Charles Bickel

Charles Bickel was working on the bench at Selmer when George Bundy decided to try a different plastic emulsion for his idea of a plastic clarinet. The first try was not successful. Mr. Bickel recalled the look in Bundy’s eyes when the first Resonate clarinet was tested, “We all started to clap and cheer.” The product saved the Depression-weary company and, because of its low cost, allowed many families on tight budgets to still afford music for their children. Charles worked his way up to president of Selmer before his retirement in the 1970s. He worked long and hard to create partnerships between the industry and music educators and played a key role in the early days of the American Music Conference.