New York State
Gary Panton grew up in Niagara, New York, and played the drums and vibes in high school. It was there that he started his first band, a jazz trio. In 1970 he was hired by Dick Crino in Dunkirk, New York, to work in his small music store. While Gary started on the sales floor, he soon followed Dick’...
Bob Carbone is the co-founder of the Piano & Organ Center in Syracuse, New York. The store has a reputation for their quality products as well as creative lesson programs, which are offered to all of their customers. Bob entered the music industry with a letter he wrote while in the US Army to...
Joe De Fio has had a long and exciting career in the music industry, especially in the area of piano sales! His career began in 1968 when he was hired as a salesman for Clark Music in New York. A few years later he began working for Bob Popyk, who focused on organ sales while Joe focused on pianos...
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 store while off the road, which ignited his passion for the music products industry. Beginning in 1996, Monte joined...
Brian Reardon, owner of Monster Music in Levittown, New York, got his start manufacturing record racks to house albums and songbooks in record stores. One of his customers was Monster Music. Brian went on to eventually purchase Monster Music in 2005 and discovered his love for music retail. About a...
Brian Marsh joined his brother, Robert, on the ground floor of his DJ retailing business. The two brothers sought to grow the store and provide the best customer service possible. Their attention to details and interest in offering the most innovative products soon grew their reputation to the...
Robert Marsh came into the music retail business following a frustration of purchasing equipment as a DJ. He was inspired by the role the DJ brings to a party, a nightclub, or family gathering but found there were areas to improve the business. He took a chance by asking his parents to refinance...
Camille Scheidemann is the current owner of Frank and Camille’s Piano Store on Long Island, New York. For her, it all started when Dennis Awe, the young, amazingly talented organist/store owner told Camille’s father he would teach her to play if they purchased the Lowrey Heritage organ. That...
Larry Nitka grew up listening to the big bands as his father was a sideman during the great Swing Era. His father, Artie Nitka, became a well-regarded authority on the recorder, writing method books that are still in print today. While writing and teaching, Larry's father started a music store near...
Barry Horowitz first joined the team at Sam Ash in 1971! The small retail store was just expanding under the direction of the founder's two sons, Jerry and Paul. Jerry became like a second father to Barry, taking extra time to create learning opportunities. As a result of Jerry's encouragement,...