Oral History - all
Jim Swearingen began composing for his students. He soon realized his music was not only helping students learn to play, but was also encouraging them since the music was similar to popular music the students heard on the radio. Soon his work got the attention of Barnhouse Music, which has... more
Vaughn Wiester recalls the day he played with the Woody Herman band for the first time. The famed leader called out a tune he knew and Larry was ready to jump right in. "They started playing all of these different notes, playing off each other and making such great music I was lost. I realized I... more
Christopher Weait attended Potsdam's music program in the late 1950s, the same time as John O'Reilly and Sandy Feldstein. After teaching music and playing in many orchestras, Christopher began to compose. He published a book, one of the first, on double reed making and soon wrote method books and... more
Robert Gillespie was teaching at Ohio State University in the music department when he developed and hosted a summer workshop for violin teachers. In addition to his regular teaching, playing, and the yearly workshop, Dr. Gillespie co-wrote one of the most popular and regarded method books for the... more
John Trakas was hired by Ziggy Coyle to serve in the store's accounting department. John grew in the company over the years as did the store, which had multiple locations throughout the Ohio area. During his NAMM Oral History interview, John spoke about Ziggy's background and strengths as a band... more
Russell Hill first met Ziggy Coyle in 1957 when the famed retailer hired Russ to help with the business side of the company. Ziggy and Russ made a wonderful team as Russ minded the numbers while Ziggy was out playing and promoting the store. The company grew to several locations throughout Ohio... more
Phyllis Snedeker has worked for Stanton's Sheet Music Service since the 1960s and was still at work several days a week in 2016 when she was interviewed for the NAMM Oral History program. When she began, the founder and his wife were still running the store which was one of the largest sheet music... more
John Stavash and his sister took over the music company their parents established in the early 1950s. John recalls the first milestone of the business was when it moved out of the family home into a real store front. Over the years, he has been instrumental in growing the product line as well as ... more
Rick Roth will greet you with a warm smile when you enter Stebal Drum Shop outside of Cleveland, Ohio. As a drummer, Rick loves talking about the gear and has had years of experiences in fitting customers with just what they need. Before working for John Stebal, Rich had his own drum and... more
Birth Date: May 6, 1925
Deceased Date: April 13, 2021
Jim Anastasi served as the trumpet tester for the King Band Instrument factory in Cleveland, Ohio for nearly 40 years. While testing some 200 instruments a day, Jim worked with some noted musicians including Harry James and Dizzy Gillespie. In addition to his factory work, Jim was a lifelong... more
John Stebal owns the Stebal Drum shop outside of Cleveland, Ohio. The store was originally called Stebal Music when his father opened it. When John took over the store he decided to focus on his main instrument, the drums, for which he knew he could teach and provide top level service. In... more
Richard King is a principal French horn player for the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra. He began playing for the orchestra in the 1980s and has enjoyed a long relationship with the nearby Conn-Selmer factory, which produces the horns he plays. Rich is first to point out that a musician is only as... more
Hans Clebsch began playing French Horn for the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra in 1996. Since that time he has worked closely with Conn-Selmer, which has a production factory outside of Cleveland. In 2016, Hans was interviewed for the NAMM Oral History program in the factory and spoke about his... more
Mark Gifford was a band instrument repairman before he joined the King Band Instrument Company, now known as Conn-Selmer. The factory, located outside of Cleveland, Ohio produces a long line of brass instruments, some of which Mark had a hand in designing. The reputation of the company, which... more
Dave Woodruff began working for King Band Instruments right out of college. He began in the personnel department and Human Resources before becoming involved with the production of the instruments. As a King musician himself, Dave has always been very proud of his role with the company and the... more
Pete Cumming began playing a King trombone as a student, never dreaming he would one day work for the company. Growing up outside of Cleveland, Ohio, not far from the King factory, Pete knew much about the famous instruments. After college he briefly worked in the field of Architecture. His... more
Theodore Johnson was playing in the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra when he began to think of ideas that would improve his clarinet's mouthpiece. Over time, he designed his own mouthpiece and established his own company, while still performing full-time. His product line grew over time as did the... more
Wallace Coleman played blues harmonica with the legendary Robert Lockwood Jr. as well as forming his own groups during his long career. His creative style can be heard on live and studio recordings with Robert Lockwood and on his own albums, all of which include at least a few songs he wrote. For... more
Mike Wuellner opened Online Marketing in the early 1990s with the idea of providing a quality product line with products that help serve their customer base. He built up his dealer base over time with attention to service and by offering innovative products. Online Marketing was among the first... more
John Kay was an original member of the rock band Steppenwolf, whose hit song “Born to be Wild” helped redefine hard rock in the 1960s. The band enjoyed several other hits including “Magic Carpet Ride” and a dozen top albums. John has been closely associated with the music products industry going... more