OH Taxonomy
Mike Capalbo worked as manager at Downey Music which was started by his dad, Nate Capalbo. The family owned and operated, Downey Music was established in 1952 when Nate left La Habra Music. Mike recalls how his father, Nate, used his passion for music and some financial help from his parents, to...
Ralph-Joerg Wezorke became active in the pro lighting industry in 1975. He is the founder of pro-lighting company Lightpower. The company was formed in 1978 in Paderborn, Germany and soon became an important rental house for touring acts as well as stage plays and smaller rock and roll performances...
Honoring Craig Smith for his invaluable service in assisting the NAMM Resource Center in obtaining fantastic interview contributions to the NAMM Oral History Program. This video contains some of the highlight interviews that Craig helped us gather over the years. Thank you Craig!
Kevin Mitchell wrote the MMR cover story in 2009 dedicated to the NAMM Oral History program and has been a strong advocate and supporter ever since! His background in music (he played the piano as a child and would graduate from UMKC’s Conservatory of Music) and his love of journalism (he feels his...
Lou Castro has often said that NAMM is about the people! As a musician and songwriter, Lou has been involved with many musical products and publishers over the years and when it comes time for the trade show each year, he knows he will get the opportunity to connect with those important to his...
Lori Rubinstein was the first employee of the Theatrical Dealers Association, which in 1994 changed its name to the Entertainment Services and Technology Association (ESTA). Under Lori's leadership, the organization created the ANSI-accredited Technical Standards Program, which focuses on safety...
Bernie Williams is the former professional baseball player whose passion for music making led him to a role as a music advocate. Being a musician since he was a kid, Bernie perused a successful career as a baseball player for 16 years before gaining his degree in music at the Manhattan School of...
Darren Speir often reflects back on the Texas music store his uncle and his father opened. His father was a piano technician and helped build the store's customer list based on his attention to detail and the care he put into each piano tuning and repair. After working in his father's piano store...
This video is of our annual NAMM Tribute, created in honor of our members and music industry friends who passed away in 2016 and early 2017. This Tribute was shown for the first time at the NAMM Show in Anaheim, California in January 2017. All moving images within this video, indicate those who...
John Carpanini worked side by side with Robert Wilson at Sound Technology for just over 18 years. Perhaps considered a baptism of fire? The job was John’s introduction to the industry and one that grew with love and passion for music. John is a talented guitar player and has studied music for many...