Fellow Piano Travelers:

We have just gone through yet another NAMM

show that I have been told was better than last

year which was better than the year before, so hopefully we are once

again on the upswing.

As promised last year, NPTA is finally becoming a legitimate organization

which will enable us to help others reap the benefits of music for years to

come. We owe Dawn a sincere thank you for her continuing efforts to

make this dream become a reality.

We had several nominees this year for the Lifetime Achievement award

Here's to another great year in Anaheim and hoping that all of my fellow Piano Travelers

had a phenomenal 2012 NAMM Show. It was good to hear that business was up this past year for most of you.

Year after year I am impressed by the consistently positive attitude of the reps in this "roller coaster" of the music industry. However, this year one negative topic came up frequently with many of you - the

expense of business travel.

Dorothy said it simply, "There's no place like home" , but if you've thought about cutting back on business travel as a way to save money during chal-

lenging economic times - maybe we should think

again.

A study conducted on behalf of the National Busi-ness Travelers Assoc. found that the average incre-mental return on investment for business travel is 15

to 1. In other words, for every dollar spent on busi-

ness travel, the company reaps an approximate $15 rise in incremental profit resulting from increased

sales. Yeah, I know, grab the car keys.

If you have some advice to share with the NPTA members on travel incentives and programs, how to travel smarter and more efficiently, or just the name of a really great restaurant, send it in to us and we'll put it in the newsletter. Maybe some members could look into the NPTA receiving association rates with hotels, car rental companies, etc. and briefly report on

it at the NPTA dinner next year.

Thanks to all for the exceptional turn out at this years NPTA reception. As always, it was great to enjoy the music, have a nice dinner and share some laughs with

our friends.

See you on the road,

Glenn

Inside th i s

i ssue :

President’s

Notes

1

Spotlight on

Members

1-2

Membership

Policy

3

NPTA Road

Stories

4

Stay Tuned 4

Year End

Report

5

Travel Tips 5

Update NPTA

Future

6

Sponsors’ List 7

Contact Us 7

Spe c ial po i nt s

of i nt e r e st :

NAMM Show Din-

ner Meeting Photos

Update NPTA

Future

Membership

Policy & Dues

Structure

“Stay Tuned”

President’s Notes

Spotlight on Members

THE PIANO RAG M a r c h 2 0 1 1 V o l . 1 6 I s s u e 2

Glenn Clutter

“Average return on investment for

business travel is 15 to 1.”

Dick Christian

National Piano Travelers Association

Past President NAMM Mtg &

Dinner Party

8–

16

HAVE

A

LAUGH!

which was awarded to Vern Schafer, truly

one of the living legends in our business.

He started the concept of “Super Stores”

with the Colton Piano chain throughout

California. He also marketed a piano line

named “Schafer & Sons” which was defi-

nitely one of the most recognized names in

California and other western states as well.

As I have said many times before, we piano

travelers of the world have one of the, if not

the, best jobs out there. Those of us that

have been around for a few years know that

as long as there are those out there con-

tinuing to promote music and the benefits

that result, the world will continue onward,

not implode as some would lead us to be-

lieve.

Once again, a great time was enjoyed by all

at the annual NPTA function held at the

Red Lion. It was great seeing all of you that

were in attendance and I sincerely hope to

see those of you that weren’t able to attend

this year in 2013.

Warmest Regards,

Dick Christian

Dick Christian from Pg. 1

T H E P I A N O R A G P A G E 2

Funny Musical Jokes

Music is the

universal

language of

mankind

- Henry

Wadsworth

Longfellow

“I only know

two pieces;

one is ‘Clair

de Lune’ and

the other one

isn’t.”

Victor Borge

NAMM Oral History has many great video

interviews with our industries past and

current leaders.

One of the newest interviews features our

NPTA Member John Larson.

http://www.namm.org/library/oral-

history/john-larson

John Larson

Spotlight on Members Continued

What a lady! What a story!

Rose Wernes Drake

NPTA and NAMM celebrate the life

of the first woman piano traveler

who passed away in January. You

won’t want to miss this great story

as she was part of our associations

great history!

http://www.namm.org/library/oral

-history/rose-wernes-drake

Once again NPTA will be issuing member

cards as shown. All 2012 paid members will

be receiving one in the next two weeks!

Silver, glass, gold and silk were used for making strings for

musical instruments.

The worlds largest piano is a Challen Concert Grand which is

11 feet and 8 inches long and weighs a ton, literally.

