Barbara Wight smiled when she recalled being crowned the accordion princess of the Western States when she was a child. While she later had a long career as an executive in the agricultur...

Thomas Claxton has had some meaningful vocal coaches over the years who have inspired him and taught him important tips, such as how to protect his voice. Lauren Ringwald was his vocal te...

Marlene Hutchinson has come up with several clever ways to encourage people to become music makers. With an emphasis on fun and ease, she had such success with her own guitar students tha...

Jason Mraz has won the hearts of millions by the way he expresses himself musically. During his NAMM Oral History interview, Jason displayed that same passion as he recalled the important...

Vidal de Teresa closed his veterinary clinic in 2000 to pursue his dream of establishing a distribution company specializing in exotic woods. His vision was to supply luthiers of guitars ...

Lloyd Baggs began his journey in music in forth grade as a cellist. After playing in youth symphonies he landed in the UCLA symphony while still in high school. Lloyd graduated from colle...

Charlie Redden played guitar in bands when he was in school and always has had a passion for playing. After working for Amazon in the early days of that company's history, back when they ...

Tim O’Brien joined the Taylor Guitar team in the marketing department back in 2013. At the time, the digital world was changing with the rise of smart phones and social media. Tim assembl...

Chris Wellons was playing percussion in grade school, and about the same time, he took an interest in wood working. He was hired as a cabinet builder while still in school and continued i...

Matt Guzzetta loves to design things. He designed a motorcycle that won a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for a coast to coast ride on only one tank of gas. As it turned out, ...

Tony Louscher saw Jimi Hendrix live at the San Diego Sports Arena in 1970, which became an inspirational event in forming his musical passion. Just a few years later, Tony began working a...

Mike “Monte” Montefusco played both trumpet and piano as a kid before playing bass guitar professionally for several years. Like many touring musicians, Monte worked in a local music stor...

Adriana Balic is a vocalist, keyboardist, guitarist, songwriter, producer, bandleader, and educator, covering styles from classical to pop/rock and jazz. From 2003 she served as keyboardi...

Keith Brawley heads up the global sales for Taylor Guitars in El Cajon, California. The role is a perfect fit for Keith who knows and understands the importance of a quality instrument, h...

Chris Proctor has always been inspired by his instruments and the craft of music making.  As a result, he has sought out opportunities over his career to enhance and expand the range, sty...

Diane Magagna has been a pioneering woman in many ways within the music industry, including international sales of guitars.  She has worked with many of the top luthiers and manufacturers...

David Magagna had an incredible career selling guitars for some of the biggest names in the industry.  He worked for the government out of high school and attended college in Georgetown b...

Sam Radding is the founder the famed American Musical Instrument Manufacturing Company, which was the training ground for several future iconic luthiers including Bob Taylor, Kurt Listug ...

Andy Powers began working with wood as a kid and soon realized he had a strong interest in building.  With the guidance of his father and the use of his tools, Andy built a guitar and lov...

David Hosler had a friend in school whose father had a wood-working shop. It was in that small shop where David built his first guitar and where his passion for making instruments began. ...

Larry Breedlove is the founder of Breedlove Guitars, although his brother Kim runs the company now.  Larry fell in love shortly after opening the Oregon-based guitar company and moved to ...

Tim Luranc grew up in San Diego with his father, an educator, playing music in the house all of the time.  His dad wanted to play a guitar with some of the popular music of the day, such ...

Kurt Listug and his friend Bob Taylor bought the small guitar shop they were working in and renamed it Taylor Guitars. Together they built one of the fastest growing companies in the musi...

Ken Tobias loved repairing guitars for himself and his friends and was able to turn it into a business in the early 1970s when he opened Tobias Guitars in Downers Grove, Illinois. One of ...

Paul Tobias is the son of the founder of Tobias Guitars, which is located in Downers Grove, Illinois and specializes in handcrafted acoustic guitars such as those made by Taylor, Martin a...

Steve Klein is a guitar luthier’s luthier! As a pioneer and innovator in the methods and tools of guitar building and designer, Steve has maintained focus on the elements of his craft whi...

Robert Wilson formed his first rock and roll band when he was 14. He played the blues for a living while creating a large list of friends, many of whom encouraged him to sell them instrum...

Doyle Dykes is not only one of his generation’s greatest guitar pickers; he is also an incredible human being. Doyle’s career as a guitar player led him to sessions with his hero, Chet At...

Greg Deering worked for a short time with Bob Taylor in San Diego as both men sought their dreams to create their own unique fretted instruments. While Taylor Guitars was being establishe...

Bob Taylor enrolled in wood shop while a student in high school and made a guitar for his final grade. The idea of making his own guitars came easy to Bob and he set out to create his own...