Oral History - all
Gio Giovanni has a rich background in music, a passion of his since he was a kid. Gio grew up in Detroit, where he studied guitar and became a Hip Hop DJ. He took classes that incorporated music theory into the art of DJing and worked part time as a DJ when he moved to Nashville in 2006. With the... more
Gary Panton grew up in Niagara, New York, and played the drums and vibes in high school. It was there that he started his first band, a jazz trio. In 1970 he was hired by Dick Crino in Dunkirk, New York, to work in his small music store. While Gary started on the sales floor, he soon followed Dick’... more
Russell Scull is the proud son of Bert and Isabell Scull, two widely influential members of the music industry’s family. The Sculls provided accounting services to music stores beginning in the 1950s and are often credited for the growth of their clients over the years. The Scull Groups, as they... more
Lynn Scull is the daughter-in-law of Bert and Isabell Scull, who formed the now historic Scull Groups to serve music retailers throughout the United States. Lynn married the Scull’s son Russell and became part of the family in 1974. She witnessed first-hand the devotion Bert and Isabell had towards... more
Matthew Green grew up in a very musical family. His father plays French Horn and was greatly influential on Matthew's own musical pursuits. At first he played the cello in school then later switched to bass. He studied classical music for some time and found wonderful and inspiring music teachers... more
Marietta Robison was living next door to Sheryl and Tevis Laukat in 1996 when the couple approached her for help with their idea to start an instrument company. With a strong background in accounting, Marietta was intrigued by the idea and from the very beginning of the business, which would become... more
Howard Summers is an instrument designer at Cannonball Musical Instruments, specializing in trumpets. Howard began playing the trumpet in the fourth grade in New Orleans and proudly can still recall his music teacher’s name, Jim Webber. As he developed as a musician, Howard learned to play a wide... more
Julee Laukat is a technician and hand engraver at Cannonball Musical Instruments in Sandy, Utah. Julee is dedicated to her craft, and she is also married to Tevis’ brother. Tevis and his wife Sheryl established the company in 1996 and from nearly the beginning, Julee has pitched in wherever needed... more
Randal Clark is the Media Director and Education Specialist for Cannonball Musical Instruments in Sandy, Utah. He began working at Cannonball in 2000, focusing on addressing the needs of band directors and other music educators by gaining their views on how the instrument line could be improved.... more
Matthew McBeth applied for a job at Cannonball Musical Instruments in Sandy, Utah, right after he graduated from high school in 2011. At first Matthew was given the tasks of mowing the grass and other yardwork. He later helped install the shelving in the warehouse, which led to more and more... more
Massiel Gregory grew up surrounded by music in Guatemala before moving to the United States and settling in the Salt Lake City area. In the early 2000’s she began working at Cannonball Musical Instruments where she was one of the first employees to learn hand engraving. Like so many employees at... more
Ryan Lillywhite absolutely loves seeing the joy on the faces of young students as they make music! He recognizes that joy and passion and the effort it takes, which harkens back to his preteen years when he began playing tenor saxophone. That passion for music was later fueled when he met Tevis... more
Leesa McBeth played flute since she was a child and remembers the day her sister, Sheryl Laukat, was given a saxophone which their parents purchased from Sears, where her father was employed. Music was all around them growing up and Leesa pursued her passion by teaching music. She taught for 30... more
Joshua Baldi wasn’t quite sure what to expect when he answered an ad for an artist at a musical instrument company. With a background and deep seated passion for art and music, Joshua was pleasantly surprised to learn the job involved creating designs for engraving onto musical instruments such as... more
Joan Fox was just 15 years old when she met her future husband, Maurice. His parents started a music store in South Carolina, Fox Muisc House, in which Joan would work for many years. She married Maurice in 1953 and become passionate about their employees and customers, treating both as members of... more
Joel Silverman, the sales and marketing guy behind several innovative pro audio products and the founder of Silverfish Audio, has had quite a musical journey! As a kid he played clarinet, drums and guitar in school and looks back fondly on his high school band director and the day the Beatles... more
Sharell Del Fiorentino remembers as a little girl pretending the back of her daddy’s car seat was a piano keyboard. As long as she can recall, she has always wanted to be a pianist. When she was ten her parents purchased a piano for her, although they could hardly afford the expense. As a result... more
Ken Donnell is often regarded as the foremost authority on close-mic applications for stringed instruments. While he has an extensive background across the music products industry, first watching his father work in a music store, Ken eventually honed his skills as a luthier, alongside his good... more
The NAMM Oral History Collection is unique, unlike any other collection in the world. The heart of the Collection is the depth of its narratives that cover innovative creations, the evolution of musical instruments, the ever-changing world of music retail, as well as our collective quest to improve... more
Brockett Parsons is proud of the musical education he received in grade school, which was furthered by participating in the school band program at his high school. He went on to graduate from Berklee College of Music. He cut his teeth on classical and jazz while having a strong interest in R&B... more