Oral History Interviews

Lisa Kaufmann is the Managing Director of the American headquarters of Genelec. The Finnish based company, an innovative loudspeaker and pro audio manufacturer, was founded by Dr. Ilpo Martikainen. Lisa's grandmother was a famous concert pianist and Lisa grew up in a very musical environment. When she began working in the music business, first at Lexicon, she felt at home in a familiar industry that brought out her creative side. She also received strong support from several industry leaders who became mentors to her, including Dr. Sidney Harman, whose encouragement has always bee

Paul Stewart has a deep understanding of the Genelec line of speakers and not just because he is the company’s Senior Technical Sales Manager, but because he is a passionate music maker who knows first-hand the power of the products. Paul has played guitar since he was a kid and attended Berklee College of Music to focus on developing his skills as a musician. In 2006 he joined the Genelec team outside of Boston and right away realized this was more than a job to him. He grew within his role and sought to learn all he could about the award-winning loudspeakers they produced.

James Nicoloro worked in a few small piano shops in New England, learning the art of tuning and the skills of restoration. He was asked to provide a piano for a women, who was so pleased with the instrument she recommended James to a friend. Before he knew it, James was in business for himself, assisted by his aunt who had a small space he used as the first location of East Cambridge Piano in Massachusetts. He open in 1978 and has had some wonderful experiences in the industry, including a visit to the NAMM Show where he was introduced to Casio’s line of digital keyboards.

Māhealani Uchiyama felt a passion for music and dance from a very young age and could see the importance of expressing yourself through the forms and how it often touches a part of your soul that speech can’t always reach. While attending a Mbira concert she experienced a profound moment during the performance that made her feel connected to her ancestors in a way she had never experienced before. Māhealani has become a constant student of the Mbira, traveling to Zimbabwe over the years to gain appreciation of the culture and greater understanding of the spiritual aspect of the in

Dusty Wheeler served as a medic in the US Air Force during the Vietnam War. After the war he attended college all the while playing guitar and giving lessons. In 1979 he opened Dusty’s Guitars in Leucadia, California with just four instruments on the wall and an amp (with two of the guitars and the amp belonging to Dusty)! The store grew as did his lesson program and repair shop. His reputation grew as well and in 1983 he moved up to Oceanside.

Art Olson brought his love for playing music together with his experience as an instrument salesman to form his own store, Artistic Pianos. The store opened in 1999 in Encinitas, California and has since moved to San Marcos where Art continues to offer a wide range of piano brands. He attributes his success to his philosophies of getting to know the customer’s needs and caring for the brands he carries as well as to the mentors and bosses he has had in the early part of his career. Art worked with Bob Popyk in Syracuse, New York; Hal Cowan in Kansas City, Missouri; and Curt Carter

Jim Hodsonis the co-founder of  Advantage Post Sound Services  specializing in complete sound design and mixing for Animated Television and Movies. As a kid Jim remembers seeing a Rolling Stone Magazine cover with Queen's producer standing next to a console and was mesmerized by the equipment. He soon developed a passion and a knowledge for studio gear. After moving to Los Angeles in 1978 he landed a job at Bell Studios and over the years worked at several studios including Monterey Sound and Sun West Studio where he met Bill Koepnick.

Mike Soldano says he was late to game, picking up the guitar when he was 20, but soon made up for lost time by jumping in with both feet! He studied the instrument and listened to live and recorded guitar heroes at every chance he got. Next he fell into building guitars and took a woodworking class at Western University where he received an A for his first guitar. As friends would ask him to repair their guitars, the request often ended with “would you fix my amp too?” which led Mike into the world of designing his own amplifiers. Mike established Soldano Custom Amplification by r

Andy Marshall has had a deep and rich musical education both in the classroom and on stage. In 1986 he established THD Electronics to focus on manufacturing guitar amplifiers.

Del Rey lives and breathes musical passion! Since she was a child she had the skills and desire to communicate through music and soon realized her playing brought happiness to others. The bonus is that music brings her great joy too! Early in her career she played guitar in rock bands and thanks to record shop owner and music historian Lou Curtiss she was introduced to the blues. Lou suggested she listen to Memphis Minnie and the experience changed her musical direction. Del soon learned all she could about the music of the 1920s, to the point of writing songs (such as “Old Boy”)

Glen Kersten and his wife had just been married when they rented a small house that turned out to be owned by Frank Lohnes. Mr. Lohnes also owned a music store called Dearborn Piano & Organ. Glen joined the sales team and was introduced to the Rodgers Organ, an instrument he would remain connected with for nearly 60 years. He became the top salesman for Rodgers in the 1960s and later moved into the role of Eastern Regional Sales Manager before serving as manager of the Engineering Division. He worked closely with the company’s co-founders, President Rodgers Jenkins and chief e

Deanie Sigafoos began working for Prosser Piano when it was located on 6th Avenue in Tacoma, Washington. She recalls meeting the owners, Laurie and Duane Prosser, and how a close friendship seemed to have started immediately. This was 1969 and in all Deanie stayed with the store for 32 years, enjoying every minute of it. The special promotions and sales are fun memories for her, but the most meaningful memories for Deanie come from feeling like part of the Prosser family. She watched the family grow and even babysat for the soon to be next generation of owners, sons Kevin and Kerr

Kerry Prosser can trace his passion for the piano business directly to his parents, who established Prosser Pianos in Tacoma, Washington, in 1955. Growing up in the family business, Kerry developed a love for selling pianos and helping customers find the perfect instrument, a trait he proudly inherited from his father. As soon as he was old enough, Kerry became involved in the business, learning the importance of customer service and building lasting relationships. At just 17 years old, he helped sell pianos and organs at the local fair in 1979, using two popular songs of the day,

