Arabian Prince got his start in Compton where his mother was a piano teacher and his father was a radio talk show host. He developed an affinity for technology at a young age and began paying around with synthesizers, echo boxes, and computers to make new sounds. His career took off when he co-founded N.W.A. and he continues to write songs, produce, and DJ—in addition to his big philanthropic project, Open Labs.

Forte Tenors Josh Page, Alok Kumar, and Zach Page talk about finding their voices as young men; their musical influences; training like a tenor; performing in operas all over the world; and the role of social media for professional musicians.

Vanessa Carlton, 2018 NAMM Foundation SupportMusic Champion Award recipient, gets real with host Mary Luehrsen about becoming a super star before she was ready; settling in to her freedom as a songwriter; parenting as a touring musician; and her philanthropic work with Nashville schools.

NAfME and The NAMM Foundation have worked together on music education advocacy initiatives for many years. In this episode of Talking Up Music Education, host Mary Luehrsen catches up with NAfME’s Mike Blakeslee and Denese Odegaard as they discuss the current landscape of music education—and how to effectively prepare music teachers to ask for support from their administration.

Partners and collaborators from AEP, NAESP and The NAMM Foundation get specific on how to create resources that are accessible and informative for decision-makers in education—and how to spread the message that arts and music are part of a well-rounded education that develops academic and emotional intelligence in children.

Multi-instrumentalist and five-time Grammy-nominated CMA artist Hunter Hayes went from playing a toy accordion to becoming proficient in playing the guitar, piano, and actual accordion—among dozens of other instruments. In a heart-to-heart chat with host Mary Luehrsen, Hayes shares his love for antique timepieces; his belief that all kids should grow up with music; and his hope that nerd culture is more than just a passing fad.

Iconic music and video innovators Ok Go performed at the 2018 NAMM Foundation Celebration for Music Education at The NAMM Show on January 25. Drummer Dan Konopka stopped by earlier that day to chat about the band’s origin story; receiving his first drum kit at nine years old; and how no one in the band managed to get sick among “60 vomit incidents” during the filming of their groundbreaking video for their hit song, “Upside Down & Inside Out.”

Bass guitarist Bunny Brunel’s musical journey was anything but a straight line to playing alongside jazz legends Chick Correa, Herbie Hancock, and Wayne Shorter. The two-time Grammy-nominated bass player shares his journey from teaching himself to play piano as a child in France, to attending Ecole Hoteliere de Nice for hospitality, to becoming a seriously advanced student of the upright bass at the Conservatory in Nice, to finding his way to his own unique melody.

International performance artists, the Masumi Trio, found each other against all odds while enrolled at the Los Angeles College of Music. Masumi, who is the trio’s lead singer is from Japan; Diego, drummer, is from Mexico; and Bruno, lead guitarist, hails from Brazil. The three musicians discuss when each had their “aha” moment, leading them to pursue music full time; the practicalities of sustaining a career in the music industry; and live performance as a way to have a conversation with strangers.

The recipient of the 2017 Patrick John Hughes Parent/Booster Award, Greg Hooper of Powder Springs, GA, and Patrick John Hughes, who the award is named after, sat down with host Mary Luehrsen to share moving stories and anecdotes of supporting their kids’ band activities despite serious physical and, at times, overwhelming, emotional challenges.