Music Education
Nat Kusano has always been compelled to create and market ideas and products that inspire and encourage people to pick up an instrument and play. Having had piano lessons when he was a child, Nat grew up understanding the importance of providing the right tools, such as method books with large...
Emily Achieng Akuno became the first music professor from Kenya to be elected president of the International Music Council (IMC). This took place in 2018. The position allowed her the opportunity to bring attention to the challenges African nations face regarding music programs. Emily earned her...
Neil Larrivee was just four years old when he began playing drums. His father was a manager for rock bands and music was all around Neil as he grew up. He served in the Drum and Bugle Corps when he was 11 and soon embraced orchestral music and the timpani. He landed a job with Vic Firth, just as...
Rob Hanson joined the brass band as a school kid in a small town in England. When looking for a job Rob turned to John Packer, who owned and operated the instrument company that provided Rob his horns growing up. Time after time John reported that he did not have a job for Rob. Finally, Rob said he...
Patrick Nettesheim was a Milwaukee based guitar instructor when a life-changing meeting occurred in 2007 with Vietnam-era Marine, Dan Van Buskirk. Dan had always wanted to learn how to play guitar but felt that the scars left from his service would hinder his ability to learn - cue Patrick. Patrick...
Amir Marghany received his law degree in his home country of Egypt while wanting to apply his knowledge to the music industry. He sought the advice of Sammy Ash, who gave him some insights and has since become a friend. Amir discovered a need for a wholesale business offering quality instruments to...
Kamau Kenyatta grew up surrounded by a family that had a deep running passion for music, and as a result Kamau was able to get his first clarinet when his grandfather, an electrician by trade, bartered with one of his customers to support young Kamau’s growing passion for music. Later he decided to...
Vern Crews grew up surrounded by music. His uncle, Pee Wee Marquette, who was the master of ceremonies for the famed Birdland jazz club, gave young Vern a Hammond Organ when he was a kid. That organ inspired him to learn all he could about electronic musical instruments. During the MIDI boom of the...
Bob Bailey has a big gig to oversee each year, the annual Sweetwater Sound Gearfest! This is no small task as anyone of his friends on the NAMM staff can tell you, but Bob heads a strong team who are all dedicated to creating a fresh and exciting event for their customers each year. Back in the...
Linda (Wert) Young asked her parents, when she was twenty, to assist her in the upstart of a music store after realizing her passion for helping children identify their interest and abilities in playing music. Her dad mortgaged the family farm, which lead to the opening of Wert Music in 1973. With...