Jim Leonard

Jim Leonard was first and foremost a band director. It was the job he always dreamed of as a child and the job for which he gained the love and respect from tens of thousands of students. Along the way, he saw the need of providing quality band services to the school directors he knew, which resulted in the opening of his own retail store in Walton Beach, Florida, called the Playground Music Center. The store opened in 1960 and Jim remained a band director until 1967 at which time he devoted his time to the growth of the store.  Jim’s NAMM Oral History interview was completed on April 7, 2006.