Michael Tonn

I have been in love with music since the time I began to understand it. Then I saw real players and singers doing it on TV. When my stepfather and I discovered a discarded electric guitar in a Salvation Army drop box (I rode with him in the truck to load the content of these drop boxes around San Diego) he let me keep it and that was the beginning of what would become a lifelong journey in the music business.

I began learning how to play guitar when I was 7 years old and I never stopped. I knew I wanted to work at a real job in a music store. I loaded my stuff in a car out of high school and moved to Seattle, Wa. There I landed a job in the biggest music store in town (American Music) and began selling guitars and amps to people. We had all of the major brands including Fender. I played in great bands all around the Seattle area. Mainly, I focused on creating my own music. Writing, recording, engineering, producing, and of course playing on my own stuff is and has always been where my heart truly is. As I moved up my work ladder, I realized that I could make a decent living in the business side of music. I paid close attention learning how to buy and plan. These steps eventually lead me to Musicians Friend, and then to Fender to interview for that job in Arizona.

I cherish my loved ones as we all do.

I knew when I was working for Fender in my position, that I would write about it which is why I captured it in this publication.