Yamaha Corporation of America
Jay Wanamaker found his passion for music as a member of a drum and bugle corps and eventually honed his skills while attending the Crane school of music at SUNY Potsdam University in Potsdam, New York. After completing a graduate degree program at the University of Kansas, Jay took a job at Alfred...
Bud DiFluri enjoyed a long and successful career in the music industry in both retail and manufacturing. He managed the Yamaha band and orchestra department in New York City with a focus on sales and marketing, which he also focused on while working as the Senior Sales and Marketing Manager for New...
Joe Phelps started playing drums in the 7th grade. While in college, as a marketing major, he opened an off campus concert hall, played in bands, and ran a recording studio for the music retailer, Ben Jack, in Arkansas. In 1975, he moved to Los Angeles and formed a small ad agency, which has become...
Paul Meisenzahl bought his first guitar from his brother for $2.00 and promptly taught himself how to play. His first paying gig came when he was eleven and he played in rock bands throughout high school. After working at MXR and Ithaca Guitar Works in Ithaca, New York, Paul began his career as a...
Tom Miller began his career in the piano business at Jordan Kitts Music in Bethesda, Maryland in 1976. His father had purchased a Hammond organ from the same company in 1960, and at age 6 Tom started music lessons. Tom began working on the manufacturing side of the industry in 1977, first as an...
Peter Chaikin was still in high school when he knew in his heart what he wanted to be when he grew up: a recording engineer. With the Billboard Directory of Studios under his arm, and encouragement from iconic producer Phil Ramone, Peter headed west and landed a job at Los Angeles' legendary Record...
Newell Hardy had a life changing experience playing in the Youth Symphony on viola while in middle school. That opportunity lead to his love of guitar and later his passion for the pedal steel. Newell worked in music retail and worked his way up to store manager for Progressive Music in Utah. As a...
Darren Speir often reflects back on the Texas music store his uncle and his father opened. His father was a piano technician and helped build the store's customer list based on his attention to detail and the care he put into each piano tuning and repair. After working in his father's piano store...
David Bergstrom spent 10 years studying classical guitar, and even traveled to Spain to study under André Segovia. Upon returning to the United States, David found a career in the music products industry working for Kaman Music Corporation as the manager of artist relations - a job he kept for 18...
Ray van Straten began his love of music when his parents bought him a kids piano when he was four years old. He went on to study classical piano performance, as well as jazz arranging with Manny Albam, a highlight of his music education. Ray has memories of playing in rock bands throughout his...