Oral History - all
Phil Hilborne turned the pages while next to his mother as a child as she played the piano. That early experience was not only a wonderful memory, but a useful training opportunity to read and understand music. He developed into a guitarist and a writer. Phil was able to convey thoughts and ideas... more
Abdulla Muijrers was encouraged to pursue his musical dreams by his parents. He was inspired by Queen and Motörhead while playing drums in a thrash medal band. Abdulla landed a job in the music products industry in 2007 when he was hired to work in the Room 2 Rock music store located in Bahrain. ... more
Zach Frederick has been around music his entire life. His brother, Alex, is a professional classical percussionist and Zach was playing his first instrument in the fourth grade. What he discovered while attending college at UCLA is that he has a real interest in business, especially international... more
Keith Taylor strongly believes that every recording engineer should have a foundation in music. Understanding the elements and structure of music has proven to be key to his success as an engineer and studio owner. It does not hurt that Keith also has been formally trained as an electrical engineer... more
Al Slivinski was in the third grade when a salesman visited his school with the pitch “you too can be an accordion player!” Al developed great techniques on the accordion that served him well when he began playing the organ in high school, which he continued throughout college. He sold pianos and... more
Viola Schimmel proudly recalls the mantra of her great grandfather, the founder of Schimmel Pianos, “Quality will prevail.” These words provide motivation, understanding, and guidance for her and her team as they continue the rich tradition of piano building. The company was formed in 1885 and has... more
John Schauer grew up in Indiana where his father offered him some sage advice; “if you listen, you will know what to say.” The quote stayed with John as he developed a career in the music industry. In 1987 he joined the Yamaha team in the corporate communications department. He was always listening... more
Rob Meads recalls his father purchasing a Lowrey Organ and how he could think of nothing he would rather do than have a career making music! As a teenager, Rob was hired by legendary music retailer Swanny Swanson in Minnesota to play an organ in a grocery store, which was a big hit. Rob was trained... more
Buddy Linn likes talking trash! In fact, he takes great care in making sure most NAMM Show attendees are unaware of the removal of trash before, during, and after the trade shows each year. This is his goal and he is proud to be a behind the scenes member of the NAMM family. Buddy began working for... more
Chris Kelly has always thought outside the box, which has proven to be a perfect element for marketing guitars to rock bands. While working for Robin Guitars in Houston, Texas, Chris brought a number of instruments to a local performance center and placed them on the grass outside of the tour buses... more
Carlos Hidalgo was just thirteen when he learned the guitar and fifteen when he switched to drums. A year later he was working in a local music store, Allegro Musical. Carlos really enjoyed the music retail environment and began making notes of some of the services he would provide if he had his... more
Ilja Krumins is a co-founder of Gamechanger Audio. He was born in Latvia and studied music in London while playing rock, surf, and rockabilly in several bands he formed with his friends. A number of those friends got together over time to outline some improvements they wanted to see in their audio... more
Rob Hanson joined the brass band as a school kid in a small town in England. When looking for a job Rob turned to John Packer, who owned and operated the instrument company that provided Rob his horns growing up. Time after time John reported that he did not have a job for Rob. Finally, Rob said he... more
Jim Mathews was playing drums and formed a band when he was just ten years old. He was encouraged by his mother, who was a singer in the big bands during the swing era. He soon developed a strong interest in audio equipment as he could see how much gear could help the band improve its sound and... more
Neil Larrivee was just four years old when he began playing drums. His father was a manager for rock bands and music was all around Neil as he grew up. He served in the Drum and Bugle Corps when he was 11 and soon embraced orchestral music and the timpani. He landed a job with Vic Firth, just as... more
Gabriela König is the CEO of König & Meyer, a music manufacturing company for which her grandfather started in the 1930s. He was a tool maker who saw the need for well structured music stands. The company re-emerged after World War II in 1949 with the help of a sales and marketing man named Mr... more
Jens Ritter is the innovative luthier who gained wide attention after a three page article about his instruments ran in a 1996 issue of Guitar & Bass magazine. A few years later, he attended the NAMM Show and his business grew. Among his most favorite projects so far are the instruments he... more
Little Willie G. sang in one of the most successful bands to come out of East Los Angeles in the early 1960s, Thee Midniters. Willie G (the G stands for Garcia) was always proud of his cultural roots and sang about it on songs such as “Chicano Power,” which was rare at the time. He also scored a... more
Wes Lane is respectfully known as The Voice of God at the NAMM Show. He earned the name as the main announcer introducing CEO Joe Lamond and his many guests during the Breakfast of Champions on the opening day of the Anaheim trade show, and during the Breakfast Sessions on each other day during the... more
Joe Pestka understands the values and procedures behind each NAMM Show because he has been a key part of the show since he was a teenager. His father was a carpenter for the Chicago trade shows and taught Joe the importance of an honest days work. Joe took that creed to heart and worked long and... more