Pennsylvania

Tom Baker began his career in the industry at Menchey Music outside of York, Pennsylvania, where he developed and managed the sheet music department. After 30 years, Tom is right where he started, with one exception. Today he is one of the most recognized and respected sheet music retailers in the industry. At any given Retail Print Music Dealers Association (RPMDA) meeting, you will see Tom, most likely in the background, doing what he does best -- learning and gathering information always with the hopes of improving his company’s sheet music department.

Dick Boak has served as Director of Artist Relations for the CF Martin Guitar Company during the development of the popular signature series product line, as well as for such historic projects as Martin's One Millionth Guitar.  Dick has been passionate about the company's important past ever since joining the company in 1976 and has long served as Martin's historian.  Dick studied the history of the company, which was formed in 1833, and wrote the book "Martin Guitar Masterpieces" in 2005.  Over the years Dick worked long and hard to establish the now popular Artist Signature Guitars series working with Eric Clapton, and the Limited Edition series, which began in 1994 with the Gene Autry guitar.    

Dean Burtch was a past president of the world famous music publisher and retailer JW Pepper. The company was formed in 1876 and was purchased in 1941 by a group of businessmen headed by Harold Burtch. Under Harold’s leadership, the company expanded its publishing catalog and opened a chain of retail outlets across the United States. In 1962, Harold’s son, Dean, became president of the company, moving it to Philadelphia, PA. He later opened two branches and continued to expand offerings by acquiring smaller companies. Dean was a supporter of the music publishing industry and contributed to its efforts in providing music education to both school programs and the general public.
 

Charles J. Dumont’s grandfather and uncle opened a sheet music distribution company in 1945. The company, Charles Dumont and Son in Philadelphia, became one of the key jobbers within the industry. At the age of 13, Charles J. Dumont ran errands for the company. After his uncle’s untimely death in the early 1950s and his grandfather’s death a few years later, the young Charles took control of the company and kept the same ideals and principals in place that had strong held the business for so long.  Charles was a proud member of the music products industry who cared very much about his employees and customers during his long career.

John Felice likes to say he was in the right place at the right time when he opened a Hammond Organ dealership in the 1960s. As the home organ market began to take off John had the staff and inventory in place to meet customer’s needs. His creative marketing led to many special promotions within the store as well as sales at events such as county fairs. John was proud to have been one of the first dealers in the United States to introduce such new programs as the Hammond Piper in the late 1960s. As a musician, John enjoyed a career that included gigs with Frank Sinatra and Patti Page, among others, before he opened his retail store.
 

C. Darby Fulton’s father opened a music store, which seemed the perfect place for Darby growing up. He enjoyed the business and worked with his father as the company grew into 26 locations during the boom of the home organ craze in the 1960s. Having been a music retailer for years Darby became a grand promoter showcasing the Hammond products at county fairs, mall openings and tractor-pulls. During the height of the organ boom, 1973, twenty five percent of all musical products sold were organs. This fact presented challenges of supply for Darby. At one point his sales of trade in organs surpassed the sales of new organs.

Alysha Greevy-Sides grew up in the music store that her grandfather established in 1937 and has enjoyed working in music retail along side her parents and brother. The Robert M. Sides Music Center began in Williamsport, Pennsylvania when her grandfather tuned and sold pianos out of his home. Alysha’s parents ran the store during the late 1960s up until she and her brother became active in the business. She also served on the NAMM Board as the head of NAYMM and has been active with music programs within her community.
 

Sam Keeney loves playing music! He has a road organ he hauls to performances nights and on weekends. Starting in the late 1950s, his day job has been music retailing. In 1970 he bought a store in Spry, Pennsylvania, and renamed it Sam Keeney Piano and Organ Company. Over the years he has pioneered product lines and has seen plenty of trends come and go. Through it all, Sam kept lugging his road organ to entertain. Even after his long run as a retailer ends in 2009, Sam will continue to pack his instrument in his car and drive off to awaiting audiences eager to hear him play. 

Jacob Malta was an innovator in designing handbells and hand chimes. His approach to product development and engineering led to several important advancements in the tonal quality and manufacturing of handbells. His company, MalMark, has been a leader in the industry for over 50 years. Throughout his career, Jacob was a devoted pioneer in percussion and has written several articles on his research in acoustic science.

Grace Marquette doesn’t care much for vacations or trips because it takes her away from what she loves, her music store. Grace and her late husband, Robert, purchased the Loser’s Music Store, which was originally opened in 1923 on Cumberland Street in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, in 1954. The location only moved once, in 1968, right up the road and still on Cumberland, which seems fitting for the music shop that was built on community values and relationships. After Robert’s passing in 2003, Grace continued the couple’s focus of providing quality band music for the local schools and teachers with a heart for putting music in the lives of young students.