Roland Corporation

Drew Armentrout worked in music retail for years before being hired by the Roland Company to work in the electronic drum division. His early experience served him well as he viewed both the musician’s and retailer’s points of view when developing and marketing products for Roland. Drew’s passion for music can be traced back to his childhood and after all these years in the industry his passion is as strong today as ever! 

Rosemary Bailey was ten years old when she was hired by Hammond as a concert artist. Over the years, she took part in the growth of the organ market in the 1970s and had first-hand experiences bringing music to millions. Her interview was filled with remarkable stories of being in the industry when trends and popularity for musical instruments changed, such as the Hammond Piper all the way to the early days of MIDI. Rosemary is currently working with the Roland Corporation. 

Jeff “Skunk” Baxter gained enormous international fame as a founding member of Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers. Skunk’s solo licks are among the most noted and influential in rock and roll history. As product advisor, he has also played an important role in the early Roland guitar synthesizers and several effects pedals over the years. His understanding of the inner workings of the electric guitar has made him a well-respected and sought-after expert on subjects both from a design and engineering perspective as well as from a musician’s angle.

Tom Beckman opened a music store with his band director while still in college in 1958. The relationships he created in the store lead to a road salesman job with C. Bruno. He traveled the country for nearly a decade before establishing his own distribution company, Beckman Musical. He later began a long association with Roland Corporation. Tom’s interview included a review of the changes he has witnessed in the industry over the past 50 years, including the growth of the NAMM show.
 

Dick Bell was surprised by the impact he had on the music industry, a fact that became clear to him at the NAMM Show 2009, when the Roland Corp gave him a retirement party and NAMM requested an interview for the Oral History program. He began his career in the music industry, as Dick said, “with no training at all.” He worked in the supply department at Kaman before the aerospace company branched out into the guitar business in the 1960s. A decade later Tom Beckman hired Dick for work at the newly formed American branch of the Roland Corporation, where he stayed until his retirement.  

Ed Blasco was one of the best known organ salesmen in Kansas City during the 1970s. He worked for Sherman Clay, Jenkins Music and even ran his own store, Ed Blasco’s Conn Organ Center in the mid 1970s. Ed’s passion for the organ was the foundation of his selling and he never lost sight of the important role he played bringing music into the lives of his customers and their children. He was active with the Yamaha Company and their "Play For Keeps" program as well as with the Roland Corp.  Ed gained the friendship of many people in the industry, especially those at Conn Organ, several of whom recommended that Ed be included in the NAMM Oral History some 30 years after last working with Ed.

John Booth has played an enormous role in the development and growth of Roland within the United Kingdom. As President of Roland UK, he has witnessed the expansion of the market in England and assisted in creating the infrastructure to accommodate the growth within the company. As an industry leader, John has provided many contributions to address worldwide industry issues through his participation in the Global Economic Summit.  

Chris Bristol was a music retailer in Southern California when a salesman came in one day to show him some gear from a new company called Roland. Chris took to the products right away. With his background as a musician and engineer he could understand the dedication that was put into the products. In 1978 Chris was offered a job at Roland US as a salesman in the Pacific North West and as a service trainer for customer service. He helped launch the BOSS products for Roland, beginning at the June 1978 NAMM Show and has made major contributions to the success and expansion of the product line.
 

Paulo Caius played music as a child and enjoyed each chance he had to work with fellow musicians. When the chance came to open his own music store, Paulo jumped at it. Caius Music, located in Portugal, opened in 1980 and launched Paulo into the music industry. However, as he later discovered, he preferred music distribution. He decided to close the store and focused on wholesale-distribution. Those efforts led to his position as President with Roland’s new operation in Portugal.