Oral History - all
Perry Celia is known for his successful career in the sales representative field of the music industry. Early in his career, he worked with Don Griffin during the day at West LA Music, while pursuing his musical career by night. After West LA Music, he worked as sales director for Alesis. He later... more
Dana Bentley opened Bentley Drum Shop in Fresno, California in 1992. The store has hosted over four special events and clinics each year and provides in-house lesson programs that have inspired and encouraged musicians throughout central California. Playing drums since he was in the fifth grade,... more
Joe Pham proudly thanks NAMM for his introduction to QSC, which took place while walking the trade show in 2004. Shortly afterwards, he joined QSC as the company's Chief Strategy and Technology Officer. In 2007, Joe was promoted to Chief Operating Officer and three years later, became President and... more
Sue Smith met her future husband, Craig, when they were both teenagers, working part-time demonstrating Wurlitzer organs at Karnes Music in the Chicago area. Craig was the senior member of the "Whiz Kids", (talented organ students that performed at fairs and outside promotions) and Sue was a... more
Bruce Mihalek has played the piano since he was just eight years old. When he saw the Beatles on TV, Bruce purchased a guitar and formed his own band. The band was the Animals Fax of Lyfe. It was the love of music that led him to work at a few music stores, including Well's Music in Denver. When... more
Brian Hardgroove remembers the very day he sat in with a band to play drums for an audience. It was July 4, 1976, a day that changed his life. He later picked up the bass guitar and worked in recording studios. He learned firsthand from several legendary engineers and producers such as Eddie... more
Jaee Logan was introduced to a number of innovative synthesizers in the early days of development. These include the Oberheim 2 Voice, the Arp 2600, and the Mini Moog. He beta tested software for Sequential Circuits, Robert Keller PC48 Track, and Passport Design and was hired by Jim Miller's ... more
Tom Dorn studied jazz trumpet at Lawrence College in Appleton, Wisconsin. The experience cemented his passion for music and soon Tom found himself working for the Wurlitzer retail stores in the Chicago area. It was 1976 and the Mighty Wurlitzer was a powerhouse with over fifty stores, including... more
Makoto Muroi's passion for music began in school when he played the French Horn. He studied computers in college and worked on microcomputer development. While working on drum machines at Roland, Mr. Kakehashi suggested to Makoto that he explore how video and music can better work together with... more
Lou Castro has often said that NAMM is about the people! As a musician and songwriter, Lou has been involved with many musical products and publishers over the years and when it comes time for the trade show each year, he knows he will get the opportunity to connect with those important to his... more
Jim Green has been a fixture in the Elkhart band instrument industry since the 1960s. He first worked for Armstrong Flute Company before joining jj Babbitt in 1974. After a short absence from the mouthpiece maker, Jim returned in 1983 and has been a key part of the company ever since. As the... more
Jon Bormann attended his first AES Show in 1973. Just two years later, at the age of 25, he formed his own pro audio dealership, AVC Systems. Soon Jon began designing and building studios while seeking to provide the best sound system possible. In many cases this meant creating gear specific to... more
George Nellas started his career in the music industry at Byerly Music in the 1970s selling home organs in the store's mall locations. After moving to Los Angeles, George worked for Sherman Clay for over a decade as well as Fields Piano. While working retail in California, some industry colleagues... more
Rich Galassini was nineteen years old when he first visited Cunningham Pianos as a customer with his parents. A few years later, in 1987, when he was just 23, Rich began working at the store. After working closely with the family that owned the business, Rich was able to purchase the company and... more
Bob Carlin got interested in rock and roll when he was just 12 years old. As a kid, he would go into Manny’s Music in New York just to see the guitars and how the industry operated. Later in life, Bob became fascinated with the vintage instrument market and how the music products industry became... more
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... more
Lori Rubinstein was the first employee of the Theatrical Dealers Association, which in 1994 changed its name to the Entertainment Services and Technology Association (ESTA). Under Lori's leadership, the organization created the ANSI-accredited Technical Standards Program, which focuses on safety... more
Dean Daniels plays a vital role in the production of the annual TEC Awards during the Anaheim NAMM Shows. His expertise in video production goes back to the early days of country music programs on television, which his father helped pioneer. His dad started his career on radio and later directed... more
Frank De Vito was the drummer and percussionist in the studios in Hollywood known as the Wrecking Crew. His long career as a jazz player gave him the chance to work with Charlie Parker, Buddy DeFranco, Frank Sinatra, and several big bands. As a rock musician in the studios, Frank recorded with... more
Abraham Wechter grew up listening to Yiddish music and took both piano and violin lessons as a kid. He used to sneak a transistor radio under his pillow at night and listen to underground rock radio stations. His passion for building guitars came about when he was in a music store and looked into... more