Live Sound

David “Ranger” Adams was playing drums in his high school marching band when he realized they had a need for better lighting. With peach cans he created a system that worked so well he was asked to help run the lights for the school’s drama club performances. He enjoyed the process of helping the audience better see the performers and realized this was an issue outside of the school setting as well. Ranger began purchasing equipment and even making his own as the need increased for professional lights in clubs and theaters. Over the years he has served as a roadie, assistant stage

Dennis Anderson always had a great deal of respect for his uncle, Joe Shaffner. Joe pioneered several processes and policies used today in Live Sound touring. Covering several Motown acts on the road, Joe ushered in a new era using the latest technology in light and sound. It was Uncle Joe who gave Dennis his start in the music business, first with a gig at Detroit’s 20 Grand Club working lights and later providing lights for The O’Jays' Ship Ahoy tour. While working on Prince’s Purple Rain tour, Dennis noticed Sheila E. needed a drum tech and without even being asked, he stepped

Darnell Atcherson has always enjoyed helping others and making people happy, which is why he is ideally suited as a production assistant for Live Sound events. He began his career working for Rick James in the office, which is how he met the band members of New Edition. Darnell went on the road touring with the group in the late 1980s and became friendly with Bobby Brown. When Bobby’s solo career took off, Darnell became one of his regular roadies. Whenever possible, Darnell would find ways to fulfill the needs of the artists while on the road.

Becki Barabas has a real heart for helping others, so it should come as no surprise that each of her professional job descriptions throughout her career have always been expanded as soon as she detected an area of need. This spirit extends into her personal life as Becki has been a volunteer for several charities, including helping children with special needs learn to surf. Becki was on the team at Harman in 2012 that formed a volunteer group in which the company supports its employees to work together once a month to assist a local charity.

Norman Barrow, a prominent musician from Guyana and residing in Barbados, has etched his mark on the global stage with seven albums alongside his band, Sand Pebbles. Together with his wife, Amy, he owns A&B Music Supplies, established in 1974. Norman's deep rapport with fellow musicians drives his mission to match them with the ideal instruments and gear. The company boasts enduring partnerships with such industry leaders as Peavey Electronics, reflecting its active involvement in the local live sound scene on the island.

Amy Barrow is a native of Barbados and co-owner of A&B Music Supplies with her husband, Norman. With a lifelong passion for music, she began singing and playing the steel drums at a young age. Amy has been instrumental in the store's development, actively engaging with customers to help them find the perfect gear and instrument. Her efforts in building relationships with such key suppliers as Ernie Ball Strings and Peavey Electronics have significantly contributed to the company's growth. Amy also handles the company's financial affairs, managing bookkeeping tasks — such as or

Bruce Bartlett is the founder of Bartlett Audio and has designed an impressive list of microphones over his long career. He worked for Shure and Crown International, where he designed and engineered several key products including the boom headset microphone, used by artists such as Garth Brooks, the PZM boundary mics and the SASS stereo mic. Bruce is also a recording engineer and he during his NAMM Oral History interview, he spoke about the idea that the skills needed to create microphones align perfectly with the needs of a recording engineer. Both jobs require similar listening

Nick Batt is the Director of Sonicstate - a website and podcast dedicated to reviewing and commenting on advancements in electronic musical instruments. During his NAMM Oral History interview he spoke about the history of Sonicstate, which was launched at the dawn of the Internet in 1994. Nick also provided a fascinating review of the music stores in Bath, England, where he grew up as well as his own views on some of the most important and innovative developments in musical instruments since his involvement in the industry. 

Mohamed Omar Bennouna, co-founder of RockMa Musique in Morocco since its inception in 2014, has been instrumental in fostering a vibrant musical community. As a premier musical instrument retailer, RockMa Musique offers an extensive array of instruments, live sound, recording studio and DJ equipment. However, Omar's vision transcends mere commerce; he has spearheaded such initiatives as backstage sound system rentals, professional sound installation, studio acoustic treatment and an in-house technical department — enriching the music scene in Morocco and beyond.

Roy Bickel joined the circus as a teenager and at one point held the record for traveling the longest distance after being shot out of a cannon.  One day he was asked if he wanted to make a little extra money helping with the rigging of the sound system –and Roy soon found his career!  He rigged the Disney stage shows beginning in the 1960s and later rigged rock concerts (big and bigger) all around the world.

