Band and Orchestra
Walter Ehret was the music arrangers’ equivalent to Mel Blanc – the man with a thousand voices. Walter was the man with a thousand pseudonyms. Under his various names, he arranged for most of the major publishers over a career that spanned over 50 years. His work was mostly centered around...
Tom Catalano opened his music retail store in New Hyde Park, NY after years of teaching and playing guitar professionally. In fact, he was being paid to play guitar professionally while still a teenager. Opening in 1961, Catalano Music became a powerhouse for band instruments sales and a popular...
Dr. Richard Brittain was invited to a small gathering of music educators in the months following World War II. The original goal of the meeting was to provide a venue for the music educators to distribute new music scores, which were difficult to obtain. The year was 1946. The first Midwest Band...
Ron Sadler’s great grandfather settled in Aurora, Illinois, outside of Chicago, to establish Sadler Piano. Over the next 123 years, the company has faced some unique times and made an impact on the music industry. During the Great Depression, Ron’s grandfather discontinued manufacturing pianos to...
Gil Ellman grew up in the big band era, loving the sounds of large orchestras. He was motivated to create as many opportunities for students to make music as possible. He studied band instrument repair before opening Ellman’s Music Center in 1958. Soon after the store opened Gil began creating his...
Joan Ellman and her husband, Gil, established Ellman’s Music Center in 1958. Five years later the store moved to Naperville, Illinois, where it is located today. Joan kept the books and inventory as well as managing the store when Gil would call on schools and travel for industry meetings. She has...
Peter Heid enjoyed his career playing with many of the dance bands of the 1930s and 1940s in his hometown of Appleton, Wisconsin. After the war, he used his love of music to open a small store, Heid Music, in the heart of downtown Appleton. The store continued to grow over the years as Peter found...
John LaBouve’s background is in business and marketing. When he married into the Goodell Family, he took a chance at working in his father-in-law’s music store, Goodell Music in Sheboygan, WI. He began in 1974 and soon took over the store as president and owner. During the interview, John discussed...
Ruth Ann Melk recalled the days when her husband’s father would design specialized tools for the repair of musical instruments, which her husband, Phil Jr, soon developed into a full time job and career. She said he was delighted to quit his day job as milk man and devote his time and energy into...
Fred Melk was born the year his father and grandfather (Philip Sr and Jr) opened a small instrument repair shop in Milwaukee, WI. The year was 1956. Fred’s father became one of the country’s foremost authorities on band instruments and repair. In the days before NAPBIRT and other organizations...