Seminar Leadership
Christine Guthrie (RPT) – Seminar Director
Christine Guthrie (she/her) is a native St Louisan who has lived here for 40+ years.
After high school, Christine attended the University of Missouri Kansas City Conservatory of Music, and received a Bachelors Degree in Vocal Performance. She then went on to earn a Masters of Music in Choral Conducting from Webster University.
In addition to piano technology, Christine performs quite a bit in various choral groups. She is currently performing as a 2nd Soprano with the Saint Louis Chamber Chorus under the direction of Philip Barnes, and as a soprano section leader with the Third Baptist Church choir.
Christine is currently employed at Vanguard Piano Service, where she’s been working for 3 years. After much studying and strife, she passed the RPT exams in the summer of 2024.
In addition to being the director of MRCO, Christine is also the President of the St Louis PTG chapter.
Keith Wehmeier – Seminar Assistant Director
Keith Wehmeier is a piano technician of over 10 years trained and current member of the St. Louis Chapter of the PTG. He currently maintains pianos for Washington University, Principia College, Greenville University, and is regularly called to tune for concert venues around the city. He has tuned for the Sheldon, the Stifel Theatre, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, the Muny, Open Studio Network, Midtown Sound House and Jazz St. Louis.
Musicians that Keith has tuned for include: Peter Martin, Aaron Diehl, and Harry Connick Jr. As the concert technician for the Great Artist Series at Washington University, Keith has performed concert prep work, voicing, and concert level tuning for classical pianists: Emmanuel Ax, Jeremy Denk, Kirill Gerstein, Garrick Ohlsson, Marielle and Katia Labèque, Joyce Yang, Craig Terry, Mark Markham, Adam Nielsen, and Nikolai Lugansky.
Outside of piano technology Keith is a countertenor who regularly performs around the country in operas and oratorio, specializing in baroque and modern music.
Ty Uphoff – Exhibitor Director
Ty Uphoff is the owner of Vanguard Piano Service, a piano tuning and maintenance company operating in St. Louis and Kansas City, with over 20 years of industry experience.
He specializes in fostering growth through collaboration and looks forward to showing how exhibiting at MRCO 2026 can help your business succeed.
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Michael Pitts – Audio/Visual Support
Michael Pitts lives in the Hoosier state of Indiana and attended University of Evansville in Evansville, IN, graduating with bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering.
Growing up in a musical family, Michael learned piano and played baritone saxophone in high school and college. After 30+ years in Information Technology, Michael found piano technology as a second career from watching a YouTube video of a technician. He dove headfirst into learning the trade and attended first workshop at the St Louis PTG chapter leaning about the on the PACE repairs.
Michael started Midwest Piano to help Hoosiers live musical lives by tuning, repairing, and cleaning their upright and grand pianos, where he’s been working since January 2024.
Michael is active member of the Indianapolis, IN PTG chapter and maintains its website posts.
Another of his current projects is learning how to create computer games, which is a fun and at times frustrating mix of technical skills and creativity.
Kristin Brooks started performing live music professionally at the age of 15.
She is an Iowa native who spent over a decade in Austin, TX writing and performing original music with her husband and various Texas musicians.
She has had several careers in her lifetime ranging from corporate purchasing, to insurance sales, to residential loan officer. Her piano technician journey started 13 years ago when she moved back to Iowa to be closer to her ailing mother.
By day she tunes pianos all over Eastern Iowa, by night she entertains crowds at casinos and event centers with her band.
Holly Grodsky, RPT [she/her] – (Secretary/Registrar in Training)
Holly Grodsky is the owner of Sky Piano Services, LLC in Erie, CO. With a lifelong connection to music — she could read sheet music before she could read written words — Holly brings both technical skill and musical understanding to her work.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Applied Statistics, with minors in Piano and Computer Science, and previously worked as a Database Developer before entering the piano trade full-time.
Holly completed both years of study at the North Bennet Street School, graduating in 2020. Her experience as a piano technician includes:
- Apprentice and Senior Technician at the Aspen Music Festival and School
- Assistant Technician at Boston University
- Field service, regulation, voicing, repair, and rebuilding projects
Outside of piano work, she also enjoys racing bicycles in multiple disciplines, including cyclocross, road criteriums, and velodrome.
Anika Byrley – Central East Regional Vice President
Anika Byrley began tuning pianos while earning her master’s degree in oboe performance at DePaul University in Chicago, IL. A skilled pianist herself, she holds music degrees from DePaul University, Capital University, and the Kodály Institute in Kecskemét, Hungary.
With over 25 years of experience in the piano service industry, Anika has built a reputation for precision and artistry in her craft. Her work includes servicing instruments for the Grant Park Music Festival, the Harris Theater, Lyric Opera of Chicago, DePaul University, and Wheaton College. She has also had the privilege of preparing pianos for renowned artists such as Andrew Litton, Joyce Yang, and Garrick Ohlsson.
Anika is an active member of the Piano Technicians Guild, currently serving as Central East Regional Vice President.
Jonathon Jacobeen – Treasurer
Jonathon Jacobeen is a concert technician, rebuilder, and specialist in historic pianos. A Renner Academy graduate, he applies factory-level precision and a musician’s ear to every instrument he services.
His background includes extensive rebuild work and concert preparation for institutions and performance venues. Before turning to piano technology full time, Jonathon worked in risk management and commercial insurance, giving him a sharp eye for detail and process.
He started out repairing small engines as a teenager and later studied early music, performing with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. When he’s not at the bench, you’ll likely find him firing a steam locomotive at a historic railroad or enjoying a motorcycle ride.
Charles Guthrie – Web Master
Charles Guthrie is a jack-of-all-trades content producer and software developer who lives in St. Louis with his wife Christine and his two dogs, Waffles and Basil.
He’s had a lot of careers in his life, including artist, line-cook, bartender, and even was involved in local St. Louis politics at one point. Currently his day job is a software engineering lead at Centene.
He has a million different hobbies but has found a lot of simple joy in home cooking, gardening, and taking care of an ever growing number and variety of house plants.
He also used to dabble in theater and performed stand-up and improv comedy in the 2010’s. He is an experienced photographer and videographer and is working on selling his photography as metal prints and hopes to have a showing sometime this year.
Another of his current projects is learning how to create computer games, which is a fun and at times frustrating mix of technical skills and creativity.