Women in the Music Industry
Gloria Guido studied classical music and opera before meeting her husband, jazz man Joe Guido. Together the couple opened Guido’s Music in Chicago, Illinois, in 1958, the same year they were married. When Joe would go on the road to perform, Gloria operated the store and eventually grew the lesson...
Robina Miller opened Swing City Music with her husband, in London, England, in the days following World War II. During the time of the record shortage in the UK, Swing City offered American music, beginning with service records known as V-Discs (Victory Discs). In order to make a few extra dollars...
Louise Leed met her future husband while performing as a singer in her native South Africa. After having their four children, her British husband, David, suggested the family move back to Europe where David soon got a job with a piano company and then with the world-famous wholesaler Chicago...
Carol Warden learned all she knows about the music industry from her mother and father who opened Dale Music Company in Silver Springs, MD. Over the years she has built on the lessons she learned from her mother about expanding the store’s products and the great care and service the store’s staff...
Gerhilde Benker served as president of Hofner Music, a firm founded by her grandfather Karl Hofner in 1864 in Eger, Germany. Her father, Walter, was the inventor of the Hofner bass, which has been known as the Beatle Bass ever since young Paul McCartney began playing the instrument. The endorsement...
Irmgard Dittmar has been a part of the music products industry her whole life. Her father was a noted trumpet builder and designer, and she has worked for the Schreiber music company for nearly 40 years. Over the years she has served as President Hugo Schreiber’s assistant and in doing so has...
Lieselotte Sievers is the granddaughter of Mr. Breitkopf of the famous Breitkopf & Hartel music publishing company in Wiesbaden, Germany. The historic publisher is known around the world for composers such as Bach, yet Mrs. Sievers is equally proud of the contemporary composers the company has...
Tabitha Fair grew up singing in her father's church in Oklahoma. She discovered at an early age songwriting and formed Avalon, a highly successful Contemporary Christian group with some of her musical friends. The group toured with several top gospel acts while performing many of Tabitha's songs. ...
Kathy Peck spent her youth laying down the bass lines for some of the most innovative punk music in the San Francisco Bay Area during the 1970s and 80s. She rocked and rolled with the best of them and was among the most noted bass players of the era, but it has been her passionate dedication to...
Joy Akerman was one of the first volunteers in the NAMM Foundation’s Museum of Making Music docent programs back in 1999. Over the years, she became active in many elements of the museum, including the store and the monthly volunteer training classes. Her love of people and music made her role...