NPTA (National Piano Travelers Association)

Dick Christian has spent his entire career in the piano and organ business and has made many friends along the way. His support for the industry led him to the role as president of the National Piano Travelers Association. Having worked retail before joining the teams of Thomas, Baldwin, Wurlitzer and Samick, Dick has a great understanding of the role a salesman can fill for both supplier and dealer and works to help both from his position.  

  Robert Dove joined Steinway & Sons at a time of global change and development. He helped establish the Far East division of the piano company and for many years assisted with the company’s growth in the US and in Asia. He helped to develop the company’s two OEM brands, Boston and Essex and worked on creating sales and marketing programs for the Steinway dealers, worldwide.

Larry Fresch Sr. exuded the passion and the love of music that is so much a part of this industry. His four Fresch Music stores in Ohio not only became part of their communities, they encouraged the growth of music programs and music making at every level. After working for a small retailer in Sandusky for two years, Larry bought the store, renamed it and began his long association with NAMM –the year was 1958. The Fresch Music store in Columbus, Ohio opened in 1969 and became one of the first great mall store successes in the music products industry.

Larry Fresch has worked by day as a sales manager for piano and organ companies and by night as an accomplished saxophone player and singer in Southern California. He grew up in Sandusky, Ohio, where his father had a music retail store. Young Larry began playing the accordion before switching to the saxophone at the age of ten. He enlisted in the United States Navy and attended the Navy Music School in Washington, DC. Larry performed on many Goodwill Tours including those for wounded soldiers returning home from Vietnam.

Gary Galanti comes from a well-known and well-respected music products family. His great grandfather began building accordions in Italy in 1890 and later his uncle and father sold them in America. Gary began in the family business by helping with the wholesale division while also expanding their product line to include organs and pianos. In 1984, Gary had the idea to create a Hyundai branded piano and thought the name recognition would increase sales - he was right.

Don Glasgow is the Director of Sales for North America for Grotrian Piano Company GmbH, joining the company in 2013.  Don’s role in the company followed a long career in the piano segment of the industry and adds to the rich history of the Grotrian history.  Friedrich Grotrian was born in 1803 in Schöningen, Germany, and as a young man lived in Moscow, where he ran a music business and was associated with piano manufacturing. Later in his life he teamed up with C.F. Theodor Steinweg, son of Heinrich Steinweg, to build pianos. Heinrich had emigrated to the U.S. about 1850, soon to

Vince Grantano was a fixture among traveling piano representatives. He traveled the entire United States for several companies over the years to bring new products to retailers. His most notable job was with the Winter Piano Company where he worked for several decades. Vince joined the National Piano Traveler’s Association in the 1950s, during a time when several of the old timers could talk about the golden age of the piano in the early 1900s.

Hershel Green spent much of his career in the piano and organ field, working as salesman, technician, and tuner. Along the way, he gained the respect of reps and dealers alike. As a side hobby, Hershel collected Hammond clocks and items regarding the history of the man who made those clocks and went on to create the Hammond Organ Company, Mr. Laurens Hammond. Hersh was a long time member of the National Piano Travelers Association and a strong supporter of the NAMM Oral History program for many years.  In 2019 he was presented the NAMM Believe In Music Award for his dedication to

Ann Patrick Green is the founder of Patrick Music School in Fullerton, California and the music teacher who provided training lessons during the NAMM Shows.  Her passion has always been centered around teaching, so when she had the opportunity to open a music school she jumped at the chance.  For some time, the school became a store as she offered musical instruments and accessories but has trimmed that part of the business to focus on teaching.  During the 1980s she provided several sessions at the NAMM Show in Anaheim for members to better understand how to create and run music

Frank Huffman was the quintessential traveling music salesman! With charm and always a few good jokes, Frank has made his way across the United States, first for Wurlitzer and then for Baldwin. Standing next to Frank in a smoke-filled bar, one could meet all the other travelers who knew him by name and who shared, as Frank did, their many road stories. With Frank, the decades of hard work, dealer relations, perseverance, and his keen product knowledge, were only second to providing what the customers wanted and needed.

Stan Lindenbaum grew up in Brooklyn and developed many thoughts and ideas about selling. While working for several different industries during his career, Stan studied the idea of incentive marketing, a concept that worked out well for him in his years in the music industry. He worked for the Thomas Organ Company just as the designer, Mr. George Thomas, signed a deal to have the instruments made. Stan later worked in the consumer electronics industry before returning to the music industry as a regional manager for North American Music selling acoustic pianos.

