Band and Orchestra
Rick Hesch began working in the music industry right out of high school for the Selmer Company in Elkhart, Indiana. Rick has been a dedicated factory worker who has learned many skills throughout the plant. He recalled his early days of training when a mentor was assigned to sit down with him and...
Harvey Becker began working for CG Conn in Elkhart, Indiana and later worked for Armstrong, which later became Selmer then Conn-Selmer. He has witnessed many changes in the industry; the largest in his view have been the CNC machines and computers, although his skills and craftsmanship are still a...
Gary Shanholt began working on the bench at Selmer in Elkhart on Main Street back in the 1970s. He continued to work for the company after it merged with Conn, becoming Conn-Selmer. Gary began working on saxophones and later in the cleaning room before finding his niche within the company in the...
Jack Shanholt began working for Selmer in Elkhart, Indiana in the factory. He was proud of his training, from the veteran craftsmen at the time, which is a tradition continued to this day. In fact, Jack has trained several younger employees over the years. As a musician and former band member in...
Judy Monk began working for the Armstrong Flute Company before it was purchased by Selmer and moved to a new building in Elkhart in 1975. She has been with Selmer ever since. Judy has worked primarily in corking musical instruments and enjoys her job as well as the people she has worked with over...
Paula Walker began working in the music industry right out of high school for the Gemeinhart flute company in Elkhart, Indiana. In the early years she worked primarily on student instruments for Gemeinhart, which provided products designed especially for younger students. Her attention to detail...
Karen Feltz is one of the voices of Conn-Selmer as she serves in the customer service department. She joined Selmer right out of high school and has worked for the company for over 40 years. Music dealers around the world know Karen for her dedication to finding answers to their questions and for...
Naomi Peer recalls the days Danny Henkin brought the CG Conn Company back to Elkhart, Indiana in the 1980s, which is when she first began working for the company. She stayed on during the merge with Selmer in 2003 and has witnessed many changes within the industry. As an office worker, Naomi...
Lorna Kirchner has worked for Selmer, now Conn-Selmer, in Elkhart for over 40 years. She recalls the days before the CNC machines came into the factory, when all of the work was done by hand. Her attention to details and skills at soldering continue to be used in making musical instruments and...
John Creachbaum began his career in the music industry with Coffman Music in Ohio before he joined the Selmer Company in Elkhart, Indiana in 1984. He studied music education in college and trained to be a band director before working for the music store for eight years. His background as both an...