NPTA: April 2010
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Transcript of NPTA: April 2010
For the past 37 years,
Glenn Clutter has
enjoyed a varied ca-
reer in the piano in-
dustry. Glenn began as a teenager working
in the warehouse area of a large piano &
organ retailer. He then joined his brother
as co– owner of a successful piano & organ
dealership on the eastern Maryland shore.
With interests in the wholesale aspect of
the industry, Glenn held District Sales
Manager positions with Baldwin,
Another NAMM show
has come and gone, and
everyone is out conducting business as
usual, and I am hearing things are better
for most so far this year. The company
with which I am associated is up substan-
tially for the first quarter, and I hear this is
true for other as well.
The attitudes of those attending were
greatly improved from a year ago at
NAMM, which was inspiring to all. Atten-
dance in our booth was up , and continued
through Saturday, as opposed to last year,
which was flat after Friday.
Our Piano Travelers Association Recep-
tion was held this year at a new venue, The
Red Lion. Everyone that I have talked
with seems to be very pleased with this
location, so we‘ll try to repeat next year at
the same time and place, as the food was
good, the distance from the convention
center not too far, and the price was rea-
sonable.
The recipient of the Lifetime Achievement
Award was none other than Stan Lin-
denbaum of North American Music. Stan
has devoted more than 50 years to the
Music Industry, and is still going strong.
We also honored three individuals that
have through thick and thin kept our or-
ganization afloat through some difficult
times. Those three gentlemen are Don-
Glasgow, Rob Slayman, and Larry Fresch.
A new Vice President was drafted at our
reception, Mr. Glenn Clutter. Glenn is a
veteran in the industry, has been a faithful
NPTA member for many years, and will
always have our best interest‘s at heart.
I want to say ‘thank you‘ to all who con-
tributed in our time of need. Because of
all of you, the NPTA will continue for
years to come.
Inside th i s
i ssue :
President‘s
Notes
1
Spotlight on
Members
1-3
NPTA Road
Stories
2
Music Trivia 3
Musical Jokes 3
Industry
News
4
Year-End
Report
5
Travel Tips 5
Sponsors‘ List 6
Contact Us 6
NAMM Mtg &
Dinner Party
7-11
Spe c ial
po int s of
i nt e r es t :
Check out the
NAMM Show
Dinner Meeting
Photos
Have a Good
Laugh
Meet your 2010
Board of Directors
- See Spolight on
Members
President’s Notes
Spotlight on Members
The Piano Rag A p r i l 2 0 1 0 V o l . 1 5 I s s u e 1
BY DiCK CHRiSTiAN
“Because of all of you, the NPTA
will continue for years to come.”
Glenn Clutter
National Piano Travelers Association
Your new VP
HAVE
A
LAUGH!
NPTA Road Stories
Young Chang , & Petrof.
Currently Glenn is Director of Sales for
the eastern United States & Canada for
the Schimmel Piano Corporation.
Glenn has shared a membership in the
National Piano Travelers Association
since 2000 with many of his mentors &
lifelong friends.
Glenn and his wife Lori (a District Sales
Manager for QRS– Story & Clark and
member of NPTA) reside in Williams-
port, PA. with their two daughters, Tara
and Tess.
Send in your road stories for future newsletters.
You can change names to protect the
innocent or the guilty.
We know you have more than one!
Email to Dawn DeMars.
‗
Spotlight on Members cont.
T h e P i a n o R a g P a g e 2
“The piano has
been drinking,
not me.”
Tom Waits
“I’m told that
Wagner’s music
is not as bad as
it sounds”
Mark Twain
The Piano Man
Emporer Joseph II‘s
only comment was
―Too many any notes!‖
In regards to pianos, what did Gerald Ford
and George Bush have in common?
They both did not own pianos in the
White House….. Prior to the year 2000,
Ford and Bush Sr. where the only Ameri-
can Presidents not to own pianos while
in the White House.
We know piano‘s have 88 keys, so how many
black & white keys are there?
52 White, 36 Black
The song ―When Irish Eyes are Smiling‖ was
written by George Graff, who was German,
and was never in Ireland in his life!
After attending the first performance of Mo-
zart‘s opera The Marriage of Figaro, the
V o l . 1 5 I s s u e 1
Fun Musical Trivia
Dick returned to retail as a Partner with
Bob Street at Clause P Street. But you
just can‘t take the traveler out of Dick
and he returned to Samick as VP, Ex-
ecutive VP, and his current position as
Consultant. Dick has given to his cus-
tomers, whether retail or wholesale,
and to this industry. He has supported
NPTA for 20 years and is known as a
―true gentleman‖ and a fine representa-
tive of the ―piano traveler‖.
