The history of any skilled urban trade is ultimately tied to the growth and development of the city in which it is located. From its humble eighteenth-century beginnings, instrument making grew to be one of New York City's most sizable and important trades. By the 1840s, the city was the largest producer of instruments in the Western Hemisphere, and, in the decades that followed, designs and innovations pioneered by New York artisans influenced and inspired instrument makers throughout the world. Although many of the these instruments survive in American museums, there existed no comprehensive guide to their makers. Nancy Groce's biographical dictionary chronicles all of these master craftsmen in colorful detail, from the obscure work of Geoffry Stafford in 1691, to the zenith of the 1890s, and on to the Great Depression of the 1930s.

This unique reference book is a compendium of makers and manufacturers of every variety of musical instrument made in the United States today. It provides names and addresses of instrument makers indexed alphabetically. Each entry gives all known information on the total and annual number of instruments the maker has produced, the number of workers in the shop, the year the individual or firm began manufacturing instruments, whether the instruments are available on demand or made to order, and whether a brochure is available from the maker. Complete cross-references are provided for companies known by more than one name, for partnerships, and for parent and subsidiary firms. Instruments are also indexed, and makers are listed by state for the convenience of the reader. Lists of schools of instrument making and relevant organizations and publications are included as appendixes. The directory will serve two major purposes. First, it will be an invaluable source of information for historians and for the rapidly growing number of collectors of musical instruments, who will be able to use the data gathered here in appraising instruments and tracing their history. The second purpose is simply to increase communication among instrument makers and to make their names available to retail and wholesale outlets for their products.

Meet the inventors and innovators who defined American music history. A radio repairman imagined inventing the electric guitar. The inventor of 3-D glasses envisioned an electric organ in every home. And a German carpenter immigrated to New York City with the dream of designing the greatest piano in the world. From Steinway pianos and Moog synthesizers to Zildgian cymbals and Martin guitars, noted music writer VanHeke offers a fascinating, insider view of the personalities and perseverance that led to some of music's most important innovations—from classical to jazz to rock. This ALA Notable Children's Book includes photos, source notes, and glossaries.