Pianos

Norbert Abel formed the Abel Hammer Company (Helmut Abel GmbH) in 1982 along with his father, to manufacture piano hammerheads, shanks and flanges for the piano industry.  Over the years, they have created many interesting products such as chemical free felt and high quality hammerheads for both upright and grand pianos.  The products are manufactured in their Frankenhardt, Germany factory and distributed throughout the world. Norbert has been involved with several industry associations over the years including the Piano Technicians Guild (PTG) where he has not only exhibited but

Paul Adams began his career as a piano technician in New Jersey after earning his degree in music at Rutgers University in 1972.  Soon after establishing his business, Paul joined the Piano Technicians Guild (PTG) to learn all he could about his profession.  Within a few years it was Paul who was teaching classes and helping grow the guild.  He earned his Registered Piano Technician (RPT) certificate and has since been a strong leader within the PTG to grow the relevance and quality of the testing process for all tuners and technicians. Paul was elected to the PTG National Board a

Dennis Alexander has sought to engage and inspire music makers at all levels throughout his long and successful career as a music educator. As a professor of music with a focus on pedagogy, Dennis began to notice the ways in which his students successfully learned to read and study music. In 1986, when given the chance to develop method books for Alfred Music, Dennis leaped at the opportunity. Over his long and successful career, he has published over 400 books at all levels and with the same conviction for which he successfully taught in person. What comes across within his metho

John Allegrezza began working in the piano business in 1957 and soon discovered he had a real passion for the business and the people. In 1981 he opened his store, Allegrezza Pianos, in Ridgeland, Mississippi, just north of Jackson. Over the years he worked with some of the biggest names in the business including Kawai, which was his first line! John was named the Kawai Dealer of the Year several times, a fact of which he was very proud of. John was also very proud that his grandson joined the business and they were able to work side by side. A lifelong member of the music busines

Charles Anderson displayed his love for music education beginning at a young age.  In fact, he was hired at the age of 15 to teach while he was still in high school.  Over the years he expanded into group music lessons such as the work he has done with Yamaha over the years.  As Director of Keyboard Encounters for Yamaha Music Education Systems, Charles was able to continue what he loved most, bringing music to the lives of his students!

 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

Thomas Austin was a key part of the Sherman Clay team for over 40 years!  The store chain focused on pianos; however, Thomas recalls the home organ boom in the 1970s as the company was a Hammond Organ dealer.  The company was formed in San Francisco in 1870 and grew to be the biggest (for a time) and oldest chain music store operation.  Thomas was involved with the company until it was announced in 2013 that the company would be closing its doors. Thomas served on the NAMM Board and remained involved with the industry even after the company went out of business.  

Rick Baldassin is the President and Founder of Baldassin Pianos in Salt Lake City, Utah.  As a piano technician, Rick has been an active and passionate member of the Piano Technicians Guild (PTG) both serving with his local chapter as well as on the board of the guild.  Over the years he has developed a strong knowledge of the inner working of the piano action and the role and construction of the hammer.  As a result he has provided countless training classes for the PTG attendees to help grow the knowledge and credibility of the guild and technicians the world over.

Jane Smisor Bastien together with her husband. James Bastien wrote the best-selling method book, Bastien Piano Methods, which was 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. Inspired by Robert Pace's "Multi-Key" pedagogical approach and her own ideas culled from years of teaching, Jane and James created the much loved and accessible "Gradual Multi-Key Approach".

Mike Bates is the senior member of the Institutional Solutions Group in the Keyboard Division of Yamaha Corporation of America. Over the last 28 years with the company, Mike’s career has included nine years as the general manager of the Music Education Division. In his long career with Yamaha, he has been responsible for numerous special projects on behalf of both Yamaha and the music industry, including working on the team that developed the music and arts advocacy materials created by NAMM/MENC in the early 1990's.

