Museum Docents

John Perdue has always had a deep passion for music, first as a kid playing clarinet in horn bands, then as a music educator, and now as a docent for NAMM’s Museum of Making Music. He taught in Valley Center (San Diego, California, county) from 1976 until 2010, the first years of which he was a music teacher. John later taught general education and became the school’s computer expert before retiring. In 2013, he began playing the Bass (Double Bass/Upright) and joined the North Coast Strings orchestra. John also became an active volunteer at NAMM's Museum of Making Music.

Toni Perrine grew up in England where she was a touring actress in several musical productions. When she came to the United States she worked for Pedrini's Music in Southern California for four years in the sheet music department before retiring to Carlsbad. Her love of music soon found her volunteering at the NAMM Foundation’s Museum of Making Music where she was often found in the gift shop welcoming visitors and starting them on their tour.

Wanda Pugh always enjoyed singing. As a child she sang in church and later formed several vocal groups and ran different chapters of the Sweet Adalines. Her love of music led her to the NAMM Foundation’s  Museum of Making Music where she was trained as a docent and became an active tour guide. She also enjoyed working in the museum's gift shop. Her positive attitude and passion for music made the museum a better place.

Sandy Radom is a volunteer at the NAMM Foundation’s  Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, California and can often be found enjoying one of the many concerts presented at the museum. Sandy is a medical doctor and photographer who adds his own background to the interaction he has with museum visitors. He is also a strong advocate of the healing power of music. When visiting the museum you may ask to see the engraved sheet music plate on display as it was from the music printing company his grandfather formed in New York City!

Florence Sachs was very active in community organizations, especially those with a focus on continuing education. When she heard about the NAMM Foundation’s Museum of Making Music she signed up as a volunteer and was soon trained as a docent. Florence was helpful in the early development of the museum's outreach speakers' bureau program due to her involvement with other community organizations that would request such presentations. With her help, the museum's program was designed to make the most of each presentation, complete with an offer to provide tours to those who wanted to

Rich Schermerhorn is a proud volunteer at NAMM’s Museum of Making Music, located in Carlsbad, California. The museum has several positions for volunteers and Rich seems to do most of them. He is often found leading tours and serving as a gallery attendant, helping guests, and providing fun and unique facts about the instruments on display. Now retired, Rich spent his career as an electrical engineer in the medical devices industry. His understanding of audio engineering has been a great benefit for those on his tours as he has a depth of knowledge related to electronic musical ins

Joyce Schmauder says that her favorite part about volunteering at the NAMM Foundation’s Museum of Making Music is the people. From the young kids to the seniors, Joyce enjoys interacting with all of them and talking about making music. She has always liked music and remembers listening to her mother play piano when she was young. She was given the Volunteer of the Year Award in 2014. Joyce believes that the museum is a place where connections and friendships are formed and says that it’s all because of the music.

Tony Schmidt was the very first volunteer of the NAMM Foundation’s Museum of Making Music (located in the NAMM building) to provide 1,000 hours of service. As a kid, he saw Duke Ellington perform in his hometown of Chicago and was hooked, not only on Ellington (for which he was a noted expert), but on all things jazz. Tony played a significant role in the NAMM Resource Center, providing research, camera work, and conducting several interviews himself. His contributions to this program are innumerable.

Phee Sherline brought her passion for music to NAMM’s Museum of Making Music a docent and gallery attendant. She was a young adult when the Folk Music boom occurred during the 1960s and 70s. She was taken by the close harmonies and the stories each song told. She was drawn to the guitar and formed a duo with her husband, often billed as Ken & Phee. They recorded together and played at many clubs and festivals. She was very involved in the Folk Music Songmaker’s Group in the Los Angeles area, which promotes the musical style and brings fans and performers together for special e

Curtis Smith grew up loving the music of the 1950s and remembers the first 45 record he ever bought was "Cry" by Johnny Ray. While working in the aerospace industry Curtis continued collecting records and attending concerts of his favorite performers including Little Richard. When he and his wife retired to Carlsbad, Curtis learned about the NAMM Foundation’s  Museum of Making Music and soon signed up as a volunteer where he has provided presentations on Doowop music to the volunteers and provided countless tours to visitors of all ages.

Jeff Snell is a dedicated volunteer at NAMM’s Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, California, where his passion for music and curiosity for learning enrich both visitors and the museum team. Growing up in New York during the vibrant folk revival of the 1960s, Jeff was shaped by the music of Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, and a young Bob Dylan, while also drawing inspiration from the traditions of jazz and blues. He began with piano lessons and school music programs before discovering the guitar, which became his lifelong companion.

John Tedeschi started playing music again when his son took up the saxophone in the school band and needed someone to practice improvisation with. John had been playing the guitar since high school for fun, and playing with his son gave him the itch for more. He began buying more gear, practicing more, and when he retired he found the NAMM Foundation’s Museum of Making Music. John was looking for something to do in his spare time that he loves, and the museum fit the bill perfectly.

Arnold Tubis has always been interested in the mathematics of music. After receiving his PhD in physics at MIT, Arnold began teaching courses on how music relates to science. When he retired, he and his wife moved to Carlsbad where he became a volunteer at the NAMM Foundation’s Museum of Making Music. He soon began providing presentations to the volunteers on the musical saw and other odd instruments. Arnold adds his own interesting background to each of his tours and special programs for the museum, which enriches the experience for museum visitors!

Velia Villasenor-Telles grew up singing with her sister. Music was always a big part of her life, as she is related to the record producer Johnny Otis and the jazz composer and arranger Gerald Wilson. When she and her husband retired to Carlsbad, she soon heard about the NAMM Foundation’s Museum of Making Music and signed up as a docent. After her training, Velia became docent, providing tours to school age children all the way up to seniors and she enjoyed each experience of sharing music with others. And as you can guess, it was Velia who made our NAMM Oral History interview wit

Dee Vinton was known as Dancin’ Dee around the NAMM Foundation’s Museum of Making Music where she was a noted docent since the early 2000’s. Dee was fond of telling her tour groups that her mother was a dime-a-dance girl in the heyday of the 1920’s dance craze. After retiring from a successful career in the food service industry, where she pioneered the hiring of special needs employees, Dee signed up to learn about the music products industry and to serve as a museum docent. Her warm and friendly personality and strong knowledge of the exhibits made Dee one of the true treasures

Katie Wheeler was an early volunteer of the NAMM Foundation’s Museum of Making Music in the NAMM headquarters in Carlsbad, California.  Her docent experience with the museum gave Katie the opportunity to work across the lobby in the NAMM Resource Center.  Her personal interest in documentation and organization was the perfect fit in the early days of cataloging the archival collection.  Katie continued to play a very valuable role in finding aid documents for most of the companies and music stores within the collection for searching and easy reference. She passed away in July 2025