NASMD
Connie Smith is the Vice President of Ward-Brodt Music in Madison, Wisconsin. She grew up in music and enjoyed playing music as a young girl, going on to study music in college. While in college she applied for an internship at Ward Brodt Music, where she has been ever since! She worked her way...
J. Scott McFadyen served as president of the family operated store after his father, the founder, retired. Scott was heavily involved with the music industry by helping to establish NASMD and serving on the NAMM Board of Directors. Scott's father was also the mayor of Fayetteville, North Carolina...
Malcolm McFadyen served as president of the family music store just as his father and grandfather did before him. Malcolm worked with his father to establish many of the procedures for the store, including the personnel manual and the employee’s handbook. The handbook outlined the philosophy for...
Dennis Howren is the president of the Howren Music Store in Charlotte, North Carolina. The store was founded by his father and was run by his two older brothers before Dennis took over as president. The store has a strong school music program and in fact one of Dennis's first jobs after returning...
Greg Howren is the past president of his family's music store in Charlotte, North Carolina. Greg followed in his father's footsteps and continued to build the music store, which focuses on school band programs as well as the combo business. After his father was president of the company, his older...
Robin Walenta attended the University of Northern Iowa and Middle Tennessee State University before joining West Music in 1982. She was named president/CEO of the company in 2007. She was appointed to the NAMM ExCom and has also served as a board member for the National Association of School Music...
Mary Ann Eckroth quietly sat behind the desk working on the books while her husband Bill traveled to the local schools to help the band directors. She took care of the customers and cleaned the store when he would travel for industry meetings, and she taught herself many of the business practices...
Jeff Eckroth is the son of the founders of Eckroth Music in North Dakota. His parents, Bill and Mary Ann, established the store in 1972 and Jeff recalls numerous stories about growing up in the store and in the industry he would come to love. Jeff helped develop the store’s combo business and...
Bill Eckroth enjoyed being a band director in his home town of Mandan, North Dakota, just across the Missouri River from Bismarck. He started out teaching junior high school students, many of whom he would meet later in his life after he decided, in 1972, to open a music store. Along with his...
Dave Miller was just 14 years old when he cut grass for a summer to pay off a neighbor for their old guitar. He and his friends would hang out at the local music store, which was Western Hills Music Mart in Cincinnati, Ohio. The owner was Jack Shallat who later hired Dave to work in the music...