NAMM Board of Directors-Interviewed
Ellen McDonald is a passionate music retailer who has strived to create programs and events that encourage her community to take part in active music making. Hartland Music, located in Hartland, Wisconsin, just west of Milwaukee, is home to over 2000 weekly music students and has become the...
Gayle Beacock and her brother are second-generation music storeowners with a flair for business and a passion for encouraging music making. Gayle’s parents started Beacock Music to build relationships with band directors, a position her father held for many years. Gayle brought new and creative...
John D’Addario’s family history in the music industry can be traced back to the 1670s when Donato D’Addario worked as a “cordaro” – the Italian word for “string maker.”
Since that time the family has perfected the art of handcrafting strings as well as other music accessories. John’s father had a...
Russell Palmer’s father was the first employee for Capital Records, working as a record salesman. As a result Russell grew up in a home full of the latest hit songs. Russell followed in his father’s footsteps to work in the record industry and later in the radio business before meeting Keith Barr...
Lori Supinie has been an active music maker since she was a child. Throughout her life she has provided music and music lessons to others as well as being a strong leader within the music products industry. She began working for Senseney Music in Kansas and soon took an active role in the store’s...
Alan Levin is the eldest child of Chuck and Margie Levin, the founders of Washington Music Center, which began as Chuck Levin’s Music Center. Alan was a child when the 1968 Washington DC riots destroyed the music store. The event gave way to one of the industry’s best examples of resilience and...
Tom Sumner grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area where he not only played guitar in local bands but also worked in area music stores. While attending college Tom worked in music retail as well as in the general retail segment. These experiences were a helpful foundation for Tom, especially when he...
Liane Rockley gained a degree in flute performance in New York before moving to Denver, where she taught music at a local music store. The storeowner, Bob Rockley, who would become her father-in-law, suggested that she work in the band department of the store to better understand the music business...
Betty Meyer and her husband, Ted, decided that their teaching salaries were not enough to raise their family in the early 1960s so they decided to open a music store. It turned out to be a great idea! Their children were raised in the store and both Ted and Betty could serve their customer base in...
Susan Lipp has a background in the theater, which she has used to great success in running the pro-audio distribution company Full Compass. The company was formed by her husband, Jonathan, in 1977, and has since become an industry leader in pro-audio, pro-lighting and home engineering equipment....