Who is 440Music?
My name is Tommy "TBones" Cramer, and my life's journey is a testament to the power of music, technology, and resilience. It all began with a spark ignited by The Ed Sullivan Show featuring the iconic 60s rock band, The Dave Clark 5. Despite financial constraints limiting my formal music education, my passion for music only grew stronger. At thirteen, I inherited my older sister's guitar, a damaged but cherished Harmony, igniting my fascination with instrument repair and craftsmanship.
High school opened doors to live performance, thanks to my friend Joel Byers, starting with impromptu hallway jams and high school parties evolving into gigs at Open Stages around Milwaukee, WI. College brought me to Milton College, where I hosted a radio show on WVMC, blending my love for music with broadcasting. While my dreams of a career in radio faltered, I discovered my knack for sales.
Chicago beckoned with an opportunity at Gibson Guitar Corp's Accessory Division, but a sudden dismissal led me back to the drawing board. Eventually, I found success in sales at Career Concepts USA, Inc., a job fair company servicing the Fortune 500 and in 1992 I became a partner and Vice President and managed the computer network.
Despite my success, I felt unfulfilled creatively and in 98 sold my shares and went looking for a job in the computer world. An opportunity arose to launch my own website design business and to showcase my talents, 440Music was created, a platform I created to introduce and share indie music with the world. Combining my skills and knowledge in computer networking, website design and my passion for music with the new technology, Online Broadcasting, Dave and I curated a weekly radio show broadcasted over the Internet. The format was good recordings of Indie Music received from around the world. From 98 to 2007 we witnessed a growing popularity with Indie Music which grew from 9% to 22%, a 13 points rise which is when the big corporate money started to dominate.
Despite financial setbacks, I persevered and transitioned in to a new career as an over the road truck driver managing 440Music on the road. However, life threw another curveball with a medical issue sidelining me for two years in 2016 and in 2019 I was finally able to retire although not by choice.
Today, living on fixed income, I continue to champion for unsigned and indie music with 15 radio stations dedicated to Indie music. Despite the financial challenges, I remain steadfast in my commitment to broadcasting Indie Music and the artists who create it.
Regards,
Tommy "TBones" Cramer