Music Retail
Art Risavy Sr. has always been fascinated with music. He had the idea of converting an old bowling alley into a music store in southern Illinois in the 1960s and Swing City Music was born. Fitting enough, his son and future partner was born a few years later. The store became “the place to go”...
DeWitt Scott knew about as much as a person can know about steel guitars! As a retailer he sold them, as a performer he played them, as a composer and author he wrote about them and as a fan he promoted them everyplace he went. As the founder of the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame, Dewitt (known as...
Art Risavy Jr. studied business in college and worked in a bank before returning to work in the music store his father had formed just a few years before Art was born. Working alongside his father, Art Sr., he helped the store grow and oversaw the expansion of the church and pro audio departments...
Linda McDowell proudly watched as her father was installed as president of the NAMM Board of Directors in 1970. It was a time of change and, under Robert McDowell’s leadership, programs were created with a goal of increasing the number of music makers. Since her father's passing in 2007, Linda does...
Jim McDowell was one of the first presidents of NAYMM (the National Association of Young Music Merchants) and served on the NAMM Board of Directors just as his father, Robert McDowell, had done for over two decades. Jim also ran the St. Louis based retail store, which was first established by his...
Rob Birenbaum has always had a love for percussion. As a drummer, he enjoyed playing the instrument and found equal satisfaction in selling percussion instruments and related accessories when he formed Drum Headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri. The store became a hub for percussionists and created a...
Richard Janda specialized in repairing stringed instruments. It was also something he enjoyed very much. During World War II he was trained to repair the band instruments for the U.S. Military marching band, in which he was the trombonist. After the war he sought to add to that education while...
Annette Luyben feels as her parents had, that their music store is an extension of their home and their customers are an extension of their family. The Luyben Music Company in Kansas City has provided a large selection of sheet music for more than 50 years and has become a very important part of...
Helen Tozzi was hired to set up the accounting for a new music store that was opening in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Progressive Music opened in 1947 and Helen was there on opening day. She recalled Ed Garbit, the famous band director and founder of Progressive Music, as a warm and understanding man...
Gene Gray was a sales rep for the mighty Wurlitzer Company from 1965 until 1988. During his NAMM interview, Gene spoke first hand of the great family feelings many had while working for the DeKalb,IL, based manufacturer. Gene played in his high school marching band and had music a part of his...