Ellis Sorkin’s early exposure to music came through his family’s connection to Herb Alpert, but his own curiosity and drive launched his career. At 14, watching a recording session fueled...
Steve Genewick's journey into sound engineering was sparked by his childhood fascination with music and a desire to be part of the band without being on stage. His path led him to Cheroke...
Tommy Vicari’s career is a testament to the power of collaboration and passion for music. At just 17, Prince entrusted Tommy with producing his debut album, a partnership that would help ...
Allison Hargis was teaching middle school in the Poway Unified District when a student’s mother approached Allison about an opening for a band director in nearby Carlsbad. Allison learned...
Rocky Smolin was surrounded by music as a kid and gravitated toward the guitar during the Folk boom of the 1960s. As his career in software development grew, music was set aside for a whi...
Lloyd Gonzalez may not have picked up an instrument as a child, but his love for music, especially the soulful sound of the saxophone, has been with him for as long as he can remember. Dr...
Roark Galloway started playing in school on the clarinet and enjoyed learning to read music. His father played in community bands and Roark looked forward to listening to the music over t...
Sharon Muyco’s mother purchased a piano for her when she was a child, and she played for many years. With an interest in singing, Sharon studied voice at the American Conservatory in Chic...
Friedbert Wissmann pursued studies in information technology at the Technical University of Dresden and composition at the Carl Maria von Weber University of Music in Dresden earning dipl...
Janet Rose’s musical journey has been as varied as it is compelling. She first explored the violin as a young child, but the saxophone quickly caught her heart in school, inspiring her to...
Harry Peacock’s stepfather was a professional jazz musician in San Diego who encouraged Harry and his brother to learn an instrument. For two years his stepfather became Harry’s first mus...
Colleen Foster grew up in a musical family with her father often playing the organ and piano. She played throughout school in the bands on clarinet and flute. She put playing music aside ...
Endre Granat prolonged the legacy of his former teacher and friend by writing The Heifetz Scale Book. The method book, published by Lauren Keiser, put down what Maestro Jascha Heifetz nev...
Scott Ray passion for music was sparked at an early age, when his mother gifted him his first guitar. When his father took him to buy a Gibson electric guitar and amp from David Platt Mus...
Aria Boyd grew up immersed in a world of music, with her mother and aunties all playing instruments that filled her life with melody. Inspired by their talent, Aria picked up the flute in...
Bryan Dempsen started played piano and guitar as a kid and trumpet in college. His career developed after school and he played less and less over the years until the pandemic gave him the...
Ron Baker has been playing the trombone since the 4th grade. He became an educator and put the instrument down for a few years but in retirement realized he missed playing. Ron is a proud...
Susan Burke started on the clarinet in the 5th grade and in her 20s she was given a bonus at her work so she made a purchase she always dreamed of, she bought a flute. She gravitated towa...
Emiko Araki is a passionate musician and a proud member of the New Horizons Band at NAMM’s Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, California. Originally from Japan, Emiko’s early love for mu...
Carol Bonomo played piano as a child but stopped playing once she left home. However, she was interested in playing in a group setting in her retirement, enough to start cello instruction...
Kelsea Robson faced a devastating car accident temporarily putting her college education and career aspirations on hold, but her determination and passion for music never wavered. Kelsea ...
Kristy Porter was inspired by her father to pick up the guitar, and this passion ultimately shaped her career. A trip to the Oxnard, California Guitar Center for guitar strings changed he...
Brianna Totino fondly remembers singing along to the car radio with her mother and sister, a simple joy that sparked her lifelong connection to music. She played violin in middle school a...
Maureen Wall credits the dedicated teachers who provided her with private lessons for shaping her musical path. Starting piano at age six and moving on to double bass by sixth grade, Maur...
Sarah Strickland is the School Services Manager for Elefante Music in New Jersey. Her journey began in the rental program before she transitioned into teaching. In 2020, Sarah was promote...
Judy Schaefer is the Director of Marketing for PRS Guitars, a position that perfectly aligns with her lifelong connection to music. Raised in a musically rich environment, her mother inst...
Iris Meneley combined her business acumen with her husband’s musical passion to co-found Texas Amps & Axes, a music school and retail store in Prosper, Texas, established in 2015. Iri...
Angela Slawson is the perfect person to ask whether the music products industry differs from others. Having worked in the food industry and at Disney, Angela, now with Yamaha, finds the m...
Brenda Martinez began her musical journey at the age of eight, first on piano, then branching out to horn and guitar, all while performing in bar bands by age fourteen. Her love for Latin...
Stephanie Patterson has earned a unique reputation as Fox Product’s “oboe meme queen,” combining her love for the instrument with social media savvy and humor.
