Joe founded Jackson Pianos in 1997, but the dream started long before then when his curiosity led him to disassemble a piano when he was a teen (and yes, he was able to put it back together). Joe’s passion for the piano is spread to each of Jackson Pianos’ employees, customers and clients.

Morgan’s life as a ballet student and professional dancer instilled a fondness for the piano and has been part of the heart and soul of everything we do since 2005.

Morgan’s responsibilities include implementing the wild ideas of Joe (her husband), managing the books, organizing the office, designing procedures, generating and editing literature and communications.

Kristen joined the Jackson Pianos family in 2013 after a long-time friendship with the Jackson-Cameron family. Her cool, calm nature and love of music makes her an excellent leader to serenely navigate last-minute tunings, ensure orders arrive on time, services happen when they should, and keep a sense of order in the in the wild, wild world of piano repair and restoration.

Janet joined Jackson Pianos at our former location on Cherokee Street in 2009. Her musical nature and fondness for reclaiming all things old led her to us, and we’re glad she was! As a technician, she works tirelessly to breathe new life into used pianos. As the manager of the workshop and showroom, she beams everytime she reunites clients with their restored pianos — and unites purchasers with the piano that’s just right for them.

When Heather met Joe and Morgan in 2005, she was immediately inspired to come on board. Heather relishes her role as customer communication and scheduling extraordinaire. While we can’t prove it, we suspect her never ending drive to make every piano in St. Louis pitch-perfect is unrivaled worldwide.

Jennifer joined us in 2012 through the Missouri Department of Social Services’ Vocational Rehabilitation program — and has been an integral part of our team ever since.

You’ll find Jen in a zen-like trance while she turns grubby, grimey keys bright white or making things beautiful in our workshop. Whether she’s deep in the rhythm of a field cleaning or utilizing her eye for detail in our workshop, Jen has a talent for bringing out the best in every piano she touches.

Matthew Toole joined the Jackson Pianos family in August of 2019 as a tuning apprentice and piano mover. His passion for problem-solving and the way things work then drew him to the piano technology and rebuilding departments. Matt wears many hats as JP’s lead rebuilder, our QRS and PianoDisc player systems installer/technician, a field tuner/technician, and even a mover when duty calls!

John joined Jackson Pianos in 2012 as a way to work off months of back rent for Jackson Pianos’s old location on Cherokee, which he had rented after we relocated to our current location in the Central West End. Joe put him to work moving pianos, and John fell in love with the physical labor and the game-like aspects of getting pianos into locations most other movers won’t try.

John still works in the move department all week during the summer and on weekends during the school year, due to his schedule as head of the art department at Collegiate Academy, a fine public school located in Saint Louis City. When not pushing 500 lb pianos or getting teenagers to embrace their artistic side, John can be found at his studio working on his sculptures, with wire as his main medium.

Mary Jackson (mom of Joe Jackson) is our main cabinet repair and prep technician- she really does every step except the spraying part when it comes to piano refinishing. For decades, she was child behavior specialist and the director of a number of early learning centers, but now for the past decade, she has fallen in love with wood refinishing.

She does have two other children, but since her son is writing this they just plain won’t get mentioned due to his selfishness. So, all you need to know is she loves working 60 hours a week for free for her loving son. The work they do together is breathtaking to say the least and they enjoy working side by side many hours each week.

Danny came to Jackson Pianos in 2022. He has been moving pianos across the country ever since and has been a great addition to our company and move department. He also contributes skilled woodworking work in-shop for our refinishing department. Danny has an Master’s degree in stage lighting and audio engineering and has been a competitive deadlifter.

In his free time, he likes to dance, train monkeys, train to climb Mount Everest next year, build miniature catapults, collect rare sandwich toothpicks, and many other things that are really cool, but we couldn’t name them here, since he told someone else to write his bio for him and to make it funny.

Jason came to Jackson Pianos in 2020 and has a spotless record, showing up no matter rain, storm, and shine. He has a deep interest in physical health and is a practitioner of weight training and martial arts. Aside from moving pianos, he’s also in private security. He keeps pianos safe and we are glad to have him on the team.

