Michigan
Jimmy Edwards grew up in a musical family. His father was a singer in a rock band and Jimmy began playing drums by the time he was five and later picked up the guitar. After serving in the United States Air Force, Jimmy was hired to work in the loading dock at Marshall Music in Lancing, Michigan....
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...
Gail Warnaar started a double reed camp for high school band students in the Michigan area, which lead to her involvement with the music products industry. In 1981 Gail formed the Double Reed Shop to provide accessories to her camp students, but soon the business grew as did her need to expand. ...
George Benson played trombone during school and studied piano during college. It was during that time that he began working for a local music store. He worked for Hoover Music in Jackson, Michigan and later for Schroeder Piano before James Mixter hired him as sales manager for the Baldwin Piano...
Elmer Reeder and his brother purchased a sawmill outside of Lansing, Michigan, right after World War II. It was during that time that Elmer became an expert in wood, an important part of his career years later. When his son, Jim, opened a piano shop and retail store called James Reeder Piano,...
James Reeder is the piano technician who formed James Reeder Piano in Lansing, Michigan, as both a repair and retail business. With a strong background in the restoration of pianos, Jim sought to hire top craftsmen to create the best service possible. Among those he hired was his father, who had...
Stanley Werbin opened a small guitar shop he named Elderly Instruments on July 5, 1972. The original location was in East Lansing, Michigan and focused on "used instruments". Within a few years Stan watched the growth and development of the vintage guitar market and provided a repair shop and...
Eric Satterlee founded Meridian Winds in 1984, in Lansing, Michigan. The store specializes in wind instruments and has a very innovative repair shop. In fact, the repair shop is the birthplace of several of Eric’s ideas in tooling enhancement, including a series of products he sells under the...
Dan Marshall’s father opened Marshall Music Center in Lansing, Michigan, in 1948, right after returning from World War II. The store soon became a leader in quality instruments and service for local musicians as well as the area schools. Under Dan’s direction, the company has grown and developed...
David Teeple’s first job in the music industry was working for the large Grinnell Brothers chain in the 1960s, based in Michigan. When he was asked to teach guitar, he had to first learn himself! The experience provided him with the passion for music retail. His store in Port Huron, MI, helped to...