Oral History - all
Billy Amendola is the Editor At Large for Modern Drummer magazine whose background as a musician makes him perfect for the job! His passion for music began at an early age and by the time he began working for the magazine in 1997, Billy was already a seasoned studio musician and founding member of... more
Hal Smith is a drummer deeply rooted in the traditional ragtime and early jazz styles. His performances are often a history lesson not just in sound but in the techniques of creative jazz musicians he admires such as Baby Dodds and Paul Barbarin. Hal’s musical hero is the pioneering pianist,... more
Stephen “Zoomie” Zelenka has had quite the career in the music industry. His love for music started early while he was growing up in London, and he eventually landed a job working for the band Gentle Giant. This job entailed a lot of tasks associated with touring, and Stephen earned his nickname “... more
Rob Carhart is the Director of New Products Engineering for PRS Guitars, a manufacturer of musical instruments located in Stevensville, Maryland, which was founded in 1985. Rob has worked in a variety of positions with increasing responsibilities within the business since he started as a body team... more
Maggie Haugh quite literally stood by her man! In the moments following her husband Gene’s NAMM Oral History interview, Maggie came to say hello and stood behind him. During our few minutes with her it was so endearing to hear how proud she is of her husband and his work within the music industry. ... more
Gene Haugh began his career as a factory worker for the Baldwin Piano Company in Arkansas making parts for the electric organ. Gene was hired by the DH Baldwin Company in 1966 and in just two years was promoted to the plant’s supervisor. He left Baldwin in 1981 and soon began building Sho-Bud pedal... more
Linda Oberg grew up in a very musical family and was always surrounded by music at a young age. She took piano lessons and studied music in school, which ultimately prepared her to be a piano teacher herself. Linda taught organ with the Yamaha Electone System and developed an interest in the sales... more
Markos Kounalakis’ passion for music developed in the 1980’s when he worked at a broadcasting company in Sweden. The radio station had such powerful antennas that the government of the Soviet Union could not jam the signal. As a result, the music Markos played was able to be heard behind the Iron... more
Uwe Kruger grew up singing old German folks songs with family in Switzerland. Picking up the guitar at eight years old, he later played with his brother, Jens, on street corners. His love of country and bluegrass music developed while listening to military radio stations as a kid. Uwe has always... more
Sal Cracchiolo learned how to play the trumpet on his mother’s horn. As his love of the instrument grew she saw to it that Sal received classical trumpet lessons with some of the top teachers in their neighborhood of Long Beach, California. At 15 Sal began performing and recording with Jr. &... more
Dan Dugan is a pro lighting and pro audio engineer who invented an automixer that he first presented at AES in 1974. With a rich background in theater, both in lighting and sound, Dan created several automations that improved the quality and efficiency of production processes. His innovations were... more
Bob Watters was 12 years old when he picked up his banjo and began traveling for evangelists in and around his home state of Texas. He performed for tent shows and gospel revivals for a few years before he, at the age of 15, started providing some of the sermons. Along the way he performed with... more
Travis Christopherson’s roots in music can be traced back to when his grandfather played country music records for him as a child. As he learned to play the guitar, Travis saw his passion for music grow and was inspired by the enjoyment he gave others. While in school he participated in the band... more
Julie Lewis has been surrounded by music her entire life, and knows first-hand the power it has on those who experience it. As a child she sang in choirs and played the cello, and can recall the happiness on the faces of those around her. As a nurse she often sang to those she cared for and... more
Jim Widner was given a very special opportunity to join his grade school’s orchestra, which provided him an instrument to play. His love of music was fostered years later when he became a student of his highly influential high school band director. These early experiences set Jim on his path in... more
Bob Snyder enjoyed his 40 plus years in the music industry, driven by his passion for music. His father was a professor of music and instruments of all kinds seemed to be everywhere in his home growing up. His sales career started at a Hammond Organ dealership where he would perform on the organ to... more
Jamal Batiste grew up in a very musical family and when he saw his brother’s drum kit at 3 years old, he fell in love. Raised in New Orleans he was surrounded by what he calls the gumbo of music, playing all styles and in many different settings. Throughout his career he has played alongside groups... more
Flavio Giannini is part of the third generation running Giannini Musical Instruments alongside his brother, Roberto. One of their most well-known designs is the Craviola, which is designed to be a smaller and therefor more comfortable instrument to play. As they introduce new products, they strive... more
Roberto Giannini is part of the third generation running Giannini Musical Instruments alongside his brother, Flavio. Their company has thrived on being innovative and working around issues. During WWII when supplies were cut off, they began making their own strings and then between the 1960-1990s... more
Ned Augustenborg is a multiple Emmy Award winning producer and director in the categories of Entertainment, Documentary, News and Sports. He has worked on projects for ESPN, HBO, FOX Sports, MSNBC, CNN and the Canadian Sports Network. Being introduced to NAMM’s Museum of Making Music in 2001, Ned... more