"Best of the USA" Associate Programmers' Bios & Name Abbreviations:

Bill Monk is an accomplished keyboardist and synthesist with an uncanny knack for nomenclature. He currently reigns over the southeastern United States. BM

Manny Fernandez is a composer, synthesist and dentist from Los Angeles. Though generally harmless to society, he has been known to do impossible things such as create true-split patches for the original DX7. Enjoys and has an extensive background in both analog and digital synthesis, but given a choice, would rather make lasagna. MF

Gary Leuenberger's many credits include being one of the programmers for the original DX7 voice library. Besides maintaining his high profile as a DX7
expert, Gary owns and operates a Yamaha franchise retail store in San Francisco. GL 

Erik G.Hanson is a producer, songwriter and synthesist. As a synthesist, besides being active with major recording projects, Erik has created numerous
synthesizer voice collections which are available through Key Clique,Inc. and other manufacturers. EGH

Steve Leonard is a professional keyboardist and recording artist who has touring internationally. A senior software engineer at Syntauri, currently he has ten MIDI programs available. He authored the "Computers for Keyboardists" column in Keyboard Magazine. SL

Ken Rarick, formerly the keyboardist for Air Supply, is currently a top call studio synthesist and producer in the greater Los Angeles area. KR

Mike McKnight is a professional keyboardist and published songwriter. Originally from Virginia, he is currently based in Los Angeles. MM

Frank Macchia is a multi-talented musician, composer and orchestrator currently residing in San Francisco. Since graduating from Berklee College of Music in Boston, he has produced his own album, performed with such jazz greats as Chuck Mangione, Clare Fisher, Jimmy Giuffre, and the like, and has received recognition as a composer from such notables as the San Francisco Symphony and the National Endowment for the Arts. FM

Eric Hurtig is currently working in New York City as a professional recording engineer and synthesizer programmer for/album and television media projects. EH

Kurt Blederwolf was the first graduate of Berklee College of Music's critically acclaimed Music Synthesis major in 1986. Currently he is a member of the Music Synthesis Faculty at Berklee, is a professional synthesist in the greater Bostonarea, and has also been working for Kurzweil Music Systems, Inc. KB

Bill Tonkersley could not be located for his bio. (Bill call us!) BT