Exclusive Interview with Tom Sumner

During NAMM 2025, I had the privilege to interview Tom Sumner the President of Yamaha and the Chair of the NAMM Board of Directors. We conversed in person at the Yamaha Dealer meeting rooms, and I took a photo of him with the Yamaha grand piano for Alicia Keys’ 2023 tour that hallmarked their display booth area. Sumner also graciously provided his thoughts on a live video taken by me, which you can watch here.

Sumner grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area where he played guitar in local bands and worked in area music stores during high school and college. He started at Yamaha in 1988 as a VP/General Manager, was President 2006 – 2012, Senior VP 2008 – 2018 and President 2018 to present. He has served as the Chair of the NAMM Board of Directors since 2017 and has been on the Board since 2014. He holds an MBA with Honors from Pepperdine University. 

Here is his sage insider view of why major brands returned to NAMM 2025, and the future of the Music Industry:

Q. Can you talk about the return of the major brands to NAMM after more than a five-year hiatus – brands like Marshall Amps, Fender/Jackson, Roland, PRS and Gibson?

A. There are a lot more brands here this year overall, I think there are 1,000 more brands here than last year. That is not 1,000 more booths, but brands. 

The top brands – Marshall, Fender, Roland, PRS and Gibson – had to want to come back for themselves, and I think that the success of the previous shows gave a little bit of FOMO. They all came to a decision to come back on their own. 

The NAMM team was really instrumental in making sure that those companies had a good way to come back, and that it was going to be an easy transition. Most of those companies had not been here since 2020. I’ve heard from several of those companies that they’re really excited to be back. At least so far, they seem to be having a good experience at NAMM. 

I think one of the key things is, there are several thousand music dealers around the country and some very specialized, and it’s really hard to get to all those folks to show them the breadth of what you do as a company. So, some of those brands realized they are really missing something. They are a known entity and their people in the field are going to see all those dealers, but it is important for people like me to have discussions with dealers, right? And I think it’s important for the leadership of other companies to have one on one time even with “smaller” dealers [implied: which they get at NAMM].

As Chair of the NAMM Board of Directors, what directives does the Board have for NAMM for 2025 and 2026? 

We are continuing to work to grow the industry. Part of that is to advocate that every child has a right to music education, and we will continue to work for that right. We are also looking globally since The NAMM Show is now the global gathering for the Music Products industry, working to help our global partners (outside the U.S.) to increase the industry as well.

As Chair of the NAMM Board of Directors, how do you view your role? 

It’s my job to work with NAMM and our industry to grow the Music Products industry. I work with our Executive Committee and Board of Directors at NAMM to chart the course that helps more people love music and make music.

As President of Yamaha, how do you predict the music industry (MI) will fare through 2025? What barometers and data points are guiding the path of the MI? 

The MI has been a bit of a roller coaster the past few years with COVID lockdowns driving huge demand in some areas and shutting down others. 2025 will probably be the first year that all segments of the industry have escaped the effects of the inventory and sales changes of that era. That said, the last quarter of 2024 saw some of that growth and we’re expecting growth next year. We look at several data points for the industry including advanced concert ticket sales, students entering music in schools, and people entering the prime music making years of around 18-26.

What is Yamaha’s position regarding AI in the music industry and in the making of musical instruments? 

We haven’t yet issued a formal statement, but we believe that AI should assist in music making, not replace music makers. We think it can be a powerful tool for creativity.

How did you become involved in the music industry?

First off, I love music. I did quite a few things (original gig economy I guess) during high school and college years, including playing in bands, playing solo gigs, running a sound company, working in music stores, teaching guitar, and recording bands.

Do you play any instruments or sing? 

I do. I play guitar and sing. I play a bit of keyboard as well.

What are the top five songs/artists on your playlist? 

Top 5 songs would be tough and change quite a bit. Top 5 artists I listened to last year: Jason Isbell, Jon Batiste, Brandi Carlile, John Mayer, Chris Stapleton.  

Sumner also announced last week, NAMM has eight new Board Members: 

Mayumi Allison, CEO, Hosa Technology Inc.; Betty Bennett, CEO and Co-Founder, Apogee Electronics Corp.; Jenna Day, Owner, Day Violins LLC; Jeremiah Manriquez, President, CEO and Owner, Pecknel Music Co., Inc.; Tim Pratt, President and Owner, Dietze Music House; Thomas Ripsam, President and CEO, C.F. Martin & Co., Inc.; Tom Tedesco, President and CEO, The Music People; and Hans Thomann, CEO, Thomann Musikhaus.

411: www.namm.org