Fun Musical Facts & Trivia

A: Because it makes a much bigger

KABOOM when pushed off a cliff.

Fritz Kriesler and Rachmaninov had a recital

in Carnegie Hall once. In the middle of the

music, Kriesler got lost, turned to Rachmani-

nov and asked, “Where are we?” Rachmani-

nov said, “Carnegie Hall, Sir!”

“You can tune a piano, but you can’t tuna fish”

Answer: Sure you can, you just adjust it’s

scales.

Q: Why is an 11 foot concert grand better than

a studio upright?

Funny Musical Jokes

Music

produces a

kind of

pleasure

which

human

nature

cannot do

without

- Confucius

New Membership Card!

T H E P I A N O R A G , P a g e 3

The first recorded use of the flute, clarinet, oboe

and trumpet was in ancient Egypt.

Abraham Lincoln used Chickering Grand #5070

while at the White House.

New Members:

Membership is available to all independent reps, reps

employed by piano manufacturers, their executives

and employees who travel to support the piano indus-

try, i.e. clinicians, product specialists. The piano in-

dustry represents both acoustic and digital pianos.

Also included are those who have worked in this capac-

ity although they might not be a ‘traveler’ at present,

either retired or no longer in a ‘travelers position’.

New Membership Dues: $40 per year and $30 for

seniors (65 and older).

Renewal Memberships:

A renewal membership is available to all described

above who paid their previous year’s dues. Renewal

Membership Dues: $25 per year and $15 for seniors

(65 and older).

Associate Members:

Associate members are those who travel in support of

the piano industry aside from those who qualify under

New Members. These members include (but not lim-

ited to) national piano movers, independent reps,

manufacturing reps and executives of manufacturer’s

of piano lamps, benches, piano dolly’s, piano covers,

and other piano related accessories, those who travel

to train or consult, NAMM employees, publishers of

periodicals, magazines and websites that support the

Membership Policy & Dues

piano industry, travelers of finance compa-

nies who make retail credit and inventory

financing for the piano industry.

Associate Dues: Same as above.

T H E P I A N O R A G , P a g e 4

NPTA Road Stories

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.

Dawn.DeMars@verizon.net

REWARD!REWARD!

The Best Road Story gets 4 Free The Best Road Story gets 4 Free

Drink TicketsDrink Tickets

Stay Tuned! By Chuck Clynes

Our business is all about music. Music is what sets us apart from every other form of so called, “Consumer

Durables”. Were it not for the fact that the products we make and sell produce human-made music, there’d

be nothing to separate us from furniture, computers and every other type of products people buy and sell

today. With this in mind, I must ask this question….

Why do so few manufacturers’ and retailers’ web sites include access to music?

Web sites are a great form of advertising. People who are in the market for pianos will likely visit several

piano web sites in their search for an instrument. These web sites will all provide pictures and information,

but very few of them include any form of musical entertainment, information or education. I estimate that

an easy 90% of the piano industry-associated web sites in the US today, offer no access or presentation of

music for its visitors to enjoy and learn from. This exact same observation also holds true for furniture com-

panies!

Today’s web sites are like the old display widows we used to enjoy in the stores we patronized during the “good old days.”

Just as those display windows needed to be periodically refreshed and up-dated, web sites need the same kind of attention. We

now live in the age of “You Tube”, “Face Book”, “Twitter” and a host of other forms of “social media” that can deliver instanta-

neous news and information all over the world. That delivery system includes audio as well as visual capabilities. Likewise, every

computer made in the world today includes an audio as well as visual delivery system.

Stay connected

to others

in the Industry

Re-new your

NPTA membership

Today!

Visit

www.pianotravelers.com

Travel Tips for

International Travelers

Use ATMs rather than travelers

checks, they have minimal fees and

usually better rates

Pay with local cash, while credit cards

get you a good exchange rate, many

places offering Europe's best deals —

from craft shops to bed & breakfasts

— accept only cash.

Make sure you know where your US

embassy is, in case you lose your

passport or any emergency

♪ Hotwire.com has the “hottest” hotel deals for

US travelers as reported by our members

TRAVEL TIPS

Fight jet lag by drinking lots of wa-

ter , drinking alcohol and coffee can

aggravate jet lag

Stay well on a flight by taking a lot of

Vitamin C before and

during your trip to keep

your immune system up

Get used to a new time

zone by going along with

the local meal and bed-

time schedules.