James was a 2023 addition to the JP family and has since completed our tuner/technician apprenticeship program. He’s just one of the friendly faces that you’ll find in the field, tuning and repairing pianos. This apprenticeship program is a rigorous training program that typically lasts one and a half to two years, encompasses tuning two hundred in-shop pianos, plus the development of journeyman skills plus all attributes of piano repair and upkeep, and the history of the instrument.

James comes from musical background, so he has a love for all instruments. However, he has recently discovered a true passion for playing, tuning and fixing acoustic pianos. 

Austin joined us in January 2022 and is a fan favorite. Many of our clients have a favorite technician, and many peoples’ is Austin with his personable nature – we charge $10 for a thirty minute meet and greet if you’d like to meet him without a piano appointment. He leaves no detail untouched and pours passion into every project he works on.

Austin started off with the Steinway Gallery and worked for numerous years as a piano mover and piano touch-up trainee, studying under Steinway Gallery technician Jerry Deck. He continues his apprenticeship under Joe Jackson and continues to learn the mastery of tuning and action regulation work.

Samal started at Jackson Pianos in May 2023 after serving in the Air Force for six years. He brings in the muscle wherever needed, whether it be as part of our moving team, or as part of the team getting Noteworthy, our upcoming cafe and cultural center, up and running. Don’t assume Samal is just “the muscle,” though – when he’s not at JP, he’s a student, in pilot training, and making jams.

Justin Coleman is a jack of all trades. When he’s not rebuilding pianos, he’s rebuilding guitars! Justin has been with Jackson Pianos since 2017 and is a valued member of the JP rebuilding team. As a back action and damper, and hammer specialist, Justin brings precision and care to every instrument he touches.

Alys is one of our newest employees as of June 2024, but is no stranger to the piano world – she’s been playing the piano for eleven years! Music has always been a part of her life in one capacity or another, and she’s loving being able to combine her long-standing love of music with her less widely known passion for working with her hands at Jackson Pianos. In her free time, you can find her playing music, rollerblading, drawing, baking/cooking, or reading.

The incredibly smart Alys absolutely breezed through our rigorous tuner/technician apprenticeship program and is now one of the friendly faces that you’ll find in the field or in our shop, tuning and repairing pianos.

Arie is one of our newest additions to the JP family, but it may not seem like it with the remarkable pace at which he has learned his way around a piano action!

Arie takes profound interest in many things: from science and technology to cooking and woodworking. With a background in the sciences, he enjoys applying his skills and way of thinking to every new endeavor.

Tony joined the JP team in August 2024 with the goal of becoming a piano stringer. His carpentry skills played a key role, and he quickly began dismantling old pianos beyond repair to understand how they work. Since then, he has learned a great deal from Joe and Matt as he familiarizes himself with the role of the belly man.

A St. Louis native, Tony stays active in the local underground music scene. He enjoys spending time with his son and partner, playing music with his band, and collecting, selling, and trading records. His love for the piano and passion for playing it sparked his interest in learning how they operate, which ultimately led him to this position. He is proud to be a part of the Jackson Piano family!

Tasha joined the JP family in 2025 as the newest member of our office staff after countless hours of her brother, Matthew Toole (see above) harassing her to. She’s incredibly passionate about both the pianos and people of Jackson Pianos, and hopes to combine her office experience with her love of music to learn as many aspects of the piano world as possible. Whether she’s organizing chaos behind the scenes or bringing a little extra joy to our days, Tasha’s presence is constantly making a difference. In her free time, you can find her at live shows, and hanging with the ones she loves – including her cats!

Adam joined Jackson Pianos in 2025, bringing a background in the arts and a curiosity for all things hands-on. New to the world of pianos but quick to learn, Adam approaches every task in the shop with steady focus and a careful eye for detail. He’s excited to contribute wherever he’s needed and grow alongside the talented crew.

Sam originally started working for JP in 2021, and after taking a brief hiatus while working in the local restaurant scene, he returned to the shop in November 2024. Learning from Mary and Joe, Sam has hands on all things refinishing. His main areas of expertise include cosmetic repairs, color matching, and touch up work. He’s also a part of the field cleaning team and loves making old finishes shine.