RPMDA
Russ Bullis took up the trumpet as a child and played throughout high school. During his college years he gave trumpet lessons at the local music store and took a strong interest in teaching. He was later a band director after college for six years. He taught at the same school, in Lawrenceville...
Rick Valentine is the founder and president of Valentine’s House of Music, a retail store dedicated to piano sheet music and method books. Over his career, Rick developed not only a true love of sheet music but a wonderful relationship with many of the key piano teachers and music educational...
Bob Kohl was hired by Music & Arts in Maryland just before turning sixteen years old and has been in the industry ever since that time. The store was located in the local mall and he began working within the sheet music department, an area of the industry he would soon fall in love with and...
Charles Ashley grew up playing music and teaching private lessons at an early age. At the same time, he had a paper route and a part time job at the local music store, Brook Mays in Dallas. Charles has also been very active in the church and music ministries. While at Brook Mays, Charles met co-...
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...
Wendy Kephart remembers her father bringing her to Kephart’s Music Center when she was a young girl. While she did study music, she recalled it was because her father was a working musician that they often would visit the store. Years later, after she married the store founder’s son, she...
Larry Morton grew up in a family in St. Louis that had a strong love of music. His parents provided piano lessons for his older sister and later Larry began learning music. His father encouraged him to follow his dream of being involved with music. Larry played in the marching band in high school...
Richard Gore’s father was a band director who expanded the school’s bookstore into a music store in Denton, Texas. As the store grew, Richard’s passion for music grew, as did his interest in the sheet music sold in the store. Richard’s parents, Harold and Betty, welcomed him into the business in...
Kevin Cranley grew up in the music industry and has a passion for all elements of the music business, as if it were in his blood. As a young man he completed odd jobs around the Willis Music store and helped his father with the publishing side of the business. Years later Kevin took over the...
Alan Friedman opened an accounting firm and soon focused on the music industry. As a musician himself, Alan knew he could offer services to the music industry as a specialized accounting firm. With his passion for music, Alan soon found himself providing presentations at the NAMM Show as well as...