OH Taxonomy
Gary Galanti comes from a well-known and well-respected music products family. His great grandfather began building accordions in Italy in 1890 and later his uncle and father sold them in America. Gary began in the family business by helping with the wholesale division while also expanding their...
Bryan Ottens began playing piano at an early age and studied music at William Paterson University. His first job in the industry was in the stock room at Victor’s House of Music, where he soon discovered his love of selling. Over time he found himself more and more on the sales floor and later left...
Michael O’Dorn still remembers the moment he met one of his musical heroes, Merle Travis. Mr. Travis flicked a thumb pick to young Michael, who soon developed an even greater appreciation for the man and his music. The two became friends and Michael worked long and hard to understand and later...
Jonathan "Sugarfoot" Moffett grew up in New Orleans and used the style he developed in clubs, starting at the age of 10, to create a unique place in music history. His first significant recording in 1979 of “Don’t Stop the Music” by Yardbrough & Peoples led him to an introduction of the Jackson...
Jim Cliff remembers taking the bus into Minneapolis when he was eight years old to take accordion lessons. It was the beginning of his life-long love of making music. Among his career highlights was writing and arranging instructional music books, which were published by Hal Leonard and provided...
Ellen White did not work in the music store her husband Jerry operated for many years and yet her supportive role helped that little retail business grow into the White House of Music chain consisting of multiple locations. Both Jerry and Ellen were teaching when Jerry decided to join his cousin in...
Jerry White and his brothers all played musical instruments growing up on their family farm in Wisconsin. Their father was a professional musician who played in popular dance bands. Jerry and his wife, Ellen, both became schoolteachers and Jerry continued to play on the side. When he had an...
Martin Johnson served as publisher and, at times, editor for Piano Trades Magazine (PTM) from 1959 until 1967. He studied art in school and became editor of the college newspaper, which gave him the idea of seeking a career that combined his two main interests, art and writing. He joined the...
Diane Johnson, who was born in Brooklyn, was living on Madison Avenue when she landed a job at Music Merchandise Review (MMR). The magazine’s office was located just around the corner on Lexington Avenue so Diane could walk to work each day. She served as the Office Manager for MMR from 1979 until...
Tim Smith grew up in a very musical family as his father and uncle both wrote and record music. In fact, his uncle, Arthur Smith, wrote two of the most famous instrumentals in modern country music (“Guitar Boogie” and “Dueling Banjos”). Young Tim was playing bass in his uncle's recording studio...