KEYS
THE FUTURE OF KEYS: NAMM 2020 | David Pfaltzgraff
As a kid I always dreamed of going to the show in January to experience the energy of So, I thought I’d share the thoughts at the top
NAMM show. If you’re not familiar with NAMM, 120,000-plus music nerds all excited about the of my mind after spending several days in that
it’s a yearly gathering of music industry folks same stuff in person. future-focused, past-informed environment:
producers, and record label reps to big As I write this article I’m still a bit jet-lagged WE’RE STILL LOOKING FOR SOLUTIONS
technology brands, down to the newest startup from walking over seventy miles across four music businesses and educators all convene days last week, visiting with brands we’ve One of my favorite moments of this NAMM
for a long weekend of discovering what’s new all heard of like Yamaha, Korg, Roland, and show was getting to listen in on a panel on
and upcoming in the music business. Gibson and brands that I’d never heard of “The Future of Sound Design” that featured a
before encountering them in person. While I list of heavy-hitters in the keyboard and synth
Every year brands introduce the latest and was at NAMM I spent some time thinking about world. This panel featured gentlemen who
greatest gear that establish new trends in how the music industry both offers solutions played major roles in creating the modern
music, new keyboards, guitars, amps, pedals, and creates potential problems for those of us synthesizer as we know it. I was especially
cables, you name it. When I was growing up it who focus our musical energy on serving at our excited to hear from Eric Persing, Founder of
looked like Mecca for musicians to me. churches. Much has changed since the NAMM Spectrasonics. In conversation with Eric over
I dreamed of attending as a kid and much has the weekend he was discussing his first NAMM
stayed the same. show in 1984, a young employee of Roland
from around the world. Everyone from artists,
Turns out, it kind of is. For the last two years
I’ve had the opportunity to attend the NAMM
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tasked with introducing how Roland’s new
February 2020
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