Roland Corporation
Bruce Mihalek has played the piano since he was just eight years old. When he saw the Beatles on TV, Bruce purchased a guitar and formed his own band. The band was the Animals Fax of Lyfe. It was the love of music that led him to work at a few music stores, including Well's Music in Denver. When...
Newell Hardy had a life changing experience playing in the Youth Symphony on viola while in middle school. That opportunity lead to his love of guitar and later his passion for the pedal steel. Newell worked in music retail and worked his way up to store manager for Progressive Music in Utah. As a...
George Kirkwood joined the Rodgers Instrument Corp. in the engineering department just five years after the company was formed by Rodgers Jenkins and Fred Tinker. Beyond his fourth year with the company, George became Product Engineer on a number of key innovations and product lines for the...
Dick Schalk began working for the Rodgers Instrument Corp. in the 1970s when the Hillsboro, Oregon company was independently owned, then sold to CBS Musical Instruments. He remained with the company, within the engineering department, through a few different owners and presidents until his...
Erik Gramkow started his career in the music business with piano manufacturer Brødr Jørgensen. When Eric joined the company the focus was on importing music instruments to Scandinavia. Hammond organ kits were imported from the United States and assembled in Denmark, making it possible to export to...
Adrian Belew had the NAMM attendees on their feet when he joined the All Star Guitar Night in Nashville 2003. Perhaps the feelings were more than just an appreciation for his music as many NAMM members in the audience have become close to him as a product specialist over the years. Those members...
David Marshall grew up in a musical home and played piano and cello at an early age. As part of the Wessex Youth Orchestra he played in many prestigious concerts including the Schools Prom at the Royal Albert Hall and later studied music at City University in London as his interest in electronic...
Lynda Garcia is first and foremost a music teacher, which was not only her background but her life’s passion. As she taught, Lynda developed methods and materials that assisted individuals as well as groups learn and develop as musicians. Teaming with other educators, notably Brenda Dillon, she...
Lee Hargrove grew up in a musical home, one that not only produced Lee and his life long career in music, but also his sister, Linda Hargrove, who became a successful songwriter in Nashville (she penned hits for George Jones, Johnny Cash and others). Lee too wrote songs, although his focus was on...
Dewey Kuhn grew up listening to his grandmother playing the organ, which she did in her younger days accompanying silent movies. His passion grew as he learned to play. Dewey worked with the men who would later form Hal Leonard Publishing Company, with organ man Crane Bodine, and with Baldwin...