Oral History Interviews

Larry Westland set out to give a few music students a chance to play. He worked long and hard to gain support to create the Music for Youth School Programs in the UK, which was established in 1971. During enrollment in the Fall 2005 program, the two millionth student got the chance to make music. It is an overwhelming accomplishment and one Larry takes as motivation for endowing the program to ensure it will continue to provide meaningful opportunities for the youth of the UK. His NAMM Oral History interview was completed on July 10, 2005.  

Bitsie Werlein was the last president of the famed Werlein’s For Music in New Orleans. When its doors closed in 2003 it was the nation’s oldest operating music retailer. The company was established in 1862 during the Civil War when the Union Navy blockaded New Orleans harbor. During her years as president the company experienced the great home organ boom of the 1970s and the synthesizer popularity of the 1980s. Bitsie was interviewed on the very day the store closed for the last time. 

Saul Walker’s career in the field of electronics went back to the early sound designs before World War II. As an engineer he was trained in the United States Navy and worked on several important projects including early sound recordings and the use of what would become transistor technology. Saul helped create a series of products designed to assist children in the classroom setting, including hearing equipment and sound reinforcement products. In the mid 1960s he teamed with a neighbor to create the pro-audio company API.

Kees van Willigen opened a music shop in Holland in 1968. As an accordion player he specialized in the instrument and soon gained a world-wide reputation for his product line and customer service. Kees (pronounced Case) witnessed the boom of the accordion in the 1950s and 60s, its decline in the 70s and 80s and it’s resurgence in the 1990s and early 2000s. Even after his son took over as the store’s president, Kees still worked in the store everyday until his passing in 2010. “The accordion is for everyone who enjoys making music” he said proudly during is 2008 interview.

David Van Koevering worked alongside Bob Moog in the early days of marketing the Minimoog synthesizer. The instrument was the first mass produced synthesizer that produce unique tones, ushering in a new era of electronic music. David worked in several positions within the music industry over the years. He was also the president of Elsewhen Research, a non-profit corporation which offers scientific information to explain what the Bible claims.  

Pete Valentino noticed that band instrument repairmen often had a difficult task in replacing worn pads on flutes and saxophones. He had burned his hands on many occasions and thought that there must be a better way. He soon made and marketed the Valentino Pad, a replacement product that later became factory added to a number of leading manufacturer’s instruments. Among his other successes was the Pad Repair Kit, designed to make identifying and replacing worn pads faster and less costly. After his retirement from the industry, he continued to design and improve his product statin

Arturo Valdez was known around the world as the “guitar repairman to the stars.” With his shop located on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood, California, Arturo worked on thousands of guitars, many legendary in the history of rock and roll. He opened his shop in the early 1960s and soon had customers such as John Lennon, Eric Clapton and John Denver. Over the years Arturo also created his own brand of guitars and became a sought-after luthier as well. Beginning in the 1980s he designed his own line of classical and Flamenco guitars, which have been sold around the world. 

DeForest Thornburgh came into the industry with a strong business background and a deep-seated passion for guitars. When an opportunity arose to purchase the well-established Blue Guitar store in San Diego, he took it. His goal was to focus on the talents of the staff, which included master luthier and an original founder of the shop, Yuris Zeltins. DeForest’s knowledge of guitars and other string instruments made the Blue Guitar a must stop for collectors and performers alike. The store’s reputation has long since been based on a unique and specialized approach to repairs, wh

Norm Thompson began his career in the music products industry as a salesman for retailers in Memphis during the 1950s. He worked his way up to a position of buyer for the store O. K. Hauck, which introduced him to the wholesalers, many of whom he would later work for. Norm found it rewarding to work in wholesale after his retail experience and enjoyed his 20 plus years with Kaman. He later worked for Jupiter Band Instruments in the United States and played a vital role in the company’s expansion into the US school market. Most recently he has been working for the Bari mouthpiece c

Morley Thompson’s financial background was a key element in the expansion of the Baldwin Piano Company during the 1980s. Morley created a credit company and finance programs under the Baldwin name to branch off from the company’s core technology and invest on a larger scale. The changes came in the years following the popularity of electronic instruments and the on-set of MIDI technology. Many traditional piano companies feared the end was near. Morley’s strategies were recognized outside of the industry as well as within, with Forbes magazine profiling Morley and his new approach

