Minnesota
Peggy Dahl-Bartunek grew up with four siblings who all took piano lessons – they even had two pianos in their house! Since the fifth grade, Peggy knew that she wanted to be a teacher and more specifically, a music teacher. She ultimately became a high school and middle school music teacher,...
Travis Christopherson’s roots in music can be traced back to when his grandfather played country music records for him as a child. As he learned to play the guitar, Travis saw his passion for music grow and was inspired by the enjoyment he gave others. While in school he participated in the band...
Rob Meads recalls his father purchasing a Lowrey Organ and how he could think of nothing he would rather do than have a career making music! As a teenager, Rob was hired by legendary music retailer Swanny Swanson in Minnesota to play an organ in a grocery store, which was a big hit. Rob was trained...
Barbara Gensmer established herself as one of the top church organ dealers in the United States, having sold and installed over 1,200 units since the 1970s. She focused on Minnesota and Wisconsin, and stayed loyal to the Rodgers Instrument Company for most of her career. In 1991, when Rodgers...
Elliott Wessel likes to point out the fact that he has had five different positions at Schmitt Music at five different times during his career. He also conveys, as many others have, that Schmitt Music employees are much like a family. While Elliott worked at a time for Guitar Center in Dallas and...
Jerry Wenger was just a kid when he recalls his father asking him and his sister to help him out with building some products he has invented, in the basement, for his school use as a music educator. Jerry was right there at the beginning of one of the music industry’s most innovative manufacturer...
Julie Jurgenson is among the pioneering women in the band instrument repair side of the music industry. She was trained at Red Wing and worked for a couple of shops before opening her own in Rochester, Minnesota. All along she wanted to service a large number of instruments and found it possible...
Gene Monnig is the owner of Cadenza Music in St. Paul, Minnesota. The store is an important place for music teachers in and around the Twin Cities as Cadenza keeps close tabs on the method books and sheet music requested by students both in school and private lessons. More than the sheet music...
Nancy Vernon and her husband, Gene Monnig, own and operate Cadenza Music in St. Paul, Minnesota. Nancy is very active with the music teachers in and around the area and works hard to build those relationships so the store can best serve the needs of teachers and students alike. The store, which...
Ted Berquist had a touch with fame in the 1960s with the group, the Novas. Their song, “The Crusher” was picked up by the national billboard charts and shot the group to stardom. After the group disbanded, Ted went on to pursue a career selling Hi-Fi products. Always passionate about musical...