Band and Orchestra
Dee Starkey recalls the days when his father, Jim, had a well known dance band in Wichita and played at night while teaching music during the day. In 1954 he opened Jim Starkey Music with a strong focus on lesson programs and hiring the best teachers in the area. His wife, Sally, who he met in...
Kenny Fruhauf recalls with a smile the years he spent working with his grandfather, Lou, the founder of Fruhauf Uniforms in Wichita, Kansas. Lou built the business on creative designs, customer service and high quality of products and craftsmanship. The ideals of Lou continued to his son, Ken,...
Fred Morgan was one of the few GI’s, returning home from World War II, who were accepted to the Conn School of Musical Instrument Repair the first year it started. The year was 1946 and Fred was excited to learn first hand at the factory from many of the craftsmen who built the instruments from the...
A. A. (Sid) La Grandeur was trained in band instrument repair in Elkhart, Indiana before returning to Santa Barbara, California where he opened his own shop. The repair shop soon became a retail store and La Grandeur Music was born. Sid hired a young man to train on repair, who later became a key...
DeAnne Gordy began working in the music industry with Gemeinhardt in 1989. The world famous flute and piccolo maker, located in Elkhart Indiana, was established in 1948. Over the years the company perfected the craft of handmade instruments and today, even with the use of some computerized...
David Lowell began working in the music industry with Deford in Elkhart, Indiana with a focus on piccolos. In 1974 David began working for Gemeinhardt Flute Company and remained with the company past the time of his interview in 2011.
Mitchel Banks has been working in the music store his father established as far back as he can remember. After serving as a band director, Don Banks formed his retail store in Tampa in 1967. Mitchel worked side by side with his father and took an active role in band instrument repair as well as...
Don Banks was a band director who felt he could have more of an impact on music makers by providing them with quality instruments. In 1967 he opened Don Banks Music in Tampa, Florida to serve the local school bands. Over the years he expanded the store to include a full line of product offerings...
Jack Bullock has always enjoyed bringing music to young players. His long and well-respected career as a composer of works for bands and his method book have helped establish him as one of the leading writers for the music publishing industry. Working with Columbia and Frank Hackinson in the early...
John F. Edmunds began arranging music as a high school student, when he found that commercially available arrangements were not suitable for his band of non-standard instrumentation. After college and a stint as a US Navy bandsman, John became a college professor, first as assistant director of...