Featured Articles by Alan Lofft, former editor-in-chief of Sound & Vision (Canada) and senior editor of Audio (New York) Magazines.

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Several people have emailed in suggesting that we introduce the "faces behind the names" at axiomaudio.com. It is with pleasure that we start this off where it should start, with Joe Vassallo, our longest-standing employee.

One fine day in 1984 Joe was drawn to an area north of Toronto where he had never been before . . . Algonquin Park. Struck at once with the beauty of the region, Joe immediately decided to retire from his career as an international airbrush artist, and live life on the lake. He called home for his wife to join him and never left.

Joe Vassallo is "surrounded" during an Axiom photo shoot this winter.

Joe settled first in Dwight, Ontario, where his presence drew a lot of attention. Within months, the local radio stations and
newspapers had done feature stories on him, and soon a television network stopped by for an interview . . . News of his work for the Grand Prix circuit, the 'big three' car companies, magazine advertisements, and perhaps most famously, the Flashdance movie poster and album cover, spread like wildfire. Inundated with calls, Joe founded Vassallo Art School, to teach airbrushing to a keen group of students who were driving up to 400 kilometers each week to study under him.

Joe’s active nature soon dictated he do something besides his work with the art school. Reading through the newspaper one night, Joe spotted an intriguing ad: "Like to work with your hands? Take pride in your work? Call 635-2222." Joe had no idea what the job was for, but he put on his $800 suit and came in for an interview.

Ian Colquhoun, Axiom's founder, was impressed with Joe's willingness to try anything new, and promptly hired him. "What will I do?" Joe asked. "I don't know," Ian said, "but I'm sure we'll keep you busy!" Joe started on the line the next day.

After working quietly for a week, he finally worked up the nerve to ask the other members of the line team just what kind of speakers they were building. Joe had owned a stereo shop in Detroit, but he'd never seen anything remotely like the product being assembled on the line. "It's a subwoofer with a center-channel in the middle," his co-worker replied. “It’s for surround sound.” Joe thought about this for awhile, and then went into Ian's office. "Tell me everything." So Ian, proud owner of a home theater even back then, recognized a kindred spirit and helped Joe build his first home theater system.

"Everything had to be the latest and the best, even back then," Joe recalls fondly. "I had never heard of surround sound, but I got my hands on everything written about it. Then I'd come in and tell Ian what I wanted, and he'd call around until he could find it for me. I'll never forget the day Ian finally found a sound field processor (separate components were much preferred over all-in-ones then!). He came into the plant and told me he had found it. Then we jumped into his airplane and flew to the dealer's to pick it up immediately!"

Joe moved quickly from working the line to building crossovers, learning from Ian how the "brains" of Axiom speakers worked. From there, Joe quickly became plant manager, a position he held for several years.

These days, Joe still runs his art school when he isn't out acquiring the latest audio/video gear or managing the Service Department at Axiom. His latest toy? A DLP (Digital Light Processing) 300-inch video projector that he picked up while teaching a body art class in Detroit at the beginning of July. "The resolution is unbelievable! I'm even getting rid of my old screen," he enthuses. Screen? Ah yes, just ask Ruth, Joe's wife, pictured at right, what is the most extravagant home theater purchase Joe has made, and she looks helplessly around the room. Joe has dedicated a full third of his house to his home theater, and he has done it up right! Swagged gold curtains frame the viewing area; ornate columns are built to house side channels, and staggered theater seating ensures he always plays to a crowd of happy movie viewers. He's even built a fake wall to house his equipment with a walk-way behind it. "I'm always rewiring and tweaking the sound. I love to play!" he says.

Joe is also Axiom's philanthropical representative. He looks after
charitable contributions and appears on behalf of Axiom at functions as diverse as The Children's Wish Foundation, The Porsche Club of America Rally for Breast Cancer, Jacob's Ladder (the Canadian foundation for Neurodegenerative Diseases), several local service clubs, and that Canadian standard, children's hockey. But the sponsorship closest to Joe's heart is Axiom's support of Art in the Park, a museum in Algonquin Park that features wildlife exhibits by the world's greatest artists. Working with Yamaha Canada, Joe put together a sponsorship package for the sound system, and now keeps it up to date, along with sponsoring the loan of art for the museum, which sees one million visitors a year.

These days, perhaps the favourite part of Joe's job has been Axiom's website and the new relationships it has helped form with customers. "I find it so satisfying to help people pick the perfect speakers and equipment. I remember how exciting it was building my first home theater, and each new piece I add to mine reminds me of that feeling. It's great talking to people about their choices, and helping them get the best setup for their rooms."

You can see more of Joe's artwork at: Joe's Page

In 2006, Axiom released the VaSSallo Series of Real Wood finishes, named after Joe, who worked passionately on getting Axiom ready to start doing custom real-wood finishes in-house at the factory in Canada. It would turn out to be Joe's last project for Axiom; in August 2006 he passed away. His dedication and positive attitude are greatly missed.