OH Taxonomy
Peter Dods was an investment banker on Wall Street on September 11, 2001, which in his words, “uprooted my life and caused me to rethink what I wanted to do.” Having been a music maker himself, Peter returned home to Hawaii where he sought to open his own music store. At that time he learned that...
Jeff Millar-Sax began his association with the music products industry as a consultant while developing a family of friends and companies he has proudly worked with over the years. One of his themes during his interesting interview for the NAMM Oral History collection was “only at the NAMM Show...
Jack Pearson grew up listening to the Allman Brothers not knowing that one day he would join the band and tour the world playing the songs he loved. His talents on the guitar developed as a teenager playing along to his musical heroes like Duane Allman on records and the radio, but he cut his...
Jyotindra (JP) Parekh is the owner of Rice Music House in Columbia, South Carolina. He is very active in educational programs within his community and has served the industry on many levels including being on the NAMM Board of Directors. His long industry history includes over 25 years with his...
Eddie DeGarmo grew up across the street from Graceland (he has a great Trick or Treat story from 1960) and somehow always knew he wanted to have a career in music. As a member of a Christian hair-band of the 1980s he recorded 17 albums with that band and performed for many years with several...
Billy Ray Hearn is credited by many for pioneering the concept of Contemporary Christian Music during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Influenced by the folk musicians of the day (Peter, Paul and Mary and others) Billy Ray brought these modern sounds into the church to surprising results. The...
Ron Bienstock was playing gigs by night and the editor for the International Musicians & Recording World when he was hired by Hoshino to serve as their General Counsel. It was at that time when Ron realized he could combine his two loves, music and the law. In 1987 he opened Bienstock &...
Wayland Holyfield wrote several popular songs for both popular and country artists during a career that began singing in church as a child out in Conway County, Arkansas. He wrote such classics as “Could I Have This Dance”, “Some Broken Hearts Never Mend”,“Till The Rivers All Run Dry” and one of...
Lee Hargrove grew up in a musical home, one that not only produced Lee and his life long career in music, but also his sister, Linda Hargrove, who became a successful songwriter in Nashville (she penned hits for George Jones, Johnny Cash and others). Lee too wrote songs, although his focus was on...
Richard Schiemer grew up in Brighton, Pennsylvania and often went down to Brighton Music Center for supplies and lessons. Little did he know at the time that one day, after college, he would work for the store and years later he would own the store along with a friend and fellow employee. ...