NAMM show attendance down, innovation up

There are some things in life that transcend barriers.

Insurance? No, because you've usually got to do a lot of explaining - and arm-twisting - to convince someone that they should be buying insurance for their home or car. Auto repair? Forget it. Because when I look under the hood of my car all I can comprehend is the air filter, radiator and fan belt. When you get beyond that ... I'm pretty much lost.

But music? Now there's a universal language. I might be walking by a store and hear a Beatles song I haven't heard for two years, or I could be channel surfing on the radio of my car and come across an old recording of classical guitarist Segovia playing the Bach "Chaconne."

Either way, it would be sure to bring a smile to my face. And that's why music is so vital. There are precious few things in life that can lift you up without saying a word.

At this year's NAMM show - an annual event where music instrument and equipment makers showcase their latest gear - innovation was on display everywhere. The show, which was held at Anaheim Convention Center, drew 1,505 exhibitors displaying everything from new guitars to a patented system that allows drummers to mount a microphone inside their bass drum in  a way that eliminates unwanted, excess vibration.

This year's event was held in the looming shadow of a recession that has seen scores of people lose their homes or their jobs. But innovation and creativity is alive and well in the music industry, despite a pullback in consumer spending. 

And NAMM President Joe Lamond isn't one to back down from adversity.

"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 on the official NAMM Web site. "Iconic brands have come and gone. Through it all, NAMM Members have shown guts and determination. NAMM Members are survivors."