John Hood was working music retail in the Sacramento area at a very heady time. The California capital was booming with innovative rock and pop bands in the 1980s and 90s while John was at K&K Music to sell the musicians their gear and meet some very talented people. It was also a great time to experience the trends and latest gear being created, knowledge of which he uses...
Library
Recently Completed
Kevin Crossley studied as a classical pianist and technician before he started working for SIR (Studio Instrument...
Gary Beckerman was introduced to TEAC and TASCAM when he consulted on inventory control in the early 1970s. The company...
Tom Thompson first heard an organ in a small church as a child and knew at that moment that somehow, someway, that...
Full Interviews
This is the full length NAMM Oral History interview with Rupert Neve, which was captured on November 6, 2008. For his...
This is the full length NAMM Oral History interview with Dr. Ruth Lion, which was captured on October 20, 2003. For...
This is the full length NAMM Oral History interview with Bruce Stevens, which was captured on June 7, 2007. For his...
Vignettes
For many musicians, obtaining an instrument for the very first time is a special experience unlike any other. ...
One of the most archaic yet essential instruments in the music and percussion industry is the cymbal. With its origins...
This vignette highlighting the Krell Piano Company is representative of the many “gems” of history from the Music...
About the Library & Resource Center
The NAMM Oral History program is unique, unlike any other collection in the world. The heart of the collection is the depth of its narrative that covers innovative creations, the evolution of musical instruments, the ever changing world of music retail, as well as our collective quest to improve music education around the globe. Oral History participants have come from 46 different countries, 49 U.S. states and were born between 1903 and 1988. This collection is our journal, our own way of chronicling ourselves and our community—the community we so eagerly embrace at the NAMM shows and so proudly celebrate throughout the year. This library of video interviews, now 3,000 strong and always growing, contains the story of our industry told by those who helped to shape it and have watched it expand and develop through the years.
We hope you find what you're looking for right here, but if you have any questions, please contact us at 760.438.8001 or via e-mail at dand@namm.org.