Women in the Music Industry
Sonja Lynne grew up in her mother’s music studio and found her voice as a singer. Sonja studied opera and can still be heard singing in her church. She had a few jobs, including as a school teacher, before answering an advertisement for Jacobs Music in Philadelphia. She joined the sales team there...
Debra Kolacny began playing the organ at the age of eight, not knowing a life of music was ahead of her. She joined her junior high school band as a percussionist and in high school focused on theater arts, where she met her future husband, David. His grandfather started Kolacny Music in Denver,...
Tanya Ogsbury was often brought to her father's banjo workshop as a small child. She later spent summers in the Colorado mountains with her father as he designed new and innovative banjos for his line, first Ode Banjos and later Ome Banjos. After earning a degree in Chinese, Tanya realized that she...
Sondra Blanchard comes to music through theatre. She has worked in regional theatre and internationally as an actor, coach, writer, and director. Over the past 10 years, she has specialized in creating original work that often includes live music. She especially enjoyed creative collaborations with...
Kris Kjeldgaard finished her degree with a music major and a minor in business and went job seeking. She was not sure what the direction of her career would take and in fact, looking back, did not see what was to come. She interviewed for a job at Roper Music and soon was hired. She tried her hand...
Joyce Meekins is a pioneering woman piano technician who has sought every opportunity she can find to encourage young women to join the profession. She has served as President of the Washington, DC Chapter of the Piano Technicians Guild three times and in the process helped develop the group into a...
Melanie Brooks grew up around music! Her grandparents owned a music store and her parents established Brooks LTD Piano Products, which she purchased from them in 2009. Her father created several products to aid piano technicians in their craft, including replacement action parts. She continues to...
Kayoko Forrest was born in Japan and always felt drawn to music and in particular the piano. After moving with her mother to the United States, Kayoko played in the school music program. Interestingly, Richard Davenport, who would later become a mentor to Kayoko, was her teacher. While earning her...
Kathy Maxwell answered an ad in the newspaper for an opening at the main office for the Piano Technicians Guild in 2000. The Kansas City, Missouri-based association was seeking help with its educational and training programs. Having a background as a pianist and in teaching, Kathy applied for and...
Barbara Rodney is the step-daughter of Carl Langevin who took time in front of our camera to provide an in-depth look into her family’s history and her remembrances of her step-dad. She was in the first grade when her mother and Carl were married. The year was 1945 and young Barbara served as their...