NAMM to Sponsor OpenMic.US to Promote Music Making

On July 13, 2010, NAMM announced that it will sponsor OpenMic.US, the largest online promoter of live-music open mic events in the United States, in order to reach more people with its messages about the proven, powerful benefits of playing music.

Open Mic Entertainment operates an international network of 75 market-centric websites across the U.S., Canada, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand. These sites provide current, reliable, local information on more than 1,100 weekly open mic events for musicians.

“For years, open mic nights in coffee shops, bars and restaurants have given musicians of all skill-levels the opportunity to perform on stage in front of live audiences,” said David Craver, president, Open Mic Entertainment, Inc. “With NAMM’s help, we’re excited to get more people playing music and connected to the growing community of open mic night participants.”

As part of their partnership, OpenMic.Us website, which currently serves a community of more than 70,000 open mic musicians, will provide a link to NAMM’s Wanna Play? campaign site containing its Dealer and Music Lesson Locator search tools. Open Mic Entertainment will also help promote local Wanna Play? events such as dealer open houses through its network.

“NAMM believes that open mic events can help to turn dormant musicians into active ones,” said Scott Robertson, director of marketing and communications, NAMM. “This highly social and involved community of players has the potential to bring in their neighbors, co-workers, friends and family to see them play and once they see how much fun it is, they will be more receptive to our Wanna Play? campaign messages and more likely to start playing an instrument.”