OH Taxonomy
Jim Beattie went to his local audio dealer in Columbus, Ohio in 1971 seeking high-end gear. The dealer invited Jim to tour the Crown International factory with him following week in Elkhart. Jim was approached to fill a job position while there and joined the company that year, 1971, and retired in...
Don Martin was 18 years old, in 1950, when he began working at CG Conn Musical Instruments in Elkhart, Indiana. His mother, who worked for the company for 26 years suggested Don interview for an opening in the bell making department. He stayed in that department, becoming a master craftsman, until...
Steve Rorie landed a part time job the very same day he graduated high school at the Vincent Bach plant in Elkhart, Indiana. He later would accompany his grandfather and father at EK Blessings to observe them while they worked honing and de-burring trumpet valves . His passion for how musical...
Dominic Massaro has been learning each step of the process of making a mouthpiece in the Elkhart shop his great grandfather’s uncle started in 1919. jj Babbitt has been innovating the process and models of mouthpieces for a hundred years and Dominic is excited to carry on the tradition. His...
Dave Mount remembers working with his grandfather, Kurt Gemeinhardt, and learning first hand several important elements of the business including customer service and a focus on quality. Dave carried over these business principles when he and his father, George, formed MTS Products in 1971. They...
Alan Fox’s father played in the symphony orchestra in Fort Wayne, Indiana before being drafted for service in World War I. After the war, he began making reeds and in 1923 joined the Chicago Symphony as the bassoonist. He formed Fox Music, making bassoons, in 1949 and ten years later Alan, who was...
Russell Jewell played cornet in the 5th and 6th grade and took singing lessons in junior high school. He also performed in his church and grew up fully aware of the importance of a good sound system for the performers. He began collecting audio gear when he was ten and by the time he was a teenager...
Tom Hebert was serving in the Canadian Air Force when he had the idea of opening a small music store. His idea was to provide lessons to some of his fellow servicemen and the young students in the neighborhood. Cosmo Music was established in 1968 and slowly grew over the years to include repairs...
Doug Davies entered the music products industry in 1972 when he was hired by Turner Music in Canada. Turner was a subsidiary of Chicago Musical Instruments (CMI) and at the time, Doug was their youngest sales rep. He really enjoyed the job as he had a supportive mentor to help him learn the ropes...
Brenda Hebert remembers driving to the music wholesaler who represented the small store her husband formed, Cosmo Music. She was several months pregnant with her son, Mark, and was given help loading a pair of guitars in her car. The two instruments were all they could afford at the time and yet...