Norlin Corporation

Arnold Berlin was a one-time president of Chicago Musical Instruments (CMI) and co-founder of Norlin Music Corp. He is also Mr. M.H. Berlin’s son, one of the true icons of the industry. Arnie spoke of how his father got started in the industry as well as how he was able to grow the company into one of the major players within the music products industry. Arnie also spoke of his own career, which began in the late 1950s.

Jim Connors joined Norlin Corp. originally as the head of the Lowery Organ factories. With his strong background in manufacturing and process control, Jim was able to keep up with the 25% growth the company was experiencing each year. Under Jim’s watch, the company created a new Lowery factory in Romeoville, Illinois in 1977. It was a “state of the art” facility for producing electronic organs and was one of the largest factories of its kind in the world. Among the many products Jim oversaw was the innovative MX1 in 1979.  

Alberto Kniepkamp engineered many of the electronic organs produced by the Lowrey Organ Company in the 1970s and 80s. Alberto took an active role in the development of the MX1 Lowrey Organ, which was introduced at the NAMM Show in 1979. The product was one of many engineered by Alberto, who began work at Chicago Musical Instruments, which owned Lowrey Organs in the 1960s and 70s. The company changed names to Norlin, which continued to fund research and development for the organ products until the company sold its assets in the 1980s.

Michael Nugent is the former president of Norlin Corporation. He joined the company when it was still Chicago Musical Instrument Corporation (CMI). M.H. Berlin, CMI’s founder, had purchased a few instrument lines to expand the company’s keyboard products department. Mr. Berlin’s son, Arnie, hired Michael to oversee that growing department. As it turned out, he was hired in the early 1970s, which was the beginning of the greatest sales boom the home organ has ever experienced.

David Seville is deserving of his story being archived in this important library collection. He is without question one of the early pioneers and supporters of ideas such as the British Music Fair. He was born in Birmingham UK and became a well-known opera singer both in recordings and such live performances as Wells Cathedral. During our interview, he recalls his transition from singing to a long and enjoyable career with Selmer UK, CMI, Norlin and his own company. David was interviewed twice for the NAMM Oral History program, first July 9, 2005 and again on November 15, 2006. 

Billy Wennlund and his brother Don made up one of the most iconic sales teams in the music products industry. Don was the salesman, the guy with the pitch and Billy knew the products inside out. Together they helped establish the Lowrey Organ in the home market. They were both born in DeKalb, IL and while Billy was in the US Navy, Don got a job at Wurlitzer. When he returned, Billy joined Don at Wurlitzer and in 1958 they opened their own music retail store. Years later Billy became the Vice President of Product Development for Norlin, which owned Lowrey Organs.

Jim Whitehill provided a very important overview of the products and politics of the Norlin Music Company, which was originally named Chicago Musical Instruments (CMI) when Mr. M.H. Berlin formed the company in the 1920s. In the late 1960s and early 70s, the Norlin company, headed by Mr. Berlin’s son and his college friend, Nort Stevens, expanded the Lowrey organ company with a mall dealer program during the home organ boom of the 1970s. Jim served the company as vice president of the Gibson line during an era when the brand had no president. Jim’s understanding of the products helps make this a very interesting interview and a great addition to the industry’s collection of Oral Histories.
 

Christopher Willcox was once a classical actor on the British stage. He was a teacher and writer, but feels his favorite job is that of piano salesman. For well over 35 years, he has done just that. Mr. Willcox stated, “Providing music in someone’s life is a pleasure because I know it will brighten not only their lives but those of their family and friends.” He worked with the Norlin company before forming Woodchester Pianos and building his own line of pianos.