Scheduling Rod as a Guest Speaker

If you would like to schedule Rod for either a radio or television appearance to speak on "the wonderful history and times of the antique pump organ," or if you have an organization that you would like him to address, please send him an email outlining your organization, a contact person, speaking dates and the location of your event. Although he doesn't charge a speaking fee, he does ask that you just cover his travel expenses.

Once upon a time the pump organ, or parlor organ, played a prominent role in the musical lives of millions of people. You could find them in churches and music halls and in a very large number of American homes.

They were used on a wide variety of occasions. However, their time in the spotlight was short lived, with the arrival of the player piano, the crank record player, radios, and the beginning of the motion picture industry.

By the end of the American Civil War to about the turn of the century, the pump organ was in its hey day, but by the end of World War One, most of the 600 pump organ companies had already gone out of business. Their time had come and gone.

Unfortunately, over the passing of time most of these wonderful musical instruments have been lost to either the junk man, or what we would today call "land fill." But many have survived to be appreciated today. There's an interesting story to the pump organ. From its earliest beginning to the present day, pump organs have played a key role in America's musical history.

Contact Rod today about
speaking for your organization!