On April 30 we received the following from NAMM‘s Dan Del Fiorentino:
Long time music retailer and RPMDA past president Joe Keith passed away yesterday.
Joe felt that the local music teachers needed specialized service when it came to finding the tools they needed. Along with his wife, Claudia, he opened The Music Mart in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with the goal of doing all that was possible to support music education and lesson programs. As the store grew so did his personal interest in growing the industry he so deeply cared about, which is why he joined a small group of retailers looking to formalize a new organization. Together Joe and Claudia became pioneers in the Retail Print Music Dealers Association (RPMDA). For their many contributions, the couple was awarded RPMDA’s top honor, the Dorothy Award.
