Oral History - all
Craig Knudsen cut his teeth on the industry as many people who have come to service in leadership positions. He started working for the Wurlitzer Company during college. After graduating from Harvard Business School, he took a job with Yamaha and focused on increasing the number of music makers... more
Ed Harris purchased the Teller music wholesaler in Chicago during the 1960s. Along with his brother, Mike, Ed changed the name to Harris-Teller and expanded the company’s dealer base and product line. A few years later Ed established his own music publishing company, which sits across the street... more
DeDe Guth joined the customer service team at Yamaha’s band instrument factory in Michigan in 1980. There she learned first hand the company’s philosophy and attention to customer satisfaction. Ten years later she was offered a job in Elkhart, Indiana to work at the Gemeinhardt Flute Company, where... more
Birth Date: May 15, 1928
Deceased Date: July 8, 2017
Don Getzen sure knew the history of the band instruments made in the mid-west! Don’s father was the plant manager for the Holton Company in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, his oldest uncle was the plant manager for the York Band Instrument Company in Michigan and at the same time his other uncle was the plant... more
Tim Cunningham worked for a trade show design company in the late 1960s for which NAMM was a client. William Gard, NAMM’s CEO at the time, offered Tim a full time job to oversee the show's special events and programs. Tim organized educational sessions for attendees with the same concept that NAMM... more
Carol Buschmann grew up in Sheboygan, Wisconsin where she joined the all girls singing group the Chordettes just a year after it was formed in 1947. She stayed with the group until they disbanded in the early 1960s after having several top selling albums and two hit records in the 1950s including “... more
Avery Burdette, the product manager for Yamaha Corporation of America, began his long love of music pushing down the pedals of his mother's organ as a small child while his mother played. Avery played trombone in school bands before forming a Southern-Rock style group in high school. He also worked... more
Birth Date: December 18, 1919
Deceased Date: May 17, 2017
Lewis Brown joined the CG Conn Company in 1941 working in the band instrument assembly department. Less than two years later he was drafted to serve the United States during World War II. When he returned to Elkhart his job was waiting for him. He soon gained experience with the building of French... more
Birth Date: June 19, 1956
Deceased Date: April 8, 2020
Ed Boyer began working for Yamaha Corporation of America in 1983 with a focus on the band and orchestral products. With a strong background in retail, Ed developed long-lasting partnerships with dealers while working with them to gain relationships with area school directors. Yamaha designed... more
Brian Vincik was in the right place at the right time. As a synthesizer enthusiast and engineer, Brian graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1979 and moved to the San Francisco Bay Area when many of the most innovative synthesizer companies were designing new musical products. Brian became... more
Lori Supinie has been an active music maker since she was a child. Throughout her life she has provided music and music lessons to others as well as being a strong leader within the music products industry. She began working for Senseney Music in Kansas and soon took an active role in the store’s... more
Tom Sumner grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area where he not only played guitar in local bands but also worked in area music stores. While attending college Tom worked in music retail as well as in the general retail segment. These experiences were a helpful foundation for Tom, especially when he... more
Kevin Smith opened the Violin Shop in San Diego after extensive training as a violin luthier and appraiser. His knowledge of the craftsmanship of violin making was on display during his NAMM interview as he assisted the NAMM Foundation’s Museum of Making Music’s 2008 violin display. Kevin gave... more
Birth Date: April 2, 1950
Deceased Date: June 1, 2022
Dave Smith was the founder of Sequential Circuits and inventor of the polyphonic synthesizer, the Prophet 5. Dave was also the designer and original pioneer of MIDI (musical instrument digital interface) technology. Dave became a part of an active group of innovators in the San Francisco Bay Area... more
Hisatake Shibuya takes great pride in developing music education opportunities for students wishing to bring music into their lives. By forming music schools in Japan and later opening the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA, Hisatake-san has created a model for extended musical education programs... more
Patrick Selmer is proud of his family’s long and important history as instrument makers in France. The company produces many of the finest band and orchestra instruments in the world and for decades were leaders in design and craftsmanship. Selmer Paris continues to focus on innovations and under... more
Birth Date: June 9, 1931
Deceased Date: December 5, 2015
Ed Rizzuto was surrounded by music his entire life. As a young boy he started playing trombone, which he continued throughout high school and into his military service in the early 1950s. After teaching orchestra as a school band director for several years, Ed joined the music industry as a... more
Birth Date: May 17, 1919
Deceased Date: September 26, 2016
Sylvia Perry and her late husband, Mack, teamed up in 1945 to establish Peripole, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Perry taught music and worked to innovate and manufacture instruments for the growth and development of music education from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. In 1986, the Music Industry Council... more
Russell Palmer’s father was the first employee for Capital Records, working as a record salesman. As a result Russell grew up in a home full of the latest hit songs. Russell followed in his father’s footsteps to work in the record industry and later in the radio business before meeting Keith Barr... more
Birth Date: October 4, 1935
Deceased Date: January 15, 2015
Richard O’Donnell was vice president of Yamaha Corporation of America at a very historic time in the company’s growth and development, the 1970s. Richard worked on several projects including managing the operations for the Everett Piano Plant in Michigan, which Yamaha purchased to expand its piano... more