Oral History - all
Terry Taylor has worked in the music industry his entire career. After his service in the Marine Corp, Terry began working for CG Conn in the factory in Elkhart, Indiana. He later worked for Armstrong flutes before they merged with Selmer. Terry takes pride in his hands on work and the fact that... more
Kent Stutzman was hired by Gemeinhart in the 1970s and has remained with the flute builder for over 35 years! During his career, Kent has worked in several positions on the line as well as in buffing and final assembly. Among the things he is most proud of is the craftsmanship of his job and the... more
Tony Spano began repairing instruments in high school and was perfect for the job as a retail store repairmen, which he started doing in Ohio after the army in 1957. He later worked with CG Conn and then with Gemeinhart, both in Elkhart, Indiana. His focus in much of his work has centered around... more
Nancy Singleton began working for the Armstrong flute company in Elkhart, Indiana in the 1970s. She was trained on hand work and later trained others in the factory. Nancy stayed on with the company as it merged and changed names over the years, first with UMI then most recently with Conn-Selmer.
Roger Shelton was hired by the Armstrong Flute Company and stayed on with the company when it merged with Selmer and later with Conn. Like so many of the factory workers in the plant, Roger takes great pride in the craftsmanship and skills he brings to the process of making musical instruments.
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... more
Judy Rinehart began working for the Selmer Company in Elkhart, Indiana in the 1970s. Her work at the time was very precise hand work, which changed over the years with the advent of the CNC machines, but was never fully replaced by machines. With the goal of creating quality musical instruments,... more
Sandy Peffley was hired by her uncle who owned the Armstrong Flute Company, when Sandy was just out of high school. She stayed with the company when it was sold to Selmer and again when it merged with Conn in 2003. Like so many factory workers in the plant, Sandy enjoys the precision work of the... more
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... more
Tom Ott began training in the tool and die business right after high school at which point he was hired by the CG Conn Company in Elkhart, Indiana to work in the factory. Tom has been there ever since! Tom’s work has been focused on making jigs, dies and machine tools for the process of musical... more
Peggy Morse began working in the music industry right out of high school for the Selmer Company in Elkhart, Indiana. Peggy has worked in the factory for most of her career and stayed with the company when it merged with Conn in 2003.
Jonathan Montel has worked on the bench in the factory at Selmer in Elkhart for over 40 years! He has worked in many positions during his career with a special concentration on oboes, clarinets and bassoons. He has also seen many changes to the process of instrument making, including the first... more
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... more
Jim D’Addario has worked long and hard within the research and development arm of D'Addario & Co., along with his brother John Jr. Headed by Jim, the engineering department has accumulated many important manufacturing and product patents in the field of music strings and musical accessories. He... more
Steve Lynn began working with his brother in 1974, finishing flutes for the Gemeinhart Company in Elkhart, Indiana. Three years later he joined the Armstrong Company as an experienced finisher. He worked with legendary flute maker Emerson DeFord for a few years before joining Gemeinhart again and... more
Tom Lacy began working for Armstrong flutes right out of high school in 1971 in the very plant he is working some 40 years later for the Conn-Selmer Company in Elkhart, Indiana. Along the way, Tom built his own flutes for several years before joining UMI and later Conn-Selmer. During his long... more
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... more
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... more
Kenneth Glore began working for Bach in the saxophone department before working for Linton on oboes and then off to Armstrong flutes that was later bought by Selmer. He has been with Conn-Selmer ever since. In all, he has been in the industry for over 50 years and has enjoyed his work in the... more
Tom Fischer worked for the Gemeinhart flute company in Elkhart, Indiana for over 25 years. Tom was part of the factory workers team and contributed his hand-craftsmenship to the assembly of both student and professional level flutes. He later joined the Conn-Selmer Company where he continued to... more