NAMM, the 108-year-old, not-for-profit association of the international music products industry, concluded its annual National Wanna Play Music Week today, after a monumental period of music making that drew the participation of stars, such as Kevin Bacon and Yoko Ono. With the goal to build awareness of the proven benefits of playing musical instruments for people of all ages, NAMM executed the week-long series of events to encourage the music maker in every American.
Music Week Launch with The Bacon Brothers, Yoko Ono and the "Jimmy Kimmel Live" House Band
NAMM kicked off the week with "Music Monday," a five-year tradition started by the Canadian-based Coalition for Music Education that encourages musicians, music organizations, school bands and music lovers everywhere to play music at the same time to demonstrate the galvanizing power of making music. During NAMM's second year participating in "Music Monday," more 2,000 schools and organizations rallied across North America to simultaneously play music together with celebrity musicians participating in the effort on both coasts.
In New York, The Bacon Brothers, featuring acclaimed actor Kevin Bacon and his brother, award-winning film and TV composer Michael Bacon, helped to launch National Wanna Play Music Week in the U.S., and appeared nationally on "Fox & Friends," on behalf of NAMM. On Music Monday, The Bacon Brothers performed before a crowd of students at the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, promoting music in schools, along with Yoko Ono and the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus.
"We wanted to show our support for what NAMM and others are doing to help encourage people to get out and play music," said Kevin Bacon. "Music is obviously a huge part of our lives. Playing a musical instrument can help drive a passion that can last a lifetime and play an integral part in maintaining a healthy mind and body."
In Los Angeles, late-night talk show "Jimmy Kimmel Live" lent the talents of its house band, Cleto & the Cletones, toward the effort of making music. Bandleader Cleto Escobedo III and lead guitarist Toshi Yanagi performed music with a band class at Nightingale Middle School in Los Angeles. Students were later treated to a private jam session with Cleto & the Cletones, visiting the set of "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and hanging out with the entire band and Jimmy Kimmel himself.
"The tremendous response to National Wanna Play Music Week, the popularity of our music-making tools, and the support from so many notable music makers reinforces our belief in the power of music making," said Joe Lamond, NAMM's president and CEO. "NAMM is consistently seeking out new ways to connect people with the enjoyment and proven benefits of playing music and creating simple ways for anyone to get involved. It's never too late to learn to play a musical instrument, whether you are five or 85. Even beyond NAMM's National Wanna Play Music Week, any time is a great time to give music making a try."
Tools to Make Music Making Easy
According to the recent "2009 Public Attitudes Toward Music" Gallup survey *, 85 percent of Americans wish they could play music. In response to that desire, NAMM created several user-friendly services and tools aimed to help anyone begin to play music. With the goal of educating consumers on the benefits of playing music and empowering them to easily find quality music instructors, NAMM also has developed a variety of tools, which were unveiled during National Wanna Play Music Week, including:
