OH Taxonomy
Dean Samuel is the son of industry leader, Lowell Samuel, who not only formed the Samuel Music retail store in Effingham, IL but the pioneering music wholesale company, MIDCO, in 1964. Lowell was also one of the founders of NASMD and an early supporter of the industry’s Global Economic Summits....
Bruce Bannister is the current president of Samuel Music in Effingham, Illinois. The store was formed in the 1940s by Lowell Samuel, the band director turned music industry pioneer. Bruce was interviewed in the store and recalled working closely with Lowell as well as Dean Samuel, Lowell’s son and...
Caito Marcondes has played the rhythm of Brazil his entire life. As a result of years of playing and research, he has become one of the world’s leading experts of Afro-Latin rhythm and drumming. His compositions, such as “Porta do Templo,” have expanded the sounds of Brazil around the world. His...
Neil Grover was playing percussion in the Boston Symphony Orchestra when he discovered a bright and unique triangle. When he bought a new triangle he realized it was nothing like that of the symphony and thus started a quest to find, produce and play the perfect triangle. Along the way, quite by...
Ron Vaughn began his career in the music industry as a drummer who was always looking for new gizmos that could produce the sound he sought. After creating a long list of clever products for himself, he was asked by others he knew to create the sounds they were looking for. Ron worked with the...
John Craviotto, the founder of Craviotto Drum Company, has helped pioneer the handcrafted solid-shell snare drums, a leading product for his company and a tool he sought as a young drummer in the 1960s. As a musician, John worked for a host of top artists such as Neil Young, Ry Cooder, Buffy St....
Stanley Leonard, the principal timpanist emeritus for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, was interviewed during PASIC 2010 on the very day he was inducted into the PAS Hall of Fame. It was an exciting day and Stanley expressed his gratitude for the honor. He also recalled his life in music,...
Michael Udow served as principal percussionist with the Santa Fe Opera from 1968 until his retirement in 2009. His work with Keiko Abe in Japan as part of Summit Brass, Equilibrium and the seasons with the Michigan Symphony Band have been widely regarded within the world of percussion. Michael’s...
Wes Faulconer is the founder of Explorers Percussion in Kansas City, Missouri. He formed the store in 1984 with the goal of bringing quality drumming products to students and educators within the area. As technology developed over the years, Wes took full advantage of new ways to connect with his...
Steve Weiss loved playing the drums as a small child, but never imagined in a million years that he would have a career in music, let alone a pioneering and successful career in the music products industry. In 1965, he formed Steve Weiss Music in Philadelphia and soon became one of the leaders in...









