The Saxophone Journey: 2018 NAMM Show: A Dream Come True

The NAMM Show:
The National Association of Music Merchants annual trade show, hosted in Anaheim, California.

The first arena concert I went to as a music major was a small music festival in Utah county, the headlining act was the Neon Trees. I remember that by watching the performers, I realized that what they were doing was exactly what I wanted out of my life. It was the summer of 2015, right after I had graduated from high school. At the time, I thought that I would have to go into a field that guaranteed stability and income but as I continue to study saxophone performance at the Salt Lake Community College Center for the Arts and Media, I learned that the music industry is composed of many different fields. At the end of that summer, I started working at Riverton Music, which is a local music shop in the West Valley area. At the time, it was just a temporary job until I finished my degree but I grew to love my job and it grew into more of a career. I was given more responsibilities and learned to appreciate what I do for younger students. My main goal is still to be a performer but in addition to that I want to be a music educator and continue working with music retailers. I applied for the NAMM President’s Innovation Award in hopes that I could afford going to the 2018 NAMM Show and to my surprise, I was a recipient!

Day 1 of the 2018 NAMM Show

I left Salt Lake with the mindset that I was going to learn as much as I could and meet as many people as possible. At the music store, I have learned about things I wasn’t familiar with. I knew that the NAMM show would be a beacon of light for learning. I drove 10 hours to California chasing what seemed like a dream, I couldn’t believe that it was happening. I would be gathering with people who shared my passion for the many aspects of music and I would meet people who in the future I could collaborate with. The first day I attended the show, I sat through a couple breakout sessions that were directed toward music college students. The two seminars that I went to on Thursday were “Having a Plan A and a Plan B in the Industry” and “Sustaining a Career in the Music Business.” These seminars helped broaden my view of what the “music industry” is. The break-out sessions were definitely a reality check for me. Coming from Salt Lake, UT where the music scene is a decent size, but everyone knows each other, suddenly I was in a place with people I didn’t know.

Robert Breithaupt, who was the presenter of the first seminar I went through made a point that because we had taken initiative to be at the NAMM show we were one step ahead of the rest. He talked about having goals and always be honest with yourself. He spoke about having a vision about where you want your business to go, in a long-term projection. The most important thing I got out of his seminar was that sometimes you need to have a “Plan A” and a “Plan B,” that they shouldn’t be the same thing, but can be similar. The different career plans should be divergent and not parallel. Most importantly, make connections. To be successful, be more interested in others than in yourself. Apply yourself and work hard. The second session was about how to keep a career in the music business. During this session the points that were emphasized were that you need to know where you are going and what you want to accomplish. Be completely real about what you intend to accomplish. When you meet a new person, you have 20 seconds to make an impression, which means you have to be absolutely sure on who you are. The music industry needs more leaders with vision and those who are willing to embrace change. Change doesn’t happen overnight, which means you must be patient. In this industry we have the privilege to do what we love for a living, and in order for it to work out we must be professional, prepared and personable. Doubt, fear and ego are career killers.

Anaheim Convention Center, Jan 26 2018

After these sessions, I went into the show floor. I was not prepared for what the NAMM show was, and nothing could have prepared me for it. As I took my first steps into the convention center, there were colors and sounds all over the place. Different companies had displays and booths that had bright colors and enticed you to go to them. My first round in the convention center was all about figuring out where I was and getting to know my surroundings. I stopped by a few booths to try out different saxophones and saw different brands I was familiar with like Vandoren and D’addario. Once I was finally familiarized with the area, I went to new brands and items. I made small talk with the people at booths. Thinking back on my first experience in the show floor, I still can’t take it all in. Attending the NAMM show had been a dream come true. Towards the end of the day, I ran into some of my co-workers and managers from Riverton Music. I spent the rest of the day with them going to different vendors and learning about new product. My store carries Breedlove Guitars, and that was one of the booths we spent some time in, I learned about the new guitars that we would be getting in soon and about the ones we already carry like the Oregon series and the Exotic series. I became more educated in two hours than I had since I first saw the Breedlove guitars at my store. The day came to an end and we went to get dinner and then went to our hotels. It was nice seeing familiar faces all day to make it less of a culture shock for me.

