Board of Trustees

THE  ™ Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity dedicated to scientific research and education to preserve and promote technical knowledge of American pipe organ building from 1865-1941, by firms including but not limited to: Skinner, Æolian, Austin, Moller, Kimball, Casavant, Welte, Estey, Gottfried, Dennison, Hope-Jones, and Wurlitzer.

Douglas Backman, Ed.D, PRESIDENT, is member of the American Institute of Organbuilders, Organ Historical Society. and American Guild of Organists. After receiving both Bachelors and Masters degrees in Marketing and Project Management from Drexel, he pursued a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership at Northeastern University. Throughout his 15 years of being a part of the Philly AGO chapter, he has been associated with both the EM Skinner organ at Girard College and the music program St. Francis de Sales in West Philadelphia. From 2011-2018, he was console assistant for Michael Stairs at the Wanamaker Grand Court Organ, Music Assistant and Organ Technician at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary during the 2015 Papal Visit, and founding member of the Girard College Organ Guild. In 2023, Doug accepted the role of President of the Ernest M. Skinner Foundation.

Pat Graham Crowe, VICE PRESIDENT & TREASURER, is an active musician, pedagogue, audio engineer, digital marketing strategist, and consultant. A classically trained organist, pianist, sopranist-countertenor and baritone, Mr. Crowe’s primary musical studies have been under the tutelage of Jacqueline Yost (piano/organ), Jack Mitchener (organ), Timothy Olsen (organ, harpsichord), Joan Jacobowsky (voice), and Barbara Lister-Sink (piano). A native of Davidson, North Carolina, Mr. Crowe currently holds the positions of Organist at First Presbyterian Church of Belmont, NC, Director of Technology for the Lister-Sink Institute, and serves as a member on the Board of Trustees for the Lister-Sink Foundation. Mr. Crowe was a recipient of the Master of Music Degree in Organ Performance (Church Music Emphasis) from the Mercer University Townsend School of Music in 2017, the Bachelor of Music Degree in Organ Performance from the UNC School of the Arts in 2015, and the Professional Certificate for Injury-Preventive Keyboard Technique at Salem College in 2012. www.PatGrahamCrowe.com

Eric Fricke, SECRETARY, is an organist, pianist, tenor, vocal coach, and collaborative musician.  He has appeared on the national stage as an organist since 2007, with notable appearances at Entertainment Gathering 2008 (later broadcast on TEDTalks) and on NPR’s From The Top. Eric’s original organ music is featured in two films by Nadine Sures, Like an Idealist (2018) and So Far Way (2019). While residing for many years in Santa Fe, Eric was the Principal Organist of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, organist for the Santa Fe Symphony, and worked with the Santa Fe Opera as a pianist. Since moving to Asheville in 2020, Eric has become the Organist at First Congregational United Church of Christ and performed with the Asheville Choral Society and the Asheville Symphony Chorus. He is the accompanist of the University Chorale of UNCA and the Reuter Center Singers.

Eric began his musical studies at the age of 5. He studied organ with Cameron Carpenter and Lew Williams, piano with celebrated ballet pianist Miles Fusco, and voice and vocal pedagogy with Joan Jacobowsky, Professor Emerita of Salem College. He holds a Bachelor of Liberal Arts from St. John’s College of Santa Fe, NM, and a Graduate Certificate in Injury-Preventive Keyboard Technique from Salem College. 

Daniel Angerstein is a master American pipe organ builder, and current president and owner of Angerstein Organ Works, Ltd. in Hendersonville, North Carolina. A native of south central Texas, Angerstein built organs in the Boston area for Æolian-Skinner Organ Company. In 1987, he became tonal director of Moller Organ Company in Hagerstown, Maryland. A musician and connoisseur of fine artwork, he currently rebuilds and voices pipe organs throughout the United States.

Dylan David Shaw, a native of Philadelphia, was enraptured with the pipe organ from a very young age. He began lessons on the piano at age five and then on the organ at age eleven. Dylan frequented the Grand Court at Macy’s to hear the evening concerts. Through these regular visits, he became well acquainted with Wanamaker Grand Court Organist Peter Richard Conte and the late Michael Stairs, former organist for The Philadelphia Orchestra. Dylan continued organ studies with and served as a console assistant for Michael Stairs. Dylan is currently Assistant Grand Court Organist for Peter Richard Conte at the Wanamaker Organ at Macy’s Center City, where he performs several concerts each week, with programs ranging from the works of Bach to the occasional Disney tune.