Hans Thomann, the visionary behind the iconic music store empire in Germany, transformed his love for music into a harmonious business venture. From humble beginnings with his father’s music store in a small village, Hans' commitment to providing musicians with quality instruments resonated, turning Thomann Music into a world-class retailer. With an ear for customer needs and a heart for art, Hans' legacy echoes through the chords of countless musicians who found their instruments and inspiration within the walls of his renowned music stores. His first NAMM Oral History took place

Toshitsugu “Tom” Tanaka, the president of Hoshino Gakki. Ltd, recalled with a smile his early training in the industry under Harry Rosenbloom of Medley Music. That experience not only educated him on the American instrument market, it was also the foundation of his partnership with Mr. Rosenbloom. Together the two men established the Ibanez Guitar brand and brought it to the world market. Mr. Tanaka played a key role in the establishment and operation of Hoshino USA and served as president during the years the company launched the Tama drum line.  

Mehmet Tamdeger’s mentor was Mikkail Zilcan, who taught him everything the master craftsmen knew about cymbal making. Mehmet was born in the same small village outside Istanbul, Turkey where cymbal making is thought to have been developed in 1623. Zilcan taught Mehmet’s best childhood friend, Agop Tomarcuk, the same trade. After Mr. Zilcan’s passing, Mehmet and Agop established their own company, Istanbul Cymbals. Both men took personal care over the company, hand making and signing each and every product.

Manji Suzuki had a deep passion for the music industry. He is the founder and president of Suzuki Musical Instrument Manufacturing Company in Hamamatsu, Japan. The company began as a harmonica maker and over the years has developed innovative instruments such as a full line of wood harmonicas for music education. His passion and mission was to introduce music into the lives of young people. During the 1980s he purchased the Hammond Organ Company and for the first time ever brought in the Leslie Speaker Company under the same ownership. Those on hand for the recording of Mr. Suzuki

Fujio Suzuki was the president of the Suzuki Musical Instrument Company in Japan in 2003 when the NAMM Foundation’s  Museum of Making Music celebrated the launching of the new Hammond-Suzuki B-3. Fujio Suzuki took the stage alongside the president of the United States office of Suzuki and legendary jazz musician Joey DeFrancesco, who endorsed the organ as well as demonstrated it’s new features while keeping the traditional sound. Manji Suzuki, the chairman of the company, has also been interviewed for the NAMM Oral History library.

Don Stewart was hired in 1957 by the famous composer Roy Harris to copy music – by HAND. Back in those days, the cost for plate engraving was too high and the music typewriters were not yet sophisticated enough to handle the scores. Don developed his own unique style in musical notation and soon freelanced for several music publishers including Carl Fischer and Boosey & Hawkes. In later years, he formed his own publishing company, Trillenium Music, with a focus on Wind Chamber Music, Opera Reduction Orchestrations, and music for Orchestras.

Ralph Sordyl believed in music! Having started a music repair business in his living room while teaching music, Ralph grew the company, Sordyl’s House of Music, to one of the best known in the country. It is remarkable that Ralph had the time considering he had nine children. Upon asking Mr. Sordyl if he knew all of the names of his children, Mr. Sordyl replied, “Yes, but it doesn’t really matter, nobody comes when I call them!” His NAMM Oral History interview was completed on July 23, 2005. Ralph gave much to music and his community, as evident by the outpouring of love and appre

Ed Soph toured as the drummer and percussionist for several noted jazz bands during the 1970s. His noted work with the Woody Herman Orchestra led to gigs with the Glenn Miller Ghost Band and countless recording engagements. Ed has taught clinics throughout the world and has been a long supporter of the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC). Ed’s interview for the NAMM Oral History Program and the Percussive Arts Society (PAS) archives was completed on November 10, 2006.  

Paul Reed Smith began playing guitar as a teenager. He soon designed his own style of guitar, which he built. At first he did not think about selling the instruments he was designing, but he did hope that one day he could give one of his guitars to Carlos Santana. Mr. Santana not only loved the guitar, he became the new company’s long time endorser. The PRS guitar has become an iconic instrument in the industry and Paul, always the supporter of new ideas, has often used his example to encourage young people to follow their dreams.

