Emmanuel Tonnelier is the General Manager for Vandoren Paris, the world famous reed maker based in France. He works closely with Bernard Van Doren, who is the grandson of the founder. Emm...
Joe Phelps started playing drums in the 7th grade. While in college, as a marketing major, he opened an off campus concert hall, played in bands, and ran a recording studio for the music ...
Greg Grieme was a banker when he met Bill Gray who asked for some support. Bill explained his idea to create a company that would invest in and support music companies. Together they form...
Donnie Wade "borrowed" his parent’s car when he was 14 years old to drive to a bar so he could hear Freddie King play the guitar! That experience and an earlier encounter with Merle Travi...
Jack Schwarz is the founder of Desert Sons Musical Instruments based in Phoenix, Arizona. The company specializes in custom guitars from a small group of luthiers, all of whom Jack, himse...
Larry Moudy sang and played the guitar for the musical group Up With People beginning in 1967. After being drafted and serving in the Vietnam War with the 101st Airborne, Larry returned t...
Paul Meisenzahl bought his first guitar from his brother for $2.00 and promptly taught himself how to play. His first paying gig came when he was eleven and he played in rock bands throug...
Jeff Cary grew up in Rochester, New York playing guitar and started his career in the music industry by working at House of Guitars. He also developed a passion for audio gear and the rec...
Frank Reda began his career in the insurance business, where he honed his skills in customer service and sales—skills that would later prove invaluable in the music industry. In the 1970s...
Larry Barnes recalls his early childhood growing up in his father's music store in Leavenworth, Kansas just outside of Kansas City. The store, which was known as the Leavenworth Music Sto...
Papa John DeFrancesco's musical journey began under the guidance of his father, a saxophonist for several big bands during the great Swing era. Initially a trumpet player, Papa John later...
Michael Spreeman is the creator of Ravenscroft Pianos and founder of Spreeman Piano Innovations, LLC. Experience includes: 35 years as a concert technician, rebuilder, service technician,...
Tom Miller began his career in the piano business at Jordan Kitts Music in Bethesda, Maryland in 1976. His father had purchased a Hammond organ from the same company in 1960, and at age 6...
Donna Meyer was studying music in college when she met her future husband, Lloyd. After his stint in the army and the raising of their children (while Lloyd's career grew to president of ...
Vic Geiger has had a long and impressive career in the piano and organ business going back to the day he was hired by Kimball in 1974. While with Kimball, Vic played an important role wit...
Bill Pitman was a first call studio musician in Los Angles who played on a string of hit records and award winning motion pictures. As a member of the Wrecking Crew he played on the Beach...
Jim Plank grew up in San Diego, California and can tell you all about the music stores in and around the area, especially since he began playing drums in the 1950s. Jim became a professio...
Karl Denson has played the saxophone alongside Lenny Kravitz, The Rolling Stones, Jack DeJohnette, Switchfoot, and the Blind Boys of Alabama (among others). He was the co-founder of the a...
Mark Ureda was a young engineering student when he dreamed of working for JBL. He had that chance in 1976 for one day (that is a good story), but when that did not work out he joined the...
Greg Jones grew up in Los Angeles and sang for a number of rock bands, which gave him the opportunity to write music. His songs can be heard on the television show "Smallville." Greg’s ...
Henry Goldansky remembers very clearly his father recording his mother singing Opera. The concept of preserving sound was fascinating to young Henry and he soon joined a Hi Fi Club and be...
Harry Casey wrote a few songs and headed into a Miami studio with the simple goal of making a dance record. He used the studio musicians and would later ask those guys to tour with him wh...
Peter Chaikin was still in high school when he knew in his heart what he wanted to be when he grew up: a recording engineer. With the Billboard Directory of Studios under his arm, and enc...
Bryan Bradley proudly states in his NAMM interview that he has had several mentors throughout his career that helped him grow and develop within the industry. Among those mentors were Ge...
CJ Vanston was thrilled to have the opportunity to produce for Toto, one of his all-time favorite bands. The project was a symbolic full circle experience having been a studio musician, ...
Dan Sawyer enjoyed writing music for television. He is able to pull together his background as a musician and take advance of technology to record what he feels the program needs. Backg...
Jim Garrett had music and art engrained in his life at young age. Garrett found playing music was a great way to break out of his shell when he was young. His first job was at Best Buy an...
Mark Gander is the resident historian for JBL and for good reason. Mark has worked for the company for over 40 years, including a long period as Vice President of Marketing for JBL Profes...
Gary Leunberger opened a music store in San Francisco during the 1980s that soon specialized in electronic keyboards and synthesizers. Being a top seller of Yamaha instruments led the com...
