Clinics & Clinicians

Short Historical Look at Band Instrument Repair
Craig Anderson

The craft of band instrument repair has been around as long as instruments have been made. The actual business of band instrument repair has not been around as long. There are no books written about the history of BIR, but there are many stories about the early days of this craft. In this clinic I will attempt to enlighten as many that attend, as to the early days of 'modern' BIR (the late 1800's to today). Anything the audience can add to what I present will be most appreciated and can do nothing but add to what we all want to know.

Craig Anderson was the General Manager and "answer person" at Allied Supply from 1992 to 2020. He has just recently retired to his home in SE AZ. At the age of 2 his favorite thing to do was take apart a percolator and put it back together and he has never stopped taking things apart and putting them back together again. After attending Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN, majoring in music, he decided that he had to work with his hands. In 1978, he graduated from Red Wing Technical College in Red Wind, MN with a diploma in Band Instrument Repair. From 1978 to 1992 he owned and operated his own band instrument repair business and pipe & tobacco shop, "The Vagabonds" in Flagstaff, AZ. He and his family moved back to the Midwest in 1992 when he went to work for Allied Supply Corp. MN SE Technical College (formerly Red Wing Technical College) named him the 2008 Outstanding Alumnus. In 2019, he was awarded the Lifetime Membership award from NAPBIRT, this being their ultimate award. He has just been recognized by NAMM, the national Music Manufacturers by being given the "Believe in Music Award".

Craig is a NAPBIRT Master Clinician and has offered clinics around the country. He has extensive knowledge of the music industry as well as its' history and is an active participant at the National Music Museum in Vermillion, SD.
When not repairing he is; making sawdust in his woodshop or listening to his extensive vinyl & CD collection or conversing with someone on the other side of the world via Ham radio. (According to his wife he has too many hobbies.)

The Basic Fundamentals of Woodwind Repair
Josh Cambridge

-Tools/materials
-Touch and feel
-Differences of beginning, Intermediate, Professional instruments and how to treat them -Knowing when done is and on what kind of instrument.
-Frames in the movie to add In on your repair vision
-Clients and learning language to teach them
-Key repair/fitting
-Artistry in your work and showing it off
-Dent work
-Padding
-Soldering

Joshua is a Renton Tech class of 2016 alumni, specializing in brass and woodwinds repair. After school he had experience working and running the repair department at a local music store in Sacramento as the band and orchestra technician for 3 years. He later moved to New Orleans to pursue his dream of playing trombone on Frenchman St. In the French quarter and worked as a technician at Uptown Music Exchange. However, due to Covid; Joshua moved back home to Sacramento and began working at Tim’s Music as a repair technician; working with his mentor Scott Mandeville. By promoting wellness in society through music education and performance Joshua is able to keep music alive. In his free time he loves to spend time with his wife, two spoiled cats and ripping trombone with one of the brass bands! 

How Things Stick
Ed Kraus 

The science behind how adhesives, glues, and bonding materials work is rooted in chemistry, physics, and material science. These bonding materials are designed to create strong connections between surfaces by forming a bond at the molecular or atomic level. Understanding the processes and challenges involved can help achieve better, more durable bonds.

Solder and Adhesives

Synthetic pads for Clarinets have changed and improved dramatically since the first Norbec, Roberts, and Valentino pads were introduced decades ago.  Kraus Music Products now offers a huge number of completely different pad models to fit the same pad cup, with choices of diameter and thickness.  They all look the same once installed ... but the details matter to a technician and can change the way an instrument performs.

 Come to this hands on clinic to understand fully all the choices you now have in synthetic pads.  You will bring an instrument (we will tell you the brand and model to bring) on which you will have removed two pads from the cups and re-assembled the keys onto the joint.  We will take a narrated tour through all the options you have by dry fitting a wide variety of pads into the same key cups.  We won't actually glue anything in, just understand how the different model backing, different diameter, and different thickness all work together to make things either easy or difficult for you ... the technician.

KMP makes pads that fit every budget and every personal preference.  Once you attend this class and do the hands on you will learn what YOU want to use in your repairs

We will have a few instruments prepared for you to experience the fitting process.  If you have a particular instrument that you want to play with we will need to know so we can have the proper materials in place.

Ed Krausis the president of Kraus Music Products Inc., a leading supplier of parts and supplies to the band repair industry. KMP is well known for it's unique pads, materials and synthetic valve washers which are used in repair shops and leading factories worldwide.

From Parts To Performance: Fabrication of Parts and Systems
Scott Mandeville 

From time to time the parts that we need to correct deficiencies on the instruments are just not available, they are either on indefinite back order or discontinued.  Or you are fabricating new systems or accommodation to a player’s needs. 

The thought process to get from raw stock to functionally elegant is a fun path.  Let’s look at the path from understanding the fundamental needs and the design concept, to the materials and machines needed, and the final satisfying test of a functional Super Cool system or part.

Scott Mandeville has played Euphonium in bands for over 45 years. As a student of both music and mechanics, Scott studied music at University and musical mechanics at Allied Repair School. He moved back to California and led the repair team at Northridge Music Center for 24 years.
In 2005, Scott purchased Tim's Music in Sacramento. Tim's has grown under Scott's leadership and currently serves over 250 schools throughout Northern California. Tim's Music has been awarded the distinctive "NAMM TOP 100" for 2018 & 2019. Scott has served as president of NAPBIRT and has served on the NAMM Board of Directors.

Schedule