OH Taxonomy
Dave McCumiskey enjoyed a long career as a Music Sales Group manager. He worked for the music publisher from the late 1960s until his retirement in 2008, having seen many of the developments and changes in print music during that time. Before his gig in the industry Dave was one-fifth of the rock...
Michael MacDonald has been a key-figure in the world of audio engineering and sound reinforcement as both a field technician and as part of corporate staff including as the president of JBL Professional. In 1996, as the Vice President for Harman Industries, Michael created many of the marketing...
Andrew Barta was born in Hungary and came to the United States with a dream of working in the music industry. Having been in rock bands in Europe, Andrew formed a band in America and worked as a technician repairing instruments in New York music stores. Along the way, he began designing a project...
Rob Turner’s first instrument was the drums; in fact it was the drums that brought him to establish one of the world’s best-known guitar pickup companies! While on tour in the early 1970s his drum kit was stolen, forcing him to rent a kit for the remaining tour. The experience caused him to rethink...
Joey Lyons has been a part of Music Sales Group almost as long as anyone else, perhaps second only to the president Mr. Robert Wise. Joey has been around music his entire life, in fact his first career was on Broadway. As a dancer, he toured and performed on television. When the chance came to work...
Michael Kropp loved folk music for as far back as he could remember. As he grew up and played in various bands in the 1960s and 70s he also became involved with the music industry. After owning his own music store for several years in New England, Mike became friends with Stewart Spector, Hap...
Chip Wise served in the piano business for over fifty years and enjoyed the customers he met and the people of the music industry. During the early days of the NAMM Oral History program more interviewees suggested we interview Chip than just about anyone else. His interview took place at the NAMM...
Robert Godin grew up in love with woods and handcraftsmanship. He worked along side a luthier long enough to understand he had found his passion. Robert designed and perfected a style of building that produced a unique sounding guitar, special in many ways. He took extra care in selecting the woods...
Dick Bell was surprised by the impact he had on the music industry, a fact that became clear to him at the NAMM Show 2009, when the Roland Corp gave him a retirement party and NAMM requested an interview for the Oral History program. He began his career in the music industry, as Dick said, “with no...
Gabe Ireland joined the Coast Wholesale Company while in high school. After college he continued to work for the company as the rock and roll boom began and the entire industry began to change. He stayed with the company after it was purchased by Kaman Music and worked his way up the corporate...