John Mlynczak: Why NAMM Still Matters in 2026
NAMM's president and CEO joins us to discuss the shift from traditional retail to influencer-driven content creation in the music industry and why preparing students to thrive in the future matters more than teaching techniques.
We're putting The Tonearm's needle on John Mlynczak, President and CEO of the National Association of Music Merchants.
NAMM is the trade association for the music, sound, and event industries. Basically, NAMM represents the companies that make the tools your favorite music artists use to create their work.
John has spent years at Hal Leonard and PreSonus Audio, where music education meets technology. He built curricula, managed platforms, and taught teachers how to use tech in their classrooms.
Now he runs an organization that's rethinking what a trade show means when the music industry has gone digital. NAMM just celebrated its 125th anniversary, but John isn't interested in nostalgia. He's asking harder questions about how people discover instruments, how they learn to play them, and why gathering in person still matters when you can order anything online. The NAMM Show draws tens of thousands of people to Anaheim every January (this January 20 - 24, to be exact), and the numbers behind those crowds tell a story about content, influence, and how musicians connect with gear today.
We talk about John’s shift from teaching in Louisiana to shaping industry strategy, why music advocacy needs to be offensive rather than defensive, and what happens when trade shows have to prove their value in real time.
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Dig Deeper
Guest and Organization:
- Visit NAMM at namm.org and follow on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn
- John Mlynczak's NAMM Profile
- The NAMM Show 2026 - January 23-25, Anaheim, California
- NAMM Show Registration and App Information
Educational Background and Previous Roles:
- Virginia Commonwealth University - Bachelor of Music Education
- Louisiana State University - Master's degrees in Music Performance and Education Leadership
- Hal Leonard - Music publishing and education
- PreSonus Audio - Audio technology and recording equipment
- Noteflight - Online music notation software
Music Education Organizations:
- Technology Institute for Music Educators (TI:ME)
- Massachusetts Music Educators Association (MMEA)
- NAMM Foundation
- SupportMusic Coalition
- NAfME (National Association for Music Education)
Music Technology Tools Mentioned:
- GarageBand - Apple's music creation software
- Cubase - Digital audio workstation
- Essential Elements Interactive - Music education platform
NAMM Events and Awards:
- She Rocks Awards - Celebrating women in music
- Parnelli Awards - Honoring live event professionals
- NAMM U - Educational programming and resources
Performance Groups:
- MetWinds - John's current performance ensemble
Musical Reference:
- Alexander Arutiunian Trumpet Concerto - The piece John performed as a cocky freshman
Industry Research and Reports:
- NAMM Industry Insights - Music products industry data
- Trade Show Executive - Conference John mentioned attending
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