OH Taxonomy
Dean Markley thought there must be a better way of making a guitar string, so he found it and in the process changed the way accessory products were sold. Founder of Dean Markley Strings, he often sought to refine the manufacturing process to produce a larger variety of strings for a gamut of...
Evan Brooks became interested in electronic musical instruments during the early days of synthesizer development. He worked on MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) controllers for E-MU and other San Francisco Bay Area companies. Soon thereafter, Evan started designing his own technologies...
Jane Traum and her husband Happy, are the founders of Homespun Music, which for decades has offered a growing collection of musical instrument training classes. Happy began with a new classical guitar program, which at the time was released on cassette tape. Today the expanded programs are offered...
Chris Martin is the proud descendent of the instrument craftsmen in Germany who founded the C.F. Martin & Company in 1833. As CEO of the company, Chris has overseen the expansion of the company while keeping family traditions in tact. Chris began the now infamous limited edition series guitars...
Tony Lalonde comes from a family of inventors. His father, who held several patents for musical accessories, enjoyed a long career as a retailer in Minnesota. Tony and his brother started music stores in California in conjunction with Tony expanding the family’s line of patents and innovative...
Gene Garb is the Vice President of NEMC, joining the company only a few years after it was established in the 1950s. NEMC is a school oriented music wholesaler located in Mountainside, New Jersey. The company’s focus has been to work closely with schools to create rental programs that best support...
Dick Dolan is the president of QRS, the historic makers of player piano rolls. He purchased the company in the mid 1980s and ensured that QRS continue to innovative products in the electronic age. His passion for the player piano resulted in a line of creative products including video linked player...
Ann Jones was interviewed alongside Dick Dolan, the president of QRS, a company known around the world for their piano rolls. As CFO, Ann has been with QRS since the 1980s. She has played an important roll in the expansion of QRS into DVD products for a new generation of player pianos. Under Dick...
Takashi “Hagi” Hagiwara has been called the “godfather of Yamaha drums” as the unofficial ambassador of the company’s percussive products around the world. His father was a silversmith in Tokyo, a profession he was thought to continue, however he decided to take a part time job as a teenager in a...
Peter Giles, the founder and president of Giles Communications, celebrated 20 years in business at the 2007 NAMM Show. During his interview, Peter proudly recalled his work in promoting the benefits of music making. Over the years, he has worked closely with many industry companies. For 15 years...