Holger Siems had a prolific career in music publishing. Beginning in his native Germany, Holger worked for several top publishing firms in key positions. Among his many accomplishments included establishing the United States branch of G. Henle Press. Relocating to Missouri, Holger helped bring the Henley catalog to America, where he worked closely with the Retail Print Music Dealers Association (RPMDA) and others in supporting music making by promoting method books and music training publications.  He was a mentor to many and a friend to many more.

Mototsugu Shimamura grew a small Japanese music retail store into the country’s largest music retail chain. Shimamura Music has played a vital role in music education and the expansion of the music market in Japan since 1962. As both president of Shimamura Music and an active member of several industry associations, Mr. Shimamura worked to build global growth within the music products industry. His mission for his very first store is still the mission for his entire retail chain today: “Deliver our customers the joy of music to their everyday life.”

Bobby Shew’s cool jazz trumpet style helped revolutionize jazz in the 1960s through a series of successful recordings and world tours. During those years he developed several ideas that would lead to the design of his own trumpet. He felt that these improvements and adjustments would make it easier for the musician to achieve their desired sounds in a more consistent manner. Yamaha produced the trumpet and Bobby hand checked and set up each and every instrument before it was sent out to the stores and musicians. His important role as educator and clinician brought him to the NAMM

Gilberto Serna is the keeper of the Deagan flame! The mighty vibraphone company once produced professional level instruments used by symphonic and popular musicians alike. Shortly after the company’s 100th anniversary it was sold, it’s tools moved out of its original building and many of the veteran craftsmen asked to retire. One of the seasoned employees was Gilberto Serna who honored the company he cherished by naming his own repair and rebuilding company Century Mallets. He focused on Deagan products as well as building his own and over time assembled an impressive collection o

Ekhard Seidl’s steady hand and concentration, so evident when watching him, can be traced back to his grandfather and the tradition of violin making in the town of Markneukirchen Germany. In a small shop on the second floor of his home, Ekhard works on the craft that has defined his family’s role in music making for hundreds of years. His interview was conducted while he worked, as if to demonstrate the process of making a violin is in everything he does.  

Sandy Schroeder speaks with fond memories of his years in the music industry, most notably his current career at Shure Incorporated, “Most folks don’t know that although Shure has been around for 80 years, we have only had three presidents, including our first Mr. Shure and our current president, Sandy LaMantia. I’ve worked for all three.” His NAMM Oral History interview was completed on July 25, 2005.

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

Hannes Schimmel-Vogel is the president of the German based Schimmel Piano Company. He took over the role when his father-in-law, Nikolaus Schimmel, retired. At the time of his first NAMM interview, Hannes was working closely with Nikolaus to learn the trade and meet many of the dealers and supporters at such events as the NAMM Show. Hannes continued the tradition of supporting industry programs such as those created by NAMM as well as the National Piano Traveler’s Association, which was always a meaningful organization to his father-in-law.  

Elianne Schiedmayer proudly serves as the CEO of the Schiedmayer company. Since 1735 Schiedmayer has been at the service of music, building keyboard instruments of the highest craft. In 1809 the company settled in Stuttgart, Germany, and quickly gained worldwide reputation for its pianos and harmoniums. Schiedmayer started manufacturing the celesta as early as 1890, four years after Victor Mustel has invented and patented this new orchestra instrument. In 1980 the company decided to cease piano production and to focus completely on the celesta. When her husband passed away unexpec

Robert Saied took great inspiration from his father, James. Robert’s father formed the Saied Music Company in Tulsa, OK in 1946 after serving as a band director in various schools in the area. Robert helped expand the store to several locations as well as participate in music industry organizations such as NASMD, as well as serving on the NAMM Board of Directors. Like his father, Robert has taken the role of encouraging music makers at every level and supporting music educational programs both in his community as well as throughout the country. 

Ron Sadler’s great grandfather settled in Aurora, Illinois, outside of Chicago, to establish Sadler Piano. Over the next 123 years, the company has faced some unique times and made an impact on the music industry. During the Great Depression, Ron’s grandfather discontinued manufacturing pianos to focus on music retail, while his father expanded the band instrument repair shop in the back part of the store. Ron grew up following in his father’s footsteps. In fact, Ron was a charter member of the National Association of Professional Band Instrument Repair Technicians (NAPBIRT) and l