NAMM and IAJE
(click photos to enlarge)

Earlier this year, Norman attended the NAMM as well as the IAJE show. The products were exciting and so were the artists he bumped into while touring with publicist and booking agent Dawn DeBlaze of DeBlaze and Associates.

NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry, wrapped up it's 2006 show in Anaheim, California, this past January. Norman was there in the thick of it, touring displays at some of the 1,535 exhibitors, and meeting old friends and new contacts.

There were a total of 84,695 registrants at this year's show. International attendance was impressive, with 9,889 registrants from more than 100 countries.

During the four-day event, buyers and sellers of musical instruments and products held meetings, wrote orders, and shared opinions about the year ahead. In addition to the great business opportunities, as many regular show attendees know, there were also plenty of "only at a NAMM show" moments to meet and interact with some of the greatest artists in the world who regularly attend.

NAMM reinvests the revenue from its world-class trade shows to fund programs, activities and initiatives designed to stimulate demand for music products; and provide valuable services to help its Members succeed. This "circle of benefits" model allows NAMM to work toward its mission of unifying, leading and strengthening the global music products industry and increasing active participation in music making.

Norman also attended this year's IAJE conference. This was the 34th edition of the conference.

The mission of the International Association for Jazz Education is to assure the continued worldwide growth and development of jazz and jazz education. As a means of advancing its mission, International Association for Jazz Education initiates programs which nurture and promote the understanding and appreciation of jazz and its heritage, provide leadership to educators regarding curricula, aesthetics and performance; assists teachers and practitioners with information and resources; and takes an active part in organizing clinics, festivals and symposia at local, regional, national and international levels.

The International Association for Jazz Education also promotes the application of jazz principles in music materials and methods at all levels of education; communicates informational segments of the public including artists, educators, students, enthusiasts, the music industry and the general public; and encourages education which provides the knowledge, skills and materials vital to a career in jazz. Further, the International Association for Jazz Education encourages research, provides financial assistance, and advocates for jazz in all appropriate forums, thereby building a larger group of both audience and artists.

Norman with Marcus Miller	Norman, Giovanni Hidalgo, and Armando Peraza	Norman and Dr. Billy Taylor
Norman with Armando Peraza	Norman and Stevie Wonder	Norman with Airto Moreira
Norman and Dawn DeBlaze

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