Oral History Interviews

Eric Schwartz is the Chairman of Sherman Clay, the historic chain of piano stores. The stores are located in the northern half of California and have played a big role in the growth of the piano market in the region. Eric joined the company in the footsteps of his father, working in all positions along side his uncle Donald Ravitch. Eric played an important role in the expansion of the stores in the early days of the shopping malls and in promoting the stores on their Internet web site.  

Peter Schmitt was not around when his family started a small retail store 110 years ago, but was proud of the role he has played in the expansion of the business into a wholesale business. His son Mike later took over as President of Peter E. Schmitt Music in New Jersey.  His son Mike was interviewed along with his father to provide us with a unique understanding of the music representative and how their role has changed over the years.  Bryan Ottens purchased the company and continues the legacy of the company.

Gunter Schmalfuss has taken great pride in working on one instrument most of his career, the tuba. Since 1961, Mr. Schmalfuss has studied, built and designed tubas in addition to teaching the craft of repair. Following a great tradition of handcrafted work, he has played a vital role in the expansion of the instrument’s models and design keeping up with the times but being grounded in the roots of the instrument. Mr.

Wesley Schaum’s father wrote and arranged music with the hope of serving school band programs in a meaningful way. He wrote several important scores including the noted Schaum Piano Method Books before joining forces with his son Wesley in 1959. Together, father and son formed Schaum Publishing Inc. to enhance the efforts of the Schaum methods, which, at the time, were in print under Belwin Music. Wesley wrote several method books following the same mission as his father and soon created a list of important publications. His son Jeff has continued this tradition.

Dr. Albert Sanderson revolutionized the process of piano tuning by inventing the electronic tuner. Although the device was first questioned by the industry among fears that it would put piano tuners out of business, it proved to be a helpful tool for the technician who could then complete a job faster and with measurable results. Improving on the original design, Al released the Accu-Tuner, which came complete with a microprocessor. Acceptance of the technology grew over the years. In the 1980s, the Piano Technicians Guild began using the product to qualify its members as certifie

Bonnie G. Rowe did not seem to mind much when people thought he was a woman because his given name was Bonnie. For 87 years he corrected people and never gave much thought to using his middle name of Gordon. “Mother and father wanted me to be known as Bonnie, so that is it” he once said. “All I knew was music and that is all I ever wanted to do” he recalled in his NAMM Oral History interview. He opened the Rowe’s Music retail shop, a publishing company, which offered a number of his own songs, and a school created to teach large classes of accordion students.

Manuel Rodriguez Sr. was very proud of his ancestry as a classical guitar luthier in the deep tradition of his native Spain. With honor, pride and passion, the art and craftsmanship has been handed down from his father and in turn he has taught the skills to his son, Manuel Rodriguez Jr., the current president of Guitars Rodriguez. In 1905, Manuel Senior’s father opened a small shop after years as a repair man. The reputation of the instruments has covered the globe, a source of pride for Manuel.  

Jean Francois Rico had an early interest in news photography, but following his grandmother’s passing, Jean began working at the company his grandfather had established, Rico Reeds. The company dominated the reed industry for many decades with a powerful sales force around the world and a steady stream of new and innovative products. Jean played a role in creating an advertising campaign and by involving the company in industry events such as the NAMM Shows.

Don Ravitch pioneered many elements of keyboard retailing as president of Sherman Clay. With an engineering and financial background Don and his partners purchased the music store chain in 1959 from the third generation of Clay’s. Moving to San Francisco in 1960 and focusing on changing the stores from full line music to keyboard retailing turned out to be perfect timing for the upcoming home organ boom. Don opened or acquired a string of Hammond Organ studios on the east coast and managed them with his unique approach to financing, which was rare within the music industry at the

Mario Procida formed a music distribution company in El Salvador in 1958 that soon expanded into several surrounding countries as well. His strong understanding of musical traditions and the import/export business resulted in Mario’s notable influence as a leader in the music products industry. He knew all too well that unstable governments result in unstable economies, but he pressed on for quality and music awareness in countries whose citizens valued traditional music but were influenced and persuaded by pop culture.

