Independent Rep
Tracy Dean is a well-known and well-regarded independent rep based in the St. Louis area. He began his career in the industry at St. Louis Music where he began as a telephone salesman. After that, he was given a road rep position, the first such inside employee to go on the road. His many...
Phil Jost had a very interesting career in music as a musician before joining the sales team at St. Louis Music in 1974 and thus entering the music products industry. In his early days, being classically trained on the piano, Phil played keyboards and early synthesizers for dances, concerts and...
Melvyn Libman was a child prodigy and toured the world as a classical pianist. He performed in many of the grand concert halls in Europe and Town Hall in New York City. When he decided to settle down and start a family one of his business ideas was to open a music store. Libman Music, which...
Bob Lynch is a pioneering independent representative in the era when many manufacturers were slowly phasing out the inside rep. Bob began playing trumpet at an early age and even provided music lessons at Wallace Music while still in high school. Bob played in several concert and dance bands...
Bill Robinson began working in the music industry when he was in his 20s. His high school friend opened a music store after graduation and hired Bill to work for the store where he later became a partner. When the store closed some years later, Bill became an independent rep for several music...
Jerry Donegan began his career in the music industry in October, 1966, when his brother arranged for him to get a job in the shipping department of the Zildjian Cymbal Company. He found that early experience in the shipping department was a wonderful training ground in learning about the company’s...
Norman Marshank joined his father’s independent manufacturer’s representatives full time after serving in World War II. His father, David, formed Marshank Sales in Los Angeles in 1920 and over the years the company grew as did the pro-audio industry. Norm took over the business and oversaw its...
Gary Marshank grew up in the business his grandfather had established in 1920. The Los Angeles based Marshank Sales focuses on independent manufacturer’s representation of electronic and pro-audio components, an industry that developed during the time his company has been in business. Gary has...
Thomas Parnell formed an independent music rep firm at a time when few such firms existed. Tom wanted to focus on providing tools and ideas to his dealers to grow their business in order to make his own business a success. His dedication and passion for the dealers has been a strong element of his...
Al Marinaro has helped define the role of the independent rep in the music products industry for over 40 years. Al’s passion for music and the industry has played a critical part in his quest to raise the bar for customer service and attention to the details that matter most to the musician who...