EMKE's Kira at 11 years old, wowing them at NAMM '08. PHOTO: Jerry Jewett

At the Anaheim Convention Center, venerable NAMM (the National Association of Music Manufacturers) reminds us that it has been in business over 100 years. Though 9,000 are listed as members only 1,500 exhibitors were in force. For select attendees (exhibitors, manufacturer representatives, buyers, retail employees and distributor buyers) perks included quiet meeting space away from the show floor, including translators in Chinese, French, Italian, Japanese and Spanish. Everyone had the opportunity to sit in on networking and business development activity meetings, which provides a benefit to music retailers.

The Chinese footprint on the display floors seemed larger than the previous year. However the larger territory did not translate into major "buzz" or any visibly increased flurry of interest and activity at the booths of the Chinese companies. More Korean and Indian vendors were present than I noticed last year. As is always the case, vendors who had experts or celebrities demonstrating their wares drew more interest than bare racks of instruments even with video of performances on display.

This year, Fender changed the layout for showcase bands from last year, not having a separate room for dedicated hard jamming, but instead, a performance space within one large room. Nostalgia music was center stage so I did not stay long. I also briefly took in Taylor Guitars. Taylor has new a solid body six string guitar (the shape of which shows more than a hint of the Gibson Les Paul) and a new T-5 12 string in their line-up as well. Gibson was keeping out everyone save music store owners for the first three days, but I don't call that a loss really.

EMKE's Kira

In an open air venue between buildings, a kid act was playing well-amplified Daisy Rock guitars with discipline and energy. EMKE is how they are dubbed at present. Picture three pre-teen girls on guitars, vocals and keyboards and two pre-teen boys, one on drums and the other on bass, and you have a start. All are from Hawaii, if not actual Hawaiians, so they look a bit exotic here on the Mainland. The girls are all darling. Ezri, at 7, is precociously cute to an outlandish degree. Mari and Kira, both 11, are attractive in that coltish way some young girls pass through. The guitars the girls play are mostly pedestal mounted, and the girls stand behind them and play—though Mari did have her guitar slung behind her back while she played keys, swinging the instrument to the fore for her guitar part. In the format seen, Kira was using guitar only, flanked by Ezri and Mari, both of whom had guitars and keyboard.

They played a number of tunes from Journey and other 80s material, which seemed to make a hit with the large and varied audience. Whenever little Ezri sang (and she carried lead vocals on a number of songs) the audience seemed really revved up. Ezri stood up well to it, absorbing energy from the crowd with modest grace but clearly enjoying it all the same. Seldom does a 7-year-old with good pipes sing, play keys and guitar and perform 80s rock covers. Kira was the consummate shred-meister, ripping out riffs and melodies on lead guitar like a champ with complete accuracy but minimal self-promoting flamboyance. There are few 11 year old girls who can do that, anywhere. The crowd lapped it up.

The group performed a very creditable version of Ticket to Ride as well. Their adult assistants (the term "handlers" may very well fit here, without disdain) made adjustments on the instruments between songs but the kids did their own playing. 11 year old Elias English was a fixture on the drums. His brother Elijah alternated with Kaci Onouye (female) on the bass. This group's Web presence begins at myspace.com/emke4ever. It is hard to imagine that they will not be further heard from in years to come.

A visit across the loading dock area behind the convention center showed the exposition for the commercial extravaganza it was. Many sea-going containers of the kind carried by P&O Nedloyd or Maersk cargo ships were lined up in rows, with a great many packing cases for very large instruments stacked where the forklifts had stationed them.

An interesting development is the attempt to convert video gamers to musicians, via the Guitar Hero X-box phenomenon. The stated object is to tap into the virtual guitar game by bringing gamers into music stores to learn how to play real guitars. Whether it will fly remains to be seen, but the effort has to be commended.