Houston Person, after a 3-year old musical partnership with the great vocalist Etta Jones, is only now receiving the recognition he deserves as one of today’s leading instrumentalists in the tradition of Gene Ammons and Stanley Turrentine. Since Etta’s passing, Houston has concentrated on working with some of today’s best Hammond B-3 players; performing blues-oriented soulful jazz, “please music” as Houston likes to call it.

Peter Perez represents a lot of musical history. A former head of CG Conn and CBS Musical Instruments, Peter went on to become the President of Steinway & Sons. His career also included the purchasing of Aeolian Pianos in Memphis and Lyon & Healy in Chicago while he was working for CBS. Another fascinating aspect of his history is his family connection to the industry. Peter married Carroll Greenleaf, the daughter of Leland who was the former owner of CG Conn.  

Rudy Pensa formed Rudy’s Music on 48th Street in New York City. It is a favorite for musicians and tourists alike. Beginning in the 1970s Rudy came to America from his native Argentina with a suitcase and a dream to be a part of the music industry. The very doorway that he first stepped through was into the building that became Rudy’s Music within the decade. He often recalls that he started with only a few guitars, but they were each of quality. Since that time he has established a world-wide reputation and is a favorite among musicians who travel through New York and stop for a

Sir John Pearse was proud of the role he played in encouraging countless people to play the guitar. His BBC program Hold Down a Chord was based on lessons he created by picking up simple techniques from his favorite blues players such as Mississippi John Hurt and Big Bill Broonzy. John provided a comfort to beginners and wise encouragement to those ready for more challenging material, which was a strong element of the programs success. Along the way John created a respectful name that allowed him to work with several guitar companies on instrument designs and his own line of strin

Earl Palmer may be the most recorded jazz and rock drummer in history! He performed with just about every recording artist from Little Richard and Fats Domino to Ricky Nelson and Frank Sinatra. Earl created a recognizable style, often imitated, that led to his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, the very first year the induction category of “sideman” was created. What our interview revealed, in addition to his fascinating stories, was that the man behind that drum kit is one of the true gentlemen of American popular music!

George Osztreicher pioneered importing and exporting guitar and violin strings in the United Kingdom back in the 1960s. He formed British Music Strings after working for General Guitar Strings and Cardiff Music Strings. He soon discovered he could have a business based completely on exporting. The first American company to order from George was WMI in Chicago, which owned the Kay brand name. In later years George owned the name and was the first to bring guitars from Korea into the UK.  

Andrew Barta was born in Hungary and came to the United States with a dream of working in the music industry. Having been in rock bands in Europe, Andrew formed a band in America and worked as a technician repairing instruments in New York music stores. Along the way, he began designing a project based on his own ideas as a player. Andrew formed Tech 21 and introduced a line of innovative products including the SansAmp, and the Trademark series and the Power Engine series of guitar amps. 

Bert Neidhardt was one of the leading experts on musical instrument importing and exporting. As president of German American Trading, he established trade policies and relationships on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Bert told the stories of the German market before, during and after the Berlin Wall and how export policies changed over the years. His long history within, and understanding of, the music products industry has made him an important resource to the NAMM library and this Oral History project.  Bert passed away in 2018 at the age of 86. 

Josephine Nadolny only had one job, working for Selmer Band Instruments. When she retired in 2000 she had worked there for 58 years! Over that time she developed the first instrument parts catalog, which included drawings and specs for each and every part a repair shop might need. She later became a dealer service representative and happily reported that “I aim to try to please the dealers. You do that and they remember you.

Don Murphy joined the NAMM Foundation’s Museum of Making Music volunteer team as a retiree in 2003 and soon became one of the museum’s most requested docents. Don pioneered the community outreach programs with a series of speaker presentations, which encouraged a host of visitors, several of which became members of the museum. Don also worked to ensure that his tours were tied in to the history of the music products industry and as factual as possible. Above all, Don was beloved by children and seniors alike for his passion and joy for the stories behind the instrument displays.  

