DeAnn Diller grew up in a small Kansas town, picking up piano at the age of 5 years old. In the small town she found she was able to be involved with many aspects of music including band...
Chris Climer wanted to play the piano and organ when he was 16 years old. He did not have the money to purchase an instrument so he made an arrangement to work in a music store in Arkans...
Ed Caustin was the nephew of guitar pioneer George Beauchamp. Ed recounted several stories about his very creative uncle, who Ed looked up to as an inspiration. In fact, Ed later worked...
Marilyn Brown grew up in a home full of music, thanks in large part to her father’s career as a band director. She was hired by the Yenny Music store for 25 years, which was in fact the ...
Charles Ashley grew up playing music and teaching private lessons at an early age. At the same time, he had a paper route and a part time job at the local music store, Brook Mays in Dall...
Tom Wilson might have been among the most-suggested people to be included in the NAMM Oral History Program! Suggestions came from those who worked with him over the years who gained resp...
Kurt Kaiser worked for Word Music beginning in 1959. Not only did he witness many of the changes to church music, many credit him for creating what is now known as contemporary Christian...
Jim Hamblen proudly comes from a very musical family. His uncle was the great songwriter and musician, Stuart Hamblen, who wrote such classic songs as "It Is No Secret" and "This Ole Hou...
Botso Korisheli was born in Georgia, Russia, and came to America to become a composer and music teacher. After teaching music in elementary school, Botso established the County Youth Sym...
Howard Emmons is the owner of The Drum Circuit right on Higuera Street in San Luis Obispo, California. The drum shop is co-owned by his wife and together they have created a great vibe b...
Angelo Battellini proudly managed the Martin Band Instrument factory in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he worked for 51 years. He was born the son of a brick layer in Italy, a trade he learne...
Jesse McReynolds was one half of the popular country and bluegrass duo Jim & Jesse. His late brother made up the other half, which by the way was once called Jesse & James, a name...
Carol Wilbur worked closely with Richard Rejino during her career in the print music side of the music industry. She worked at Brook Mays Print Music before being hired by Richard Gore at...
Bob Rosenthal began his career in the music business working with Curt Carter and Bob Hill in San Diego. The Organ Exchange was the learning grounds for Bob and many other salesmen who w...
Richard Rejino has spent much of his career in print music. Along with Charles Ashley, he owned and operated the print music department within Brook Mays Music stores in and around the D...
Johnny Nitzinger began playing guitar and writing music at an early age. By the early 1970s, several of his songs were recorded by the Fort Worth band Bloodrock for their first two album...
Annekathrin Mascus serves as the Head of Sales for Breitkopf & Härtel, the oldest currently operating music publishing house. The company began in 1719 by Bernhard Breitkopf in Leipzi...
Charles Kitch formed Sound Productions, Inc. in Irving, Texas in 1973. With the slogan, the "the Soundman's Connection," Charles has helped pioneer the pro audio industry from the early ...
Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Company serves as a focal point for the music makers all around the DC area and is one of the premier music retail stores in the country. The store also st...
Leo Coco is a senior policy advisor at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP in the firm’s Washington DC office and for many years has worked with NAMM’s government relations team to...
Jochen Stock is the president of Just Music in Berlin Germany, one of (if not the) largest music retail stores in the world! With a space of 7000 square meters, the vast store is equally...
Kurt Zentmaier fondly recalls the stories his father told him on how the family music store was established back in 1959. Rondo Music’s first location was right outside of New York City ...
Lou Witt grew up on a small farm in Iowa and one day asked his band director in school for an instrument. He was given a trombone and has played the instrument ever since. He enjoyed pl...
Ray Williams grew up in the Caribbean. His father, a police officer, played music during his time off of work. Ray’s brother played guitar, Ray picked up the bass, and he was always encou...
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 ...
Jimmy Vivino wanted to be a blues guitarist when he first heard “Foxy Lady” by Jimi Hendrix! He has since been a successful musician both on stage and in the studios. He and his brother ...
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 ...
Sivamani has become the lead drummer and percussionist for India’s renowned film composer, AR Rahman, and as a result has gained a following among young musicians. Sivamani provides his ...
Ellis Seal was working for an aerospace company, working long hours and never having the time to spend with his family or his hobby of guitar building. In 1998 he opened his own company a...
William Scarlett has dedicated his career to band instrument repair and the history of the many instrument makers in and around the mid-west. He studied the York Band Instrument Company ...
