Oral History Interviews

Named after their dog, Wolf, Pete McCallum and Erica Buckley head up Wolf Guitars Australia, a Western Australian-owned and operated instrument company established in 2021. Wolf provides unique guitars and basses that are each given enhanced performance set-ups and luthier finishing work before they leave the workshop.  Wolf Guitars is already a growing brand down under, with Australian celebrity endorsers, and they look to compete on an international scale with their mid-priced professional-grade instruments.

Jennifer Mayes feels a great connection with those involved with the Women of NAMM (WoN). The networking and friendships she finds with the group bring her background and passion for music together with others with similar goals and career paths. Jennifer began playing with a tissue box with rubber bands when she was 7 and a Yamaha keyboard at 12. With a background in software engineering and after a great experience working at Guitar Center, she was hired by Yamaha to focus on sales development. With skills in analytics and a background in retailing, Jennifer finds her role perfe

Ally Amaral grew up surrounded by music. Her father playing piano and her sister in the marching band were important influences on her, particularly when she began playing clarinet in the school band. As her passion developed and she began playing guitar and singing in musical theater, she found her love of physics and engineering developing as well. In 2019 she began combining these interests when she was hired by Earthquaker Devices as their Electronic Repair Technician, with a focus on repairing effects pedals.

Dave Malekpour recorded his band that he formed in high school thanks to the help of his stepfather who assisted him in building a four-track recorder. Once he discovered an SSL in a local recording studio, Dave was hooked, he knew he wanted to build audio gear. And he did! At the age of 26, he formed his own company, Anything Audio, for which he installed sound systems in studios and clubs, which led to Pro Audio Designs, which was established in 1993. Since then, Dave and his team have been on the cutting edge of new technology and innovative products and installations.

A gathering of artists, music advocates, and educators share their thoughts about the importance of music and its benefits. Hear from educators Dr. Merryl Goldberg, Scott Houston, and Dorothy Jacobi as well as performers Nathan East, TM Stevens, Terance Blanchard, Roy Wooten, and Bernie Williams.

DJ J-Rocc was among the first Hip Hop DJs in Southern California when he began rocking parties in Huntington Beach back in 1985. The skills he developed and the crew he encouraged would go on to form the Beat Junkies in 1992. This group used their musical knowledge and innovative beat development to propel Hip Hop to another level, especially with their often smooth and seamless musical transitions and cues. In listening to J-Rocc's mix, you will often hear his love of jazz and his understanding of the roots of Hip Hop, with R&B, Soul, and Funk right in the fold. Another impor

Beth Chouinard Mitchell, with a Doctorate from USC in tuba, musicology, conducting, and arts leadership, may be diminutive in stature, but her instrument of choice is anything but small. Beth is a world-class tuba player. She has performed all over the world as an acclaimed solo recital artist, in symphony orchestras, and also teaches masterclasses. She is the founder of Music Matters Global spreading music education and music appreciation to disadvantaged regions around the world. Beth shares with us the joy of music as a performer and an educator, including terrific tuba breathi

Dina Pearlman-Ifil has many fond memories of growing up in her home. Her mother had a background in visual arts and her father was an engineer and inventor of the ARP synthesizers. Her passion for graphic arts and music provided her with meaningful memories growing up, such as playing bass in a Punk Rock band and developing a career as a computer graphic artist. While her father’s career is famous within the music products industry, in general his many contributions were not well documented until Dina decided to create a foundation in her father’s name. The Alan R.

Garry Beers, also known as Garry Gary Beers, lost a bet with his schoolmates and had to be the person in the group to switch from guitar to bass. A funny beginning for a musician who has become an influential rock bassist! His first band in 1975 was called Legolas Elvin Warrior, which led to his meeting Andrew Fariss a few years later when the two formed the group Dr. Dolphin. Their playing together seemed special to both musicians and encouraged them to develop their own sound, which later involved Andrew’s drumming brother Jon. As Garry developed his skills as a songwriter, the

Thomas Blug was just 17 years old when he began working as a studio musician in his native Germany. He developed his own unique tone, which was based on modifications of his amplifier and his Fender Stratocaster. His band Tic Tac Toe opened for Michael Jackson and he performed with a long list of performers from Tommy Emmanuel to Stewart Copeland. The Thomas Blug Band released three albums, beginning in 2005 with Guitar From the Heart. His interest in electronics led to a 27-year position as a product engineer for Hughes & Kettner, after which he decided to establish his own c

Wayne Jones is a well-known smooth jazz bassist who has recorded and performed with an impressive list of artists over the years before he focused on recording smooth jazz. All throughout his playing career Wayne was always looking for a way to improve on the sound of his instruments, first building his own bass amp at a young age. He has since established Wayne Jones Audio in Melbourne, Australia, with a focus on studio monitors, bass amps and his own six-string bass guitar called the Monarch Elite.    

