I’d love to turn you on to one of the great treasures of the NAMM Show. If you venture to the far reaches of the Anaheim Convention Center’s lowest level, you’ll discover the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus. It’s a technological marvel, a shining, chrome-plated, professional-quality recording studio on wheels. The spacious interior is decked out with front and rear studios, two sound booths, an electronic drum kit, a synth, laptops for the engineers, and all the onboard gear and tech you’d expect to find at Abbey Road. Everything is donated, but that does not mean you’re getting your uncle’s warped old acoustic guitar. Everything we saw in the bus at NAMM appeared to be tip-top.
We looked around inside and spoke with Creative Technology Director, Jeff Sobel, who talked us through a bit of the mission and the history of the bus.
Begun in 1998, the bus is a nonprofit mission to make professional recording opportunities available for kid musicians across the U.S., through outreach to schools and community organizations. The qualified techs onboard not only guide the kids through the process of laying down tracks, they also provide practical lessons about the work required to record music, dispelling the myths of the “one-take masterpieces.” Yoko Ono “supports this project 100 percent,” and has blessed the bus with the use of her late husband’s name (you know. . . John Lennon. . . the Beatle. . . ).
The inside does not feel cramped at all, but it’s definitely geared more for smaller ensembles than something like a marching band or orchestra. The most musicians you could reasonably fit inside at once would be less than ten. The Dolby Atmos area in front is designed for audio/video production while the rear is intended for multi-track recording – – so you have options.
Color me impressed. I not only applaud the John Lennon tour bus for their noble mission, but also for their high-tech, high-end operation. This thing is no glass onion. Everything about the bus and its organization is handled with care and expertise. Contact your local schools, Boys And Girls Clubs, community groups, etc., get musically-inclined kids a ticket to ride the John Lennon Tour Bus.







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