Richard Abreau played music in school as a kid but got away from it during most of his professional career. Then in 2001, upon his retirement, Richard returned to music! Encouraged by a...
Bulent Akbay was born in Istanbul and was interested in playing the drums at an early age. He played throughout school and like other drummers in the area he was always looking for a pla...
Jim Anastasi served as the trumpet tester for the King Band Instrument factory in Cleveland, Ohio for nearly 40 years. While testing some 200 instruments a day, Jim worked with some noted...
Billy Arnold played drums behind several Motown recordings including those with saxophonist, Junior Walker. While he often played a Gretsch kit, Billy never fussed about having to set up ...
Gary Asher was working at Nuncie’s Music in Birmingham, Alabama when he provided a tour and interview for the NAMM Oral History program, just three years after the program began.
Glenn Axelton managed a few stores for the famed Jenkins Music Company in and around Kansas City before opening his own store in Manhattan, Kansas. Glenn’s Music soon became a music cente...
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 inco...
Carma Lou Beck was an active musician and teacher when she began working in music retail in Iowa in the 1960s. She opened her own store in Cedar Rapids in 1967, after working for a few ot...
Joe Bergamini is a Broadway and rock band drummer who began writing about the art of percussion for magazines before becoming the Senior Drum Editor for Hudson Music. His own publications...
Jeff Berlin has always been surrounded by music and considers it the most important element of his life besides his family. The first instrument he picked up was the violin at age five, w...
Larry Biernacki opened the first of three music stores in Deerfield, Illinois. Like with all three locations, he named it after the local community to provide a neighborhood feel to each ...
Don Bindrim is the owner of Tooters Music store in Cleveland, Tennessee. The store focuses on band and orchestra instruments with a strong focus on the local school band programs. Don’s...
Deena Bird began teaching piano while she was still a teenager. She later established her own music school, which for a while was located in the Steinway Gallery of her hometown of San A...
Marvin Blickenstaff has had an indelible mark on countless music students of all ages over his long career. As an educator he taught at the college level and has provided thousands of wor...
Craig Bosco is a musician and manager of Music Village, a retail store in San Jose, California. Craig's passion for music began at an early age and over the years he has become a professi...
Jim Botti always had a passion for music education and in fact taught most of his life. In 1958, after he met Jim Kaplan, the two opened a teaching studio that would grow into a music st...
David Brock is a gifted violin and banjo teacher who provides private lessons at the Folk Music Center in Claremont, California. His long association with the musical instrument store goe...
Evelyn Brue-Roeder opened her music store in 1940! Her main focus in the early days was music lessons, however she soon added sheet music, accessories and musical instruments. She develop...
Cassie Brueckner is the president of Pete’s Music store and the daughter of the founder. She grew up in the Anaheim, California store, where she learned to repair musical instruments and...
Joe Campana returned from serving in World War II to his native Oakland, California, with a dream-–and the GI Bill. While taking business classes, Joe established Campana Music in nearby ...
Bernie Capicchiano was coached from the Accounting world to manage a new music retail store for the Brash Group in Australia in 1973.His long career in the industry includes a strong rela...
Joe Cecere established a small music school in 1967 in Southern Australia. As a teacher, he wanted to provide a safe and welcoming place for students at all levels to learn and appreciate...
Claudio Cecere grew up in the music store his father established in Southern Australia. He learned to play drums at an early age and started giving music lessons while still in school. Hi...
Robert Christie grew up listening to classical music at home and naturally gravitated towards percussion instruments. When he was five years old he began to play drums in church, and late...
Stanley Clarke was influenced heavily by music teachers he had as a young student and felt blessed that there was a neighborhood music store that he could explore. Stanley’s amazing care...
Erin Connelly, a dynamic individual with a fervent passion for music, embarked on her musical journey alongside her twin sister in the fourth grade when they joined the school band. Since...
Rand Cook recalls his mother taking him into the Candyman Strings & Things music store when he was three years old. He was quickly disappointed at that young age that the store when h...
Frank Corniola was born in Italy and moved to Australia when he was seven years old and he began playing drums professionally as a teenager. Like many gigging musicians, Frank took a day ...
Kevin Cranley grew up in the music industry and has a passion for all elements of the music business as if it were in his blood. As a young man, he completed odd jobs around the Willis M...
Jon Dawkes talked about the long-term vision of music education promotion at Dawkes Music during his NAMM Oral History interview. With help from brother David, Jon puts great effort in to...
David Dawkes is proud of his family's connection with the music industry. It was his grandfather who formed Dawkes Music. After losing hearing in one ear from playing in a band, his grand...
Ellis Day was a familiar face to NAMM show attendees for several decades as the front line trombone player on the opening day’s Petiot All-Industry Marching Band performances. Ellis has h...
