Oral History - all
Bernhard Mueller has been the manager of International sales for Schott’s Music since 2004, after more than 20 years as the company’s distribution manager. His knowledge and love for music goes back to his childhood when he played in a rock band. At the age of 30 he taught himself piano and has... more
Dominic Milano played an important role in the history of the music products industry as editor of Keyboard magazine beginning in the 1970s and into the 1980s. It was Dominic’s article of MIDI that first shed light on the inner workings of the development of MIDI and the issues that faced the... more
Frank Mazurco spent 33 years working in the Steinway & Sons piano business, the last stretch as executive vice president. Frank helped lead the company during a time of growth within the global market as well as the technologic advances such as the Internet. Frank took a great deal of interest... more
Bill Mays can balance composing, arranging and piano performance with the best of them. As a young musician in San Diego, he cut his teeth on jazz and went on to become a pioneer in the use of synthesizers in the Hollywood studios as early as 1969. With a love of vocal arranging, Bill has worked... more
Bob Malone is one of the leading experts of band and orchestra instruments in the United States who is currently working as Director of the Ateliers in Los Angeles for Yamaha Corporation of America. Bob became one of the most noted band instrument repairmen in Southern California, where he opened a... more
Becky Lightfoot was one of the first people to earn a degree in music business from the University of Illinois, which she put to good use immediately. Becky began working in the sheet music department for Art’s Music Center in Alabama right after college. She helped grow the print department and... more
Birth Date: May 23, 1924
Deceased Date: July 5, 2016
Gladys Krenek was married to the world-renowned composer Ernst Krenek from 1950 until his passing in 1991. Like many women married to noted artists of that era, Gladys’ own remarkable life in music has been largely overlooked. In addition to being a composer in her own right, she played trumpet in... more
Birth Date: June 4, 1919
Deceased Date: May 18, 2004
Henry Heller recalled with detail his father’s idea of moving the Aeolian Piano Company’s manufacturing plant from New York to Memphis. During the months of the move in the early 1950s, his father suffered a heart attack and died. It was up to Henry not only to take over the project of moving the... more
Cynthia Hoover has devoted her career to the history of musical instrument making in America as curator at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC. Her love of the subject has resulted in many important exhibits and publications on musical instruments since her arrival at the Smithsonian in... more
Don Minaglia was working as school music administer in Chicago in the early 1970s when budget cuts threatened the music programs. Heading the team, Don enlisted the help of several music organizations including NAMM and Down Beat Magazine to show the school board the importance of a music education... more
Yasuharu Mano’s grandfather opened a toy business in 1902 in Japan and by 1917 expanded to include a small line of harmonicas. Soon, the harmonica became in high demand and the company changed directions to focus on the making of musical instruments. Yasuharu played a large role in the marketing of... more
Birth Date: August 28, 1926
Deceased Date: March 15, 2011
Tsutomu Katoh had many ideas for using electronics to improve the way people make music in their homes. As the founder of KORG, he was able to see his ideas turn into successful musical products. The company introduced an impressive line of products, many of which revolutionized the industry. One... more
Birth Date: January 9, 1929
Deceased Date: June 18, 2018
Kazuo Kashio was president of the Casio Musical Instrument Company during the heyday of electronic keyboard sales. The company produced some innovative products during that time and continues today to focus on product design and innovations. Mr. Kashio provided the rich history behind how the... more
Birth Date: April 8, 1930
Deceased Date: October 4, 2016
Toby Capalbo formed La Habra Music in Southern California back in 1960. Over the years he built up strong relations with local band directors and created a popular lesson program. When Toby started, the big craze was accordions and he worked hard to bring his customers the high quality products... more
Birth Date: June 1, 1920
Deceased Date: August 2, 2013
Leona Yousling was married to one of the most beloved members of the Wurlitzer Company team of the 1960s and 70s, John Yousling. John created many of the sales training classes, which he provided in several countries over 2 decades, becoming an influential teacher to many who have later became... more
Steve West took over his father’s store and went on to become an industry leader who served as president of the NAMM Board. Steve recalls the days as a boy running around West Music as his father, Pearl, sold instruments and gave lessons. With the expansion of the store in the 1970s, Steve saw the... more
Birth Date: August 14, 1915
Deceased Date: January 23, 2012
Rose Wernes Drake traveled with her husband, Ivor, when he became the second salesperson hired for the Winter Piano Company following World War II. He often said the company got two for the price of one as she soon became as good an asset to the company as he was. It was Ivor’s idea to train her on... more
Birth Date: October 8, 1930
Deceased Date: January 1, 2018
Dee Vinton was known as Dancin’ Dee around the NAMM Foundation’s Museum of Making Music where she was a noted docent since the early 2000’s. Dee was fond of telling her tour groups that her mother was a dime-a-dance girl in the heyday of the 1920’s dance craze. After retiring from a successful... more
Billy Vera spent 40 years waiting for overnight success, which came in the form of his 1985 hit song “At This Moment.” His road to overnight success is a very fascinating story that began in 1962 when Billy was playing guitar for the band, the Resolutions. He wrote several songs throughout the... more
Birth Date: December 31, 1925
Deceased Date: March 3, 2015
Russ Turner opened his own organ repair company in the early 1960s in the early days of the home organ boom. He worked with all of the organ dealers in and around the San Francisco Bay Area for nearly four decades. During this time he also repaired other electronic products with a focus on radios,... more