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Frank Alkyer has asked a lot of questions. As a writer and editor of Music Inc. he has interviewed music retailers and suppliers alike. As a writer and editor for DownBeat Magazine, Frank has interviewed countless jazz and big band performers. With this background you can imagine how meaningful it was for the NAMM team to have the opportunity to interview Frank for the Oral History program. Frank has been an active member of the industry supporting music educational programs, as well as professional development efforts such as the series of sessions he has hosted at various industry events such as the NAMM show. So, at least it was our turn to ask him some questions!
 

Dr. Leo Beranek is considered by many to be the father of concert hall acoustics. His amazing career has not only traced the growth of acoustic measurement but has documented it in a series of articles and books. His first book, Acoustics, was published in 1954 and is considered the bible for the field. Much of his later research was based on projects he led within the company he co-created: Bolt, Beranek and Newman. Among the most noted projects he was involved with for BBN was designing the general assembly room for the UN buildings in New York. Dr. Beranek was then interested in the acoustics for concert halls and opera houses, on which he focused for several years.

Joe Bergamini is a Broadway and rock band drummer who began writing about the art of percussion for magazines before becoming the Senior Drum Editor for Hudson Music. His own publications include “Turn It Up and Lay It Down” published by Alfred, “Drumming Out of the Shadows” published by Carl Fischer, and a series of books for Wizdom Media, an independent music publisher he formed with drummer Dom Famularo.

Greg Billings is the president of the Steinway Piano Gallery of Naples in Florida. Greg is also a very active member of the music products industry, appearing on panel discussions at NAMM Shows, serving on boards and writing a regular article for Music Inc. magazine. His deep passion for the industry and for providing music in the lives of many thousands of people can be traced back to the passion of his father, Zeb Billings. Zeb was a pioneer in both retailing and music publishing in the home organ era that set standards still being used to this day.

Q David Bowers contributed greatly to the archiving of the music products industry. As an author, he researched and published several books on the early era of mechanical instruments. His 1972 publication, The Encyclopedia of Automatic Musical Instruments, has become the definitive reference source on the topic. Along the way he also saved an enormous and invaluable collection of vintage trade magazines dating back to the 1880s from being lost. Those materials have since been scanned by the NAMM Resource Center, thanks to Mr. Bowers’ devotion to history, and will be made available for access to those seeking to learn more about our industry.
 

Monica Burdex grew up enjoying music of many styles and having a real interest in research and library science. She combined her passions becoming the music librarian for California State University at Northridge. During her long career she also worked tirelessly to help re-establish the Southern California Chapter of the Music Library Association, which she did with the help of Steven Fry and other long time members. Her work both with MLA and at the University has played an important role in the preservation of musical documents. 

Rob Cook’s name is very familiar to those interested in vintage drums and the companies who produced them. As an author and publisher Rob has penned a series including “The Slingerland Book,” “The Rogers Drum Book,” and “The Ludwig Book.” Rob also established Rebeat Vintage Drums and the magazine Not So Modern Drummer along with authoring hundreds of articles that have appeared in many of the leading drum publications. Once more, Rob has been a historian at heart and has been a great supporter of this archival project.

Sam Denov retired as the percussionist and timpanist for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra after playing with the group in concerts, on the road and in recordings since 1954! Sam helped bring cymbal playing to a new level of recognition and professionalism when he wrote “Playing Hand Cymbals” in the early 1960s. He worked with the Zildjian Company and later with Paiste Cymbals in creating concert level products and in conducting clinics that brought greater access to hand cymbal playing to students and professionals alike.
 

Herbert Deutsch was down in Robert Moog’s basement when the two men were redrafting the design of an electronic synthesizer in the early 1960s. Herb suggested that the modular unit with patch cords was hard to play as a musical instrument and wondered if it could be controlled by an organ-type keyboard. The idea was incorporated into the Mini-Moog, and the rest is history. Herb went on to teach and compose electronic music and has often written about the success and development of the synthesizer.
 

Peter Erskine has played a very visible role within the music industry as a noted drummer, author of method books and in designing several percussive products. He is also a welcomed sight at the NAMM Show where he can be found happily posing for photographs and checking out the latest gear. His impressive playing career included touring and recording with Stan Kenton as well as performing with Weather Report and Steely Dan. Peter has appeared on over 600 albums and has provided clinics in music stores around the world.