When the head of NAMM heads to Washington, it’s not for small talk. This week, President and CEO John Mlynczak stepped in front of the Office of the United States Trade Representative’s Section 301 Committee with a clear message: tariffs are hitting the music world where it hurts.
Rather than drowning in policy jargon, Mlynczak zeroed in on real-world consequences—how rising costs ripple from manufacturers to classrooms to everyday players just trying to afford their next instrument. His testimony built on NAMM’s earlier written case, but this time brought a human edge to the data, framing tariffs not as abstract economics, but as barriers to creativity and access.
And it seems to have landed. “The committee asked more follow questions to NAMM than any other association and demonstrated a strong desire to truly understand our tariff exclusion request,” Mlynczak noted. “This is a positive sign that our testimony is resonating.”
For an industry built on expression, the stakes are clear: when instruments get pricier, fewer people get to play. NAMM’s latest push isn’t just about trade policy—it’s about keeping music within reach.
Video of the testimony can be viewed here.
