OH Taxonomy
Kev Rones received his first instrument experience when a musician on his block recognized Kev’s passion and allowed him to use the Fender in his garage. That early influence really directed him towards music, which has been his life’s passion ever since. In fact, Kev is the Pied Piper of...
Rick Estrin and Charles Baty started playing blues together and decided to form a group in 1976. They brought in two other players and called themselves Little Charlie & the Nightcats. They began touring and soon began to feature at many of the top blues festivals. Ten years later they cut...
Gordon Grubbs grew up in a very musical home. His mother was a professional pianist and was very encouraging to Gordon when he was three and wanted to play. Gordon was later guided by a very influential teacher, which was an experience that forever cemented his own direction in music. He studied...
Paula Simmons wanted to create a shop where good quality instruments could be accessible to all those who came in the store. As a teacher, Paula was very interested in providing lessons for students of all ages. She tied both needs together when she and her partner, Kevin Smith,opened The Violin...
John Primer was born in Camden, Mississippi, where he learned to play the guitar before moving to Chicago to play an important role in the city's blues culture. While recording Magic Slim, John was able to contribute several songs to the album. The success of his early recordings led to gigs with...
Lori Frazer’s mother taught piano and organ, which was the foundation for her own passion for music. When Lori was a small child, her mother purchased a piano for the home, which later would serve Lori for her own training. Like many people in Northern California in the 1950s and 60s, Lori and...
John Fitzgerald focused on making creative music ever since his education at Cal Arts in the late 1970s. As his career developed, all of his experiences brought John directly to Remo Belli’s programs for Recreational Music Making (RMM). Remo helped pioneer music wellness programs and the many...
Genett Gamber was passionate about music making from a very young age. She recalls her mother arranged to have a piano teacher come to the house and being so excited about learning as much as she could. That desire and passion only grew over time and by the time she graduated from college; she...
Gayle Kowalchyk loves teaching piano! She studied piano in college, taught at the university level, and then established a piano studio in her home with her husband, E. L. Lancaster. Together, they taught and eventually began writing piano teaching materials. Morty Manus, president of Alfred...
Patrick Wilson grew up in a very musical family. His father played piano in his own tenor band that his mother sang in and his sisters also played and sang. Patrick recalls the first instrument he picked up and played at age 6: the triangle. All throughout high school he played percussion in band...