California
Ellis Day was a familiar face to NAMM show attendees for several decades as the front line trombone player on the opening day’s Petiot All-Industry Marching Band performances. Ellis has had a long and successful career in the music industry following his service in World War II and his work for the...
Charlotte Jansky and her husband Joe set off to fulfill his long time dream, owning a music store. They opened Allegro Music in Fremont, California, in 1960 much to the delight of Joe who proclaimed his dream was realized. Tragically, Joe suddenly passed away just a few years later. Charlotte at...
Toby Capalbo formed La Habra Music in Southern California back in 1960. Over the years he built up strong relations with local band directors and created a popular lesson program. When Toby started, the big craze was accordions and he worked hard to bring his customers the high quality products...
Lloyd Stark began his career in the music industry as a teacher in a small string shop in Berkeley, California, providing lessons on bluegrass instruments such as the guitar and banjo. With little experience as a salesman, Lloyd applied for a job at Coast Wholesale in the San Francisco Bay Area....
Maxine Eastman-Jackson met her future husband, Bud, in school when they were 14 years old. The year they married, 1953, they moved to Provo, UT, where Bud worked at Modern Music by day and gave guitar lessons that Maxine would schedule, each night. In 1966 they moved to San Jose to operate the...
Frank Green opened his first music retail store in Southern California in 1959 and called it Music For Everyone. He began working in the music industry some 12 years earlier as student enroller in an accordion school. He soon became a teacher for the school and a manager before deciding to open his...
Helga Kasimoff and her husband established the Bluthner piano dealership in Pasadena, California in 1963. Since that time many Blüthner grand pianos have been restored in their workshop such as those owned by Jerome Kern (1922), Prince Esterharzy (1903), and King Johann of Saxony (1860). Helga and...
Mo Meloy-Palmateer purchased the Fullerton Music Center in Southern California in the early 70s. She soon expanded the store’s services to include greater attention to the sheet music department and lessons. During the 1980s, she added a well-respected boutique element to the store, selling music...
Roger Palmateer met his soon-to-be wife just years after she purchased the Fullerton Music Center in Southern California. Mo and Roger have become a vital part of the Fullerton music culture with a well-respected store, a performance area, music lessons and great customer care. Roger focuses on...
Kyle Barker began working in the piano retail industry in 1969 when the Sherman & Clay Piano Company in Northern California hired him. Five years later he established Barker Music in Modesto, where he would later expand the line to include guitars and percussion. Kyle also opened a second store...