Frank Baxter is the proud founder of Piano World (PianoWorld.com). Having programed webpages in the early 1990s, Frank used his skill and his insight that the web would soon be growing, to create a platform for his business. As a piano technician, Frank found his online marketing very successful as well as the community of piano forum members, which continues to grow each year. Frank cut his teeth in music retail at Curtis Music in 1968 and would later open and manage two of their mall stores and eventually a store of his own. Frank’s passion for the music industry continued to de

Ed Bazel is a pianist, composer, and global brand ambassador whose career reflects a lifelong passion for expressive and melodic music. Born in Huntington, West Virginia, Ed began playing piano at the age of five and was inspired early on by The Beatles, later performing in bands as a teenager. As a professional musician, he studied with noted pianists and developed a distinctive style known for its emotional depth and lyrical phrasing. Ed has recorded multiple albums of original compositions and unique interpretations, including sessions at iconic studios such as Abbey Road Studi

Sharman Beasley-Vesecky grew up in the music business as her grandfather, William Howard Beasley, served as the president of the NAMM Board of Directors from 1939-1940.  Sharman has become the holder of her family's history and was kind enough to share the history with us during her NAMM Oral History interview, which included details about her grandfather as well as the Whittle Music store he owned.  Her great grandfather was the owner of Beasley Piano Company in East Texas, where her father received his introduction into the business before switching to music retail in the 1920s.

Carma Lou Beck was an active musician and teacher when she began working in music retail in Iowa in the 1960s. She opened her own store in Cedar Rapids in 1967, after working for a few other stores, including one owned and operated by the Wurlitzer Company. By the time Carma Lou's House of Music expanded to three stores in the mid 1970s, she had become a local celebrity, due in part by her well-known TV and radio commercials. She was a proud advocate for music education and sponsored countless programs that encouraged music making for all ages.  

Keith Beckingham recalls watching his father, a church organist, playing the piano at home and then sitting down and copying the music he heard. He grew up fascinated by the piano and organ and played throughout his school years. A job at Boosey and Hawkes, London as a Hammond Organ demonstrator was his introduction to the music industry. Keith worked long and hard to help develop the market for Hammond in the UK including introducing the Hammond Piper. Ultimately he was invited to join the staff of Hammond Organ Company, Chicago, first as head of European Marketing after which he

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.

Mike Bennett began playing trumpet at the age of eight and played jazz trumpet and piano throughout high school. He studied music at the University of Tulsa and in 1980, landed a part time job at Saied Music. That first job was in the sheet music department and less than a year later, in January 1981, Mike joined the company full time. He managed one of the branch locations for years before being asked to join the main store in Tulsa to run the Piano & Organ Department. Mike has excelled in this position and has enjoyed it thoroughly. 

George Benson played trombone during school and studied piano during college.  It was during that time that he began working for a local music store.  He worked for Hoover Music in Jackson, Michigan and later for Schroeder Piano before James Mixter hired him as sales manager for the Baldwin Piano Company in Cincinnati, Ohio.  His territory for the company was large as it included Wyoming, South Dakota, Kansas, Colorado and parts of Missouri. 

Lou Berger was an energetic piano salesman in the style of the old piano traveler of a by-gone era. In fact, what Lou knew about selling pianos he learned from some of the old timers when he was a young man starting out in the business. Lou was a walking encyclopedia of the piano business and was 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 once provided training classes for the NAMM Foundation’s Museum of Making Music’s docent program on the subject of player pianos.

Bob Berkman has a passion about the player piano and the player piano rolls.  Bob's grandparents had a player piano when he was a child and he grew up fascinated by the instrument.  Once while in dental school, on a long weekend, Bob traveled to the QRS factory to make his own roll, having no idea at the time that he would one day work for the company for more than 35 years.  

Seymour Bernstein shared great insight into his career and life in music during his NAMM Oral History interview. He proudly spoke of the first moment he put his hands on the white keys of his aunt’s piano and how he felt the direction of his life was set in stone. Seymour had some wonderful teachers including Clifford Curzon, Nadia Boulanger and Alexander Brailowsky. He pursued a life as a classical pianist and dedicated himself to the craft. At the age of 50, he gave what he said was a very freeing final concert to focus on composing and teaching.

