Home Organ Boom
Mike Vaccaro is a true piano salesman veteran! Having worked in the piano business for over 40 years, selling for several retail stores and running his own dealership for over 20 years, Mike has sold his share of instruments! He played guitar in the US Navy Band during the Vietnam War era and among...
O’Lyn Callahan has played the piano since she was eight years old and started on organ at age twelve after receiving a Hammond B3 from her father. She came in third place at a Yamaha organ competition in 1973 (which took place at a NAMM Show) which resulted in her getting a job as a touring organ...
Joe De Fio has had a long and exciting career in the music industry, especially in the area of piano sales! His career began in 1968 when he was hired as a salesman for Clark Music in New York. A few years later he began working for Bob Popyk, who focused on organ sales while Joe focused on pianos...
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...
Bob Snyder enjoyed his 40 plus years in the music industry, driven by his passion for music. His father was a professor of music and instruments of all kinds seemed to be everywhere in his home growing up. His sales career started at a Hammond Organ dealership where he would perform on the organ to...
Tom Mathis spent over 50 years in the piano business! Just think of how many instruments he must have sold and all the music currently being made thanks to him! He developed his sales style while working for two legendary stores (Wooten Music and Smith-Holden) before opening his own store in 1979,...
Dan Slick grew up in Johnstown, PA playing the family’s upright piano but soon switched his focus to the organ. He began his career in the music industry working at Fulton Piano and Organ and has since worked with several other companies over the years including Baldwin and Technics. In 1984 he and...
Antoni Punti and Gabriel teamed up with Keith Mardak in 1972 to form Hal Leonard Spain. The company’s success was fueled by the home organ boom, which was an important milestone of growth for the music industry in Spain. Years before, Antoni was the first person to establish Hammond Organ Studios...
Jim Cliff remembers taking the bus into Minneapolis when he was eight years old to take accordion lessons. It was the beginning of his life-long love of making music. Among his career highlights was writing and arranging instructional music books, which were published by Hal Leonard and provided...
Adrian Smale grew up in a very musical home. His mother played and taught piano while his father played the violin. He witnessed firsthand the joy music can bring a person’s life and, years later, played a vital role in doing just that while working in music retail. As a classical guitarist, Adrian...