OH Taxonomy
Jeff Hamilton is right at home at the drum kit of a big band. While he has had great success and enjoys trios, Jeff considers himself a big band drummer. One key approach to his drumming is to keep the tempo while bringing out the talents of the other musicians in the band. Throughout his career,...
Brent Mason can often be found at the NAMM show as he has developed some long-lasting relationships with musical instrument companies during his long career as a studio musician. He grew up in a very musical family, in fact his parents and siblings formed the Mason Family musical group, which...
Matthew Nelson always knew he wanted to be a musician and follow in the footsteps of his famous father and grandparents. Ozzie and Harriet were a famous television couple; however, they first came to fame in the 1930s with a big band. His father, Ricky Nelson, was an early rock and roll recording...
Don Cusic recalls that in 1964 he was greatly influenced by three musical discoveries: Roger Miller, Hank Williams, and The Beatles! After forming his own band and playing Bluegrass music for some time, Don became a professor of music at Belmont College in Nashville. During that time, he began...
Gunnar Nelson and his twin brother, Matthew, formed a rock band in the 1980s that followed the musical traditions of their father, Ricky Nelson, and their grandparents, Ozzie and Harriet. The Nelson twins wrote and recorded “I Can’t Live Without Your Love and Affection” and in the era of MTV,...
Brian Berk was hired as the editor for the Music & Sound Retailer trade magazine back in 2005. The magazine, founded by Vinny Testa, was the first in the industry to offer a video e-newsletter. Brian remained the editor for five years, then left the industry for several years before returning...
Richard McDonald has always been driven and inspired by music. Both his father and brother played upright bass and for as long as he can remember, Richard has always been drawn to making music. He played several instruments as a kid and clearly remembers the day he received his first guitar from...
Mark Maxwell’s love for music retailing goes back as far as he can remember. His parents started Mom’s Music in "Kentuckiana" with stores in Jeffersonville, IN and Louisville, KY. Mark literally grew up in a music store, and has been selling instruments and gear his entire life. When his parents...
Leigh Maples played her ukulele as her sister sang when the two were small and remains an important memory for Leigh. She later played guitar in high school and went on to study music business in college. In 2009, Leigh and Pamela Cole, who she met in college, opened a music store in Nashville. ...
Orval Engling has become an expert on the Ibanez guitar brand, so much so that he helped write a book on the company’s history. Orval began collecting Ibanez guitars in the 1990s and has come to discover the many innovations the company created over the years. He has enjoyed learning stories from...