German immigrant Friedrich Gretsch founded a shop in Brooklyn back in 1883. He began making banjos, drums, and tambourines.
Tag: history
Did You Know? Epiphone
The Epiphone story begins in 1873, when the Stathopoulo family left Greece and headed to Turkey where Konstantinos Stathopoulo established himself as a lumber merchant.
Did You Know? Hohner
In 1857, German watchmaker Matthias Hohner developed the first Hohner harmonica. Though he wasn’t the first harmonica maker, his models were much improved.
Did You Know? Steinway & Sons
Steinway & Sons was founded by German immigrant Henry Engelhard Steinway in 1853. The company’s first patent was granted in 1857, the first of 125.
Did You Know? C. F. Martin & Company
The C. F. Martin story began back in 1811 when 15-year-old Christian Fredrick Martin, Sr. traveled to Vienna to apprentice with renowned guitar maker Johann Stauffer.
Did You Know? Zildjian
The story of Zildjian cymbals dates back to the 1600s when Avedis Zildjian worked for the Sultan making cymbals with a unique sound.
History of the Staff
Seventh century music scholar Isidore of Seville said it was impossible to notate music. Boy, was he ever wrong: there is evidence that notation was practiced by the Egyptians in 3,000 BC. Ancient Greece also had a system, and other forms arose in China and Japan. Now you too can know the proper history of the staff.
A History of Reggae
Reggae developed as a genre in the Jamaican ghettos during the late 1960s. It is characterized by a strong bass line, one-drop rhythm with accents on the third beat of each bar, and simple repetitive chord structures. Lyrics feature harmony, often in Jamaican dialect, sometimes with social or political themes.
MikelParis, Keyboardist for O.A.R. Sings History One Stop at a Time
When MikelParis isn’t playing keyboard for the band O.A.R., he’s busy following his passions for exploring historic places and performing original songs in a project he calls TuneTrek. He came through Syracuse for a stop on O.A.R.’s fall tour and we met up at the Skä•noñh Center, a former living history museum that’s being transformed into […]
Water Drummers
These water drummers are women who stand in water up to their waists, each playing a different rhythmic pattern that combines into a complex syncopated rhythm.