Harold Moseley was hired by Charles Hansen in the 1960s at the height of the legendary music publisher’s innovative career. Harold was on hand when Hansen developed several now standard practices in print music and went to work for Capital Music a wholesaler and distributor of Hansen’s music in Seattle, Washington. Harold later worked with the Big 3 Music Publishers group and stayed with the company through several changes in ownership, including United Artists and EMI. He expressed the thrill of going to the NAMM trade shows and the opportunity the show provided him in getting to

James M. E. Mixter may very well have been the only person in the industry to have worked for Baldwin Pianos before, during, and after World War II. As a result, he was able to provide meaningful stories and facts regarding an era for which changes occurred in the industry. These changes had an enormous impact on music making for many years. Mr. Mixter later served as President of the American Music Conference (AMC) and provided wonderful insight on the growth, development, mission, and goals of AMC.

Mudge Miller was a veteran of the Chicago Musical Instrument Company and had expressed great satisfaction in working under Mr. M.H. Berlin, the president of CMI for many years. Mr. Berlin was a mentor to so many in the industry and a well-respected leader. Mudge was appreciative for his CMI experiences and to Mr. Berlin, who gave Mudge his start in the industry. He served as a consultant to Ziggy Kanstul for many years working on instrument design and development. His projects included working with Doc Severinsen and Byron Autry on their quest to design, create and promote their o

John Massa was the vice president of customer service at the Selmer Company and was known for building a strong dealer base, many of which became his personal friends. John contracted Polio at the age of 12 and spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair, but never once let his disability define him. He was a pioneer in handicap awareness by just insisting he be able to do his job. As a result ramps were added to airports he used and buildings he worked in. During his 17 years of attending the Frankfurt Fair special chairlifts were installed to accommodate his needs.

Hugh Martin was a great American songwriter who teamed with Ralph Blane at the end of the golden age of Tin Pan Alley to give us such classics as “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “The Trolley Song” and “The Girl Next Door.” As a tunesmith, Hugh worked on Broadway, for the movies, and as musical director for stage shows such as those starring his dear friend, Judy Garland. The two first met on the set of “Meet Me in St. Louis” when Judy performed a number of his great songs. Nothing was better than hearing Hugh tell one of his many wonderful stories. You can imagine the de

Chris Martin is the proud descendent of the instrument craftsmen in Germany who founded the C.F. Martin & Company in 1833. As CEO of the company, Chris has overseen the expansion of the company while keeping family traditions in tact. Chris began the now infamous limited edition series guitars, which has included such models as the Elizabeth Cotton Series and the Elvis Presley Guitar. Being a student of history, Chris has also founded the CF Martin Museum located in Nazareth, PA.  

Annette Luyben feels as her parents had, that their music store is an extension of their home and their customers are an extension of their family. The Luyben Music Company in Kansas City has provided a large selection of sheet music for more than 50 years and has become a very important part of the music community. Annette’s devotion to her employees and publisher’s reps who often stay in her home when they come to town are refreshing connections to the industry of decades past, which are clearly alive and well at Luyben’s Music. 

Ernie Farmer had a long and successful career at Shawnee Press in Pennsylvania before he and his wife, music editor Marjorie, formed Wide World Music together in 1980. Ernie’s involvement in the music publishing industry began right after World War II when he was hired by Shawnee Press to oversee the company’s expansion. The company was the brainchild of famed choral director Fred Waring. Many of the early publications were based on Fred’s music and that made famous by his radio and TV programs.

Robert Zadel spent nearly 50 years in the organ business working with two of the biggest names in the industry. Bob spent 12 years working as the marketing director for the Conn Organ division during the heyday of the electronic organ.  He later played a major role in Curt Carter’s Organ Exchange chain. Bob and famed organ artist Carol Jones were married for over 40 years and became one of the “celebrity couples” of the music industry. His NAMM Oral History interview was completed on February 1, 2006. 

Hajime Yamaguchi was born on September 26, 1944 in Tokyo, Japan. At the age of 18 he traveled the country as a professional drummer and a year later landed a stellar job as drummer for a late night TV talk show in Japan. After a few years his girlfriend (and future wife) explained her parents concerns for her getting married to a musician. They wanted him to have a steady paying job. Knowing a friend who worked for TEAC, Hajime applied for a job and was hired.