About Mountain Melodies
Mountain Melodies is in Pittsburg, Kansas, the heartland of the USA. Our goal is to show that making music is for everyone. We believe that anyone can learn to play a thumb piano in a matter of minutes, providing a lifetime of enjoyment and satisfaction. With its unique history and simplified number system, we know that our quality, handcrafted kalimbas/thumb pianos will bring joy and intrigue to any setting. Our products are both fun and beautiful and we take pride as we carefully build each one.
Handcrafted to the standards that customers like you have set. It is important for us to create new ways to improve the process by listening to our customers’ feedback. Our motto is: “Great customer service with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.”
About The Owners
Bill and Sharri bring fresh energy and heartfelt vision to Mountain Melodies. We are devoted to preserving the spirit of Mountain Melodies: honoring the craftmanship and community that shaped its beginnings, while exploring new horizons from our new home base in Kansas.
Bill brings a lifetime of diverse experience and soulful creativity to the brand. With a bachelor’s degree in physics and a master’s in theology, his background spans both the analytical and the philosophical. Already, he’s brainstorming on how to utilize the kalimba/thumb piano as an exceptional entry-level teaching tool. Sharri, while insisting that she is “musically inept” has discovered the joy of music through the kalimba and is eager to utilize her business skills to spread the word that music can be as simple as 1-2-3.
Together, they’re honoring the brand’s roots while creating new harmony from the heart of Kansas.
Company History: A Legacy of Craftsmanship and Joy
Mountain Melodies traces its roots to California, where it was founded. Built on a tradition of quality craftsmanship and musical creativity. The business later found new life under Glenda Allison, who relocated it to Berryville, Arkansas and continued to nurture its artisanal spirit.
In 2008, Glenda introduced the kalimba—also known as the thumb piano—to Paul and Sue Bergstrom. Enchanted by its simplicity and charm, they purchased the business and moved it to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia. Under the name Mountain Melodies, they expanded their reach and deepened its connection to Appalachian heritage.
As part of this growth, they invited Joy Atkins—a lifelong friend of the brand and a native of Blairsville, Georgia and their daughter, Angie—to create original artwork for engraving on the face of each thumb piano. their designs brought a personal, mountain-inspired touch to every instrument.
By the summer of 2025, ready to pass the torch, Paul and Sue entrusted the business to Bill and Sharri, who shared their passion for music, craftsmanship, and legacy. The couple relocated Mountain Melodies to Pittsburg, Kansas—home of the Pittsburg State University Gorillas—where they continue to honor its roots while shaping a new chapter.