 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Matt74
Date: 2013-10-12 04:39
Is anyone a woodwind repair technician? I was thinking about becoming one and was wondering how you got into the business. There are a few schools, but most of them require two years and learning brass as well. Is it necessary to learn brass to get an entry level job? My intention would be to do clarinets and saxophones, and possibly flutes. I don't mind taking the time to learn, especially from a good teacher, but would prefer to work while learning as much as possible. Thank you!
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2013-10-12 15:40
I suggest you contact any repair techs you know in your area and ask them if you can become a apprentice for them. You can even suggest that you would pay them a fee for their time until you became proficient enough to bring value to their business.
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2013-10-13 12:20
This thread in a "sister" forum may be of interest:
http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?68574-Becoming-A-Repair-Tech
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2013-10-13 13:21
It's good to learn brass repair as you will inevitably have to do dent and soldering work when working on saxes and flutes - the best way to get accustomed to doing this is gaining some experience with brass repair if it's part of the course early on.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: am0032
Date: 2013-10-13 15:46
There are schools/colleges around the country that have programs that teach you how to repair both woodwinds and brass. The knock about starting out as an apprentice is that the person you are learning from is trying to make a living fixing instruments, not teaching you. The school setting is one that focuses on you learning the craft the right way.
My wife completed a program(1 year) and was able to find work and highly contribute to a repair shop, head and shoulders over all the others that were apprenticing.
She went to this program at Minnesota State College Southeast Technical.
Redwingmusicrepair.org
Adam
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Author: Matt74
Date: 2013-10-13 21:15
Thank you everyone, that's all very helpful.
I will probably look further into going to school for a year. If I can actually get a job it will be worth it. The "Becoming A Repair Tech" thread was very good. It confirmed some of my experience in other trades. Based only on a superficial view of their webpages Redwing was my favorite. I also looked at CIOMIT on campus.
I will also try to visit a couple local shops and see what I can learn.
It sounds like Redwing is a good school. My only concern was that two out of the three instructors listed were brass players (the last was not identified), and most of their videos were about brass instruments. Any thoughts?
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2013-10-14 13:43
If you buy and read, and digest this, cover to cover, you will have an excellent start, with a lot more basic clues than some "technicians".
Reg Thorp’s The Complete Woodwind Repair Manual http://www.napbirt.org/
As I understand it, it is the standard text at at least one training school. I wish it was available when I was teaching myself!
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Author: Steven Ocone
Date: 2013-10-15 12:05
I went to Red Wing When I was almost 40. I worked hard and was one of the best in the class. I had an advantage in that I have been working with my hands all my life. I can remember "helping" my father build a harpsichord when I was 4 years old (really just slowing him down). I already had good mechanical and woodworking skills before I entered repair school.
I came out thinking I was good. I found the best repair technician in my area in his small shop. It was a situation where I know I could get instant help when I needed it (our benches were probably 30 inched apart). I started working on professional instruments right away and they had to be to the highest standards. My boss played each instrument and it was years before it stopped coming back for more work.
I think it took about seven years before I started feeling comfortable with my skill level. This is partly my personality. I'm very demanding and detail oriented. In those seven years I made "peanuts".
This is not to say I'm a better repair tech than others on this board. My story has a lot to do with my personality. But I offer it as perhaps a wake up call to the time and commitment it can take.
Steve Ocone
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2013-10-16 10:59
IMO and experience, the learning curve to do woowind repairs well is huge.
On top of my other training and experience, it would be great to have a heap of university level knowledge in the specialised area of woodwind acoustic design. In this area, the more I know, the more I find how much I don't know, and it is all relevant to doing the best work possible on woodwinds. If nothing else, to efficiently correct factory acoustic design botchups.
I aspire to be the best I can be in engineering aspects, but acoustic design - a very comlicated and totally different ball game. I imagine many if not most manufacturers actually don't do it - just copy - or do it more or less by trial and error, model after model.
Post Edited (2013-10-16 11:02)
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Author: Matt74
Date: 2013-10-17 04:05
Steve, It sounds like we are not too dissimilar. I'm 39. I have worked in gold leaf restoration, and in painting/contracting. I love tools and seeing how things work. I have made some simple furniture, but am by no means a "woodworker". What were the sorts of things you learned in school that you couldn't have learned on your own? Did you feel at home with the rest of the students? (I imagine there are all ages.)
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Author: Steven Ocone
Date: 2013-10-18 00:19
I didn't mean to sound so discouraging in my last email. I had a great time at school. There was a lot of information and it was fast paced.
We learned skills in soldering, brazing, machining, and much more. We overhauled clarinets flutes saxes, oboes. Half the time was spent on brasswinds.
If you want to focus on clarinets, it may be good to apprentice. if you can find someone to take you on.
Steve Ocone
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