Irv Kratka

Irv Kratka had the idea of creating recordings of music while leaving out an instrument, such as the piano. Piano students and enthusiasts could then play along with the band on the recording, providing the missing music. The success of his efforts resulted in the establishment of his company, Music Minus One. As you can guess one of the instruments he left off in his series of products was the voice, giving way to the enormous popularity of Karaoke. Irv may not have created the musical method on his own, but without question he played a vital role in the popularity of both play and sing along programs.