As the NAMM association describes, Believe in Music Week was designed to "elevate the innovation and inspiration found across the industry while offering support for those most deeply affected by COVID-19. The event will offer live music, content and product discovery for all who believe in music, helping connect music makers and enthusiasts across the world."
While not pretending to replace The NAMM Show or intended to be a virtual tradeshow, the initiative will meet the immediate business needs of NAMM member companies through thought-leader led education for all segments of the industry, networking and AI matchmaking, and business-to-business-focused opportunities to reaffirm and grow business connections, launch new products, share brand initiatives and engage with customers in real-time.
"While it remains unsafe for us to gather in person in January, Believe in Music Week will use new, intuitive technology to connect us all to harness the incredible energy that happens when we come together. With a robust marketplace to launch new products and share brand stories, Believe in Music Week will also feature networking and matchmaking for our buyers and our sellers, education for all segments of the industry, and live music and concerts to engage music makers across the world," says Joe Lamond, NAMM President and CEO.
The online celebration will require registration for all attendees, and will enable accessing the Marketplace, attend exciting concerts and programming on Believe in Music TV, or view training sessions across multiple tracks.
Believe in Music week will offer 150-plus professional development and training sessions for all sectors of the music products, pro audio and entertainment technology industries, and NAMM Foundation education for music educators and administrators, nonprofit professionals, and college-aged students and faculty, among others. Featured on the Believe in Music platform and free to all registrants, professionals will have access to the strategies and tools to further their businesses and careers by connecting with top thought leaders to meet challenges and thrive in any climate.
“While we cannot gather in person in January, the opportunity to band together to bring music to the world and support those who continue to be affected has never been more important than at this moment in time,” says Joe Lamond, NAMM President and CEO. “For members who are seeking the tools to prepare for the future, now is the time to invest in yourself with meaningful education and training to meet what’s next.”
Believe in Music week will offer four main tracks for music products, pro audio and entertainment technology professionals: Business, Audio Production and Music Technology, Entertainment Technology, and Artists. Each day of education, Thursday, January 20, and Friday, January 21, will kick off with an opening “big picture” session featuring industry VIPs, artists and influencers, and Joe Lamond, with perspectives of what to expect in the year ahead.
The Business Track will bring together the top minds in the industry to offer actionable strategies, tactics and best practices for music retailers and brands to navigate to the next level. At the heart of the track is NAMM U for member-only sessions on pressing topics, including “SEO Tips for 2021” by SEO expert Bill Sebald; “Email Marketing Tips to Increase Sales by 3x” by Ayana Webb of The Musical Webb; and a variety of sessions on online marketing and social media strategy, branding, virtual lesson programs, and creative ways to manage inventory and cash during a pandemic. Bob Phibbs, “The Retail Doctor,” and New York Times best-selling author, Scott Stratten, will also return for special sessions.
Audio professionals will also be able to grow and hone their skills in pro audio and technology. Sessions for recording, live sound, house of worship professionals and music technologists will dive into the latest tools, tips and innovations while also exploring the landscape of new technology. Programs for audio professionals include:
TEC Tracks will offer big-picture sessions and high-profile topics in recording, live sound and music business, featuring industry thought leaders. Highlights include interviews with top producers, engineers and artists, including Dave Cobb, Craig Bauer, Patrice Rushen, John Boylan, Suzanne Ciani, Billy Bob Thornton, Peter Asher, and Tom and Chris Lord-Alge; live streaming and remote music production tips and techniques; and sessions for house of worship audio professionals.
For the future-minded, A3E (Advanced Audio + Applications Exchange) will feature future-forward education on how next-generation content creation is reshaping the entertainment industry. Topics will include content creation platforms pioneering new music industry business models, applying gamification principles to music instrument design, concerts in a virtual world and live versus live streaming.
The Audio Engineering Society (AES) joins Believe in Music to present educational sessions on key topics for audio professionals, including streaming live performances; next steps for the live event industry; mastering mixes; and careers in professional audio.
Audinate will offer free Dante certification training of its leading audio-video network solution, including updated levels 1 and 2 training. At the end of these trainings, attendees should be skilled enough to complete the Dante certification test.
On the Entertainment Technology Track, ESTA (Entertainment Services and Technology Association) will feature in-depth education and training sessions for entertainment technology and design professionals, as well as those responsible for their safety. ESTA’s extensive sessions will cover everything from lighting and lighting networking to rigging and safety.
Front of House, Projection, Lights & Staging News, and Stage Directions magazines will present sessions, interviews and behind-the-scenes presentations with leading names in entertainment production and technology. Among the highlights, Pro Production Sessions will cover uses of XR (extended reality) technology that’s redefining the possibilities of live production environments, along with solutions for successful remote collaboration, even from across the world.
The Event Safety Alliance (ESA) will bring a suite of educational sessions with a diverse roster of academics and industry professionals to explore critical issues within the live event space, including safety in production design, risk management, COVID-19 mitigation planning and more.
For emerging and established artists, songwriters and studio musicians, the Artist track will cover the new music industry landscape and tips for success.
Other professional opportunities include a series of programs from The NAMM Foundation to serve those in music and arts advocacy, management and education, social justice and emerging professionals. Education programs will begin on Monday, January 18 and include GenNext, a collaboration between The NAMM Foundation and The College Music Society (CMS), Music Education Days for school music teachers and administrators, Music and Social Justice, Music and Wellness and sessions promoted by the Nonprofit Management Institute.
The annual TEC Awards recognizing and celebrating the individuals, companies and technical innovations behind the sound of recordings, live performances, films, television, video games, and multi-media, will also take place during Believe in Music Week.
Special Events
NAMM also confirmed that multi-platinum, GRAMMY award winners Garth Brooks and Melissa Etheridge will be the recipients of the organization's "Music for Life" award. The annual award will be presented during Believe in Music week, at the opening interview sessions on Thursday, January 21 and Friday, January 22, 2021, and recognizes individuals or organizations for their musical accomplishments and inspiring more music makers.
On Thursday, January 21, Brooks will join Joe Lamond for a conversation about adapting in uncertain times and his storied career. On Friday, January 22, Melissa Etheridge, will join Lamond for an interview and discussion about reinvention in the time of COVID and her new venture, EtheridgeTV.com, her own live streaming subscription and single ticket concert platform.
Brooks and Etheridge join past recipients of the "Music for Life" award musicians, including Graham Nash, Stevie Wonder, Yoko Ono, Henry Mancini, Bob Weir, Nancy Wilson and, in 2020, Jason Mraz, among others.
The schedule for Believe in Music week sessions and events will be available at NAMM.org and on BelieveinMusic.tv. Registration for Believe in Music week is free and now open at https://attend.believeinmusic.tv.
2021 Summer NAMM - July 15–17, 2021
The 2022 NAMM Show returns January 20–23, 2022.
The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) is a not-for-profit association, comprised of approximately 10,300 members located in 104 countries and regions. NAMM events and members fund The NAMM Foundation's efforts to promote the pleasures and benefits of music, and advance active participation in music making across the lifespan.
www.namm.org
