The focus in Frankfurt am Main, Germany from 29 March to 1 April will be on music as the Musikmesse is this year being held under the motto \"Live for the music\".

From classic to rock, from acoustic to digital: drum showcases
In addition to new products and trends, the Musikmesse is distinguished by an extensive programme of special shows and events. Tastes differ – and that is why the programme of events at the Musikmesse covers the entire spectrum of musical styles.

At the Agora Stage, top acts including percussion virtuosos and legendary drummers John Blackwell (photo), Zoro, Dom Famularo and Claus Hessler, will participate on three stages.

However, not only established drummers will be appearing on the Agora Stage, young musicians are also popular and have their rightful place. Although only 26, drummer Benny Greb has already gained a worldwide following of loyal fans with his impressive solo show.

Drummer Will Calhoun and bass player Doug Wimbish, the rhythm section of Living Colour present funky R&B sounds. As a session musician, Wimbish has already played for in the studio for Madonna and Annie Lennox.

Drummer Dirk Brand was a sensation among visitors to the last Musikmesse when, together with keyboard virtuoso, Tatsuya Nishiwaki, he created impressive and unusual sound fusions.

But it need not always be drums or percussion instruments: creative sounds can also be made using everyday objects such as pots, baking trays and traffic signs – the formation Drum Theatre will be showing how.

More gentle will be the tones coming from the Acoustic Stage. The solo artists and formations that appear here do so without electronic amplification and impress visitors with acoustic music.

Pro-Mark will hold the WFD World’s Fastest Hands competition. The competition will be held at Pro-Mark’s stand #3.0/B40, and will run each day between 9:00 am and noon, and again from 2:00 pm until closing.

The event will be judged by Pro-Mark artist and critically acclaimed, BJ Genten (Cirque du Soleil).

New instrument innovations
From the self-tuning guitar to the complete home recording studio, and from more compact and flexible percussion instruments to amplifiers that hover between retro and forward-looking trends - Musikmesse presents a lot of innovations.

What remains in the way of minimum levels of equipment for a band is the drums. RMV are bringing out a special edition of the X5 drum set that they have just introduced.

In the E-drums field, Roland are introducing the HPD-10 Handsonic 10 pad; more compact and less expensive than the version it was modelled on, the HPD-15, it offers the sensitivity of pad response we are used to and new sounds as well. Moreover, the company is introducing a new E-drum set. The TD-6SX V is fitted with all-mesh V pads, offers better trigger properties and incorporates the new TD-6V percussion sound module.

B-Band have introduced onto the market a new series with contact microphones. Now that the system has been used for guitars for several years, it is also being introduced for percussion instruments. The pads of the DM-5 are stuck directly on to the frame of each drum. This ensures that the sound from each drum is isolated from that of the others on pickup and avoids the laborious setting up of all the microphones, which have hitherto been required.

Prizes for artists and the music sector
As in the past, the Musikmesse will also provide the worthy setting for several prize-giving ceremonies. The Frankfurt Music Prize has been awarded annually at the Musikmesse since 1980. This year, it goes to Britain\'s pop legend Peter Gabriel, one of Europe\'s leading rock musicians, who has been singled out by the jury for his creativity and appearances, which have had a lasting impact on the rock and pop music scene.

The Musikmesse International Press Award (MIPA) honours products from over 40 categories that include Best Innovative Product and Best Drums. An expert jury of around 60 trade journalists will decide on the winners of the MIPA. The presentation will take place on March 30.

Tickets
For trade visitors on arrival, day tickets cost € 35, season tickets € 55. In advance admission tickets are € 21 for a day ticket and € 38 for a season ticket.

You can find more information at www.musikmesse.com.