January 28, 2025 I Event
Play Drums Holds Annual NAMM Show Open House
![](https://www.musicincmag.com/images/news/PlayDrums_Meeting_2025.jpg)
Play Drum's honorees Rick Latham (third from left) and John Wittmann (fourth from left) are flanked by members and leadership of Play Drums.
Play Drums held its annual Open House at the Anaheim Hilton on Jan. 24 during The 2025 NAMM Show to celebrate its 30th anniversary with percussion industry leaders and introduce the newly redesigned PlayDrums.com website, which aims to inspire and educate a wider audience of drummers.
“The highlight of our year is to host the Play Drums Open House gathering at the NAMM Show in Anaheim,” said David Jewell, Play Drums board of directors chair.
This year’s event honored industry veteran John Wittmann and drummer and educator Rick Latham. During the event, PlayDrums.com announced it had added a drum lesson locator to help parents and students find local instructors and music stores offering lessons. In addition to maintaining an ever-evolving “all things drumming” destination, the website will build out its educational video library, making it an essential hub for drummers seeking to begin developing or expanding their skills.
“Our members, who are the leading brands of the percussion industry, attend this event to help us celebrate the accomplishments of peer leaders in the segment, meet up-and-coming industry colleagues, and learn more about Play Drums and its programs and how to support them,” said Antoinette Follett, PlayDrums Executive Director. “This market development nonprofit organization has been creating more drummers by putting sticks in hands for nearly 30 years.”
PlayDrums.com Experience Drumming! initiatives include bucket drumming teacher training opportunities, grants for Experience Drumming community events, and the Drum Lesson with a Pro giveaway during International Drum Month that offers drummers a free lesson and connection to their local music retailers. Generous annual grants from the NAMM Foundation have supported these programs.
The Open House refreshments were sponsored by Play Drums members Yamaha and Tamburo Drums.