OH Taxonomy
John Bertrand Sr. has thoroughly enjoyed bringing music to the lives of young students. As a band director in the early part of his career he taught and encouraged children at nearly every grade level. As music retailer (he opened his first store in 1983) John has played a vital role in promoting...
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...
Ed Rizzuto was surrounded by music his entire life. As a young boy he started playing trombone, which he continued throughout high school and into his military service in the early 1950s. After teaching orchestra as a school band director for several years, Ed joined the music industry as a...
Danlee Mitchell was destined to live a life of music. Raised by parents who were both accomplished musicians, he began his music studies at a very early age. His life took a strange and wonderful turn when he attended the University of Illinois in 1959 and met Harry Partch. That began a long and...
Marv Drucker spent his early career in New York playing all types of venues from showrooms, to hotels, dives, clubs and theaters, more than you can imagine. Such performers were referred to as “musical journeyman,” and Marv was among the best. He witnessed firsthand the changing of musical styles...
Alan Levin is the eldest child of Chuck and Margie Levin, the founders of Washington Music Center, which began as Chuck Levin’s Music Center. Alan was a child when the 1968 Washington DC riots destroyed the music store. The event gave way to one of the industry’s best examples of resilience and...
Paul Calvin feels that his experience as a music retailer, including several years with Schmitt Music in Minnesota, has been helpful in his role as Vice President and General Manager of the Keyboard Division of Yamaha. Having a background in retail plays an important part in working with music...
Athan Billias had a rather impressive vantage point to witness the growth and development of the synthesizer in the late 1970s and early 80s. After performing as a professional musician in New England for several years, Athan found himself working on the landmark M1 keyboard as an engineer for KORG...
Tom Sumner grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area where he not only played guitar in local bands but also worked in area music stores. While attending college Tom worked in music retail as well as in the general retail segment. These experiences were a helpful foundation for Tom, especially when he...
Robert Heller worked in the music industry as a teenager in retail and discovered that he was drawn to the industry with his passion and love for music and music making. Bob was hired by Yamaha Corporation of America in the piano division, where he worked for 20 years before transferring to the...