NAMM

NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants)



NAMM is a non-profit trade association that provides industry trade shows, displaying the newest musical products, recording technology, sound and lighting. NAMM was founded in 1901 and it’s been the driving force of music products, supporting both small and large businesses efforts in cutting costs in order to do business. The overall objective of NAMM is to educate and expand the possibilities of making music.

The music industry needs NAMM as the sound of music, the necessary tools needed to make and/or produce music constantly changes. Think about where we’ve come from and where we’re going in terms of the sound of music. During the 70’s, I can remember the synthesizer being used in music, 30 years later; we’re using a more improved Vocoder, which electronically transforms sounds. Taking a look back as early as the late 1800’s provides clear evidence of the changes.

The chronology provided by Taintor suggests that the first recording of human sound made by Thomas Edison with a telegraph device. Oddly enough, the discovery was by accident and Edison was using indented tin foil underneath a telegraph stylus. The gramophone is introduced in 1888 as the newest recording device, which holds up to 2 minutes of recorded sound. Throughout the 1900’s changes occurred rapidly with the disc and cylinder providing more clear recordings. In addition to that, developments in disc technology bring along the 78rpm. By 1948, the 33 1/3 rpm is brought to the market. With these changes, recording sound/music is becoming a bit easier since the beginning. In 1964, the cassette tape makes its way to the market and now we are able to put the reel to reel behind us with a more convenient portable tool. From cassettes to 8 tracks, compact disc and mp3’s the sound of music has been reinvented on several occasions.

NAMM has seen the multiple changes and are able to provide the foundation for the industry to improve what we hear and how we hear it. NAMM will continue to pioneer the industry in bringing new ideas and creativity.

References:

http://www.namm.org/about?page=4#tabs-boardmember-right-3 Retrieved January 8, 2012

Taintor, C. (2004). Chronology: Technology and the Music Industry. Retrieved January 8, 2012 from
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/music/inside/cron.html