NAMM show will likely reflect downturn in economy

The NAMM show - an annual showcase for music equipment manufacturers to display their latest wares - will be held next month in Anaheim.

And I'm guessing that much of the buzz among vendors at the event will be the nation's faultering economy. After all, music programs and libraries are typically sone of the first things to get cut, or at least signficantly reduced, when times are tight.

NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond put it this way:

"In our history we've seen the Great Depression, multiple recessions, world wars, extinction of entire instrument categories and the invention of new ones," he said."Iconic brands have come and gone. Through it all, NAMM Members have shown guts and determination. NAMM Members are survivors."

I certainly hope they are. Because music is a massive part of who we are. It's one of those universal languages that really does bring us all together.

I began playing the guitar at the age of 12, and from that time on music has been a big part of my life. And it's been a multi-cultural experience, a broadening journey that prompted me to learn classical guitar, jazz guitar, country guitar and just about everything in between.

The best part? It's something you take with you wherever you go. Your talent - however marginal or advanced it may be - is a gift you can open up and share with others. and they don't even have to learn the language ... they already speak it.