brass instruments

Philipp Alexander is proud of his musical past. His family formed Musik-Alexander in Mainz, Germany in 1782. They began as brass instrument makers and later opened a music store while continuing the making of horns. One of the company’s milestones took place in 1909 when they introduced the now famous horn, model 103. The horn has been credited with the creation of the ultimate horn sound. Philipp has guided the company into the computer age and has had great success with e-commerce on their Internet site.

Ronnie Drumm has had a full and fulfilling life in music! As a child he picked up the trumpet, which he used during his time as a big band leader, musical director and educator. Ronnie worked with a who’s who of entertainers such as Steve Allen, Bob Hope and Jack Benny as well as a long stint as musical director for the Ringling Brothers Circus. He opened his own music retail store, which his son, Rick Drumm, worked in a kid before becoming a leader within the music products industry. Ronnie is most proud of the teaching he did in both the school programs as well as private lessons, bringing the joy of music to young people.

Tom Getzen is president of the horn company his father established in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. The Getzen Company is world renowned for the hand-made products such as trumpets and trombones and has introduced several innovative improvements to the instruments over the years. Tom’s father also helped create the National Association of Band Instrument Repair Technicians (NAPBIRT), which for decades has sought to create standards in band instrument care and provide training classes and a monthly newsletter devoted to helping the repair techs. As president of Getzen, Tom has brought the company into the electronic age without compromising quality of products and still insists that hand-craftsmanship play a large role in each and every instrument. 

Don Getzen sure knows the history of the band instruments made in the mid-west! Don’s father was the plant manager for the Holton Company in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, his oldest uncle was the plant manager for the York Band Instrument Company in Michigan and at the same time his other uncle was the plant manager for the CG Conn Company in Elkhart, Indiana. In 1939 Don’s father formed the Getzen Company where he and his brother Bob worked growing up. Don later established DEG Musical in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin for which he designed several innovative products, two of which he holds patents.  

Rocky Giglio has been a strong leader in the development and marketing of the JJ Babbitt mouthpieces product line. For years. Rocky has listened to customers and professional musicians for ways to improve the line, all the while keeping a focus on the traditions and quality so closely associated with JJ Babbitt’s innovative products. Rocky has also been a strong supporter of the NAMM Oral History program, providing much appreciated advice and ideas, contributing to the meaningfulness of the collection. 

Merle Johnson was a past president of the famous EK Blessing Company in Elkhart, Indiana. Emil Karl Blessing opened a small brasswind valve company in 1906 and soon expanded his products to include cornets and trumpets. Over the years the company grew to include Mr. Blessing’s sons, who played a large role in attracting top performers of the big bands to play their instruments. Mr. Blessing’s daughter, Virginia, was married in 1955 to Merle who purchased the company in 1964, becoming owner and president.

Ziggy Kanstul knows more about brass instruments than most people. As an important part of the manufacturing end of the FE Olds Company, Ziggy became an expert on model designs, the specifications for each and every product, and the measurements of the horns made by their competitors. He later formed the Kanstul Musical Instrument Company in Anaheim, CA, and soon established a respected product line that includes trombones, trumpets, and tubas. Ziggy has also brought together some of the biggest names in instrument design to work on the task of improving his products. This impressive list includes Byron Autrey, Mudge Miller, and Doc Severinsen (all of which have also been interviewed for this video collection).  

Dieter Kuhnl is the president of Kuhnl & Hoyer. The brass instrument company (name a horn and chances are they have made it) began after World War II in the small town of Markterlbach, near Neustradt an der Aisch, Germany. Diator recalls with pride working with his grandfather and father in learning the trade. Along the way he established his own style of instrument making and introduced several new models into the market. As a promoter he helped establish the Kuhnl & Hoyer name in the international arena and has successfully used computer technology, such as the internet, to widen the company’s recognition.  

Josef Lausman has proudly followed in his family’s footsteps. In the small German village of Nauheim (near Frankfurt) he continues to make mouthpieces, primarily for trumpets and trombones. The small factory may not be well known to players by name, however, since their products are made for many of the leading horn makers around the world, are played by professionals and students alike. When asked if he ever planned to produce their own name brand mouthpieces, Josef replied, “Maybe we will one day, but right now we are too busy doing what we do best, make products for other companies and it works well for us.”  

Bob Malone is one of the leading experts of band and orchestra instruments in the United States who is currently working as Director of the Ateliers in Los Angeles for Yamaha Corporation of America. Bob became one of the most noted band instrument repairmen in Southern Californian, where he opened a repair shop that later became a retail outlet as well. His deep passion for the trumpet led to several product designs –and even a patent for the clarinet barrel. His designs helped many noted musicians create custom instruments that matched their needs and helped them to create their own sound.