Vignette
The piano sticker represents a NAMM program of the early 1900’s until World War I and again briefly in the 1950s. The sticker program was an effort to authenticate dealers and pianos in a time when there was stenciling (counterfeit branding) of pianos and some disreputable dealers. Unfortunately,...
Women’s role in the music industry has progressively grown and developed over the years. When the NAMM Oral History program began, many of the women interviewed kept the books of their retail store. However, the role women have played in the industry grew to include more and more women in top...
Studio Engineers make the music come alive for the listener. As Brooks Arthur notes, engineers are like the extra band member performing behind the board. This compilation from the Oral History archives shares just a few stories from some of the icons such as George Massenburg, Ed Cherney, Eddie...
Boots Randolph was a legendary saxophonist who redefined what the instrument's role was in both rock and roll and country music. In this special vignette, Chuck Surack, Founder of Sweetwater Sound, and Tim Smith, Studio Musician and Professor at Frost School of Music, sit down to remember their...
Band Instrument Repair Technicians are always working behind the scenes to save the day when instruments come in damaged and in need of some repair. They are the ones that have all the crazy and interesting stories, like in this clip you will hear a story about how a police officer once ran over...
This vignette highlighting the Krell Piano Company is representative of the many “gems” of history from the Music Products Industry throughout the collections gathered in the NAMM Library and Resource Center. Krell, like many other companies and families comprising the Music Products Industry,...
Long time music store owner and rights advocate, Fat Dog, was looking for a way to pay tribute to his all-time favorite blues musician, Howlin’ Wolf. Howlin’ Wolf was born Chester Arthur Burnett on June 10, 1910 in Clay County, Mississippi. He went on to record a series of songs that helped...
Bluegrass Music blends Irish Folk Music with Appalachia Mountain Music, resulting in a unique American roots style sound. Most historians point to 1948 and the Bill Monroe band as the beginning, however, our interviewee Curly Seckler was performing very similar music as early as 1938. Mr. Monroe...
While there are many facets to the development and building of a guitar, acoustic guitars are able to take the raw wood and, via build and design, let the sound ring true. Through the Oral History program, we have had the opportunity to interview some legendary acoustic guitar builders, including...
The NAMM Oral History Collection is unique, unlike any other collection in the world. The heart of the Collection is the depth of its narratives that cover innovative creations, the evolution of musical instruments, the ever-changing world of music retail, as well as our collective quest to improve...