbia
Cross-training in Music Technology: Lessons From the Pandemic Applied to the Future
The modern employment landscape often rewards one’s ability to flex into multiple roles. This has been particularly apparent during the pandemic. But how can we foster interdisciplinarity? Join a discussion around how we can cross-train amongst the widely varied sub-disciplines of music technology and music writ large. Presented by: Brett Leonard, Director of Music Technology Programs & Assistant Professor, University of Indianapolis
Finding Your Fit: Careers in the Music Industry
Students and early career professionals may not know the wide variety of career paths within the music industry: from artist relations to marketing to logistics and more. If you know you want to work in music, but have no idea what job actually plays to your strengths and passions, this session is for you. Hear from experienced professionals discussing how they found their fit, and overviews of the wide variety of roles needed to bring any product or service to market. Presented by: Lisa MacDonald, Director of Vertical Marketing, Yamaha Corp. of America
Grant Writing for a More Equitable Future in Music
This workshop will improve grant writing skills in an effort to help students, aspiring arts directors, and small music business owners to secure grant funding. Strategies for improving grant writing include choosing the best grants to match programs, persuasive writing, organizing information for presentation, and budget creation. Presented by: Noah Getz, Saxophone Musician-in-Residence, American University
Preparing Music Students for a 21st Century Income
Professional musicians focus on specialties including tone, time, feel, and stylistic diversity. However, these are no longer enough to ensure success in the industry. Today's entrepreneurs expect their staff also to have mastered business, content, and promotional disciplines. These items, alongside real-world music skills, are our 21st-century recipe for success. Presented by: Donny Gruendler, Vice President of Education, Guitar Center, Inc.
The Great Video Songbook: Gershwin to Graves; Kern to Kondo
My paper explores the creative output of contemporary jazz musicians who have introduced a plethora of music from video games to the creative arena of jazz performance. Artists including the 8-Bit Big Band, insaneintherainmusic, and The Consouls are exploring new means for contemporary extemporization, reinterpretation, and expression. Presented by: James Heazlewood-Dale, Musician/Lecturer, Brandeis University
Understanding Digital Music Rights and Revenue
Every time music is streamed or downloaded, revenue flows to the rightsholders of the song and the recording. This session will demonstrate and explain the complex paths that digital music rights and revenue follow from the creator to the consumer and back. Presented by: Serona Elton, Director of the Music Business and Entertainment Industries Program, University of Miami, Frost School of Music
What's It Like Out There? Insights From College Music Program Recent Graduates
In this conversation, we’ll hear from alumni of music programs how their education prepared them for their careers in the music industry and how it will help them excel in their roles. They’ll also share advice and recommendations for current music students and faculty based on their experiences. Presented by: Storm Gloor, Associate Professor - Music & Entertainment Industry Studies, University of Colorado Denver; JJ Farrell, Marketing & Partnerships Manager, Music Business Association; Bradlie Jones, Entrepreneur, University of Colorado Denver; Amanda Lee, Coordinator, Executive Office, Recording Academy and Emily Butler, Customer Experience Associate, The Mechanical Licensing Collective
Music Education Days
Don't Fret! Discover Ways of Teaching Guitar to Students of All Ages
Students can have a positive experience learning to play guitar when the approach is structured appropriately for their age group and skill readiness. In this session, leading educators from Teaching Guitar Workshops and Guitars & Ukes in the Classroom will share two accessible and complementary approaches to get you started! Presented by GAMA and GITC in collaboration with The NAMM Foundation. Glean McCarthy, Professor, George Mason University/Executive Director, Teaching Guitar Workshops and Jessica Baron, Executive Director, Guitars in the Classroom
Music-Making for All: Ukulele Strings Attached!
Ready to take your ukulele program to the next level? Join specialists Peter Luongo and James Hill for an information-packed preview of Teaching Ukulele Workshops to be offered at NAMM 2022. Offering classroom-tested techniques to develop ear training, notation reading, vocal harmony, and theory into your program from the very start. Presented by The NAMM Foundation in collaboration with Uketropolis and the Langley Ukulele Association. Peter Luongo, Training, Performance & Programs Director, Luongo Ukulele Experience; and James Hill, Founder, Uketropolis.com
NAMM Music Administrators Forum: Supporting Music Education
Public school district arts administrators work to ensure that all students have access to music and arts instruction during these challenging times. Learn how we can help to ensure that the effective tools, technologies, approaches we’ve adopted to navigate the past two years are not lost in the rush back to "normal", and how arts advocates can help. Presented by: Mary Luehrsen, Executive Director, The NAMM Foundation; Anne Fennell, K-12 Music Program Manager, San Diego USD; Anthony Beatrice, Executive Director, Boston Public Schools and Creston Herron, Fine Arts Director, Klien Independent School District
Teaching Contemporary Music Production: Building Music and Technology Skills
Your students want to create contemporary music whether you know the genres or not. This session will provide practical information and lessons to get started on teaching Hip Hop, Trap, EDM, and Rock and others. We’ll discuss composition and music production techniques using a variety of free or paid resources. Presented by TI:ME in collaboration with The NAMM Foundation and Barbara Freedman, Music Teacher, Greenwich High School
TECHnically, It's About the Individual and the Ensemble
While we tend to focus on technology to reach students "at home" or "online" or "in class", it's TECHnically about what we use to enhance learning for both our ensembles and our individual musicians. This presentation will discuss how to engage students with technology in multiple ways. Presented by TI:ME in collaboration with The NAMM Foundation and John Mlynczak, Vice President, Music Education & Technology, Hal Leonard
What Do We Keep? Integrating New Tech Into In-Person Teaching
Join band and general music teacher, Robby Burns, to reflect on which digital teaching practices are worth integrating into a new year of in-person instruction. Find out how you can push the technology of last year to new limits, combining it with traditional teaching methods to supercharge learning. This session will include hardware and software recommendations, organization tips, and automation to speed up logistical work, as well as digital collaboration tools to create rich and engaging assessments online. Presented by Robby Burns, Music Educator and Freelance Percussionist
Music & Social Justice
Embracing Diversity, Equity and Opportunity: Building a Sustainable Ecosystem
For a nonprofit organization, sustainability often assumes financial sustainability but also addresses leadership and governance, adaptability, strategic planning, and social justice.
Our panelists will discuss strategies and exemplars that illuminate diversity, equity, inclusion, opportunity and access as key elements of sustainability, and in doing so, address the mission, vision and operation of the thriving 21st century nonprofit. Presented by: Mary Luehrsen, Executive Director, The NAMM Foundation; David Dik, National Executive Director, Young Audiences Arts for Learning; Anqwenique Kinsel, Director of Programs, Arts Education Collaborative, Pittsburgh; Christie McKinney, Director of Programs and Member Services, Chorus America; and Habib Bako, Director, Community Building and Engagement, Independent Sector
Music & Wellness
Start Your Day with Rhythm—A Wellness Experience with Drumming
We all can benefit from deep belly breaths, the pulse of an energizing groove, and the inner feeling that we are connected to the rhythm. Based upon research studies in the HealthRHYTHMS program, drumming has been shown to boost the immune system by orchestrating cellular biology. You can't resist the entrainment of a good beat! Presented by: Christine Stevens, Music Therapist, Author and Percussionist, UpBeat Drum Circles