Oral History - all
Peter Erskine has played a very visible role within the music industry as a noted drummer, author of method books and in designing several percussive products. He is also a welcomed sight at the NAMM Show where he can be found happily posing for photographs and checking out the latest gear. His... more
Hidekazu Tanaka became the fourth president of the Roland Corporation in Japan in 2005. The role within the company followed nearly 25 years of service within the company including working in sales, marketing and the export division. The company has been a source of great instrument innovation... more
Birth Date: April 27, 1932
Deceased Date: March 3, 2014
Kazuo Yairi was one of the most renowned guitar luthiers in Japan. His long career began as a child when he watched his father building unique handcrafted instruments for local students and musicians. The company expanded under Yairi-san's leadership to include several new models, but always with... more
Toyoshi Namikawa grew up in the music publishing business because his father was the founder of the Teine Corporation. Located in Tokyo Japan, Teine has played an important role in the Japanese industry, providing exclusive distribution of publications from C. Barnhouse and Neil Kjos. Following in... more
Birth Date: May 15, 1921
Deceased Date: April 16, 2017
Toyomasa Namikawa was the founder and chairman of the board for the Japan music publisher Teine Corp., which was named after his initials. He dedicated his life to providing students and teachers with band instrument publications throughout Japan. While attending the Midwest Band Clinics in the... more
Hirotaka Kawai is the president of the Kawai Music Corporation in Japan and has followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, the company's founder and his father, who expanded the company after World War II. Kawai-San has played a vital role in the development of factories both within Japan and in... more
Kenji Ito has committed himself to music education and the safety of those who take lessons from his music studios and stores. As Chairman of Ito Music Corporation in Japan, he prays each day for the care and safety of the more than 20,000 students that learn music from his some 600 teachers. He is... more
Tsutomu Chiba is the president for the Barock Music Company in Japan. He is also a musical instrument designer for many products. With the distribution company named PlayWood Professional Percussion Instruments, Chiba-San has introduced his own designed products ranging from drum sticks and mallets... more
Birth Date: March 23, 1920
Deceased Date: February 26, 2022
Tom Lee is one of the most famous names in the Asian market of music retail. With Tom Lee Music stores all around Hong Kong and parts of China, his name has been synonymous with music since the early 1950s. In addition to the stores that he established with his wife Betty, the Lees also formed a... more
Birth Date: November 6, 1928
Deceased Date: August 1, 2019
Betty Lee co-founded Tom Lee Music in Hong Kong with her husband in the early 1950s. In the beginning, Thomas Lee kept his full time work as an English secretary at a textile company while Betty Lee looked after the day to day administration of the small trading company which was to become Tom Lee... more
George Hauer established Madison Music Center in 1998 in the small Connecticut town of the same name. His main focus is sheet music and band instruments, but if you ask him he may admit the store was opened in his retirement to keep him active. George was active in music retail for a very long... more
David Estey is related to the Estey's who established the Vermont-based Estey Organ Company in 1846 as well as the Estey Piano factory in New York. Pianos must be in his blood as David became a piano technician before opening his own store in New Jersey. Along the way he decided to create a line of... more
Birth Date: June 16, 1923
Deceased Date: February 7, 2015
Bob Cavanagh was once the president of the famed Boston music retailer EU Wurlitzer (not to be confused with the R. Wurlitzer Piano Company, the Wurlitzer String Company or the Wurlitzer Juke Box Company). Bob's deep passion for music could be traced to his own guitar playing, which had the chops... more
Bill Bruford was the original drummer for the British progressive rock band YES. He later played with King Crimson and formed his own noted jazz fusion band Bruford, which included the young Allan Holdsworth. Bill's style was unique and rooted in the jazz he heard from his parents’ records as a... more
Birth Date: April 12, 1924
Deceased Date: May 25, 2017
Ham Brosious began his career in the audio industry as a salesman for Scully in 1960. He went on to establish Audio Techniques, which became a source of innovative pro audio products for years. Among the many products he handled was the mini mixing board created by Andy Bereza for the Allan &... more
Bob Berryhill was the original guitarist for the surf band the Surfaris. The group of teenagers had a pop hit with "Surfer Joe," which was followed up by the 1963 chart topper "Wipe Out." The song became an anthem for the early 60s instrumental recordings that helped define the era and the drum... more
Birth Date: September 15, 1914
Deceased Date: October 10, 2016
Dr. Leo Beranek is considered by many to be the father of concert hall acoustics. His amazing career has not only traced the growth of acoustic measurement but has documented it in a series of articles and books. His first book, Acoustics, was published in 1954 and is considered the bible for the... more
Jim Lehmann is the founder of Guitar Resurrection in Austin, Texas, known to its many customers as Guitar Rez! Jim played guitar in several local bands when he noticed the need, for himself and his friend, to purchase good gear. He opened the guitar shop and soon found a passion for helping fellow... more
Bill Kirchen is a well known rockabilly guitarist known by his tag, The Titan of The Telecaster! During much of his career Bill could be seen and heard playing his 1959 Sunburst finished Fender Telecaster. His driving playing style has been an influence on rock and country players alike, but Bill... more
Birth Date: May 12, 1929
Deceased Date: August 5, 2017
Bob Kane was born and raised in Elkhart, Indiana, known as the band instrument capitol of the world. He played cornet in school and in fact it was his high school band director who told Bob of an opening at Buescher Band Instrument Company. Bob began working in the customer service department but... more