Kline Locher was a seasoned piano salesman who crisscrossed the highways of America long before the era of two-lane interstates. His journey began as a teenage trumpeter, performing with prestigious big bands in iconic venues of the swing era, such as the Peabody in Memphis and the Casa Loma in Toronto. In 1941, he embarked on his music industry career in retail before joining Kolher & Campbell Piano Company. Throughout his illustrious career, Kline represented several piano companies, initially as a road rep and later as an executive, contributing to the growth of numerous br

John McDermott could sure sell pianos! His knowledge of the products and his strong relationship with music retailers made him an ideal and successful sales rep. John worked for the Gulbransen Piano Company during the company’s innovative era of the mid 1960s through the 1970s. After his retirement he stayed active in the industry and can still often be found at the National Piano Travelers Association’s annual meeting lending his support and hearty hand shake to new comers.  

Arnold Poppenberg was hired by the Winter Piano Company as a traveling salesman in 1959, the same year he attended his first NAMM Show. He remained with Winter for ten years, but went on to rep for several other piano companies in the industry making him one of the most successful piano travelers with territory that covered the entire United States –at least once! Arnold was also an active member of the National Piano Travelers Association, which was originally formed in 1904 and has had their annual meetings and dinner at the NAMM Show ever since.  

Vern Schafer joined the family business of moving pianos as a teenager, but had the dream of running his own piano store. While still running the Schafer Piano Movers Company, Vern set out to learn all he could about the ins and outs of the piano retail business. Soon after opening Colton Pianos, in the southern California town of Colton, Vern was able to expand, opening other locations. In the process, Vern wanted to train his employees to be able to run and manage the stores so that he could continue to run the moving company as well as other ideas he had.

Nikolaus Schimmel served as president for his family’s piano company for several decades. The German based Schimmel Piano Company has been building fine instruments for over one hundred years and under Nikolaus’ leadership the company expanded its export business, becoming a well-known brand of piano throughout the world. Nikolaus sought to continue the high quality of pianos that his father and grandfather had made while incorporating the latest in technology when it was possible. He also played a role in supporting music education programs and many industry events over his long

Al Slivinski was in the third grade when a salesman visited his school with the pitch “you too can be an accordion player!” Al developed great techniques on the accordion that served him well when he began playing the organ in high school, which he continued throughout college. He sold pianos and organs and also gave lessons at local music stores. He and his wife opened their first piano and organ store in Wisconsin during the mid-1970’s. Upon selling the business he became a district manager and sales executive for a number of piano manufacturers. Later in his career, Al develope

Craig Smith began piano lessons at the age seven and by the time he was twelve, was fascinated with the sounds of the home organ. He started demonstrating organs for Karnes Music at thirteen and worked there part-time through high school. During his college years, Craig continued to work part-time selling pianos and organs at Byerly Music in Peoria, IL. He also played professionally in hotels and supper clubs. After college, he toured the country with a show band for a couple years, before settling down into a retail career with his early mentor from Karnes, Pete Sopp, who by the

Wilton Syckes was thought to have sold more pianos than any other salesman. A veteran of the industry, Wilton was also a former president of the National Piano Traveler’s Association. The association awarded its lifetime achievement award to Wilton in 2000. Wilton’s love and knowledge of the piano business was unequaled – a fact clear to all those lucky enough to have met him. He began his career at Winter Piano and attended his first NAMM Show in 1950. Wilton didn’t miss a show until his retirement from the NPTA in 2008. The following year he donated thousands of documents on the

Bill Wellborn was honored with the National Piano Traveler’s Association Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007 for his dedication to the industry. As a piano salesman, Bill has traveled the country for a number of different piano manufacturers such as PA Stark, Story & Clark and Young Chang. His career began in the days of two-lane highways and phone booths and has continued on into the decades of the Internet and cell phones. After his service during World War II, Bill worked for his father’s piano retail stores. He opened several retail stores in and around Mississippi before j

Chip Wise served in the piano business for over fifty years and enjoyed the customers he met and the people of the music industry. During the early days of the NAMM Oral History program more interviewees suggested we interview Chip than just about anyone else. His interview took place at the NAMM Show in 2009 while he held the position of Vice President of the Schimmel Piano Company USA. At the time Chip outlined his career with a pause every now and then to ensure he mentioned the names of those who helped him with his career and those he was happy to work with over the years.