Pennsylvania

Richard Schiemer developed an early connection to Brighton Music Center while growing up in Brighton, Pennsylvania, frequently visiting the store for lessons and musical supplies. What began as a student relationship eventually grew into a lifelong career in music retail. After completing his education, Richard joined the Brighton Music Center team, where he gained valuable experience supporting students, educators, and musicians in his community. In 2011, after years of dedicated service, Richard and fellow longtime employee Brad Wittmer purchased the business, continuing the leg

Shawna Shaner is the store manager and controller for Robert M. Sides Music stores in Pennsylvania and New York. With a fascinating background in medicine and law, Shawna grew up in a third-generation business where she learned to wear many hats. Overseeing accounting and managing the money was of great interest to her, which is why she applied and received the position of controller for the Sides chain of music stores.

Pete Sides has a great passion for the music industry; in fact it is in his blood. On his mother’s side a piano tuner can be traced back to the Mayflower and on his father’s side, his grandfather was a piano tuner who formed a small retail store. His father opened Robert M. Sides Piano Service in 1948 out of the family home. The repair shop was in the basement and the show room was the living room. After high school Pete joined the company, expanding it over the years. In 1985 he built a new store and renamed the store Family Music Center, which has become the musical hub for the

Carol Sides married into the Robert M. Sides Music Center family in the 1960s and soon became an important part of the company’s educational programs and music therapy activity. She worked long and hard to build up the local community bands and symphony orchestra as well as creating support for the music events in her community. Carol worked along side her husband, Pete, and later their two children, Alysha and Peter, who run the company today.  

Peter Sides is the president and third generation of his family to operate the Robert M. Sides Music Center Pennsylvania. His grandfather opened the store out of his home, selling and repairing pianos in 1937, and later his parents ran the store. Today, Peter and his sister, Alysha, run the company, which has several locations. Peter manages the store in the State College area and has worked hard in recent years to collect and preserve the rich history of his family and their music stores.

Alysha Sides-Greevy grew up in the music store that her grandfather established in 1937 and has enjoyed working in music retail along side her parents and brother. The Robert M. Sides Music Center began in Williamsport, Pennsylvania when her grandfather tuned and sold pianos out of his home. Alysha’s parents ran the store during the late 1960s up until she and her brother became active in the business. She also served on the NAMM Board as the head of NAYMM and has been active with music programs within her community.  

Allan Small played music as a young student and earned his degree in music education, then became a band director for almost a decade.  As a band director in Pennsylvania he was involved with a program created by the Selmer Company called Bands for America.  The training for this program was a wonderful opportunity for Allan to get to know several local dealers.  Selmer asked if he would bring the program out to California, which he did.  When the program came to an end, Allan joined music retailing.  He later switched to music wholesale where he worked with Coast Wholesale from 1

Steve Weiss loved playing the drums as a small child, but never imagined in a million years that he would have a career in music, let alone a pioneering and successful career in the music products industry. In 1965, he formed Steve Weiss Music in Philadelphia and soon became one of the leaders in the early development of percussion rental companies and the selling of rare percussion products such as African bells and Indian chimes. Steve’s personal interest in gongs and his years of research on the instruments resulted in him becoming one of the world experts on gongs.  

Brad Wittmer and his friend and co-worker Richard Schiemer were given an opportunity to purchase the store they were working in, and they took it!  The two met while working for Brighton Music Center and were approached by the owners to buy the store upon their retirement.  Since that time the two have worked hard to focus on the original mission of the store to focus on teaching music makers and provide the best service possible.  Within two years of owning the store the two were honored at the 2013 Nashville NAMM Show as one of the Top Dealers in the country!  

William Zeswitz was taught the violin by this father, who formed the Zeswitz Music Store outside of Redding, PA. Bill became president and a true leader in the industry. Over the years, he served on the NAMM Board, the AMC Board, was among the first Charter Benefactors of the NAMM Foundation’s  Museum of Making Music, and co-formed the Omega Group with James Saied, James Johnson, T. Warren Brown, and Nick Peck. Bill sold the store to Brook Mays upon his retirement in 2001.