Hal Leonard President Larry Morton Named Chairman of NAMM Executive Committee
MILWAUKEE - During its annual summer trade show held in Nashville this month, the executive committee of the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) announced its new leadership. Larry Morton begins a two-year term at the helm of this influential board, concurrent with his position as president of Milwaukee-based Hal Leonard Corporation, the world's largest music print publisher and distributor.
NAMM is a not-for-profit association with a mission to strengthen the $17 billion music products industry and promote the pleasures and benefits of making music. The group's activities and programs are designed to promote music making to people of all ages. NAMM is comprised of approximately 9,000 member companies located in more than 94 countries.
NAMM's biannual trade shows in Anaheim and Nashville attract well over 100,000 registered visitors, who turn out from across the globe to behold the latest goods and services available for the musical instrument and product industry. Morton will play an integral role in these events and at NAMM Musikmesse Russia, and also represent NAMM at the annual Musikmesse convention in Frankfurt. Executive committee members also participate in the annual Advocacy Fly-In for Music Education in Washington, D.C., meeting with Congressional officials to lobby for legislation that advances access to music education for all children.
Morton just completed a two-year term as NAMM's vice chairman, and has served on the organization's board from 1999 to 2002. He has nearly three decades of experience in diverse aspects of the music industry. He joined Hal Leonard in 1990 and has served as president since 1999. He has also worked in retail sales, marketing, distribution and musical instrument manufacturing. An accomplished musician, educator and composer, Morton earned a B.M. degree from Eastern Illinois University and a M.M. degree from the University of North Texas.
"I am honored and humbled to be elected chairman of the NAMM board and feel a special responsibility in doing all that I can to support NAMM's mission of creating music makers," Morton said.
Morton has previously served on the boards of the Music Publishers Association, the American Music Conference, and the Retail Print Music Dealers Association.
For more information about NAMM or the proven benefits of making music, please visit www.namm.org, call 800-767-NAMM (6266) or follow the organization on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.