Ron Pritchett began playing the guitar when he was young, with a focus on Jazz. He played in supper clubs and local events until he was drafted into the army in 1957, after which he conti...

Steve Halpern is an esteemed docent volunteer at NAMM’s Museum of Making Music, which provides an opportunity for him to blend his love of music with his background as an educator. As a y...

Ronnie Gardiner banged on his mother’s pots and pans enough that it encouraged her to buy him a toy drum set for Christmas when he was not yet four years old. He played all throughout sch...

Perry Smith was already playing the guitar when he walked into a small music store in San Rafael, California, and heard someone playing jazz. That one moment changed his musical path and ...

Will Braham’s father gave him a guitar when he was in eighth grade. It is then, as Will puts it, that his career began. He played all throughout school developing his skills and his drive...

Chaco Amazè fell in love with music at a young age, after all his father was a music teacher and his mother was a dancer of Mexican folklore music. His father introduced young Chaco to J...

Mike Smith, the jazz saxophonist who toured with Maynard Ferguson, Buddy Rich, and Frank Sinatra, is also closely associated with the music products industry. Mike plays an important role...

Luis Orta is a jazz saxophonist from Puerto Rico who spent much of his NAMM Oral History interview engaging us with the rich history of Latin Jazz. He spoke of the importance of the percu...

John Papadolias began working at Lyon & Healy in Chicago in 1999 as a harp technician. The job is perfectly suited for John who has a long history as a musician and instrument tech. E...

Katie Kailus studied at Elmhurst College in the Jazz program playing guitar and majoring in writing. In 2009, she combined her passions and education by serving as an intern for Downbeat ...

Susan Murray has one of the most infectious smiles, especially when she is in the groove on stage playing her bass. With a deep passion for jazz, Susan has brought her talents to countles...

Christy Coobatis is a college music professor whose amazing musical journey includes playing professionally before he was a teenager, beta testing guitars for Leo Fender, and helping to c...

Keith Holzman cut his teeth as a theater director and lighting designer in New York. In 1964 he joined Elektra Records, which his brother Jac formed back in 1950. Keith coordinated produc...

Daniel Neves is the founder of Música & Mercado (Music & Market), a Brazil-based magazine that focuses on promoting music-making and musical products. His passion for the industry...

John McClure played a vital role in welcoming the NAMM Show to Southern California each year as the National Accounts Manager for the Anaheim Visitors & Convention Bureau. John joined...

Doug Lawrence was first musically inspired by his father, a woodwinds player. However, at a young age he watched as his older brothers’ professional careers developed and Doug had tunnel ...

Larry Redhouse grew up in a house with six siblings who were all, like their mother, very musical. The family formed a musical act, the Redhouse Band, in the late 60s. The band played a l...

Mark Altekruse, like so many passionate members of the music industry, specifically remembers the lessons he learned from one of his earliest and most influential music instructors. Tromb...

Gary Panton grew up in Niagara, New York, and played the drums and vibes in high school. It was there that he started his first band, a jazz trio. In 1970 he was hired by Dick Crino in Du...

Jamey Aebersold’s name is synonymous with the play-a-long style music books, which have aided and inspired thousands upon thousands of musicians! Jamey does not refer to his publications ...

Bill Crow had a long and successful career as a jazz bassist for such Bebop pioneers as Stan Getz and Gerry Mulligan. In later years he joined the board for the New York chapter of the Mu...

Dallas Smith began playing the clarinet at the age of eleven. By the time he was in high school he was in an all-star group and later focused on classical music throughout college.  His l...

Dr. George Shaw  has had a big impact on the lives and careers of thousands of young musicians. As a music educator and sought after musician, George always looked for opportunities to en...

Susan Mazer and her husband, Dallas Smith, established the C.A.R.E. Channel, which serves over a thousand hospitals by providing peaceful and relaxing music 24 hours a day. Their goal was...

Art Olson brought his love for playing music together with his experience as an instrument salesman to form his own store, Artistic Pianos. The store opened in 1999 in Encinitas, Californ...

Steve Hall has become a master at mastering! The art of mastering engineering (the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from the final mix to a data storage device) has de...

Marty Sheller was the award-winning arranger and jazz trumpeter whose musical skills can be heard on hundreds of recordings. He worked with Mongo Santamaria for many years (yes, that is M...

Kevin Ray Clark grew up with music in his home and played in a family band at church. He was inspired by the musicians playing at Disney World and pursued the trumpet in his school band p...

Myno Jackson grew up surrounded by music. Her father was the jazz bassist Chubby Jackson who played with Woody Herman, had a hit children’s television program, and toured with Louie Armst...

Greg Mathieson spoke passionately about his career in music during his NAMM Oral History interview. He brought up some very interesting points, such as his views on working on the road vs...

Charles Owens has always believed in the importance of music education; after all, his own career began while attending the University of San Diego. As a result, Charles kept returning to...

Joyce Glantz is the proud torch carrier of her brother’s musical legacy! Ronnie Singer (1928-1953) was a pioneer of the electric guitar in jazz combos and big band orchestras during the 1...