E-Commerce
Chris Tso is a perfect example of the benefits the music products industry receives when a musician enters it's world. Chris grew up blocks away from the Apollo Theater and the Cotton Club in New York, and absorbed the rich history and diverse cultures that were blended into the music around him....
Mark Mason has always been interested in technology. He was only ten years old when he began programming computers. He became a technician for Microsoft in the 1990s and played a role in the launch of Windows 2000. After a time as a teacher, Mark found himself at Southwest Strings in Tucson,...
Scott Lombardo worked in the music products industry since he was fourteen years old! His passion quickly developed after hearing The Beatles three years earlier. He would drill holes and attach wingnuts to his sister’s acoustic guitar to make it look like knobs on an electric guitar. Scott’s first...
Bryan Ottens began playing piano at an early age and studied music at William Paterson University. His first job in the industry was in the stock room at Victor’s House of Music, where he soon discovered his love of selling. Over time he found himself more and more on the sales floor and later left...
Rob Juzek and his brother Adam are the owners of Metropolitan Music in Stowe, Vermont. The family business dates back to the very early 1900’s when his great uncle, John Juzek, began making violins. His brother, Rob’s grandfather, began selling the instruments and by 1920 their distribution company...
Adriana Flores proudly represents the third generation in her family to run Alamo Music in San Antonio, Texas. The store was established by her grandfather Alfredo Flores Sr. (1908-2014) back in 1929. Her father, Alfredo Flores Jr., took over the business from his father and later served as...
Bill Walzak grew up in Chicago and found his way to the drums whenever he could. Trash cans and pots were often turned upside down and were Bill’s set! While playing in a band later he invented a cup holder to attach to music stands. In 1982, Bill made his first trip to the NAMM Show with his...
Dan Bauer recalls with pride working with the three founders of Hal Leonard back in the 1970s when he joined the company! He was there when Keith Mardak took over the business and played a role as CFO in the expansion of the company over the years. When the accounting department switched over to...
John Buswell was a 16-year-old drummer in the school band when his father, Stan, decided to open a drum shop. The year was 1976. The city was Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The store was called Drum World. John took a few years to pursue his musical career after school and returned to the store to...
Ted Rasch was one of only a handful of music retailers who began using the Internet for commerce as early as 1996. He was asked many times in those early years to explain the Internet and how it could possibly fit into the music industry. One of the advantages in using the Internet in the early...