Yamaha Brings Cool Music Technology to Minneapolis and the "Music and Sound Expo"

The Yamaha exhibit offers the general public an opportunity that's usually available only to music educators who attend this conference. The latest advances from the world's leading manufacturer of musical instruments are all on display, and Yamaha product experts are right there to demonstrate and explain them. The Expo is being held in conjunction with The National Association for Music Education's 2004 National Biennial Conference.

Advances in technology aren't just making music cooler to listen to – they're transforming it as a part of people's active lifestyles. Today it's easier than ever to get into music-making and enjoy its many mental and physical benefits, regardless of age or skill level. It's more affordable too. The difference lies within many of the new instruments, systems and techniques that will be on display in Minneapolis.

Perhaps one of the most exciting attractions is the continual performances of a "silent band" using a collection of Yamaha's award-winning Silent Series instruments. The band, consisting of string, brass and percussion musicians are performing during the expo and showcase Yamaha's Silent Series instruments, including trombone, drums and guitar. The strikingly stylish, modern looking instruments enable musicians and composers to practice and perform in complete privacy at any hour, using headphones, without compromising their desire for traditional feeling, performance and sound.

Yamaha's century of musical craftsmanship began with pianos, and today Yamaha pianos are among the world's most advanced. At the Music and Sound Expo, Yamaha is demonstrating the award-winning Disklavier Mark III player piano, which allows recording and playback of performances, multi-track arrangement creation and the ability to play audio/MIDI CDs as well as floppy disks. Piano enthusiasts can also experience the Yamaha Clavinova hi-tech digital piano – with its unique software and "Follow Lights" above each key, anyone can learn to play the piano, even absolute beginners.

Recent advances in software have made it easy for anyone with a home computer to become a composer, arranger or even publisher of his or her own music. With packages like Yamaha's Music Studio Kit II, the traditional home computer user has a fun, interactive way to hone playing skills, learn to read and write music, and even explore basic recording techniques. Programs contain user-friendly, step-by-step lessons and games designed to develop musical skills and turn a PC/MIDI keyboard combination into a virtual teacher and recording studio.

Seminars on recording your own CD and using MIDI files in music education will demonstrate how studio technology has come into the classroom with the advent of user-friendly products and falling prices. One such product, the Yamaha AW16G digital audio workstation, features 16 channels of audio inputs, a built-in CD burner, an internal 20 GB IDE hard drive, a sampler, effects and MIDI templates for popular recording software, allowing anyone to create professional sounding recordings from a single, self-contained unit.

We look forward to entertaining the musical members of the Minneapolis community with a first-hand look at the latest developments in music making technology," said Terry Lewis, senior vice president, Music Marketing Group, Yamaha Corporation of America. "In only a few months, Yamaha will be back in town with the second International Piano-e-Competition at Hamline University – which is fitting, since Minneapolis is a great city with a lot of interest in music."

Yamaha is also producing two special concerts during the expo. The first – presented on Friday, April 16 in cooperation with the expo's organizer, NAMM, the International Music Products Association – will be the 2004 Music and Sound Expo Concert featuring the legendary Yamaha artist Michael McDonald along with special guest performers Yolanda Adams, Marc Cohn, Peter Cox, James Ingram, Edwin McCain and Brian McKnight. Tickets, available for $25 and $35, are tax-deductible and will benefit music education charities.

Then, on Saturday, April 17, Yamaha will produce a special performance by Eddie Palmieri and the Caribbean Jazz Project. Palmieri, a multiple Grammy®-winning Latin jazz and salsa pianist, will take the stage with the Grammy®-winning combo that includes Yamaha vibraphonist Dave Samuels, jazz steel drummer Andy Narrell, saxophonist Paquito D'Rivera, pianist Dario Eskenazi, bassist Oscar Stagnaro and drummer Mark Walker. Tickets are $15 and $20.

The general public is welcome to experience the expo for only $12 on Friday, April 16 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, April 17 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; or Sunday, April 18 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. MENC conference attendees can show their badges to visit the expo at no cost on Friday, April 16 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

To learn more about Music and Sound Expo, or to purchase concert tickets, please visit www.musicandsoundexpo.com.

For more information on Yamaha musical products, write Yamaha Corporation of America, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622-6600; telephone (714) 522-9011; or e-mail infostation@yamaha.com.

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