Kendra Peterson is the retail manager for Ward-Brodt Music in Fitchburg, Wisconsin. The store was established in 1927 and has built a strong reputation for service, particularly for school music programs. With a background in music, Kendra fits perfectly into the store’s family. She earned a degree in business and performance at Luther College, becoming the principal clarinetist for the symphony orchestra. Kendra was a Women of NAMM (WoN) scholarship winner and attended the NAMM Show in April 2023, taking part in educational sessions and being exposed to the industry at large

Victoria Theodore has had some marvelous musical experiences both as a musician and teacher. Her first big gig was a seven-year stint touring with Stevie Wonder in his band. Being classically trained on the piano, Stevie gave her a deep lesson in the art of improvisation. Other notable performances followed including being in the house band for the Arsenio Hall television program and playing with his guests such as Prince, Earth Wind & Fire as well as Gladys Knight.

Tracy Vignati and her husband Fabrice formed a band together using a style they call Gypsybilly! They debuted their band, The Vignatis, in 2009. Tracy describes their style as a blend of French and English vocals set to gypsy orchestration (using guitar, clarinet, accordion, and violin) and Rockabilly’s hard-hitting swing (using electric guitar and upright bass). Her musical journey began with her mother, who sang with big bands. Tracy began singing as a child and in school played clarinet. She studied classical music and sang in bars and clubs as she grew up.

Fabrice Vignati and his wife Tracy teamed up to create a new take on Rockabilly music, which they call Gypsybilly. Being a fan of Rockabilly since he was a kid, Fabrice brings the classic elements of the musical form together with the influences of artists such as jazz great Django Reinhardt. Django was a pioneer of gypsy jazz or jazz manouche, which originated in France when he performed with violinist Stéphane Grappelli. Together they improvised while relying on their percussive approach to be used instead of drums.

Meg Leighton is a beloved floor manager at the NAMM Show, but did you know she was also a pioneering Live Sound rigger? She was among the few women climbing scaffolding for touring rock bands in the late 1980s and 90s. It all started while she was in high school and attended a comedy program in Boulder, Colorado. She was fascinated by the many people she saw behind the stage. After hanging around the club they soon put her to work and her skills on all levels of roadie roles soon developed. The first stage she helped build was at Folsom Stadium in 1985 for Van Halen’s 5051 tour.

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

Michael Jago has always had a great deal of respect for music retailers and can boast of working with several over his long career. He started retail with one of his early mentors in the music business, Paul Hayward and later moved to the famous Australian music store chain Brash’s Music. He was later introduced to the world of wholesaling initially with Electric Factory, which is the company that brought a young 20-year-old Michael to his first NAMM Show (he has a great story of seeing Dimebag Darrell at the show). Soon after he moved to New Zealand and ran the Electric Factory o

Wendy Parr has been singing for as long as she can remember, yet there was a time when she wasn’t sure she unlocked the key to her own voice. When she did, Wendy was greatly motivated to encourage and assist others in developing their own voice within her singing. Having a background in voice-over work in Hollywood and as a recording artist, Wendy has provided her life experiences to those wishing to bring their talents to the next level.