Dick first worked for Jenkins Music in Kansas
City in 1964 selling pianos and advanced to
Store Manager before moving to Nashville to
join Claude P Street Company as Store Man-
ager , General Manager, and eventually Part-
ner. In 1980 he began his ―piano traveling‖
days as a District Sales Manager for Wurlit-
zer. That‘s when many of us met him for the
first time. After 8 years at Wurlitzer he
worked on the road for Samick for a short
stent, then back to Wurlitzer/Baldwin as a
Divisional VP. With the decline of Baldwin,
A: A pair of Re– Bachs.
A note left for a pianist from his wife…. ―Gone
Chopin, ( have the Liszt), Bach in a Minuet.
Q: Why is an 11 foot concert grand better
than a studio upright?
A: Because it make a
much bigger bang
when it hits the
street.
Q: What do you get when you drop a piano
down a mine shaft?
A: A Flat minor
Q: What do you get if Bach falls off a horse,
but has the courage to on again and continue
riding?
A: Bach in the saddle again.
Q: What do you get if Bach dies and is rein-
carnated as twins?
Funny Musical Jokes
Spotlight on Members cont
Dick Christian
“Did you know Mozart had no arms
or legs? I’ve seen statues of him on
peoples pianos”. Victor Borge
“There are two
kinds of music,
the good and
bad. I play the
good kind”.
Louis
Armstrong
T H E P I A N O R A G , P a g e 3
Your President
to assist them as a consultant which lead to
her consulting career. While most of her
clients and employers were some of the
most prestigious and well known manufac-
turers and retailers in the piano industry,
she also wrote and conducted sales training
and coaching programs for the car & real
estate industries. She served as a Trustee
for NAMM and was a board member of
both PMAI and the NPF. As she needed a
break in ―travel‖ she joined the Keyboard
Concepts team in So Cal for a year and to
see what was next and 10 years later she‘s
managing their Agoura Hills new super
store & still, after all these years, loves sell-
ing pianos and enabling people to have fun
and the joy of music in their lives.
After a few years entertaining
around the world, Dawn de-
cided performance was not
her passion and got into re-
tail, selling her first musical
instrument in 1967. And
what a career ever since. She
fast tracked through Sherman
Clay management leading
her to VP of Stores and
Operations, growing the
company from 45 stores to
62. She left SC to own & operate 5 retail stores in
DFW. That lasted a few years until the recession in
the late 80s when she sold and moved back to CA.
Then manufacturers and retailers began to ask her
Spotlight Members, cont.
Dawn DeMars
Your new Sec/Treas
Industry News Pearl River:
Ying (Evelyn) Luo replaces recently
retired Jeanette Xu as USA Presi-
dent.
Yamaha:
New President, Nakata takes over
Yamaha Corp of America.
Steinway:
Samick increased investment in
Steinway stock by $27 Million,
brings to $85 M.
Schimmel:
Schimmel comes out of BKC in bet-
ter position, returns to 100% family
owned.
Stay connected
to others
in the Industry
Ne-new your
NPTA membership
Today!
(See email & address on Page 6)
T H E P I A N O R A G , P a g e 4
MONEY SAVING TIPS
Travel globally, eat locally—and avoid tourist
traps!
1. Steer clear of hawkers waving menus-they
need you more than you need them.
2. Speaking of menus, beware of those with
multi– language, multi– cuisine listings,
promising everything from pierogies to pap-
padams to pork chow mein.
3. Follow your nose: If the wafting aromas
don‘t make you smile, keep walking.
4. Ask the locals. They live there. They care.
♪ Hotwire.com has the ―hottest‖ hotel deals
for US travelers as reported by our members
TRAVEL TIP
Is there life after lost luggage? Pack
smart & you‘re good to go! A well–
packed carry- on is an airline– trav-
elers best friend.
Listed in order of importance, be
yours includes the following:
1.Your passport, boarding pass & keys
2. At least a 2 day change of cloths & toiletries
3.Valuables such as cash , important documents
& jewelry
4. Rx drugs, medical items and eyeglasses
5. Electronics: cameras, cell phones, iPods &
laptop
Travel Tips
Future
Travel
Tips
Coming
From
American
Express
&
AAA
Year-end Report from Rob Slayman Secretary Treasurer 2006-2009
It has been a privilege to work on behalf of NPTA for the past couple of
years to do my part to help keep it viable. As announced earlier this year, Dawn
Demars takes over as Secretary/Treasurer and newsletter editor. She brings a
fresh perspective and a professionalism that will surely benefit the organization.
Expect to see new and exciting ideas from her. Thank you Dawn!
