Oral History - all
Mark Stein played an important role in psychedelic rock in the 1960s as keyboardist for Vanilla Fudge. His dad was a singer and was always supportive of Mark’s career in music, which began when he played accordion as a child. His dad, who later became Mark’s manager, booked him on a television... more
Dr. George Shaw has had a big impact on the lives and careers of thousands of young musicians. As a music educator and sought after musician, George always looked for opportunities to engage and inspire students. While teaching at Long Beach City College, George asked many of his jazz friends to... more
Susan Mazer and her husband, Dallas Smith, established the C.A.R.E. Channel, which serves over a thousand hospitals by providing peaceful and relaxing music 24 hours a day. Their goal was to reduce the noises of a healthcare setting and to help patients benefit from the healing power of music.... more
Darrell Leonard really enjoys his role of writing and arranging music. After touring with a band in the late 1960s, Darrell found himself arranging “Put A Little Love In Your Heart” for Kim Carnes to perform on the Joey Bishop television program. This opened up many opportunities for Darrell who... more
Russ Fontaine played the organ, with a special affinity for the Hammond B3, since he was seven years old. His father was an organist and saw to it that Russ take piano and organ lessons. Russ performed with a number of rock and dance bands for over 30 years all the while having a day job, which... more
Adam Darrell is a third generation piano dealer in New Hampshire. His grandfather was a popular singer (Ken Darrell and the Rockaways) who opened several music stores in Philadelphia and Boston before opening four piano stores in New Hampshire, beginning in 1969. Adam’s father, Darrell, joined the... more
KC Darrell always felt that his father was his best friend. They two opened a series of music stores in New Hampshire over the years, working side by side for over 40 years. KC learned the business from his father, who had opened several stores for Wurlitzer in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. In... more
Roger Hart has developed many friends throughout his career in the music products industry. Those friends will likely tell you the two things Roger enjoys talking about the most are musical gear and fishing! He played guitar in local bands starting in high school and gained prominence touring with... more
James Tsaptsinos recalls the Muppet themed drum kit his uncle purchased for him when he was just five years old. He was surrounded by music during his childhood and in high school formed bands with some of his friends. His passion for music led to a gig as technical manager touring with bands such... more
Laura Clapp Davidson was just ten when she discovered the Beatles. It was something special about their sound that grabbed her and she soon realized it was their words and melodies that became a great inspiration to her. She studied at De Paul University in Chicago and Berklee College of Music in... more
Ann Pizzoferrato practically grew up in her father's music store. She recalls being surrounded by creative music people such as her father Ralph (who established Center Music in Newington, Connecticut), her uncle who installed Pro Audio systems and her brother Justin who became a recording... more
Bill Lloyd is one half of the country duo Foster & Lloyd. Along with his partner Radney Foster, Bill wrote and recorded several hit songs including “Crazy Over You” and “Since I Found You.” The latter became a big hit for the Sweethearts of the Rodeo in 1986. Bill’s love of music can be traced... more
Karla Redding-Andrew’s father, Otis Redding, committed himself early on in his short career to philanthropy. The soul legend started a camp inviting 600 school students to learn about music and the arts back in 1966. Otis also awarded scholarships to young students and after his untimely death in... more
Ed Corvo feels that his experiences playing for many weddings and in bars helped him develop several skill sets he uses every day as National Account Manager at The Music People, including his communication and collaboration skills. His background with gear has also been key to his success,... more
Tom Tedesco likes to point out that the music industry and the sports industry have many similarities. Having worked in both, Tom has noticed music and sports people share a special drive and passion that pushes them. He also has noticed each rely on skills such as leadership and team building as... more
Jeremy Hill earned his electrical engineering degree and initially worked on missile guidance and radar tracking systems for the government. With a background and passion for recording equipment and electronics, Jeremy jumped at the opportunity to design synthesizers when he learned of a job... more
Josh Berger has found it very rewarding creating new products with his teammates at The Music People. As Director of Product Development and Marketing, Josh leads the efforts to identify unmet needs of their customers and to try to address them with new accessories and equipment. Since first... more
Geno Mulcahy is your go-to man if you need deep product knowledge on all things pro audio. Around the office at The Music People, where he has worked since 2008, Geno is summoned by saying “ask Google.” Behind that knowledge is a deep passion for the gear and a long and interesting life in music.... more
Toni Fishman has always been fascinated with innovative microphones. Once he began collecting and researching microphones, he discovered some very unique characteristics of the ones he liked the most in terms of clarity and balance. In 1998 he opened Vintage Tones out of his home as a retailer. He... more
Jim Mingo learned much more than he can put into words from his experience in his school's marching band. Jim developed many skills he uses to this day including how to work within a team and how to listen to others. While playing in college he worked for a sound company and later would provide... more