Jules Follett is the published photographer who established The Sessions as a way of teaching musicians the business side of the Music Business. As a result, she has brought experts together in panel formats to the NAMM Show and online to dig deep into the issues, pitfalls, and advantages of making a living in music. Jules started as an entertainment photographer in 2000. She met Liberty DeVitto and he inspired her to do a book on drummers. The result was the coffee table book with incredible images of drummers entitled Sticks N’ Skins (2010), which also includes images by the lat

Dee Halacsy grew up with an upright piano in her home, often listening to her mother play. She took piano lessons and developed a real love for music. While in school she joined the band, starting on the clarinet and later playing the saxophone. As an adult, she has enjoyed playing the bass. She works for Music & Arts in Virginia as retail operations manager and appreciates being surrounded by music and music makers each day. Dee was a Women of NAMM (WoN) scholarship winner and attended the NAMM Show in April 2023, taking part in educational sessions and being exposed to the i

Beth Smith was in her school’s band room when she overheard her director mention getting paid for a job involving music. She inquired and learned there was an opening at the local music store where her band director worked part-time. The year was 1993 and the store was The Music Shoppe in Normal, Illinois. After earning her master's degree and Ph.D. in Florida and being away from the industry for a while, Beth moved back to Normal and found there was a job at the store waiting for her. She has since become the school services specialist.

Pete Brown is a Principal Software Engineer in Windows at Microsoft and oversees the company’s MIDI 2.0 implementation. He grew up in Massachusetts and was introduced to synthesizers while in high school. The school had a few keyboards and the music teacher allowed Pete to take the gear home over the summer, which he connected together over MIDI. That locked in his passion and soon he was working at Gordon’s Music where he was exposed to even more electronic instruments, and picked up a Passport MIDI interface for his Commodore 128, starting a life-long love of MIDI and music tech

Matt Axton’s music lineage is undeniable. His father, Hoyt Axton, was a legendary singer-songwriter whose hits include Three Dog Night’s Joy to the World and Never Been to Spain, Steppenwolf’s The Pusher, and Ringo Starr’s The No No Song. His grandmother, Mae Boren Axton co-wrote Elvis Presley’s first #1 hit Heartbreak Hotel. Matt’s own musical journey is both a tribute to his rich musical legacy and staking his claim on being a unique singer-songwriter in his own right.

Michael Ward is a co-owner and General Manager for San Francisco’s Hyde Street Studios, which was opened in 1969 by Wally Heider. It became the home studio for legendary bands that went on to define not only the San Francisco sound but changed the direction of rock music forever. Bands such as The Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jefferson Airplane, Santana, and Crosby, Stills, and Nash recorded many of the most important works of the ’60s and 70s in this off-the-beaten-path Tenderloin location.

Chris Marquez working as a sound engineer at San Francisco’s legendary Hyde St. Studios is more than being just a tech-head. Chris is a jack-of-all-trades who must know the many flavors and tastes, not only of singers, songwriters and producers, but of the many state-of-the-art and vintage gear that fill the cabinets and line the walls of the famous studio.  Sometimes a recording engineer, sometimes a mixer, and sometimes a producer of bands and musicians that range from old pros, to newbies. Chris describes the many challenges facing engineers in the uber competitive world of rec

Chris McGrew is the personification of today’s hybrid producer/engineer/artist/businessman.  The legendary Hyde Street Studios in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district has several studios available. Chris leases Studio C, also known as “Wally’s Hideout”, which he runs as an independent business, but is still connected to the Hyde Street brand.  His vast experience as a musician and producer provides a hands-on experience for bands and artists who need to take their recordings to the next level. He not only helps you mold your sound with microphones, amps, and setups but uses his vas

Spencer Murray was rewiring his parents' home stereo to make mix tapes as a kid while taking piano and guitar lessons, and later settling on bass in his high school jazz band in the Seattle area. Drawn to the fusion of jazz, rock, folk, funk, and punk, he joined, started, or toured with various bands, and even created a nightclub in San Francisco, booking local & touring talent – while writing software for the likes of Netscape and Yahoo by day. Inevitably, his journey led to the doors of Hyde Street Studios where he found a home as a studio musician and general creative colla

Scott McDowell  has always enjoyed the social element of making music. As a student, he played trumpet and sang in the choir. He also fell into computer design at an early age and was designing websites in the late 1990s.

Jimi (Chopmaster J) Dright was surrounded by music growing up in Berkely, California. Sly Stone lived in his same fourplex, Tower of Power practiced in their garage and music promoter Herb Wong had a regular program on KJAZ that Jimmy never missed. He started playing drums at a young age and took lessons every chance he could, even attending music camp. As Hip Hop was developing, Jimmy was right there to add his own flavor to the emerging style and soon he met others involved with the same music like Shock G and Kenny-K Waters, forming Digital Underground and becoming the first We