Women in the Music Industry
Linda Vincent worked for a short time at the NAMM headquarters, which is where she met her husband, the late John Vincent, who at the time was Director of Trade Shows. We missed our chance to interview John for the Oral History program as he passed away in 2013. However, Linda was thankfully able...
Sheila E sat down for her NAMM Oral History interview to discuss the importance of music and music education, as well as her early musical experiences. She has always believed her earliest exposure to music, such as watching her father and his friends, proved integral in her development as an...
Connie Smith is the Vice President of Ward-Brodt Music in Madison, Wisconsin. She grew up in music and enjoyed playing music as a young girl, going on to study music in college. While in college she applied for an internship at Ward Brodt Music, where she has been ever since! She worked her way...
Nancy Felixson remembers attending concerts at McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica in the early 1970s. The store has a wonderful reputation for selling great instruments and gear as well as a stage that has hosted a very impressive list of performers since 1969. While at a concert in 1978, Nancy...
Patricia Maultra was the first employee hired by Learning Unlimited by its three founders, which included Keith Mardak. Keith went on to become Chairman of Hal Leonard Publishing and all throughout the early days, Patricia was there. She began working for Zeb Billings in his retail store in 1960...
Dolores Yeager was the CEO of the Professional Drum Shop in Hollywood, California, which her late husband, Bob, opened in 1959. Bob teamed with Chuck Molinari to establish a store that would provide gear for the working musician in and around Hollywood. The store soon became the drummers hang out...
Connie Czerwinski was the president of Cerwin-Vega, the company her father established in 1954 and worked with her father and the team he assembled, which provided many innovations in pro audio. Among the products the company became known for were speakers, the world's first solid-state "...
Sylvia Cunliffe was working for the City of Los Angeles when she created and produced a series of large public events that brought music to millions over the years. The Los Angeles Street Scene and Country Scene were among her most notable events, which provided over a dozen stages that showcased...
Sue Collins is proud to mention that her mother was the very first employee of the Milwaukee division of Hal Leonard. Once Keith Mardak and Art Jensen formed the division, Sue's mom was hired to help run the office. The office manager for Hal Leonard is much different from the early days,...
Emily Crocker focused on teaching middle school choir when she was a teacher right out of college. The experience was a wonderful foundation for her as it would lead her to work for Hal Leonard Publishing for many years. While a teacher she wrote several pieces that were geared towards middle...