Oral History -
Alan Greensall was working for Sound Technology when he helped broaden the reach of several brands into the British market. Among the brands were Taylor Guitars, Line 6 and G&L Guitars. This experience cemented Alan’s passion for developing brands in his country and by 2000 he established his own, Synergy Distribution.
Paul McManus recalls the moment he first heard the recording of T Rex. It is a moment most of us can relate to when music enters our lives in a way that we can’t deny. He began playing guitar in local bands and later switched to bass, playing at clubs and college parties.
Dave Bresnan has a passion for music that began when he was fifteen and learning to play the piano. Throughout the 1960’s, Dave played guitar and banjo in several groups after discovering folk music. During this time, he also realized his dream of owning his own music store and repair shop one day.
This video vignette was created to serve as a tribute to Jazz guitarist Joe Beck (1945-2008). Joe was helpful in the early days of the NAMM Oral History Program but due to his health was never interviewed. To show our appreciation for his role in helping us, we asked his friend Jimmy Bruno for his thoughts about Joe and added footage of Joe performing during the NAMM Show in Anaheim.
Vernon Porter can be heard playing bass on many Kenny Loggins recordings from 1981-1984, which is one of many crowning achievements of his career. It started when young Vernon was in the fourth grade and was encouraged to appreciate music by his Bluegrass playing uncle and father. He joined the school band playing saxophone and switched to bass when he was 15.
Cindy Singer met her future husband, Danny, when they were young kids. They began dating in their late teens and were married soon after. Inspired by their love of dancing and music, they purchased a dance studio with a small music store in 1977.
Karyadi Sutedja has a passion for playing music that began when he was eight years old, but he found greater satisfaction playing a behind-the-scenes role in music. He studied music production at Berklee College of Music and interned at a local studio.
John Waite was born in Lancaster, England and began playing ukulele at the age of four. In school he studied art and always felt that his music incorporated art at some level in addition to the music. In 1975 one of his first bands, The Babies, recorded a video that went along with their song and this was many years before MTV existed.
Doc Bochenek provided some interesting background on a number of important companies and instruments during his 2020 NAMM Oral History interview. Having worked with Moog Music, Doc was the one to sell the synthesizers that Disney used to create the music for the Main Street Electrical Parade.
Alan Barclay entered the music industry as a salesman, which is where his love of the industry developed. In 2003 he opened Absolute Music, an instrument retail store in England that incorporates a host of special services for his customers, helping set his store apart from his online competitors.