I am pleased to report that we were not only able to raise enough money
to hold the annual party and meeting again this year, but we ended up in the
black thanks to members paying their dues, additional contributions and corporate sponsors. At
the end of November 2009 the NPTA account balance had dropped to a low $370.34. After a push
for dues, contributions and sponsorships in December and after discontinuing the credit card ter-
minal, we ended the year with $1,787.46 in the bank. So far this year we‘ve taken in $1,835, mostly
at the annual party. Expenses in 2010 so far have been $2,166.97, of which $2,042.33 was for the
Anaheim Red Lion for the party room and food. I am happy to report that the NPTA account bal-
ance which was forwarded to Dawn on March 8, 2010 was $1,455.49.
Best wishes for a good 2010!
Rob Slayman
T H E P I A N O R A G , P a g e 5
Many Thanks!
2010 Individual Sponsors' 2010 Corporate Sponsors'
Bob Dove, Steinway & Sons
Wilton Syckes, Syckes & Associates
Kevin Walter, Charles Walter Piano Co.
Thanks to our many 2009 corporate sponsors!
We need your help in 2010!
Please call Dawn or send her your
corporate sponsor‘s check for 2010.
$300 level $500 level $1000 level $1,500 level $2,000 and up
NPTA Board of Directors
And General Information
Dick Christian, President
Glenn Clutter, Vice President
Dawn DeMars, Secr./Treas.
and Newsletter Editor
Address:
442 Glenwood Pl Thousand Oaks, CA 91362
Phone:
(818) 416-4308
(805) 379-9888
Fax:
(818) 735-0188
Email: [email protected]
Web: WWW.Pianotravelers.com
The “New” Piano Rag
Pass it On
Send this to another piano traveling friend
and send Dawn his/her name and email address.
Let Us Know
What did you think? Email Dawn any suggestions,
comments, or other feedback. We will incorporate
you‘re thoughts and ideas.
Contribute
We want your ―letters to the membership‖, road stories,
and industry news, etc. you would like reported.
Make this newsletter yours!
T H E P I A N O R A G , P a g e 6
2009 NAMM Meeting & Dinner
Our general meeting and dinner was a big success as measured by a huge turnout. Nearly
twice as many members showed up than was expected. Food, drink, and music were enjoyed
by all. Sharing and visiting with one another was GREAT!!! Wish we would have taken more
photos to share. Next year we will do better visually recording the party for those of you who
couldn't attend.
The NPTA Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Stan Lindenbaum, ―the piano man‖.
NPTA Lifetime Achievement Award
Stan Lindenbaum
grew up in Brooklyn. He worked for the Tho-
mas Organ Company as the designer. Stan
later worked in the consumer electronics in-
dustry before returning to the music industry
as a Regional Manager for North American
Music selling acoustic pianos. Several friends
and co-workers at N American spoke about his
career and their experiences with him and all
showed their appreciation for his sales advice
over the years. It was said that if you could
spend the day with Stan (and ignore the health
food lecturers) you couldn't help but come
away with a more productive way of selling.
Stan has been a long time supporter of the Na-
tional Piano Travelers Association throughout
his 50+ year career.
T H E P I A N O R A G , P a g e 7
Gary Girouard, Gary Gilanti, Stan
Lindenbaum, & Dick Christian
Hannes Schimmel-Vogel, Rob
Slayman & Lothar Kiesche
Jay Cross, Don Glasgow, Dennis Robey T H E P I A N O R A G , P a g e 8
NEW WEBSITE Launching in May! Make sure we have your current
email address so you will get an
announcement and the new
website address.
Special Thanks
to Rob Slayman & Cyndie Caruth for
sharing their photos!
& Chuck Clynes & others at North
American Music for sharing their
thoughts about Stan .
below
John Thomas
&
Cyndie Caruth
above
Kevin Walter, Jr
&
wife Heather
Kenny Williams, Keyboards & Kelly Small, Drums T H E P I A N O R A G , P a g e 9
Larry Fresch,
with
Laurie
&
Glenn
Clutter
Mario Merdirossian
with
Ann & Hershel Green
Bob Popyk
&
Bob Tringali
T H E P I A N O R A G , P a g e 1 0
Grant Wallach,
Chris Vance,
&
Rich Pritikin
Joe Brattesani & Howard Sontag
Hope & Keven Walter with Marti Gordon T H E P I A N O R A G , P a g e 1 1
Join us by renewing your membership
And then Join us for our next
Annual Meeting And Dinner Party.
You won‘t want to miss it!
Good IDEA!
Ask a fellow traveler to
join &
Forward him/her this
newsletter!