NAMM 2025 Best Tools for Schools

WindStars Pre-Band Curriculum and NUVO instruments awarded Best Tools for Schools at NAMM 2025

The entire NUVO team is thrilled to learn WindStars Pre-Band curriculum and NUVO instruments were awarded Best Tools for Schools at NAMM 2025. This is a testament that the combination of our range of Pre-Band instruments and the WindStars curriculum is the perfect tool for getting young kids into playing in band and better prepare them to later transition to beginning band. It is our hope that WindStars and NUVO instruments can continue to positively impact young lives by kickstarting their musical journey.

Below is an excerpt from SBO Magazine’s April issue:

“Many years ago, kids started band in 4th grade. Now that many begin in 6th grade, these innovative brass and woodwind “bridge instruments” can help elementary students (ages 4-12) develop real instrumental skills with smaller durable and waterproof instruments that build actual embouchures and fingering skills. Don’t let the various color options fool you – these are not toys. They are real instruments with mouthpieces to transition students into traditional band instruments.”

Compact Drum Set for the Classroom

NUVO is also extremely excited to share that a new product also received the Best Tools for Schools award – the NUVO ZIP-KIT!

The ZIP-KIT is a portable drum set designed for the classrooms. It is the brainchild of Dave Wish, founder of Music Will, a charitable foundation that provides free music lessons and instruments. Dave spent years developing the concept and after he met with the NUVO team at the 2024 NAMM Show, the ZIP-KIT becomes a reality.

“Our partners at MusicWill introduced us to the ZIP-KIT. If you have lots of young percussionists who want to play drumset, how can you afford to accommodate them (and stand the noise!!)? The ZIP-KIT packs up into a small carrying case. It includes quiet versions of a snare, tom-toms, cymbals, bass drum, hi-hat, and a throne perfect for home practice or a busy classroom. It can be sized for 4-5 year olds or for adults! We heard several pro drummers sit down and wail on this (but quietly!!).”

You can read more about the ZIP-KIT on Music Will’s website.

This ZIP-KIT will be launched as a new brand and will have its own website very soon. This marks the third brand under the Nuvo Instrumental umbrella, with NUVO in Pre-Band, NUVOBand in beginning band – which we have launched this year, and finally, the ZIP-KIT in percussion.

We are proud and grateful for the Best Tools for Schools awards our products have received. They remind us of why we do what we do. It is our genuine hope that kids of all ages and backgrounds will be able to experience the joy of making music, and they can thoroughly enjoy this journey when we equip them with the right gear.

Read the full article on SBO website: https://sboplus.net/best-tools-for-schools-from-namm-2025/

Remembering Graham and his Music

It is with great sadness, we announce the passing of Graham Lyons on 13 June 2024.

Graham was our Founding Father. An eccentric visionary, inventor and brilliant musician who pioneered the use of plastics in musical instruments when he launched the Lyons C Clarinet back in 1988.

After seeing his students struggle with the weight and size of traditional instruments, he set about creating instruments that were more suitable for the task of inspiring children to play and practice more. This remains the underlying philosophy of NUVO, a company he founded with Max Clissold in 2008.

Graham is very fondly remembered by all who knew him and we encourage you to check out some of his compositions that can be found at https://cliftonedition.com.

You can see Graham’s Sonata for Clarinet and Piano performed below.

WindStars Workshop at VanderCook

VanderCook College of Music

August 3-4, 2024

Chicago, IL USA

Join us for a weekend workshop at VanderCook College of Music

Receive 1 graduate credit!

What Can I Expect?

Expect to have FUN with hands-on learning through active participation! Instruments will be provided for use during the weekend workshop. We will move, sing, play, and create while designing activities to address all learning styles.

Register Today!

Suitable for upper elementary music educators (general or beginning band)

Presented by Brittany Bauman
Author of the award-winning WindStars pre-band curriculum

ABRSM Adapted Instrument Policy

We are excited to share that as part of the revised adapted instruments policy from ABRSM, starting today on September 6th 2021, the NUVO Clarinéo, jFlute and jHorn can now be used for Grades 1 to 8 examinations!

Read the updated policy below.
https://www.abrsm.org/en-hk/more-information/policies/adapted-instruments-policy

Make Music Day 2021

Join the worldwide celebration of music!

Nuvo Instrumental and Slippery Rock University are hosting a FREE online event as part of Make Music Day on Monday June 21st from 10AM-4PM EST. We hope that you will consider joining us and tell your friends!

Activities will alternate between general music experiences and an introduction to NUVO instruments.

All ages are welcome and you can join this interactive virtual event at any time.

To register, email brittany@nuvo-instrumental.com.

What is Make Music?

Make Music is a free celebration of music around the world on June 21st. Launched in 1982 in France as the Fête de la Musique, it is now held on the same day in more than 1,000 cities in 120 countries.

Completely different from a typical music festival, Make Music is open to anyone who wants to take part. Every kind of musician — young and old, amateur and professional, of every musical persuasion — pours onto streets, parks, plazas, and porches to share their music with friends, neighbors, and strangers. All of it is free and open to the public.