Jim Bornhorst was hired by Rusty Brutsche, the founder of Showco, to assist with the development of sound systems.  In just a short time, Jim proved he was able to design systems as well as create company-owned products that would give Showco a leg up on the competition.  Jim gratefully enjoyed the pro audio business and helped set standards within the industry still used today.  Then one day, Rusty asked if Jim could head a team to design a new way of changing gels for concert lighting.  The results of that effort was the revolutionary moving lighting system later named Vari-lite

Emily Bornt discovered her love for music and theater early, starting with the recorder before moving to saxophone and guitar in her school’s jazz and marching bands. In middle school, a small acting role sparked a deeper interest—not onstage, but behind the scenes. She quickly gravitated toward costumes and stage management, setting the stage for a future in theatrical design. That passion deepened in high school through an internship with the New York State Theater Institute and later expanded in college, where she took on technical roles in professional productions.

Whitney Brown Grisaffi proudly serves as the president of Ted Brown Music, a revered Tacoma, Washington-based retail establishment founded by her grandfather. Her unwavering dedication and fervent passion for the business shine through in her exemplary relationships with customers, staff and industry peers. Following in the footsteps of her late father, Warren Brown, Whitney actively participates in industry associations, contributing her insights and leadership as a board member for NAMM and as the second female president of the NASMD board. Her innovative ideas have bolstered in

Jack Bruno was just 16 when his rock band, Apple Pie Motherhood Band, landed a record deal with Atlantic. The band was based in Boston and drove down to New York to record there, and even after the two albums were completed Jack decided to stay. He later moved to Los Angeles in the mid 1970s where he met and played with a large and diverse group of musicians. Among the artists he performed with over his long career are Elton John, Joe Cocker (Jack plays drums on his album Have a Little Faith) and Tina Turner. His gig with Tina lasted 28 years and included both recordings and live

Rusty Brutsche and two friends formed the famous pro audio rental company Showco with the simple mission to produce good sounding concerts.  The goal required the building and maintenance of cutting edge and often innovative gear such as boards, pre-amps and lights.  Their Varilight system became a very successful product as it revolutionized concert lighting with motors that moved the lights and changed colors instantaneously.  In addition to the gear, Rusty and his staff went on the road to mix front of house for bands all across the country.  For example, Rusty mixed Led Zeppel

Dary Burns remembers the big switch in audio when digital boards replaced analog equipment. There was a steep learning curve and yet one he was eager to embrace. While Dary sometimes still uses analog gear, being a part of that era of fast-developing technology was exciting. It reminded him of his days in high school when he and his friends formed bands but needed an audio guy. By learning what was needed to run sound, Dary filled a need and became the “audio guy.” Much the same thing happened a few times in his career, including when he ran sound for acts like J. Blackfoot, the B

Charlie Butten, audio engineer, teamed up with Bob Cohen in the mid-60’s to create an intercom system for crew communication in live productions. By 1968, they developed the industry’s first distributed amplifier analog beltpack system, known today as the ‘partyline analog beltpack system’ and established the “Clear-Com” business in San Francisco. The original RS-100 was used by such groups as Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, and the Grateful Dead, and later versions were adopted by many production crews in various music venues all over the world.

Tim Carroll started his musical career as a session and touring keyboardist. He loved being surrounded by the latest innovations in musical technology and was always an early adopter, especially as digital audio workstations began to appear. From his session and touring experiences, he became acquainted with many of the companies developing the technology, namely the team at Digidesign, the makers of Pro Tools. Tim joined Digidesign in 1997 just as Pro Tools was changing the audio world.

Steve Castro has toured backline for over 25 years and loves it.  Steve is a roadie’s roadie who has witnessed firsthand many of the major changes in technology that have affected live performances.  Steve has served as guitar, drum and keyboard tech for such acts as Sugarland, Lady Antebellum, Sheryl Crow and Jon Bon Jovi.  His classic roadie mentality is summed up when he said, “whenever I am home I keep worrying that I need to be someplace else, like Boston or Cleveland or Houston or Santa Ana.”

Harold Cohen's name can be heard spoken by Chip Monck during the Woodstock film. After the Sha Na Na performance on Sunday evening and just before Jimi Hendrix appears on stage, Chip says softly in the microphone, "Turn it up Harold." And so Harold turned the controls on the sound system way up to accommodate the legendary artist on what would become an epic performance. Harold worked for Terry Hanley and other sound companies over the years and was key in providing mixes for a number of iconic performers, even working the sound at the White House.

Abby Cole III grew up in the same St. Louis, Missouri, neighborhood as future artist Nelly. As a close family friend, Abby was close by as Nelly’s career developed. Whenever needed, Abby was there to help as the young artist grew into a superstar. Abby went on the road with Nelly for 24 years wearing many hats including as a runner flying with the equipment and ensuring all the gear properly arrived at each destination. He later became a roadie and tour manager for other acts including New Edition and Patti LaBelle.

