Ted Brown Music

Pam Aalbers is a wonderful example of the notion that it take a team to accomplish great things. Always working behind the scenes, Pam has been a steady support to the staff at Ted Brown Music in Tacoma since 1976. When she started working at the store she helped out in the mail room but soon advanced into becoming a buyer for all of the locations of the company.

Chris Arent is the instrument repair technician for Ted Brown Music in Tacoma, Washington, a position that is near and dear to him. Chris has always been closely associated with band and orchestral instruments, especially the saxophone for which he has played and taught throughout his career. Chris believes the task of cleaning and repairing each student's instrument so that it is in the best possible working order is key to the success of the student as a musician.

T. Warren Brown was president of the music store his father established in the Tacoma, Washington area in the years of World War II. Ted Brown Music became an important leader in the music retail business with Warren playing key roles in the expansion of the store. Warren was also active within the industry, where he helped the establishment of the Omega Group as well as NASMD National Association of School Music Dealers. A matter of pride for Warren was that his daughters grew up in the business and went on to run the business.

Sharon Brown was a teenager when she first began working for Ted Brown Music.  While in high school she met and began dating the founder’s son, Warren.  Soon she discovered she had a real love for both Warren and the music business.  She ran the record department and after marrying Warren, she played a very important supportive role in the business as well as the industry.  The couple were among the founding members of NASMD, and while her husband served as president, she served as secretary for the board from 1981-1985. Sharon also helped run the annual conference which included 

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

Rosa Flores remembers with a smile the days she played marimba in her school band. The K-5 school group was so well received they played at local fairs and weddings. She enjoyed many roles in music, including serving in her church as the worship pastor. Her high school band director recommended she apply for a job at Ted Brown Music, where she has been proudly working ever since.

Stephanie Howe and her sister Whitney run the chain of music stores their grandfather established in 1931, Ted Brown Music. Stephanie followed in his footsteps to run a business that supports local musicians, especially focused on the school band programs in Washington and Oregon. She moved to eastern Washington for a few years to open their branches in Richland (1987) and Yakima (1991). Once those stores were up and running she returned to Tacoma to manage the accounting department for the main store.

Mike Kay runs the pro audio department for Ted Brown Music in Tacoma, Washington.  Beginning in 1984, Mike brought his lifelong love of music and audio to the company, which had two locations at the time.  Not only did Mike take part in growing the audio product lines, he took part in the expansion of the company as it grew to multiple locations in and around Tacoma.  All the while he represented the company as a member of AIMM, which holds their annual meetings at the Anaheim NAMM Shows.  His passion for the business and for helping each customer is evident in all that Mike does.

Jeffrey Pellegrini was mentored as a General Manager for Ted Brown Music by Kent Isenberg, who had been with the company for over 50 years. Jeffery paid close attention to the way Kent approached each situation, especially challenges. As a result, Jeffrey felt he could carry on the position with respect to Kent and keep a close eye on the details of running the Tacoma, Washington based store. Along the way he has made many close friends with area school band directors and has played an important role in promoting elementary music programs.

Ellie Stevens has a smile that lights up the room. And when that room is the lobby of Ted Brown Music in Tacoma, people seem to feel right at home right when they walk in the door! As a kid she played the organ and in 1973, as a teenager, she was hired to play at the mall to entice customers to purchase an instrument during the great Home Organ Boom. That led Ellie to a sales position for Ted Brown Music, which she thoroughly enjoyed, and went on to serve the local school band directors as an educational road rep.