Pipe Organs
Fred Buch has always been interested in combining electronic technology with pipe organs. When he entered the pipe organ business in the 1957, electronic organs were not sufficiently advanced to provide a high quality pipe sound. Fred added pianos and home organs in 1960 resulting in a three...
Scott Peterson is the President of Peterson Electro-Musical Products, which his father, Richard, established in the pursuit of his passion for audio electronics and pipe organs. Among Richard’s many innovations was the Peterson Tuner in 1952 (beginning with Model 70), the world’s first transistor...
Dewey Kuhn grew up listening to his grandmother playing the organ, which she did in her younger days accompanying silent movies. His passion grew as he learned to play. Dewey worked with the men who would later form Hal Leonard Publishing Company, with organ man Crane Bodine, and with Baldwin...
Hector Olivera was born in Argentina where he studied organ with his father, a noted church organist. In 1965 Hector studied at Julliard School of Music and soon after that began providing concerts within the music industry to demonstrate the latest electronic development for organ as well as...
David Estey is related to the Estey's who established the Vermont-based Estey Organ Company in 1846 as well as the Estey Piano factory in New York. Pianos must be in his blood as David became a piano technician before opening his own store in New Jersey. Along the way he decided to create a line of...
Ned Phoenix of Townshend, Vermont, a reed organ player and restorer since 1970, is the founder of the Estey Organ Museum in Brattleboro, Vermont. Ned is fond of saying, "This may be the only museum in the world where every visitor, regardless of age or ability, is encouraged to play all the...
John Wessel was born in Holland and recalled with a stern face his World War II memories of running from the Nazi's. He was just one step ahead of the SS on several occasions. After the war he relocated to America where he found a sponsor in the Estey Organ Company. Before the war John had worked...
Georg Steinmeyer was the factory supervisor at the Estey Organ Company in Brattleboro, Vermont. He joined the company in the years following World War II when he moved from Germany to the United States. He worked to streamline the product costs within the company while ensuring the orders were...
Dennis Waring has created his own line of musical products made out of cardboard. The harp and guitars are a fun way to get people playing a musical instrument, which is his main goal. He is also a historian and ethnomusicologist for the industry with the publication of his book on the history of...
Ken Edgington has many friends in the music industry, several of whom suggested he be included in the NAMM Oral History program, but when approached Ken was rather humble about his role in the music business, “are you sure you have the right guy?” Ken worked for the Baldwin Piano Company in Ohio...