Pianos-Organs

 Scott Anderson was among the renowned sales representatives at Wurlitzer during the iconic company’s heyday.  When Wurlitzer “meant music to millions” (to use their famous slogan) Scott had established long-lasting relationships with many of the top selling dealers for the company.  1954 was the first of 34 years with the company and since that time Scott remains one of the most respected and known reps in the industry.  In 2003, Scott teamed with several other former Wurlitzer employees

Dennis Awe is passionate about the organ! As a recording artist he has performed on many products, endorsing the Lowrey Organ for many decades. As a keen salesman, Dennis has written books on the process of marketing and selling to encourage others. As a music maker, Dennis has brought the sounds of his talents to millions, with a smile and a friendly handshake. His love of the industry is only equaled by his desire to see growth in the sales of musical products, a goal he is always willing to share with others. 

Kyle Barker began working in the piano retail industry in 1969 when the Sherman & Clay Piano Company in Northern California hired him. Five years later he established Barker Music in Modesto, where he would later expand the line to include guitars and percussion. Kyle also opened a second store in Stockton, CA. Like many music retailers, Kyle remains a very active musician, playing keyboards and singing both in a group and solo work in the community. His passion for music remains evident to anyone who walks in the store. 

Jane Smisor Bastien together with her husband James Bastien, wrote the best-selling Bastien Piano Methods enjoyed by millions of students and teachers worldwide.  The series of books, all published by the Neil A. Kjos Music Company, are now translated into more than 16 languages.

Richard Bennett served many roles during his long career in music, perhaps most notably as the sales rep for Wurlitzer towards the end of the 1960s. His involvement in retail and his philosophy on customer service have had a lasting effect on his success and the success of the dealers he would call on. This point has been proven time and time again as we have interviewed others in the industry who have remarked on Dick’s care for the retailer. His first job after serving in the Navy during World War II was as a band director.

Lou Berger is an energetic piano salesman in the style of the old piano traveler of a by-gone era. In fact, what Lou knows about selling pianos he learned from some of the old timers when he was a young man starting out in the business. Lou is a walking encyclopedia of the piano business and is well versed in the player piano boom of the 1890s all the way to the electronic piano disc boom of the 1990s. In fact he has provided training classes for the Museum of Making Music’s docent program on the subject of player pianos.

Zeb Billings opened Billings Pianos in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1956 beginning a long and celebrated career in the music industry.  With great success as a retailer, Zeb branched out into publishing when he saw the need to include packets of sheet music in the bench of every piano sold.  The idea and others led to Billings Publishing, which he would later sell to Hal Leonard.

Ingbert Bluthner followed in the rich history of his family tradition of building world-class pianos. Under Ingbert’s leadership the company expanded production and models along with developing new global distribution chains. Over the years, since his own oral history interview, Ingbert has been a strong supporter of the program, supplying research and suggestions of future interviewees.