Theatre Organs

Rick Anderson was in a MBA program that required he write a research paper about a local business. This was his introduction to the Rodgers Instrument Corporation located in Hillsboro, Oregon, for which Rick was associated with (one way or another) over a period of 37 years. Rick, who became the historian for the company and its many innovative products, began working there in 1973.

Fred Buch has always been interested in combining electronic technology with pipe organs.  When he entered the pipe organ business in the 1957, electronic organs were not sufficiently advanced to provide a high quality pipe sound.  Fred added pianos and home organs in 1960 resulting in a three store operation. Hearing that the Rodgers Instrument Corp. was interested in combining electronics and pipes, Fred became a representative of Rodgers in 1972.   At that juncture, his company name was changed to Buch Church Organ Company to focus on pipe & electronic organ custom installa

Dan Dugan is a pro lighting and pro audio engineer who invented an automixer that he first presented at AES in 1974. With a rich background in theater, both in lighting and sound, Dan created several automations that improved the quality and efficiency of production processes. His innovations were used in many products including Yamaha’s Dugan MY-16 card, and he was awarded an Emmy for technology in 2020. While working for theaters in San Francisco in 1968, the now commonly known title of sound designer was first used to describe the work Dan was doing.

Tony Fenelon cut his teeth on the Theatre Organ and became the artist in residence at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne in the early 1960s. He recalls performing demos at the NAMM Shows beginning in the 1970s for companies such as Lowrey and Roland. Tony was on hand for the big unveiling of the Lowrey MX1 in 1979 at the Chicago NAMM Show. He was later the demo artist for the Roland Atelier, which became Tony's signature instrument. He has recorded and provided in-store clinics around the world. Along the way he has developed lifelong friends who share his passion for the organ.

Don Kent has a steep background in furniture building and restoration. With a love of music, in particular singing, Don soon found himself working on special church organ projects mainly in New England. He has since worked on a wide range of organs both for simple repairs to full restoration and along the way has gathered a great understanding of the instruments and their history.

John Ledwon is a theater organist with a love for the instruments he plays. Since the age of 11 John has been enamored with the sound and design of pipe organs and has become an expert on the workings of both concert and theater organs. Along the way John has also collected a number of instruments to better understand their unique innovations first hand. In recent years he has played the large Wurlitzer organ in the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood following its restoration paid for by the Disney Company.

Dave Nicholas was just four years old when he began playing a piano that was left in their new house when they moved in the 1930s. The previous owner had purchased the piano on monthly payments and Dave’s father decided to take over the payments while arranging lessons for young Dave. He later started playing the organ and while working at various holiday camps he met many British entertainment stars including Bud Flanagan and Johnny Ball. After securing a job as an organ salesman at Rushworth & Dreaper in 1971 he was approached by the Royal Philharmonic Hall to play organ in

Hector Olivera was born in Argentina where he studied organ with his father, a noted church organist. In 1965 Hector studied at Julliard School of Music and soon after that began providing concerts within the music industry to demonstrate the latest electronic development for organ as well as synthesizers. Among the companies Hector worked with are Conn Organ and Rodgers Instrument Corp., which was owned by Roland at the time.

Cheryl Seppala has given the gift of music to countless students in her organ store over her career. She has never lost that spark in her eye that has encouraged her students to stay with the lessons and enjoy the benefits of making music. She began teaching when she was a teenager at Ozzie’s Music in San Diego. In 1978, she and her husband opened a small retail store called the Organ Stop. There, she continued with group and individual lessons and selling the top-quality home organs such as Conn and Lowrey.

Wayne Seppala was playing organ for shoppers at the Montgomery Wards in San Diego before he was a teenager. When the store stopped selling organs, he landed a job at Ozzie’s Music where he met his future wife, Cheryl. Together they opened their own store just a year after getting married in 1977. Their strongest brand when they started was Conn, however, they were a key dealer for Lowrey and Allen Church Organs over the years as well. The Organ Stop had several big competitors at the time of the great organ boom, but the couple focused on what they did best, customer service and l

Frank Seta devoted his career to the music products industry, beginning with Baldwin Pianos before continuing with Gibson and ultimately fulfilling his dream of owning his own music store. Drawing upon his years of experience and deep understanding of the industry, he established Seta Music in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he specialized in grand, upright, digital, and player pianos, as well as classical and theater organs. Having worked for Baldwin in Cincinnati, Frank recognized the city’s rich musical heritage and believed it was the ideal place to build a successful retail business.

Frederick Swann was one of the most famous organists of the last 50 years due to his many publications, recitals, church performances and his long run on the television program The Hour of Power. His career began when he was just 10 years old and he was asked to fill in for the organist at his father’s church (Theodore Swann was a Methodist Minister in Virginia). Fred had been taking piano lessons and seemed at ease with the organ right from the start. His career included a long association with the Riverside Church in New York City, the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, CA and t

Ryoki Yamaguchi was born and raised in Japan, where his mother’s piano sparked his lifelong love of music. As a child, the instrument was all the toy he needed, and he grew up eager to learn everything he could about making music. By his teenage years, he had become a skilled electronic organist, and at just 22 he was hired by the Roland Corporation to perform as one of their featured organ artists. Through this role, he connected with industry leaders such as Dennis Houlihan, Hector Olivera, and Rosemary Bailey—who later encouraged him to share his story for the NAMM Oral History