Oral History - all
Davide Barbi is a co-founder and CTO of IK Multimedia, a software company he established with his friend Enrico iori. They created the first specialized guitar audio interfaces that culminated in 2010 with the iRig - the first iPhone and iPad guitar interface - and AmpliTube app. From there, IK... more
Enrico Iori founded IK Multimedia in 1996 with his friend and partner Davide Barbi. Starting as a software company and becoming a pioneer during the growth of computer music led to today’s full in-the-box DAW systems. IK Multimedia was an early leader in their field as one of the first developers... more
Lokesh Oli established his first business in Nepal in 1996 in the printing field, which he expanded in 2003 to include digital printing. The experience of running his own company gave him the confidence to seek other opportunities. In 2007 he opened Oliz Music with a focus on electronics and pro... more
Aayush Bhattorai works for his uncle at Oliz Music in Nepal. The company specializes in providing pro audio and electronic equipment. Aayush, along with his uncle, Lokesh Oli, became the first NAMM members from Nepal to be interviewed for the NAMM Oral History Program. During the interview, Aayush... more
CC Tsai’s father and uncle ran the family business, Marina Guitar Company, in Taiwan. Young CC worked in the factory but decided to form his own company. Team Intl was formed in 1990 and focused on OEM guitar and accessories. He expanded into China in 1994 and Indonesia in 2013. The factory in... more
Domingos Caeiro has always been interested in the mechanics of brass and woodwind instruments. He received training in Paris and moved to Portugal in the hopes of establishing his career. When he found it difficult to find work in other shops, he decided to open up his own. Slowly his workshop... more
Smaragda Chrysostomou is a board member of the International Society for Music Education and serves as an advocate throughout the world in such organizations as the International Coalition during each Anaheim NAMM Show. Her dedication to music education runs deep and covers the concerns of general... more
Fernando Jimenez partnered with his wife, Andrea Fernandez, to open a music store in Bolivia. The store opened in 2015 with the goal of providing the gear local musicians need, ranging from the latest pro audio gear to traditional stringed instruments. Fernando has a personal passion for developing... more
Andrea Fernandez and her business partner (and husband), Fernando Jimenez, opened a small music store to support local musicians. The company name, DON Bolivia, means a gift from above, which reflects their belief in the power of music. Her main focus is working with manufacturers, understanding... more
Mark Schulman remembers seeing The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show when he was three. The moment he saw Ringo something resonated within him and he knew what he wanted to do. Mark started playing cello as a kid and slowly started learning how to play drums as well. In high school he played... more
Paul Gallo is proud of the contributions his magazines have provided the music industry. His first endeavor in 1975 was publishing Modern Recording, a hobbyist magazine that gained the attention and respect of professional engineers. Just three years later, Paul and his cousin, Vinny Testa,... more
Cyril Maillot joined the SAVAREZ String Company in 1994 with a focus on updating the company’s computer system. He has held several positions over the years but now as CEO his main focus is on marketing their brand. Cyril has realized that the history of the company is very important to their... more
Bernard Maillot’s grandfather was a musician and worked at the SAVAREZ String Company, as did his father after him. Bernard’s father saw the potential of a new market for strings and designed a series of packaging aimed to the jazz musicians of the 1930s and 40s. Bernard studied accounting in... more
Jeri Palumbo grew up in a very musical family. Like many of her relatives she is a multi-instrumentalist. She developed strong orchestration skills and played in a number of bands ranging from classical to rock. When she was hired as a music arranger on an indie record, she was introduced to the... more
Noel Lee recognized an opportunity to introduce high quality cables that would consistently provide the top-level audio signals to support high-end instruments and amplifiers. He had studied electrical engineering and at the time was working at Lawrence Livermore Labs in Northern California. By... more
Charles Lusso was repairing machines for Kodak and then went on the road as a musician for 3 years. When he returned Tony D’Andrea asked if he would help with some of the machines in the company. His sister, Rosemary D’Andrea, had married into the famous guitar pick family. Charlie and Rosemary’s... more
Denise Gallant designed a video-audio synthesizer that was years ahead of its time. Her love of visual art and music blended perfectly together when she and her husband, Kevin Monahan, formed their production company Video 4. She has worked with Peter Rodgers and at Zoom Audio and fell in love with... more
Kevin Monahan began working at E-MU in 1980, at a very exciting time for synthesizer development. The sample boom was in full swing and Kevin enjoyed the opportunity to work on several innovative products. After twenty years with the company, Kevin joined forces with his wife, Denise Gallant, in... more
Bryan Ottens began playing piano at an early age and studied music at William Paterson University. His first job in the industry was in the stock room at Victor’s House of Music, where he soon discovered his love of selling. Over time he found himself more and more on the sales floor and later left... more
Greg Herreman became the Front of House engineer at the Backdoor Club in San Diego while still in college. The venue attracted nationally known performers, which was a perfect training ground for Greg, who worked there from 1973-1978. He also worked sound for television programs and live events... more