Travel Tips

Future

Travel

Tips

Coming

From

American

Express

&

AAA

Year-end Report from Dawn DeMars 2011 Treasurer’s Report

T H E P I A N O R A G , P a g e 5

Beginning cash on hand $1,490.90

Expenses as follows:

2011 Dinner $ 2,819.29

Bank Fees $ 40.00

Credit Card Fees $ 489.92

NAMM Dues $ 195.00

Postage $ 53.57

Website $ 80.00

Total Expenses $4,247.31

Net funds on hand from 2011 $ 7,171.96

There were a total of 120 members in 2011 versus 88 members in 2010.

NPTA & NPTAF

T H E P I A N O R A G , P a g e 6

NPTA Mission Statement

Since it's formation in 1904, The National Piano Travelers Association is dedicated to supporting and encouraging the progressive development of the Piano / Keyboard industry. While promoting and preserving the professionalism of the Salesman, the NPTA continues to build a strong foundation for the future of the piano industry through comradeship and integrity.

An Update on Legal Status

National Piano Traveler's Association Foundation, Inc

The National Piano Traveler's Association Foundation's mission is to improve the quality of life through the experience of playing music and specifically the piano. We do so by raising and distributing funds for music and piano

education so that millions of people can experience of joy of making music.

At our annual meeting in Jan 2011, the board was mandated by a unanimous vote to incorporate and apply for a non-profit

status. After much research and legal advice, it was decided to keep NPTA as it has been because if we incorporate the

NPTA will become a new corporation and legally will lose all its great tradition and history. The NPTA now has a legal des-

ignation as an “Unincorporated Trade Association”.

We were advised to and are in the process of creating a new corporation for non-profit or charitable activities. It was de-

cided that the new corporation be a “foundation” rather than a “non-profit”. The name of the new corporation is The Na-

tional Piano Traveler’s Association Foundation (NPTAF). The one and only stockholder of the NPTAF is the NPTA.

Your NPTA officers presented two separate Mission Statements respective of both the NPTA and NPTAF at our annual din-

ner. The membership voted unanimously to adopt both. Please see below.

The NPTAF will not have members and will be operated by a Board of Directors. It is our plan that the Board will have 13

members: The four current NPTA officers who will serve on both boards for their term in office, three current NPTA mem-

bers, one from NAMM, one from NPF, one from legal background, one from CPA background, one from private piano

teaching, and one from piano pedagogy or higher education piano background. Please note that the board will have 7 from

NPTA and 6 from other backgrounds thus the NPTA can always maintain control of the foundation.

We expect that all of this will be completed with the government later this year and the first steps will be the appointment

and decisions on individual board members, opening up a new bank account for the foundation, and following that we can

receive and all the contributors will be assured their donations will be tax deductible.

If you would like to be one of the three board members from our general membership, please send email to dawn.demars@verizon.net or send a message on our website.

Many Thanks!

2012 Pledges and Contributions

A big “thank you” to all our members who made contributions in 2011.

Please send your pledge to us, but don’t send contributions until our

“foundation” has been finalized and has a checking account.

NPTA Board of Directors

And General Information

Glenn Clutter, President

Dick Christian, Past President

Ray Chandler, 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: Dawn.demars@verizon.net

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.

T H E P I A N O R A G , P a g e 7

NPTA Booth at NAMM 2012!!

We need Volunteers for the 2013 NPTA

Special thanks to Bob Dove and Meghan Orbin

for volunteering to work the booth!!!!

Also a special Thanks to Dawn DeMars and Keyboard Con-

cepts in So Cal for working the booth this past show. Next

year her staff will not be available so we will need lots of

volunteers. T H E P I A N O R A G Page 8

2012 NPTA Lifetime Achievement

Vern Schafer established his first piano retail store in Colton, CA., in

1955 and with it the Schafer & Sons Piano. The NPTA recognized

his many great accomplishments both in retail and manufacturing/

wholesale with the NPTA’s Lifetime Achievement Award for year

2011.

Several members spoke about Vern and shared their stories of their

relationship. Some spoke of his creative marketing in the retailing

of pianos. Others about his contributions as a “ Piano Traveler” of

great distinction including his development of his Schafer & Sons

Piano Line and gave him credit as the branding genius of his time.

All our members enjoyed hearing from one of his sons, Ruston, who

spoke on behalf of Vern’s family. He spoke of how proud all the

brothers are to have Vern as their father, how important family is to

Vern and of his quiet nature. And he was right as it took a lot of

coaxing but he did make some remarks and spoke of his gratitude

to the industry and to the NPTA for the recognition and award.

