World Beat Music

Danlee Mitchell was destined to live a life of music. Raised by parents who were both accomplished musicians, he began his music studies at a very early age. His life took a strange and wonderful turn when he attended the University of Illinois in 1959 and met Harry Partch. That began a long and wonderful collaboration that lasted until Partch’s death in 1977. Danlee was caretaker of the famous Partch Instrument Collection and conductor for many of Partch’s works.

Stanley Schireson’s father opened up a small music store in 1902 that would eventually branch out into manufacturing and distribution of musical instruments. The company began making ukuleles and acoustic guitars under the Hollywood brand name before developing the Volutone name. Stanley took to the road selling the company’s solid body Hawaiian guitars before World War II. After the war and thanks to Stanley’s leadership, a separate distribution company, called Volutone was created that expanded the product line around the world. As an electronic and pro-audio distributor, the company was the first in the United States to offer such brands as Sony and Yamaha electronics. 

Ravi Shankar was called the Godfather of World Music by his long time friend George Harrison. Ravi’s role in bringing Indian music to the world was the beginning of many musical exchanges that have since been referred to as world music. Ravi’s role as a player is only matched by his amazing teaching, writing and arranging skills that have been showcased in concerts and recording during his long musical career.