Pennsylvania
Fred Bernardo was repairing and teaching guitar in his local music store when the idea came to him to open his own shop. In 1972, with one guitar and a set of strings he was given as a promotion, Fred opened for business. The store grew, and within a year, Fred began hiring a staff and sought to...
Fred Oster was encouraged by his cousin to play the guitar as a youngster, which quickly expanded to include playing the mandolin and the five string banjo. By the time Fred was playing banjo, during the height of the folk music movement of the early 1970s, he was hooked! He soon had the idea of...
Neal Pomerantz developed a passion for music at a young age. He started on the guitar and had aspirations to become a rockstar. In 1988, Neil took a job at a local music store to make some extra money while playing, but he never thought it would turn into a career. Neal is now the Vice President of...
Mark Despotakis has become a well respected arts advocate and strong supporter of music education policies as Director of Market Development for Progressive Music in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. Working closely with music educators throughout the state, Mark has been able to serve his music store by...
Allan Small played music as a young student and earned his degree in music education, then became a band director for almost a decade. As a band director in Pennsylvania he was involved with a program created by the Selmer Company called Bands for America. The training for this program was a...
Dave Phillips met his wife in a band he created in high school. They have been making music ever since and as of 1977 when they opened their retailing business, they have assisted countless others to do the same! Dave Phillips Music & Sound has three locations in and around Western New Jersey...
Alice Phillips met her future husband when she joined a band while in high school. Dave sought to learn about the technical side of the business while Alice developed a background in the business and accounting end of things. Together they made for a perfect team and had their sights on opening...
Fred Greene enjoys running the C.F. Martin & Company factory in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, in fact you could say it is his dream job. As a guitarist he has passion to the tenth degree when it comes to sound and quality. As a former factory manager for Gibson, he has a love of working with...
Jim Botti always had a passion for music education and in fact has taught most of his life. In 1958, after he met Jim Kaplan, the two opened a teaching studio that would grow into a music store. In fact, Brighton Music has two locations in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. While the two Jims...
John Buswell was a 16-year-old drummer in the school band when his father, Stan, decided to open a drum shop. The year was 1976. The city was Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The store was called Drum World. John took a few years to pursue his musical career after school and returned to the store to...