Laurie Prosser and her husband Duane worked together at a small piano store in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, before moving to Washington state in 1955. There the couple opened the first Prosser Piano store in Tacoma, beginning a family business that would include their two sons, Kevin and Kerry. Laurie managed all of the business, including accounting and purchasing. Sometimesshe could be seen up front on the sales floor if her husband was away, but mostly she enjoyed the role of keeping the books. It was a perfect fit as she was able to manage the growth of the business and the expa

Earnie Bailey was mesmerized as a kid, sitting in the front row of an Earth, Wind & Fire concert and seeing all the instruments up close! This experience inspired him to go to the library to learn all he could about guitar building and repair. While in high school Earnie made a guitar in wood shop, which led to requests from his friends to repair their instruments. While working as a repairman for music stores by day, in his off hours Earnie provided his services for free to area rock bands in exchange for concert tickets.

Deb Olsen provided her views on just how the Guild of American Luthiers began during her NAMM Oral History interview. Her insight offered a wonderful background into the early idea by JR Beal and her husband, Tim Olsen, as they sought to create an organization whose members would share ideas and best practices in luthiery. Her own role in the guild was critical, from mailing out the convention invitations to keeping the books and assisting in the publishing of the guild’s informative journal.

Tim Olsen set out to build his own guitar out of a cigar box and other items found around the house. He was in the fifth grade at the time! He learned that the luthier Harvey Thomas lived in the next town and sought his help in his quest to build a great sounding instrument. Getting to Harvey required his mother to drive young Tim to his house, and Harvey was less than impressed with Tim’s guitar, but still offered to help. A friendship formed and for years Harvey hired Tim to work in his shop. The experience led to Tim opening his own repair shop when he was just 17.

Leanne Trevalyan was just twelve years old when she taught herself how to play the guitar using the Mel Bay method book on a no-name instrument her mother picked up at Montgomery Wards. Leanne’s love of music making was inspired by the influences of such performers as Linda Ronstadt and Bonnie Raitt. Her grandmother, recognizing her passion, purchased an Epiphone guitar on which Leanne wrote her first song.

Billy Stoops has always been a Fender Telecaster player! He pursued his musical career while having a day job for years hanging wallpaper. Billy took a leap of faith by quitting his day job to focus on music back in 2003, and has never looked back. Billy has played and recorded with several groups including Junkyard Jane and has written dozens of songs, some of which have been recorded by other performers. Just a few weeks before his NAMM Oral History interview, Billy was hospitalized when his house caught on fire. The harrowing experience forced Billy to jump to safety from a sec

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.

Pastor Dave Brown developed a rich and meaningful appreciation for music when he began playing cornet in his high school band. He attended many concerts as a teen (namely at Cafe Au Go Go and the Fillmore), developing a deep appreciation for the blues music he encountered. As he grew up he also felt the calling to become a pastor. He realized he could use the music of the Blues to help spread his message of faith. As a result, in 1999, Pastor Dave established a program in Seattle, Washington he calls Blues Vespers (vespers is another word for evening prayers).

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.

Hedges Capers rose to fame in the late 1960s as half of the folk rock duo Hedges & Donns. He and his singing partner, Donna Carson (who was later his wife for several years) began singing together in 1967 and only had a few weeks rehearsal before making a big splash at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. Not only did the gig result in meeting their first manager (Doug Weston, who was also the club owner) but a representative for Capitol Records signed the duo that evening. As an interracial couple in the late 60s, they did receive some negative responses but never from the audie

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.

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.

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.

Jerry Miller was a founding member of the innovative and influential ‘60s rock band Moby Grape. His roots in music go back to his grandfather, who was a famous violin maker in Sweden. When Jerry was eight he was given a guitar for Christmas and never wanted to do anything else but make music. He began songwriting at an early age and felt a special connection when he purchased a Gibson L5 guitar at Tacoma Music. He has in fact played that very guitar throughout his career, including during his NAMM Oral History interview. His big break came when he joined the Seattle-based rock ban

Keith Dwiggins and his wife Michelle both work for Beacock Music in Vancouver, Washington. The store has always had that family feeling, being established by the husband and wife team of Dale and Susan Beacock, and now being operated by their children Russ and Gayle. Keith and Michelle just add the fact that Beacock’s is all about family. Keith worked for a music store close to his college while majoring in music with a minor in business. He put those stills to great use in 1996 when he was hired to run the Eugene, Oregon branch of Musician’s Friend. The company went on to open ni

Gary Hobbs is a third generation professional drummer. His grandfather Harry led several big bands during the Great Depression era and his father, who later became a strong leader within the Vancouver, Washington Chamber of Commerce, played for swing bands during World War II. Gary has played drums since he was a kid and loved being a part of his high school jazz band, which led to his involvement with the Mt. Hood Community College Jazz Band. Along the way he had band directors who helped mentor him including Dale Beacock, who would later open Beacock Music.

Mel Brown didn’t have the money growing up to afford drum sticks so he used rolled up newspapers to bang out a beat nearly everywhere he went. At the age of 17, young Mel was playing in area night clubs. While attending Portland State University (on a full scholarship), he met Marvin Gaye while the soul star was performing as part of a Motown live review. After touring with the jazz organist Earl Grant, Mel landed a gig on the 1968 television program “TCB,” which was a Motown program.