Lyle Ritz worked for a Los Angeles music store in the 1950s when his career as a studio musician began to take off. Lyle’s studio years were filled with numerous ground-breaking hits, man...
Charylu Roberts has edited, produced, written and or designed over 700 music publications during her career, which seems to continue at the same breakneck pace it always has. With her own...
Kev Rones received his first instrument experience when a musician on his block recognized Kev’s passion and allowed him to use the Fender in his garage. That early influence really dir...
Tony Santorella opened his own music publishing company just north of Boston after learning the trade from the iconic publisher Charles Hansen. Tony was an All State trumpet player who st...
Wesley Schaum’s father wrote and arranged music with the hope of serving school band programs in a meaningful way. He wrote several important scores including the noted Schaum Piano Metho...
Leonard Schmitt opened a small guitar shop to provide lessons in the St. Louis area back in 1932. At the time we wrote a method for teaching music called the Schmitt Music Training Approa...
Pete Seeger was the American folk icon who made it a personal goal to bring peace to the world by getting people to sing! His role in the folk music movement, beginning in the 1930's, fo...
Chuck Silverman began playing drums at an early age and realized he had a passion for playing as well as teaching. He enjoyed explaining his Afro-Caribbean rhythmic-centered style and soo...
Thomas Siwe served as president of the Percussive Arts Society (PAS) in the early days of the organization. In fact, while serving on the board he took part in the expansion of the PAS ch...
Peter Sprague smiled as the audience at the NAMM Foundation’s Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, California continued their applause. It was one of many performances that month in mid-2...
Aaron Stang, like so many of us in the music industry, clearly remembers a very inspirational moment in the development of his passion for music. As a kid he was visiting Manny’s Music in...
Peter Sullivan grew up in a musical home with both his mother and father playing piano. Peter played piano, ukulele, as well as double bass as a youngster and became passionate about play...
Jim Swearingen began composing for his students. He soon realized his music was not only helping students learn to play, but was also encouraging them since the music was similar to popu...
Ed Thigpen, known as Mr. Taste for his remarkable touch and feel as an innovative drummer, had a few (hundred) tricks up his musical sleeves when it came to brush work on the snare drums ...
Bert Turetzky likes telling stories in his playing. He likes to make his listeners think about new ideas and in doing so he often creates a way for people to feel something they may not h...
Sam Ulano was the drum teacher, performer, method book author and drum shop owner whose name became synonymous with the world of drumming. During his long and celebrated career, Sam play...
Carl Verheyen is a noted studio musician who has been a member of the popular rock band Supertramp. While in the studios, Carl has recorded with a long list of artists and for several mov...
Nancy Vernon and her husband, Gene Monnig, own and operate Cadenza Music in St. Paul, Minnesota. Nancy is very active with the music teachers in and around the area and works hard to bui...
Johnny Vidacovich was born in New Orleans and raised by his mother and grandparents. He started playing drums when he was ten years old and would go to night clubs around New Orleans and ...
Himie Voxman was a band director nearly all his life. He studied chemistry in college but fell into music because jobs were hard for chemists to find in the days of the Great Depression. ...
Ted Wade was raised in a house full of music! His father played trumpet with several big bands such as Clyde McCoy during the swing era. When Ted was four years old he was playing drums...
Christopher Weait attended Potsdam's music program in the late 1950s, the same time as John O'Reilly and Sandy Feldstein. After teaching music and playing in many orchestras, Christopher...
Big George Webley was a beloved voice over the BBC for many years who often included many of his own incredible musical experiences in his late night radio program. As a session bassist,...
Verdine White has become a close friend to the NAMM family thanks to his dedication to music education and music advocacy programs around the world. He has supported the efforts to keep ...
Roland White played the mandolin as far back as he could remember. Influenced by the Bluegrass and Country Music he heard as a boy, Roland created his own unique style, which has been a m...
Andrew York has a powerful way of expressing himself, by using his words and his music. With his articulate delivery, he provides a special insight into the drive of playing and composing...