Continued on Page 10 T H E P I A N O R A G Page 9

Vern Schafer and Glenn Clutter

Ruston Schafer speaks about his father,

Vern Schafer

T H E P I A N O R A G , P a g e 1 0

2012 NPTA Lifetime Achievement

Joe Brattesoni speaks about Vern Schafer

Continued from Page 9… Hear Vern tell some wonderful stories in his Namm’s Oral History interview.

Use this link: http://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/vern-schafer

Other background information as follows:

The first 100 Schafer & Sons pianos were made by Currier Piano Co in N Carolina. Vern the entered into

agreements with additional manufacturers and among them were Aeolian, Story & Clark, Kinball, Kohler

& Campbell, Schimmel, Samick, Wurlitzer and Young Chang. The manufacturers produced certain mod-

els selected by Vern and modifications and specs specific to his request.

Vern worked primarily with Kohler & Campbell through the 60s then expanded into a full line of Schafer

& Sons “Classic” consoles in the 70s. Kimball produced the new Schafer & Sons grand and console pi-

anos as well as the cases and actions for his player pianos. Vern had designed and built the mechanism

from scratch to fit the new console cases from Kimball and manufactured 500 of these special player pi-

anos in Santa Ana, CA.

In 1974 Mr. Lee of Samick in Korea and Vern developed a business relationship that lasted until 1989.

From 1990-2005 Young Chang manufactured his pianos. Since that time most of the Schafer & Sons pi-

anos have been assembled in China with parts from around the world. Vern and his six sons (Vernon Jr,

Charles, James, Weston, Ruston, Duston) are running their family business together at

Colton Piano Co in Colton.

T H E P I A N O R A G , P a g e 1 1

2012 NAMM Meeting & Dinner

Come

on join

the

PARTY

Reception: Liesa Covey, Elad Sobol, Dawn DeMars, and Joe Brattesani

Ray Chandler

Mario Merdirossian

John Rajcic

T H E P I A N O R A G , P a g e 1 1

2012 NAMM Meeting & Dinner

Let there be MUSIC!!

Our own Larry Fresch sits in for a

couple tunes

“Blow Larry, Blow”

The Llew Matthews Trio

T H E P I A N O R A G , P a g e 1 2

2012 NAMM Meeting & Dinner

Left to Right:

Bruce Hindla, John Larson, Bob

Tringali, Dick Christian, Larry

Fresch, Richard Deutsch, and Sam

Eberwein

Left to Right:

Clemen von Arnim, Arnold Poppen-

berg, Hansuk Schafer, Weston

Schafer,Paul Jansen, and Bill Jansen,

Left to Right:

Jay Davison, Dave Erikson, Dave

Rooksby, Rich Pritikin, Cindy

Caruth, and Joe Bednar,

T H E P I A N O R A G , P a g e 1 3

2012 NAMM Meeting & Dinner

Left to Right: Bob Tringali, Baik

Lee, Don Glasgow, Bob Priem,

Lori Clutter, and Glenn Clutter,

Left to Right:

Lothar Kiesche, and Hannes

Schimmel– Vogel,

Left to Right:

Ray Chandler, Mario Mer-

dirossian, John Rajcic,

Connie Rajcic, Emily Ra-

jcic, and Mitch Rajcic

T H E P I A N O R A G , P a g e 1 4

2012 NAMM Meeting & Dinner

Left to Right

Tessarah McDonald, Richard

McDonald, Duston Schafer,

Ruston Schafer, Vernon

Schafer, Kathryn Schafer,

Laressa Schafer, and Ryan

Shaw,

Left to Right: Joe Bratte-

sani, Meghan Orbin, Joe

Orbin, and Tom Dorn

Great Attendance!

Everyone is having a

great time!!

T H E P I A N O R A G , P a g e 1 5

2012 NAMM Meeting & Dinner

Eat

Drink

and

Party!

T H E P I A N O R A G , P a g e 1 6

2012 NAMM Meeting & Dinner

Above: President Glenn Clutter and Sec-

retary/ Treasurer Dawn DeMars

Below: Joe Brattesani

Above: Past President Don Glasgow

Below: Vice President Ray Chandler

Above: Right to Left:

NPTA Volunteers: Liesa Covey,

Mitch Guy, Elad Sobol

Right: Secretary & Treasurer

Dawn DeMars