Oral History - all
Claudio Cecere grew up in the music store his father established in Southern Australia. He learned to play drums at an early age and started giving music lessons while still in school. His part time job with the store expanded and he soon realized he wanted to make a career of it, working side by... more
Joe Cecere established a small music school in 1967 in Southern Australia. As a teacher, he wanted to provide a safe and welcoming place for students at all levels to learn and appreciate music. Joe often provided meals for his students and even drove them to and from school so they wouldn’t miss... more
Ed Eagan was strongly encouraged and inspired by his music teachers growing up including his high school orchestra instructor who flamed Ed’s love of making music. While studying oboe, piano and composition in college, Ed was introduced to the developing technology behind electronic musical... more
Mike Dorfman was introduced to the industry with his design of a special polish for drums. In 1990, he opened Trick Drums, getting the name from his love of cars and how a super enhanced car would be “tricked out.” Mike designed an all-metal snare drum which later expanded to bass drums, toms and... more
Roy Elkins was working in a bowling alley in Memphis when he saw a small ad for a guitar salesman at Amro Music. He jumped at the chance and was hired by Chip Averwater who served as an early mentor for Roy who took to selling immediately. Roy later worked at Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center... more
Steve Fister began playing the guitar at the age of five and by twelve he was performing in clubs. Nothing else seemed to drive him like music and so he kept pursuing the opportunities that came his way, such as touring with rock bands and teaching guitar in music stores. He toured with Iron... more
Gary Galanti comes from a well-known and well-respected music products family. His great grandfather began building accordions in Italy in 1890 and later his uncle and father sold them in America. Gary began in the family business by helping with the wholesale division while also expanding their... more
Philip Bynoe was encouraged to play his father’s upright bass, which developed into an amazing career in music. Philip attended Berklee College of Music and would play at night in clubs throughout New England. During the 1980s he helped form the band Flash and recorded with the likes of Steve Perry... more
Leslie Buttonow has dedicated her career to the marketing and promotion of several iconic brands in the music industry. She has worked hard to develop new programs and campaigns to bring attention to the products companies she’s worked for, that her clients, including KORG, Marshall and Vox, create... more
Leo Nocentelli is an original member of the award-winning band The Meters. The group recorded a string of instrumental hits beginning in the 1960s, many written by Leo. Playing lead guitar and penning some of the most influential tunes the band recorded, Leo never stopped creating. As a long time... more
Kim Pang attended the NAMM Show in 1994 as a guest of the Zildjian company. While he there he accepted a job offer with the famous cymbal makers right on the spot. He was put in charge of expanding the brand in the Asian market and was always happy to be the first Zildjian employee from the region... more
Yves Tieche opened a small shop building guitars in 1976, later expanding into a store and becoming a Martin dealer. While attending the 1991 Frankfurt Music Fair, Yves met Armand Zildjian who offered him a job. Yves became the rep for Europe and traveled to both big and small dealers in large... more
Alan Greensall was working for Sound Technology when he helped broaden the reach of several brands into the British market. Among the brands were Taylor Guitars, Line 6 and G&L Guitars. This experience cemented Alan’s passion for developing brands in his country and by 2000 he established his... more
Paul McManus recalls the moment he first heard the recording of T Rex. It is a moment most of us can relate to when music enters our lives in a way that we can’t deny. He began playing guitar in local bands and later switched to bass, playing at clubs and college parties. Paul had a twenty-year... more
Birth Date: September 15, 1943
Deceased Date: June 26, 2021
Dave Bresnan had a true passion for music that began when he was fifteen when he learned to play the piano. Throughout the 1960’s, Dave played guitar and banjo in several groups after discovering Folk music. During this time, he also realized his dream of one day owning his own music store and... more
This video vignette was created to serve as a tribute to Jazz guitarist Joe Beck (1945-2008). Joe was helpful in the early days of the NAMM Oral History Program but due to his health was never interviewed. To show our appreciation for his role in helping us, we asked his friend Jimmy Bruno for his... more
Vernon Porter can be heard playing bass on many Kenny Loggins recordings from 1981-1984, which is one of many crowning achievements of his career. It started when young Vernon was in the fourth grade and was encouraged to appreciate music by his Bluegrass playing uncle and father. He joined the... more
Cindy Singer met her future husband, Danny, when they were young kids. They began dating in their late teens and were married soon after. Inspired by their love of dancing and music, they purchased a dance studio with a small music store in 1977. The store began with only a few instruments but soon... more
Karyadi Sutedja has a passion for playing music that began when he was eight years old, but he found greater satisfaction playing a behind-the-scenes role in music. He studied music production at Berklee College of Music and interned at a local studio. Karyadi joined the team at the Bopnique... more
John Waite was born in Lancaster, England and began playing ukulele at the age of four. In school he studied art and always felt that his music incorporated art at some level in addition to the music. In 1975 one of his first bands, The Babys, recorded a video that went along with their song and... more