See America

By: HelloGod

Volume 1 No.9

Tuesday July 8, 2008

I went to my bank, deposited my commission check, picked up traveler’s checks and went home to pack. After all, I hadn’t learned to play the organ so I could sell pianos and organs. I learned to play because I had wanted to play since I was a child. The cool thing was in the piano and organ store, I could play any instrument I wanted, even the twenty thousand dollar ones, any time I wanted for as long as I wanted. There was a certain mystery of intrigue working in music.

Professional musicians played instruments supplied by the manufacturer. If I remember correctly, Norlin Industries owned Fender guitars at one time or maybe it was Gibson guitar. Regardless, Chet Atkins, a world famous guitar player, endorsed the guitar and would go to the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) show, play the guitar in concert and music dealers were admitted to the event, free. Sure the music dealers paid for a general ticket to the show but professionals appeared at many booths displaying products they endorsed. Another example is Chuck Mangione, a famous flugelhorn player and Gap’s brother, also played and endorsed the Kawai piano. So there was an intriguing part of piano and organ stores.

Later, the store started carrying Baldwin pianos and organs. With endorsements galore, there were people like Billy Joel, Burt Bacharach and even Liberache. I remember the first NAMM show I went to: Harry James played. I remember asking, “Who’s Harry James?” You had famous drummers, keyboard players, brass musicians and even those who played the harp. Downstairs held the more “wild” bunch, the rockers. When you walk into a retail music store, most people never think of how far that store reaches in the music industry. The music industry from an instrument side is a very small industry; everybody knows everybody. They use to say you could fit the entire music industry dollar wise into the cost of five airplanes, jets of coarse.

Once I was packed my car loaded and said my catch ya laters to my family, I headed west. California here I come. If I found something great in California, maybe I’ll move there I thought. God was not even in my mind. I love looking at the stars at night because it makes me think about what little specs we are compared to a universe. I landed, so to speak, in Reno, Nevada. I walk down some sidewalks, look into casinos and start taking pictures. A tall stout man walked up to me and said, (well you’ll have to check with me tomorrow to see what happened).

If you have any great links you want to share with our readers, which are increasing daily, please post them or send me a note. I will give credit where credit is due. See you tomorrow. Chaaps International is having a Treasure Hunt 4 Charity with real treasure. You might want to check them out.