Greg Billings is the retired president of the Steinway Piano Gallery of Naples in Florida. Greg is also a very active member of the music products industry, appearing on panel discussions at NAMM Shows, serving on boards and writing a regular article for Music Inc. magazine. His deep passion for the industry and for providing music in the lives of many thousands of people can be traced back to the passion of his father, Zeb Billings. Zeb was a pioneer in both retailing and music publishing in the home organ era that set standards still being used to this day.

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.  Following in his footsteps is his son Greg Billings, who operated the Steinway dealership in Naples, Florida and his grandson Grant, who operates a store in Madison, Wisconsin.  

Terry Bingley was a leader in the Canadian Music Products Industry for several decades. He began his career when he formed a music retail store before working with Yamaha and, later, serving as the Managing Director of Kawai.  He helped to establish Kawai Canada. In 1984, Terry formed a music wholesaler company, Bingley Distributors, which became a key contributor to the growth of the North America music market.   

Don Bird founded Conn Organs of Fresno in 1973 in Fresno, CA. He started his career in music, working for Sherman Clay, Co. in 1967 as a general manager of a single store, working completely by himself. He was offered a promotion – move to Philadelphia and general manage 3 Sherman Clay stores – and he turned them down. Thus, Conn Organs of Fresno was born. 

Lyle Bird grew up in a musical family with his mother playing the piano daily. As a teenager he played trumpet in several swing bands during the big band era including with such leaders as Henry Busse. He played in a band during his navy service during World War II and again played in several small bands after the war before being hired by the Sherman Clay Company. Lyle sold saxophones for a short time, long enough he would say in order to realize he wanted to sell pianos.

Steve Bird joined the piano industry right out of school and established a life-long career that he has thoroughly enjoyed.  While working for Sherman Clay, Steve was asked to open up several locations, which became a niche for him.  Understanding and embracing the business element as well as the relationship side of the process, Steve was successful at opening new piano stores all over the country.  He teamed with his father, Lyle Bird, to open and establish Lyle’s store in Southern California.  He later teamed with his future wife, Sherry, to open Steinway galleries in both Aust

Deena Bird began teaching piano while she was still a teenager.  She later established her own music school, which for a while was located in the Steinway Gallery of her hometown of San Antonio, Texas.  One day while walking in the hall she met Lyle Bird, the father of the store’s owner.  Well, the rest was wedding bliss for the two music lovers.  Before creating her school, she worked as a piano saleswoman at Alamo Music.  For years she worked with the Flores family, which she often has said was one of the highlights of her life.  Another was meeting Lyle!

Robert Birmingham teamed with his brother to purchase Steinway & Sons from CBS Musical Instruments in the early 1980s.

John Blanch grew up learning all about solid customer service from his father, who owned a grocery store north of Sydney, Australia. Those lessons helped John during his career in the music industry, which began in retail and expanded into wholesaling. His fun stories about selling pianos in the early 70s in Australia were plentiful, including those surrounding the fact that if you sold a piano in those day, it was you who had to deliver it! John joined Kawai at an important era of innovation and expansion, which included supporting many music educational program.

Ed Blasco was one of the best known organ salesmen in Kansas City during the 1970s. He worked for Sherman Clay, Jenkins Music and even ran his own store, Ed Blasco’s Conn Organ Center in the mid 1970s. Ed’s passion for the organ was the foundation of his selling and he never lost sight of the important role he played bringing music into the lives of his customers and their children.

Marvin Blickenstaff had an indelible mark on countless music students of all ages over his long career. As an educator, he taught at the college level and provided thousands of workshops, clinics, and masterclasses on many aspects of music, especially in the field of pedagogy. As a method book author, Marvin teamed with Louise Bianchi and Lynn Freeman Olson to create the Music Pathways Series for Carl Fischer Music. The series was innovative and created the foundation for many of Marvin’s well-attended workshops.