Music Manufacturing
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...
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....
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...
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...
Thomas Burzycki served as President of Selmer Band Instruments while at the same time being on the NAMM Board as one of the first four commercial members to do so. He followed that term as President of the American Music Conference during the important transition and growth of the organization...
Roger Williams was known throughout the world for his countless albums and top ten hits as a solo pianist. He had a remarkable career in bridging rock and roll and in incorporating jazz and American popular music along with classical into his performances and recordings. Roger may have also been...
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...
Larry Goldstein, currently a vice president at Westheimer Music, has a passion for the history of the music industry. Larry was able to provide a terrific perspective to our interview collection by recounting the early days of the Guild Guitar Company as well as the great wholesalers of our past...
Fred Gretsch embraces the great history of our industry like no other. Perhaps for good reason, his family has played a vital role in the development of the industry for over 120 years. With remarkable stories of family members, innovative products and great marketing ideas, Fred outlined a few...
Dinah Gretsch is Vice President to her husband Fred’s presidency of the Gretsch Company. Her role in the company has been very significant due to her knowledge of licensing and other contract agreements, which has been a large part of the company’s growth over the past decade. Dinah and Fred have...