Music Retail
John Larson worked in piano retail in and around North Dakota before opening his own store. He worked the area and became involved in the music programs and lessons within the community. He also became a well respected member of the National Association of Piano Travelers and would rarely miss the...
Mike Bates is the senior member of the Institutional Solutions Group in the Keyboard Division of Yamaha Corporation of America. Over the last 28 years with the company, Mike’s career has included nine years as the general manager of the Music Education Division. In his long career with Yamaha, he...
Marty Albertson began working at the Guitar Center in San Francisco when the small chain’s founder, Wayne Mitchell, was still active in the business. Marty was there to see the store locations expand and grow and was very much a part of the executive branch of the company when it was first offered...
Carol Sides married into the Robert M. Sides Music Center family in the 1960s and soon became an important part of the company’s educational programs and music therapy activity. She worked long and hard to build up the local community bands and symphony orchestra as well as creating support for...
Gary Bennett entered the music products industry in 1964 working for Chesbro Music in Idaho. At the time of his NAMM Oral History interview, taped during the NAMM Show in January 2012, Gary was still proudly working for Chesbro. During the 1970s Gary played a vital role in their becoming the...
Alysha Sides-Greevy grew up in the music store that her grandfather established in 1937 and has enjoyed working in music retail along side her parents and brother. The Robert M. Sides Music Center began in Williamsport, Pennsylvania when her grandfather tuned and sold pianos out of his home. Alysha...
Peter Sides is the president and third generation of his family to operate the Robert M. Sides Music Center Pennsylvania. His grandfather opened the store out of his home, selling and repairing pianos in 1937, and later his parents ran the store. Today, Peter and his sister, Alysha, run the company...
Victor Salazar is the founder and president of Vic’s Drum Shop, which is located on Loomis Street in Chicago, Illinois. Vic’s love of music and drumming began as a child and developed over the years, including gigs with Big Electric and The Chinese Professionals. While gigging around, Vic noticed...
Glenn Roberts is the president of Best Music in Oakland, California, which was first established in 1934. The store was established by Art Best during the Great Depression and soon became a cultural center within the community. When Glenn was in high school he began teaching music and formed a jazz...
Chuck Wackerman always enjoyed making music. As a child he took trumpet lessons and later fell in love with jazz. Chuck joined the United States Air National Guard after high school, and later graduated from USC to become a music teacher and band director. He began teaching in 1957 at McGaugh...