Kentucky

Ernesto Gittli was born in Uruguay and moved to the U.S. as a small boy before he began taking piano lessons. He met his wife, who also taught music, and together they envisioned a music school that would encourage all ages to become music makers. Gittli Music opened in the mid- 1960s with a strong focus on providing parents with an education regarding why music is important to their child long before “music makes you smarter” was ever a slogan.

Carl Henderson opened his first piano store in Covington, KY in 1963, after nearly 20 years in the finance business. In the early days he struggled to increase his inventory but ensured that he always allowed a budget for advertising. Over the years his newspaper and TV ads have not only helped sell pianos but have made him a familiar face and name within his community. Carl also worked to create meaningful promotions such as their Midnight Madness Sale. Carl and his son have expanded the store to six locations in Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana.
 

Rick Kukulies helped design and develop the Kustom line of amplifiers in the 1970s. His electrical engineering background along with the advances in technology during that era resulted in the highly successful Kustom product line. When the Hanser Music Group purchased the Kustom line, Rick stayed on and worked side by side Jim Hanser on a number of products including a series of home entertainment systems and speaker units.  

Gordy Wilcher believes that with the right mixture of passion and knowledge, the independent music retailer has the strength to bring music to young students, build new brands within their stores and pass along a joy of music to those who walk in their doors. And every day Gordy and his staff try to do just that. In 1973, he bought the music store from his boss and mentor who was retiring and renamed it Owensboro Music Center. Since that time Gordy has continued to be an active music maker as well as serving many roles within the industry. 

 Bob Willcutt still loves repairing guitars.  The nice view of downtown Lexington from his repair bench doesn't hurt.  Initially working as a social worker, Bob repaired and rebuilt vintage folk instruments as a hobby starting in the 1960's. After repairing and mentoring at a local music store, he went on to found his own guitar and repair shop.  Growing steadily for the last several decades, Bob has found continued success with expansion of the online retail portion of his business.  In addition,  the internet has helped promote his great and growing reputation as a repairman and provide new customers from all over the world. Bob also took some time to tell one of his favorite stories involving Jimi Hendrix. 

Don Wilson has always enjoyed being around music, as a player, teacher, retailer, and as an award-winning baton twirler. He opened his music store in 1956 with the dream of running his business, raising his family, and staying close to the music he loved. In 2006, it was clear his dreams did come true. Along with his beloved wife Mary, he established Don Wilson Music, a musical hub in Lexington, KY, which has been a family business for much of its 50 years.

Bill Xavier was introduced into the music products industry while working with Hartley Peavey. Peavey became a strong mentor to Bill and was like a second father to him. Bill has often said that much of the passion he has for the music products industry was developed as a result of working with Mr. Peavey. In 2007, Bill was hired by the Hanser Music Group as Director of Sales, where he worked closely with Jack Hanser and Jack’s two brothers in a company that was formed by Jack’s grandfather.