Music Retail
George Lukas recalled, in great detail, when he was aboard a navy ship at the end of World War II and sitting down to play a blue-painted Steinway upright piano (also known as the Steinway GI). Two sailors stood on either side of the piano with rope and knots to ensure George was able to play as...
Victor Tibaldeo Sr. loved to talk about the accordion boom of the 1950s, an element that helped establish his music store. The Miami-based store also was one of the country’s most successful organ retailers when that instrument hit its boom in the 1970s. Victor always said it helps to be in...
Gary Grimes played a very vital role in the early part of his career, working in the music education department at Wurlitzer. Gary wrote many of the training programs for Wurlitzer as well as music education materials that were provided to customers. He served as Vice President of Marketing with...
Harry Rosenbloom was the founder of Medley Music and one of the true pioneers of import relations with the Japanese beginning in the late 1950s. He developed and maintained key partnerships with the Japanese suppliers and was one of the first advocates for better trade relations between the United...
Vern Schafer joined the family business of moving pianos as a teenager, but had the dream of running his own piano store. While still running the Schafer Piano Movers Company, Vern set out to learn all he could about the ins and outs of the piano retail business. Soon after opening Colton Pianos,...
David “Bud” Morgan opened his music retail store in 1957 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Since that time Morgan’s Music has become a critical part of the community and the local school music programs. Built on a devotion to music and music making, Morgan’s Music followed the mission to serve the music...
Jack Coffey is the founder of Coffey Music in Massachusetts. Coffey Music was a one-store operation that later grew to a chain of retail stores noted for their music lessons and attention to details. As a leader in the industry, Jack held many key positions within a number of organizations,...
Jack Long co-founded the Long & McQuade music stores in Canada beginning in 1956. At the time, there were few supplier/dealer relations between Canada and the United States. Establishing these relations was something Jack helped to pioneer. He also helped establish his country as a legitimate...
Layton V. Rawlins was the founder of Rawlins Piano Company in Southern California and a veteran of the piano industry. Layton witnessed many of the biggest changes within the piano business over his 50 plus year career. He was always proud of the strong friendships within the industry that he...
Greg Winther’s grandfather opened the Winther Music Company in downtown Boise, Idaho, just before World War II. The near-by streets would soon be covered with competitors, a fact Greg, who took over as president of the store in the 1970s, found to be healthy for business. Greg branched out into...