Karl T. Bruhn
Chairman of the Board
Yamaha Music & Wellness Institute

Through his career in the music products industry,  Karl T. Bruhn has been actively involved in the music products industry.  He served as Senior Vice President, Marketing, for Yamaha Corporation of America, a position from which he retired in 1989.  Later that year he became the first Director of Market Development for NAMM, the National Association of Music Merchants.
       
Mr. Bruhn has worked closely with members of the music community (educators, manufacturers, technicians and performers), and has helped to bring the work of the National Coalition for Music Education to the attention of decision-makers on the national, state and local levels.  He has served as both Executive Director and President of the American Music Conference, President of the National Piano Foundation, President of the Piano Manufacturers Association International, and has been active in many other industry organizations.  He is recognized as the “Father of Music & Wellness” movement.

Takuya “Tak” Nakata
Director - Yamaha Music & Wellness Institute
           
Takuya “Tak” Nakata is President of Yamaha Corporation of America and a board member of the Yamaha Music & Wellness Institute.  Mr. Nakata also serves as a Senior Executive Officer for Yamaha Corporation in Japan.  Prior to his current assignment in the U.S., he was a Boardmember/Executive Officer and concurrently held the position of General Manager of the Pro Audio & Digital Music Instrument (PADMI) division at Yamaha Corporation in Japan.     

Mr. Nakata has served in a number of positions since joining Yamaha Corporation in 1981. He started his career in product planning & design.

Mr. Nakata is a graduate of Keio University, where he majored in Law.

Rick Young
Director - Yamaha Music & Wellness Institute
Senior Vice President - Yamaha Music & Wellness Institute

Rick Young is Senior Vice President at Yamaha Corporation of America.  Mr. Young oversees the company’s Piano, Band & Orchestral, and Pro Audio and Combo divisions, as well as  the Music Education Dept. In addition, he is president of Yamaha Artist Services, Inc. in New York City and is responsible for Yamaha Corporate Artist Affairs, Inc. in Nashville and Yamaha Artist Services in Hollywood.

Mr. Young helped institute the company’s Customer Sales and Marketing Group, an initiative designed to seamlessly align Yamaha Corporation of America with the needs of a broad base of select dealers, top artists, and world-class performance venues, as well as leading academic and institutional facilities.

His 30 years of experience in all aspects of the music products industry include his tenure as Corporate Vice President/General Manager of the company’s Pro Audio & Combo Division as well as senior leadership positions within the company’s Band & Orchestral Division and the Sales Department of the Pro Audio & Combo Division.

He is currently the chairman of the Music Achievement Council, will be beginning a three year appointment to the NAMM board of directors and has served on a number of music related boards, including the National Association of Band Instrument Manufacturers.

Brian Jemelian
Director - Yamaha Music & Wellness Institute
Secretary & Treasurer - Yamaha Music & Wellness Institute
   
Brian Jemelian serves as the Senior Vice President, Finance and Administration for Yamaha Corporation of America.  He is also Secretary for the corporation.  Jemelian leads the finance, information technology, operations, human resources, logistics, legal, tax and credit teams. 
     
Mr. Jemelian also serves as Project leader for Yamaha’s Business Continuity Project, Process Excellence Project, and risk management strategies.  He joined Yamaha in 1996.

C. Terry Lewis
Director - Yamaha Music & Wellness Institute
     
With thirty-six years of experience in the musical products industry, C. Terry Lewis recently retired from the position of  Executive Vice President of the Yamaha Corporation of America. He also served as President of Yamaha Artist Services, Inc. in New York City and President of Yamaha Corporate Artist Affairs, Inc. in Franklin, Tennessee.  
     
Mr. Lewis has been frequently quoted in trade, news and business journals and media including The Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio’s Morning Edition, Business Radio Network, Newshour, CNN and PBS. He has worked closely with the music recording and entertainment industries for many years.

Barry Bittman, MD
CEO & President
Yamaha Music & Wellness Institute
     
Barry Bittman, MD is a neurologist, author, international speaker, award-winning producer/director and research scientist.  As Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) of Meadville Medical Center and Medical Director of the Mind-Body Wellness Center in Meadville, PA., Dr. Bittman has pioneered a new paradigm for treating the “whole person.”
     
Dr. Bittman’s “whole person” approach has been featured in numerous leading publications throughout the world, including USA Today, Business Week, Time, Prevention, Discover, O (Oprah Magazine), the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Washington Post,  Scientific American, Men’s Fitness, Health magazine, Spirituality & Health, New Age Journal, Self magazine and others.  His perspectives have also been shared in a host of interviews including CNN Headline News.
     
Dr. Bittman’s primary research is in the field of Psychoneuroimmunology.  Several of his publications that have advanced the field of recreational music making are detailed in this website.
     
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