On Friday morning I attended the “Alternatives to Being a Rockstar,” and the “Guide from Degree to Jobs.” Seminars. From these seminars I learned that it is okay to make mistakes now, while I am still in college. It’s okay to change career paths and do not settle for something that you don’t completely love. Everybody in the industry has a “day job,” and it’s important to never forget why you do what you do. The “Alternatives” panel went through a list of the many possibilities in the music industry. There are jobs that most people often overlook when thinking about the music industry. To be a Rockstar, one must work hard and put a lot of effort. The “Guide from Degree to Jobs” seminar talked about how we should be doing more in schools to provide a path for a future. After these events, I walked around some more in the show room floor and met up with my co-worker again. We spoke to some major companies about the possibility of carrying their product. Afterwards, we attended the NAMM Young Professionals presentation by David Kalt of Reverb.com

NAMM President's Innovation Award Recipient & NAMM Young Professional

David Kalt spoke about how his company started and became successful. In order to be successful, you have to start with a vision and know where you are going. The most important part of being in the retail industry is knowing your product so you can relate it to the costumer. When David spoke these things, it made me realize that the real reason I aspired to be at the NAMM show is to know product and understand it better. He gave some insights on how to build a great staff team and that above all you should always push hard and stay on top of your game. As a retail employee, I get to see the company I work for runs and see what makes it successful. With the words from David I saw that there was a lot more I could be doing to reach my potential at the store. I want to work for Riverton Music and grow in the company. The experiences I had at the NAMM show opened my eyes as to what I could improve on. I attended the Yamaha All-Stars concert that night. My favorite performance was by Lindsey Sterling. I find it ironic that she comes from Utah and I had to leave the state in order to see her. It was a spectacular performance, the way she dances with the violin is astounding.

Saturday was my last day at the NAMM show, I knew that with the limited time I had, I must make the most of my time there. In the morning, I had the opportunity to attend the Grand Rally for Music Education. This session helped me understand the importance music education. There is definitely a power in making music and the collaboration that goes with it. It’s all about trusting your peers and having them trust you. The two groups of people who impact an individual the most in their musical careers are music teachers and parents. I still remember my Junior High music teacher, Leesa McBeth, who got me started on clarinet. Coincidentally, I ran into her on the show floor. She works for Cannonball Saxophones. I realized how important I am to my students’ musical development at such an early age. I teach them how to play their instrument and I believe in them. One day they will look back to beginning band and remember me. Vanessa Carlton also spoke at the Grand Rally. She spoke about how her song will never die and it will continue making money for her. She spoke about the songwriting process and that it’s very much a process of self-discovery and it’s not the same for everyone.

Leesa McBeth, my Jr. High Band director, the woman who got me started.

After attending the Grand Rally, I went back to the show room for one last time. I found a professional saxophonist from home and hung around him for a little while. We tried saxophones together and he gave me some advice. It’s really funny to me that despite being in the same state within minutes of each other, it took us traveling to another state to really talk to each other. He was performing with Alex Boye on Saturday afternoon. We saw people we knew and talked to different companies. I tried to absorb the most information in regards to products. I asked a lot of questions and I met many people.

Right before the Sandy Felstein Round Table, the President’s Innovation Award Recipients got to meet with the NAMM president, Joe Lemond. And although I didn’t get to take notes, the one thing I remember is the importance of meeting people and making a connection. It’s really important to be more interested in other people than in yourself. I definitely felt proud to be the only person representing the state of Utah in the GenNext program at NAMM. During the Roundtable, the panelists talked about different aspects of music industry. When it comes to looking for jobs, be strategic. Do what you want to do and build skills. It’s important to ask questions when you don’t know how to do it. To end the night, I attended the Andy Grammer performance. During this time, I was attentive to the performers on what gear they used and how they interacted together. I love watching performers because by doing so I learn how to become a better performer.

Overall, each person I watched talked about how my generation is the future of the business. The music industry is very wide, there are more jobs in the industry than imaginable. Networking is key to success. Learn your craft first, understand it and there will be no limitation to what you can do. Business is business and art is art. It’s important to be passionate about what you do. Follow your heart and make your own brand, don’t try to copy someone else. Self-care is extremely important because if you don’t take care of yourself, then you are not able to reach your full potential. As I drove home, I thought about all the people I met, bonds I made and products I learned about. When I went into work the next day, I was able to tell costumers about different guitars I wouldn’t have been able to explain two weeks prior. It was great being able to tell costumers about the products we would be carrying soon and what we could order in for them. I felt a new appreciation for my job and rekindled my passion for music. I loved attending the NAMM show and each day I wish I could go back. It was everything I expected and more.