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NAMM Resource Center

Library

Preserving the History of the Music Industry

NAMM Oral History Program

The NAMM Oral History Collection is unique, unlike any other collection in the world. The heart of the Collection is the depth of its narratives that cover innovative creations, the evolution of musical instruments, the ever-changing world of music retail, as well as our collective quest to improve music education around the globe.

Featured Interview

DeDe Heid

DeDe Heid met her husband, Todd, while selling newspaper advertising to his music store, Heid Music. After attending numerous NAMM Shows and business meetings alongside Todd, DeDe joined the store around 2009 and became its Executive Vice President. The two balance each other well, and their partnership has materially contributed to Heid Music’s success and growth. In 2020 DeDe became a founder and council member of the organization now known as Women of NAMM (WoN). WoN is a leadership program that gives young women in the music products industry resources to develop their leadership skills and build lasting relationships across the industry. During the 2026 WoN Leadership Summit, DeDe sat down again for a NAMM Oral History. Reminiscing about the program’s early years, she spoke eloquently about WoN’s progress. She also shared a sanguine outlook on the goals she hopes it will reach as it continues to provide leadership for the industry.
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Recently Completed

Sophie Rojas

Sophie Rojas grew up in a family that ran a funeral business, where music was part of everyday life. She learned piano, then sang and played drums in her school band and choir, and she performed at church and at the family funeral home. On a whim, Sophie called Meyer Music and asked co-founder Betty Meyer about a job. Betty told her to call her son, Mike, who hired Sophie as his assistant manager. Their 15 years working together gave her an amazing opportunity to learn the business. Sophie then spent more than nine years with Conn-Selmer covering a 12-state territory. At the time,
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Martha Gomez

Martha Gomez is Operations Director of Dirty Boy Co., the boutique guitar effects brand she leads with her husband, CEO and guitarist Danny Gomez. Alex Saraceno, father of guitarist Blues Saraceno, founded Dirty Boy and built its reputation on high-end pedals such as the Afro Fuzz. That emblematic stompbox has appeared on the pedalboards of John Frusciante and Mike Scott. After Danny acquired the company, production moved to Spain, where craftsmen build Dirty Boy’s pedals, preamps and custom electric guitars. Martha oversees business operations, strategic partnerships, artist rela
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Jessie Osborne

Jessie Osborne has always been passionate about music and lifelong learning. As Sales Manager at Spicer’s Music in Auburn, Alabama, she leads training for new employees, supports ongoing education for the sales team and organizes in-store events that bring the community together. Jessie attended her first NAMM Show as a Women of Music scholarship recipient. NAMM and its national initiatives for women in the industry inspired her to close the gap between those large movements and what women could reach in her own town. She came up with the idea for The She Collective (SHECO), found
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Vignettes

Pianos, Reed Organs and Player Pianos

Museum of Making Music docent Jim Fahey tells the story how at the beginning of the 20th century three instruments were at the heart of the music industry: the piano, the reed organ, and the player piano. Their rise in popularity transformed how Americans experienced music at home and helped lay the foundation for the organization we know today as NAMM.
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Oral History Program

The NAMM Oral History Program is a collection of one-on-one interviews with people involved in the music products industry that was established by NAMM in 2000. The mission of the program is to preserve the history of the music products industry, including industry innovations, the evolution of musical instruments and music retail, as well as improving music education worldwide.
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Beatles Boom

In 1964, The Beatles' arrival in America and their performance on The Ed Sullivan Show sparked a cultural phenomenon: Beatlemania inspired millions of young people to pick up guitars, form bands, and dream of becoming the next rock stars. The explosion in popularity drove record sales of guitars, amplifiers, and other musical instruments, forever changing the music industry.
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Recent Podcasts

EP149_Repair_Techs_NAPBIRT

Ep. 149 - Repair Techs NAPBIRT

Instrument repair technicians are the unsung heroes of the music products world. This replay episode of the Music His...

EP. 148 - Clyde McPhatter

For this episode of the Music History Project, we explore the life and legacy of one of rock and roll’s most influent...

EP. 147 - Women Studio Engineers

In this inspiring episode, we celebrate women who have shaped the world of audio engineering. Our guest host is Cato ...