Oral History - all
Roy Larrick was a well-known sales rep for Hammond Organs and Panasonic's Technics products before opening his own retail store. Larrick Piano & Organ in Northern California was established after Roy worked for Colton Piano stores in the area. Back in the early part of his career, Roy's... more
John Good exudes passion when it comes to drums. While John’s first desire was to become a drummer, after lessons with DW founder Don Lombardi, John quickly transitioned into the manufacturing side. John’s early experiences as a drum technician and his ability to tune drums lead to him developing... more
Patrice Rushen has forged many in roads in the music industry. While Patrice got her start recording as an accomplished jazz pianist, she soon branched out into many other genres including pop and R&B. Along the way, Patrice took her passion for composing and arranging into the TV and Film... more
Greg Phillinganes reminds one of a chameleon with his innate ability to perfectly blend into any musical situation or setting. While still a teenager, Greg had the opportunity to join Steve Wonder’s Wonderlove band. This opportunity would help shape Greg’s musicality, giving him exposure to and the... more
Sylvester Bowen is a man of many talents and ideas. Along with his brother Dewey, Sylvester opened Freedom Guitars in downtown San Diego in 1972. In fact, the Bowen family has a long history of music stores, with other siblings also owning stores at one point in Los Angeles, CA and Oregon.... more
Kurt Pasch is the founder of the Music Man retail store in Anchorage, Alaska. Growing up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Kurt was surrounded by music and in fact played in more Polka Bands than most people have seen. His passion for playing was only equaled by his love of teaching music. After earning... more
Karl Pasch purchased the music store that his father established in Anchorage, Alaska, with the goal of continuing the tradition of providing music products for his community while also following his own path as a musician and composer. Karl got the music bug back before he can remember. He grew... more
John Kagerer is known as the Horn Doctor up in Anchorage, Alaska. With a very interesting background that includes welding and watch repair, John combined his skills to become one of the sought-after band instrument repair technicians in the state. After attending the Allied School, its founder,... more
Al Green is the store manager for the Music Man retail store in Anchorage, Alaska. Over his career Al has managed several stores including two in Washington State, however, none have compared to his experience in Alaska. Al was hired by the owner and son of the founder, Karl Pasch, whose father... more
Sharon Dunckle runs the music retail store her son, Mike, established when he was just 12 years old. Mike's Music is located in Eagle River, outside of Anchorage, Alaska. Mike saw the need to open a store as he bought old instruments to repair with his dad and then resold to his friends. His... more
While there are many facets to the development and building of a guitar, acoustic guitars are able to take the raw wood and, via build and design, let the sound ring true. Through the Oral History program, we have had the opportunity to interview some legendary acoustic guitar builders, including... more
Pepe Romero Jr literally grew up surrounded by guitars. As part of the Romero family, Pepe was exposed to classic guitars and music from the time he was born. While he learned to play at a young age, as a teenager, Pepe found his true passion in the instruments themselves. After completing his... more
Jose Feliciano is one of the most recognized and loved guitarists worldwide. Jose’s unique style and approach to songwriting and guitar playing is accessible yet technically brilliant. At a very early age, Jose started playing concertina and cuatro before moving onto the guitar. As a teenager, Jose... more
Birth Date: January 9, 1935
Deceased Date: September 10, 2016
Chris Stone was one of the original founders of the famous Record Plant recording studios. With his background in finance, Chris was able to secure the funding that launched one of the most iconic studios in recording history. Starting the first Record Plant in New York, Chris and partner Gary... more
Studio Engineers make the music come alive for the listener. As Brooks Arthur notes, engineers are like the extra band member performing behind the board. This compilation from the Oral History archives shares just a few stories from some of the icons such as George Massenburg, Ed Cherney, Eddie... more
Rose Mann-Cherney had a passion for music since she was a little girl listening to records while her parents would dance around the house. While in her native Chicago, Rose was hired by a booking agent to help arrange concerts with the likes of Curtis Mayfield before she decided to move to... more
John Andrews, along with his brother Barry and co-found Pat Quilter, formed the core that grew QSC into an incredibly successful company. Barry brought John into the business in the early days where he first began running the front office. Moving quickly into the role of Operations and finance,... more
Barry Andrews has seen it all. Barry helped take a fledgling amp company, Quilter Sound Things, from a small shop to one of the most successful companies in the music industry, QSC. Along the way Barry’s focus on quality has helped found the basis for the company. Starting in the shop building amps... more
Gina Schock has an energy about her that is extremely infectious and brings a smile to the faces of those around her. Gina grew up in Baltimore and after trying and discarding the guitar and piano, Gina hit her stride with drums, learning by playing along to the Beatles and Led Zeppelin. Before... more
Pat Quilter is a man with a vision. Pat built his first guitar amp after reading about a new technique for bridging using solid state transistors. Quilter Sound Things transitioned into Quilter Sound Company with the company focused on guitar and bass amps and selling direct to consumers out of... more