Oral History - all
Steve Cohen is the president of Jason’s Music Center in Pasadena, MD. As a creative thinker, Steve has pioneered a new approach to college piano sales by bringing the concept into the public schools beginning in the early 1980s. A passionate salesman, Steve understands people and enjoys bringing... more
Tish Ciravolo played bass in rock and punk bands in the 1970s and 80s but felt there was always a disconnect between female performers and the instruments. With an idea stemming from her daughter’s drawing of a daisy, Tish launched a guitar company with the mission to help girls make music. The... more
Deborah Zildjian proudly recalled stories of her father and her grandfather, two of the most successful leaders of her family’s 380 plus years as cymbal makers. Deborah has a compelling way of recounting her family’s history such as her memories of her grandmother and grandfather. Deborah serves as... more
Craigie Zildjian has accomplished what no other woman has done in her company’s over 380-year history; she has become president of the Zildjian Cymbal Company. She has also been a pioneer in industry-related organizations where few other women have been. Following in her father’s footsteps (Armand... more
Birth Date: September 17, 1927
Deceased Date: March 28, 2022
Franz Mohr was the chief concert technician for Steinway and Sons for many decades. During his long and colorful career, Franz worked on the pianos of many of the great pianists of his time, including Horowitz, Cliburn, Serkin and Rubinstein. He developed many techniques for tuning and setting up... more
Skip Maggiora has revolutionized retailing within the music products industry. With his Weekend Warriors program a whole new segment of the population was being targeted to become music makers–that of the middle aged. The success of the program and his willingness to share his ideas with other... more
Birth Date: June 2, 1930
Deceased Date: July 26, 2015
Vic Firth was a classically trained timpanist, playing with a number of highly regarded symphonies around the world. Over the years he developed a few ideas that improved on the way mallets and drumsticks perform and sound. As founder of the company that carries his name, Vic designed and marketed... more
Joe Calato is the inventor of the nylon-tipped drumstick, who turned the small idea of preserving his favorite sticks into an industry success story. He formed Regal Tip to produce his unique line of drumsticks and over the years extended the products to include brushes. The Classic (583R)... more
Birth Date: May 28, 1929
Deceased Date: August 18, 2017
Sonny Burgess was known as the wild man of rock and roll who brought a driving guitar style to early Sun recordings (the label that launched Elvis Presley). Among those recordings were “We Wanna Boogie” and “Feelin’ Good.” Sonny’s early days with Sam Phillips, the founder of Sun Records, were at... more
Wayne Burdick’s pedal steel guitar made by Paul Bigsby graced the cover of the luthier’s first catalog. Wayne befriended Mr. Bigsby in the 1950s while Wayne was a member of the Tex Williams Western Swing Orchestra. Wayne’s pedal steel can be heard on hundreds of recordings and in fact the very... more
Birth Date: March 11, 1928
Deceased Date: March 16, 2010
Jeanne Bundy-Morrow was only married to Frank Bundy a few months when her father-in-law, the pioneering instrument designer George Bundy, passed away. Because Jeanne had known George for many years it was a blow to her and her entire family when he died in 1951. At the time, George Bundy was... more
Gene Brown joined the Ovation Guitar Company within the first year of the company’s establishment in 1966. After serving in the United States Army during Vietnam, Gene was immediately offered a job in the shipping department. The Ovation Guitar Company is located in New Hartford, Connecticut, and... more
Junior Brown is a performer/inventor who dreamed of a sound to offset his rockabilly and blues styles. He designed a slide guitar and an electric guitar into one unit that did not require putting one down to play the other. The Git-Steel Guitar is now in production. It is his lead instrument in his... more
Maury Brochstein recalls growing up in the drum business. His father, Herb, established Pro-Mark drumsticks in 1957 and involved Maury at a young age. Maury saw the need to expand the product line and was instrumental in the company’s involvement with international markets. As president of the... more
Birth Date: August 1, 1929
Deceased Date: July 13, 2010
Geoff Brash was an iconic music retailer in Australia who became known around the world for his passion and his brilliant business knowledge. As the managing director of Brash Music, Geoff was a pioneer in multi-country trade and marketing. Over the decades he established long lasting relationships... more
Birth Date: February 5, 1929
Deceased Date: March 11, 2019
Hal Blaine was perhaps the most recorded drummer from the California recording studios of the 1950s-'70s. His influential style can be heard on more than 170 number one hit songs and 450 tunes that made the top 40 on the charts during those decades. His beat can be heard on hundreds of albums by... more
Bill Xavier was introduced into the music products industry while working with Hartley Peavey. Peavey became a strong mentor to Bill and was like a second father to him. Bill has often said that much of the passion he has for the music products industry was developed as a result of working with Mr... more
Bert Turetzky likes telling stories in his playing. He likes to make his listeners think about new ideas and in doing so he often creates a way for people to feel something they may not have felt without his music. When Burt plays his bass your soul needs to listen. As a teacher and educator, Burt... more
Birth Date: October 28, 1932
Deceased Date: July 29, 2013
Peggy Sexton and her husband, Bob, formed Tactus Press to publish books on early percussion. Peggy’s passion for research and the social history surrounding the development of musical instruments added a captivating aspect to their publications. Their first book was “Castanuelas Ole! A book about... more
Carol Kaye can be heard on such landmark recordings as “La Bamba,” the Mission Impossible theme, and scores of hits produced by Phil Spector. She started playing jazz guitar in a big band during the early 1950s. Within the decade, she gained employment at the studio where she would later meet... more