Submitted photo and press release:
Cameron Bontrager, of Batavia, was one of 40 SUNY Oneonta music industry students who got to attend the world's largest music products trade show, The NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Show, from Jan. 16-19 in Anaheim, Calif.
The NAMM Show is an annual event that brings together leaders of the music products, pro audio and event technology industries for four days of product introductions, business opportunities, networking and inspiration.
The students got to preview and test new products from more than 7,000 brands; enjoyed special events, live music and celebrity appearances; and attended dozens of educational sessions tied to today's trends.
Bontrager is studying Music Industry at SUNY Oneonta.
Students also got to hear interviews with the music world's top innovators, artists and professionals, including musician/producer Finneas O'Connell, who took home Grammys for record of the year, album of the year, song of the year, non-classical engineered album and non-classical producer of the year at the 62nd Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Jan. 26. O'Connell is superstar Billie Eilish's brother.
SUNY Oneonta students also got to watch 1970s R&B group Earth, Wind & Fire perform and hear artist, songwriter and producer Jack Antonoff speak.
NAMM gave SUNY Oneonta students a first-hand look at how music retail and music business go hand-in-hand. They were able to test out the latest products, see lots of live performances, and attend cutting-edge demonstrations as well as panel discussions about upcoming technologies and marketing techniques. A group of students also got to volunteer at NAMM's She Rocks Awards show, which pays tribute to women in the music industry.
While in California, the students also visited Paradigm Talent Agency, where SUNY Oneonta music industry students have completed internships.
The NAMM trip is a long-running SUNY Oneonta tradition. Music Department faculty have been taking students to the event for more than 25 years.
Lecturer Nancy Tarr, who has accompanied Oneonta students on the trip for the past five years, said it's a wonderful opportunity for students to meet and learn from people who have been in their shoes. It shows students that they, too, can be successful someday.
This trip was made possible, in part, by support from the Caroline ('67) and David D'Antonio Student Travel for Excellence Fund.
SUNY Oneonta is a public, four-year college in Central New York, enrolling about 6,000 students in a wide variety of bachelor's degree programs and several graduate certificate and degree programs. The college is known as both an exemplary residential campus that values inclusion, service and sustainability, and a nurturing community where students grow intellectually, thrive socially and live purposefully. Visit https://suny.oneonta.edu/
