Oral History - all
These are some highlights of the questions asked by Eric Glasnapp during the four months he worked on the NAMM Oral History program.
Chaim Rubinov played the piano in his home as a child and when school age he began playing the trumpet , thanks to the encouragement of his band director. He grew up in Montreal, where the high school he attended had a strong music program that included band exchanges and tours not only in Canada... more
Tristann Rieck’s first instrument was the song flute, which was an introduction to the band program in grade school, which she joined the very next year. She later took up the alto horn and still later the French horn, which has remained her main instrument. With her father operating the... more
Donovan Bankhead has a true passion for the music! His early memories regarding musical instruments involved seeing his older sister’s guitar and flute and taking notice of them before he even played an instrument himself. That came when he was in school and asked to join the band, which he did... more
Michael Sagun, while attending the University of Portland, began working for a couple of local music stores. He worked as a part time shipping clerk at Barker Lynns Sheet Music Service of Portland, which he would later purchase and run until his retirement from the industry several decades later... more
Glendower Jones loves to unearth vocal music that is out of print yet sought after by a singer or choral group. With a vast collection it's likely he already has what you are looking for and if so he takes pride creating a clean and easy to read edition. He grew up in Louisiana, where his father... more
Marcia Stearns is a regular attendee at the annual RPMDA conventions and can often be found volunteering to introduce a speaker or tallying the session surveys. Her passion for the business is clear in all that she does, including running her own sheet music and gift shop called Bookmark Music. ... more
Birth Date: May 16, 1932
Deceased Date: April 10, 2020
Big George Brock knew all about laying his burden down. The blues musician was running his nightclub in 1970 when someone shot up the place to try and hit George. One of the bullets went through the wall and killed George's wife in the next room. George always said you can't sing the blues if you... more
Arthur Lee Williams was only five years old when his uncle brought over a harmonica for him as a gift. Arthur took to the harmonica right away and made his career playing it and singing the blues. While recording with Sonny Boy Williamson, Arthur learned to create new sounds as Sonny Boy did and... more
Tom Wittrock remembers the very moment he decided to dedicate his career to the guitar: when he purchased his first Les Paul sunburst in the mid-1970s. Many of his friends thought he was crazy when he paid more for a used instrument instead of getting a new one cheaper, but Tom knew just what he... more
Martin Marris and his wife run Note Craft, a music engraving company that has played a vital role in the access of musical works of every type. Working for publishing companies, Note Craft takes original transcripts and even outdated computer files to bring the music to an accessible format. ... more
Jimmy Gravity was setting up a newly made electric guitar as he talked with several of his customers gathered around his work bench. Holding court comes easy to Jimmy because he views his customers and co-workers as friends coming over to hang out. The topics range from baseball to politics and... more
Sheilah McDowell is a saleswoman and Lowrey class instructor at Piano Craft in Springfield, Missouri. Her passion for the industry goes back to the days she first met her husband, Jim McDowell, and worked in his family's music store in St. Louis. She traveled the country with Fred Waring playing... more
Jim Hearn brings a great deal of experience to his position as Vice President at Piano Craft in Springfield, Missouri. Jim owned and operated his own music store in a local mall for over twenty years and before that cut his teeth in sales at one of the Wurlitzer factory-owned retail stores in... more
Mike Newman adds a special approach to repair and guitar set-ups at Jimmy Gravity Guitars in St. Louis, Missouri. Having been a professional musician since he was a teenager and member of touring bands, Mike knows the needs of stage musicians and applies that knowledge to each guitar he repairs... more
Eric Strouse's NAMM Oral History interview had several special moments, such as his reflection on the mentorship his father provided him during his own career running the family sheet music store. Yet, one meaningful element of the interview was that it took place just hours before Eric received... more
Shelley Wilson and her husband, Greg Murdaugh, opened the Piano Craft store in 1999. The store, which is located in Springfield MO, has a family feel whenever you visit, which may be due in large part to the mom and pop approach Greg and Shelley have towards their customers and staff. Shelley... more
Greg Murdaugh is the president of Piano Craft in Springfield, Missouri. The store, which is co-owned by his wife Shelley, opened in 1999. Greg grew up in the business, as his father owned a piano store years ago. After serving as a manufacturers’ road rep, Greg and Shelley decided to open the... more
Band Instrument Repair Technicians are always working behind the scenes to save the day when instruments come in damaged and in need of some repair. They are the ones that have all the crazy and interesting stories, like in this clip you will hear a story about how a police officer once ran over... more
Ralph Peer II is the Chairman and CEO of Peermusic, which was formed by his father in 1928. While his father played a historic role in early-recorded music, the publishing company is equally significant. Ralph has been very active in the music publishing industry as he also serves as vice president... more