Dan Acheson exemplifies the transformative power of marching bands and drum corps. His career was sparked as a member of the Queen City Cadets, igniting a lifelong passion for the world o...
Henry Adler helped define the percussion industry with his music publishing company, drum shop and method books. His amazing life in music began as a drummer during the big band era. Hi...
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...
John Aldridge has become one of the leading experts on the history of drums, percussion companies, and their products. As a publisher and editor, John established the magazine “Not So M...
AJ Altieri began working in the music retail business in the mid 1970s after a childhood filled with music. He played in bands as a student along with being a Drum Major, before performin...
Grace Altieri has a background in law but was willing to put that career on hold when her husband decided to open a drum shop in Tampa. AJ was working for a local music store and was real...
John Anning is the Executive Director of the Alliance of Independent Music Merchants (AIMM). He began his career as a sales rep for the pro audio industry after growing up as a musician ...
Carmine Appice looked up to drummers like Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich as he honed his talent and became an extremely successful rock drummer. Working with names like Vanilla Fudge, Cactus, ...
Billy Ashbaugh remembers with a smile his first drum kit as a kid and the desire to play professionally almost from the very beginning. He learned the ropes as a sub drummer and studio pl...
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.
Jack Ashford played percussion as a member of the famed Funk Brothers, the house band for Motown Records beginning in the 1960s. Jack’s unique approach to the tambourine soon resulted in...
Ray Ayotte was born in Millardville Canada where as a youngster he began playing drums for rock bands he formed with schoolmates. Throughout his early playing days, Ray made little adjust...
Leonardo Baldocci is the President of EMD Music, Inc., a European music wholesaler and distributor that specialize in guitars, drums and percussion instruments, wind instruments, cymbals ...
Michael Balter discovered, as a percussionist for many stage and symphonic orchestras, that he could create his own sounds by adjusting or wrapping his mallets. He slowly began designing ...
Robert Beals was just a young man when he first met Chick Evans. The two worked to perfect and promote Mr. Evan’s idea of a synthetic drumhead in the 1950s. Up until that time, drumheads ...
John H. Beck has an amazing talent for explaining the art of music making, not just teaching music, but providing meaning to the student in ways that fuel their passion. As the principal...
Remo Belli revolutionized the music products industry by introducing the Weather King, the single most popular drumhead in the world! As a jazz drummer, Remo was looking for ways to impro...
Louie Bellson was one of the World's premier drummers and listed in every jazz encyclopedia. Even with great success, he remained humble and was one of the true gentlemen of American popu...
Donn Bennett had the happy "accident" of falling into the retail music business. As a young drummer he had to pay for his own lessons, which led to him teaching drums to some of his frie...
Dana Bentley opened Bentley Drum Shop in Fresno, California in 1992. The store has hosted over four special events and clinics each year and provides in-house lesson programs that have i...
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...
Bob Bergin fell in love with music-making the moment he joined his school band! While earning his degree in music, Bob was often found on the bandstand playing trumpet in a number of danc...
Laura Bergin met her future husband, Bob, while she was working in the dental field and Bob was a patient. Later the couple owned and operated Rhythm Band Instruments LLC, which specializ...
Jackie Bertone knows firsthand about the power of music. As a percussionist for countless recording dates and live performances, Jackie has added the sounds, the feel and the color that ...
Pete Best grew up with a strong musical influence within his mother. She encouraged the passion and desire to bring music into the lives of Pete and the kids in Liverpool, England by open...
Rob Birenbaum has always had a love for percussion. As a drummer, he enjoyed playing the instrument and found equal satisfaction in selling percussion instruments and related accessories ...
Terry Bissette began playing drums as a kid in South Florida, where he lived through the heyday of live music in the 1970’s and 80’s, performing six nights a week at various clubs. He too...
Brady Blade was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, to the pastor of the Zion Baptist Church, Rev. Brady Blade Sr. and his wife Dorothy. At an early age Brady Jr. began playing music in the ch...
Michael Bland was playing drums for top acts while still in high school. Just two years out of school, in 1989, Michael began playing for Prince, a gig that lasted seven years. Michael wa...
Brad Boynton is the founder of Rhythm Traders Drum Shop in Portland, Oregon. He saw his passion for the drums develop as early as four years old and it has always been a source of true h...
Fred Bramante formed the music retail store Daddy’s Junky Music on the East Coast and went on to play a vital role on the NAMM Board during a dynamic period in the association’s history. ...
Herb Brochstein had a million stories about his long and successful career in the industry. One of these stories was about how he developed a new drumstick and formed ProMark, one of the ...
