Canadian Music Industry
Jim Norris grew up in music. He played a trumpet in grade school and continued playing throughout high school. He later formed a rock and roll band named Sea Dog that gained a good following and recorded several hit albums. Jim was also interested in publishing and worked in the magazine...
Norm Zimmerman began his career in the industry with Steve’s Music in Canada, where he remains as the store’s sheet music buyer. Norm grew up working in his father’s general store, providing Norm with great experiences as a buyer and in training employees. Norm joined the music chain of three music...
Roy Fawcett was very successful when it came to thinking outside of the box. Unlike most retailers, Roy has not advertised his products and services in the yellow pages or in the newspaper. In fact, Roy didn't even have a sign outside of his store. Roy built his entire business on the...
Greg Hornberger served as the president of the Musical Instrument Association of Canada (MIAC) in the early days of the organization and worked to expand the membership and scope of the annual trade shows. As president of B & J Music he played a vital role in the growth of the Canadian market...
Allan Ward has enjoyed nearly 40 years in the print music industry. He has become one of the leaders in promotion and education regarding sheet music purchasing and retail selling. Allan has worked for Belwin, Alfred, and Charles Demont and Sons (print music distributors) in addition to serving as...
George Bishop had the idea of bringing the Canadian music industry together in 1971. With the help of some friends, the Musical Instrument Association of Canada (MIAC) was established not only to provide an annual trade show but to provide music advocacy throughout the country. George served as the...
Eddy Shenker teamed up with Marty Golden in the mid 1970s to form JAM Industries. The distribution company has become one of the largest in Canada and introduced the market to a number of innovative products. Eddy’s background as an accountant not only played a vital role for JAM, but was an...
Martin Szpiro's mother was the office manger and one of the first employees of JAM Industries, a Canadian wholesaler started by Marty Golden and Eddy Shenker in the early 70's. As the company grew to include growing segments of the industry such as pro audio, they needed a "go to" man. Martin (...
Sol Fleising worked for Erikson’s Musical after earning his business degree and even worked in a small music retail store for a while, but he had a vision to own his own company. During the boom of pro audio and electronic instruments of the 1970s, Sol focused on bringing products to the Canadian...
Warren Price’s father started a small Canadian music retail store when Warren was just 17 years old. Soon after Warren purchased his first drum kit and discovered he wanted to join his father in the music business. A few years later, with his father’s blessing, Warren started a drum shop and a...