Ray Parker Jr may best be known for writing the soundtrack to Gostbusters, but his legacy goes back much further. Starting in Detroit as a teenager, Ray got the opportunity to work and to...
Rick Peale is the Sales Manager for Saied Music in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He began working for the company in 1991 and managed a store outside of Tulsa before moving to the main branch and runn...
Jim Peterik was just a teenager when he joined a rock band and knew what he wanted to do when he grew up! He began writing songs and formed several bands including The Ides of March, whic...
Greg Phillinganes reminds one of a chameleon with his innate ability to perfectly blend into any musical situation or setting. While still a teenager, Greg had the opportunity to join Ste...
Bill Pitman was a first call studio musician in Los Angles who played on a string of hit records and award winning motion pictures. As a member of the Wrecking Crew he played on the Beach...
Trevor Rabin was raised in a musical household, with a father who was a musician and he encouraged Trevor to play the piano at an early age. Later, his father gave him a guitar as a gift ...
AR Rahman can be thought of as the Quincy Jones of Indian Music! His love and passion for music began when he was exposed to electronic keyboards thanks to his father. He was proud to b...
Cecil Ramirez started in the music industry in retail, at the Music Box in Lodi, California. He created a keyboard studio feel within the store in1983, which was an exciting time of tech...
Anthony Resta is a gold and multi-platinum awarded producer-composer/multi-instrumentalist. His past clients include Duran Duran, Elton John, Collective Soul, Perry Ferrell, Guster, Needt...
Emil Richards played a significant role in the expanded use and knowledge of world percussion instruments. Through his recordings and work for TV and the movies, Emil was known for adding...
Eric Rigler’s lifelong connection to the bagpipes began when he was just 18 months old, sitting on his mother’s lap at a parade. Mesmerized by the sound of the pipe and drum band passing ...
Sylvester Rivers has applied his musical talents to thousands of hit recordings over the years as well as music for television and motion pictures. His list of credits includes several ca...
George Roberts is known in the jazz world for his recording of “Stella By Starlight” with the Stan Kenton Orchestra, which featured George on bass trombone. He is known among music instru...
Jeff Rona played a critical role in the coming together of the minds and companies that would agree on the MIDI specs back in the 1980s. The meetings took place at NAMM shows over several...
Mark Ronson accepted the Music for Life Award during the NAMM Show in January 2024. During the Industry Insights session with NAMM President/CEO John Mlynczak, Mark spoke of his musical i...
Bruce Rowland is the skillful film composer who scored the music for the movie "The Man from Snowy River." He was still a teenager when he was playing piano to big bands and jazz groups a...
Patrice Rushen has forged many in roads in the music industry. While Patrice got her start recording as an accomplished jazz pianist, she soon branched out into many other genres includin...
Antonio Sanchez began playing drums at the age of five in his native Mexico and by the time he was a teenager he was playing professionally. After graduating from Berklee College of Music...
Dan Sawyer enjoyed writing music for television. He is able to pull together his background as a musician and take advance of technology to record what he feels the program needs. Backg...
Lalo Schifrin composed "Mission Impossible" for television and "Dirty Harry" for the movies (among others) and yet what seems to have brought him the most personal joy was his work and fr...
Richard Sherman was a musical film songwriter along with his brother, Robert Sherman. The duo specializes in animated musical-films. Some of their most famous work can be heard on films s...
Frank Simes was born in Tokyo, Japan and began studying guitar at the age of ten. During his fascinating career in music Frank has played guitar with the likes of Mick Jagger and Stevie ...
Mark Slaughter was a founding member of the hard rock band, Slaughter, which has sold more than five million records and placed four songs on the Billboard Top 30 Charts. In addition to ...
Preston Smith is immensely proud of his vibrant musical journey as a versatile musician and songwriter, primarily because of the extraordinary people he has had the fortune to collaborate...
Bongo Bob Smith has had an amazing musical journey, which all began with his love of the music of Puerto Rico. Before the term World Music was used, Bob was exploring music from many coun...
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 produ...
Steve Sykes found it easy to answer one of the biggest questions in a NAMM Oral History interview; “Did you have music in your house growing up?”. Steve’s mom was a booking agent in the 1...
Richard Taninbaum grew up in a musical family. His father, Wolf, played saxophone for many top big bands during the Swing Era and later created his own mouthpiece company. So, it was no s...
Victoria Theodore has had some marvelous musical experiences both as a musician and teacher. Her first big gig was a seven-year stint touring with Stevie Wonder in his band. Being classic...
Jonathan Tunick’s impressive career began with taking piano lessons as a kid and later learning the clarinet and saxophone. Attending LaGuardia Performing Arts High School and working wit...
Michèle Vice-Maslin has always had a passion for music and songwriting. She grew up with her family in Queens, NY and started playing instruments and writing poetry at a young age. After ...
Michael Whalen, a two-time Emmy® Award-winning American composer, producer, and recording artist, has left an indelible mark on contemporary instrumental and television music.
