Music Retail
Russell Hill first met Ziggy Coyle in 1957 when the famed retailer hired Russ to help with the business side of the company. Ziggy and Russ made a wonderful team as Russ minded the numbers while Ziggy was out playing and promoting the store. The company grew to several locations throughout Ohio...
John Trakas was hired by Ziggy Coyle to serve in the store's accounting department. John grew in the company over the years as did the store, which had multiple locations throughout the Ohio area. During his NAMM Oral History interview, John spoke about Ziggy's background and strengths as a band...
Phyllis Snedeker has worked for Stanton's Sheet Music Service since the 1960s and was still at work several days a week in 2016 when she was interviewed for the NAMM Oral History program. When she began, the founder and his wife were still running the store which was one of the largest sheet music...
John Stebal owns the Stebal Drum shop outside of Cleveland, Ohio. The store was originally called Stebal Music when his father opened it. When John took over the store he decided to focus on his main instrument, the drums, for which he knew he could teach and provide top level service. In...
Rick Roth will greet you with a warm smile when you enter Stebal Drum Shop outside of Cleveland, Ohio. As a drummer, Rick loves talking about the gear and has had years of experiences in fitting customers with just what they need. Before working for John Stebal, Rich had his own drum and...
John Stavash and his sister took over the music company their parents established in the early 1950s. John recalls the first milestone of the business was when it moved out of the family home into a real store front. Over the years, he has been instrumental in growing the product line as well as ...
Jerry Harrison recalled several memories of visiting local music stores as a young teenager, just as his musical career began. Growing up in Milwaukee, Jerry had access to several music stores, where he went to check out and purchase musical instruments and gear, all in the foreshadowing of his...
Brad Boynton is the founder of Rhythm Traders Drum Shop in Portland, Oregon. He saw his passion for the drums develop as early as four years old and it has always been a source of true happiness. While studying anthropology in college, Brad traveled to Africa and lived with drum makers, which...
Toni Buffa and her husband, Jerry, purchased Lemur Music from the founders in 1995. The fun name of the business comes from the first names of the couple who started the store in 1964, Leah and Murray (Lea-Mur) Grodner. Toni and Jerry grew the business to include more accessories as well as their...
James Owen has been teaching at La Jolla Music nearly since the beginning. The store was established in 1962 and James started working there just a few years later. As a teenager, he was the first guitarist to win the Redlands Bowl Youth Artists Auditions, which fueled his passion for music. He...