Band and Orchestra
Clint Strait was born in Austin, TX and is the 3rd generation to work for the Strait Music Company. Clint is carrying on his family’s tradition of great customer service and selection to provide the community with a one-stop store for all their music instrument needs. Always looking towards the...
Robert Christie grew up listening to classical music at home and naturally gravitated towards percussion instruments. When he was five years old he began to play drums in church, and later on continued his studies in school. He went to Valparaiso University in Indiana where he was one of the first...
James Hall saw his sister’s flute and wondered if he could make one out of glass. He bought a glass tube from his university’s science supply and used his brother’s blow torch to make finger holes in the tube. His first flute wasn't completely in tune, but James knew he was on to something new and...
Larry Erny began working with his father when he was a very young boy, emptying trash and sweeping the floors in the store and traveling with him as he set up and created school band programs and music instruments all over Louisiana. Larry's dad was the first music teacher in the state and saw the...
David Erny was born in Lafayette, Louisiana, and like his father Larry, began working at Professor Larry's Music when he was a very young boy. David has been running the family business with his dad for a number of years. David played a key role in bringing the music store online with Internet...
Emilio Lyons would often have his well-known customers such as Stan Getz and Benny Carter meet him at his home whenever they needed work done on their saxophone. Emilio was the manager for a music store in Boston while also repairing instruments whenever he could. Over the years he built a...
Rich Covas owned Modern Music store's three locations for thirteen years beginning in 1966. The locations covered band and orchestra instruments as well as guitar, keyboards, and drums. The company also offered music lessons and repair. In fact, providing lessons is how Rich first began working in...
Bernard Van Doren is the grandson of the founder of Vandoren Paris, the world famous reed maker. His grandfather, Eugene, formed the company in 1905 based on his technique of making high quality reeds. His father, Robert, expanded the company to include other products and introduced the renowned...
Mitzi Meyer-Phelan grew up in the music store her parents formed. She realized as a teen that the music industry was in her blood and she recalls, with a smile, working with customers to bring music into their lives. Her parents opened three stores, which are now each run by one of their three...
Christan Griego grew up surrounded by music. In fact, he did not have a television in his home as a child, but did have a piano! While in the school band during the sixth grade, Christan began playing the trombone, where his love of band and orchestra instruments began. As a child Christan visited...