Phil Collen, the dynamic guitarist for Def Leppard, spoke eloquently about his lifelong passion for music and the feeling of flying he experiences each time he plays. He described his deep connection with his instruments and the trusted relationships he’s built with guitar makers, including Grover Jackson and the Jackson Guitars team who crafted his signature PC1 model. Beyond his legendary role in Def Leppard—a band he calls “family”—Phil shared his enduring love for the blues through his side project, Delta Deep. With genuine admiration, he credited his sound crew and guitar tec

Don Cromwell realized music was his passion when was playing in bands with his friends at a young age. His sophomore year of high school he switched from guitar to bass and never looked back. After graduating high school and attending college, Don started playing with better musicians and started to get into the local scene in Seattle, WA. Songwriting was also a passion of Don’s, and he continues to write and record his own music to this day. In his 2021 NAMM Oral History interview, Don talked about how touring and live music has changed, and his memories of playing with Air Suppl

Helen Culleton recalls with a smile attending her first concert. The live event took place in London with AC/DC (with their original band members) and the opening act was Def Leppard’s first tour. It was the first of many for her as she lived close to several popular venues in an era of cutting-edge and popular bands such as Pink Floyd and Rush. With a love for audio, Helen began working in the industry in 1982 as a PA at Soundtracs. The small company focused on developing innovative mixing consoles and recording studio gear. Helen left the industry only to return 8 years later wh

Sylvia Cunliffe was working for the City of Los Angeles when she created and produced a series of large public events that brought music to millions over the years.  The Los Angeles Street Scene and Country Scene were among her most notable events, which provided over a dozen stages that showcased big name artists to un-knowns who performed everything from jazz and rock to country and classical.  The success of her events paved the way for many other similar events, all of which offered the latest in audio and staging gear.

Joshua Curlett was enlisted as a stage hand for his church when he was a kid. That experience led him to pay close attention to the inner workings of stages and live performances. While in college he promoted many concerts and soon opened his own consulting firm. One of his customers was SoundPro located in Irving, Texas. The company was established by Charles Kitch in 1973 as Sound Production Inc. and was assisted in its growth and development by the late Jeff Humphrey. Joshua officially joined the team in 2010 and became the CEO. The original goals of the company created by Mr.

Damien Curry had been working for Guitar Center as the Product Marketing Manager for a few years when he began a night and weekend gig composing and recording music for television. Since 2007 his Diamond Mine Productions has created music for a long list of your favorite programs including Entertainment Tonight, Ellen, The Wayne Brady Show and MAD TV.  Damien remained at Guitar Center for a decade before accepting a job offer at Harman working as Global Products Line Manager for their Recording and Broadcast products. The position fits perfectly with his background in pro audio as

Dana Daniel played drums for his father’s big band when he was young. Being exposed to not just the musical side of performances from a young age, Dana became interested in the production side of performances. He became a pro lighting director for artists such as Charlie Daniels and Tom Petty and later for the Civic Center in Pensacola, Florida. For a time he worked in pro audio and pro lighting sales at Harris Music, which when it closed became the building Blues Angel Music moved into.

Jim Digby has been involved with the arts since childhood. In fact, he often cites his first exposure to the industry as a tech and master of ceremonies for a May Day Parade when he was in 5th grade. He was hooked!

DJ Modgirl (AKA Kellee McQuinn), whose exuberant style adds flair and vitality to any party is a bit of a celebrity in Palm Springs. With a weekly dance mix radio show on KGAY 106.5 and headlining at festivals and events throughout the Coachella Valley, she was voted Best DJ of the Desert. In February 2023, she spun many of the Wrecking Crew's greatest hits as Hal Blaine's star was revealed on a bright and sunny day. That afternoon, Modgirl sat with us to reveal her background and passion for music. Articulately discussing the importance of music education and the positive vibe of

Ana Dobrian has always thrived in the vibrant, electric energy of live music. Growing up in New Jersey, she was deeply embedded in the punk and hard rock scenes, spending countless nights in gritty clubs where she quickly forged lasting relationships with musicians, sound engineers and club owners. What began as a desire to support her friends — hauling gear, assisting with setup and lending a hand at the soundboard — soon evolved into a genuine calling.

Caitlin Doherty is the Vice President of Erikson Audio at Exertis, part of JAM Industries in Quebec, Canada. Her love of audio and music began with the piano, for which she earned her first degree. Next, she turned her attention to audio, earning her master's in audio engineering and becoming a Live Sound production manager. Caitlin participated in the 2023 Women of NAMM (WoN) leadership summit.