Music Retail
Reese Marin is the president of Bellevue American Music in the Seattle suburb of Bellevue, Washington. The store reflects Reese's passion for music with carefully designed display space catering to the customers and sparking interest to those walking in the doors. His career began in San...
Wally Pikal may have been the only music retailers who played on the Johnny Carson Show! Wally opened his store, Wally Pikal Music, in Hutchinson, Minnesota in 1964. Up to that time he had been a sought-after bandleader and trumpeter in and around the Midwest. One of his tricks, that got the...
Niclas Luthman has a long history in the music industry. Beginning in 1989 at a NAMM show, Niclas started his distribution company by "accidentally" taking on the M-Audio line for Scandinavia (the original business was to develop software and accessories for synthesizers). Niclas built on this...
Sue Collier-Lewis played piano as a young girl and loved singing, a passion that has continued with her all throughout her career as a music teacher and music advocate. After earning her master’s degree in music education she opened her own studios, which lead to her relationship with the Yamaha...
Jaime Valle started out playing top 40 hits, but before long grew tired and was looking for something new when he happened upon jazz. It was a match made in heaven. After studying with Howard Roberts among others, Jaime went on to forge a top flight repertoire leading to multiple San Diego music...
Ted Kornblum has a long legacy in the music industry. His grandfather started St. Louis Street Music and his father started Crate amplifiers and Alvarez guitars. Not content to rest on his laurels, Ted gained experience working both inside and outside his family’s music business before starting on...
Jasbeer Siingh enjoys the people in the music industry. He lists working with the passionate people of the industry as one of the key factors in his own satisfaction in his job. Back in 1989, Jasbeer opened a small company to supply gig bags and cases to music stores in and around New Delhi. He...
Bob Smakula built his first dulcimer when he was 14 years old. Having grown up all around the roots music of West Virginia, Bob loved all aspects of musical instruments. Along with playing and building, he developed great skills at repairing all stringed instruments and took great joy in playing...
Muriel Long began teaching piano in 1959 and since that time two things have been very clear to those who know her, she is a passionate music maker and a heck of a salesperson! She grew up playing the Hammond and found that even as a teenager, she loved teaching music! While giving lessons at a...
Peter Hix loves the ukulele. Well, he loves every instrument but does have an extra fondness and appreciation for the ukulele. He was exposed to music from the very beginning, growing up in the music studio his parents established in 1946, right on Benton Street in Aurora, IL. By the age of nine...