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NAPBIRT REGIONAL CLINIC –Wheaton-MD In Person and Virtual clinic.
Your registration offers both in person and virtual access to the clinic sessions.
Details for virtual access will be sent to your email on file prior to the clinic. Saturday, February 1st, 2025 Dents: Knowing when to Hold’em, when to fold’em… and when to walk away.
Chris Cromer This clinic will focus on what I call selective dent work, in that not all dents are created equal. How we advise our customers on a given dent repair and to what degree depends on location, severity and even type, make or vintage of the instrument. At our shop we have a large percentage of professional clientele so consideration has to be given to how removing certain dents will change the temperament of the metal and likewise its playability. For scholastic instruments cost and feasibility are a factor when evaluating an instrument’s repair options. We’ll also discuss our different techniques for removing difficult to reach damage and how we utilize hammer work more often.  Chris Cromer has been a brass technician in the greater Philadelphia area for almost 25 years and has spent that entire time as the sole-proprietor of A minor Tune Up Brass & Woodwind Services. Chris began his career while a music ed major at University of Delaware working on instruments in the basement of the UD music building as a hobbyist in between classes. After apprenticing with a local technician he made the decision to shift career paths and started his shop in February 2001. While his focus as a technician has been on professional brass, mainly trumpet repairs, his shop has expanded over the years to include retail sales and most recently woodwind services. Chris also operates a mobile brass shop which offers full repair and ultrasonic cleanings to college brass studios around the country.
The Summer Rush ‘Survival Kit’: Mindful Practices to Get You through the Busy Season
Allison Fong In this clinic we will talk about ways we can prepare ourselves for an often overwhelming time in our industry, rental season. Topics will include bench efficiency, managing time and priorities, and how to care for your body and mind. Whether you’re a new repair tech or a seasoned pro, this clinic will have a little something for everyone!  Allison Fong has been in the music industry for years, having played and taught oboe throughout the Sacramento area, holding bachelor’s degrees in Oboe Performance and Music Education from California State University, Sacramento. While attending college, Allison began working at her local music store, Tim’s Music, where she was introduced to band instrument repair. Here, Allison apprenticed under Scott Mandeville and other technicians. In 2018, Allison moved to Pittsburgh, PA and began working at Johnstonbaugh’s Music Centers as Lead Woodwind Technician and Shop Manager. Allison has been a NAPBIRT member since 2014. Currently, Allison works part time in the shop. When not repairing, she is chasing after her 3 year old son.. who wants to play the drums when he grows up.
Tenon Sleeves and Replacement
Lee Hirschmann This PowerPoint presentation is designed to help instrument repair technicians expand their skillset by adding tenon repairs to their repertoire. Whether you’ve previously outsourced this type of work, this clinic will guide you through how you can confidently perform tenon repairs in-house using basic equipment like a lathe, bench motor, and standard tooling. What to Expect from the Clinic:
· Comprehensive Content: The presentation is packed with videos, close-up pictures, and tips & tricks to demonstrate each step of the process.
· Essential Tools & Supplies: A complete list of must-have tools and supplies to get started with tenon repairs and enhance your shop’s capability.
· Repair Techniques: In addition to replacing tenons, the clinic will cover techniques for tenon sleeves, tenon caps, and other various tenon repairs. These methods will help you achieve faster and cleaner repair work. Goal of the Clinic: By the end of the presentation, technicians will feel confident in their ability to perform tenon repairs, allowing them to offer this service in their own shops and increase shop revenue. This clinic aims to empower technicians to master tenon repairs and incorporate them into their everyday work.  Lee Hirschmann is the owner and operator of The Band Shoppe in Sykesville, Maryland. He began his career in the music industry at the age of 15, working in retail music stores. Lee pursued his passion for instrument repair and luthiery, attending the Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery and Minnesota State College Southeast Technical (Red Wing). Since 2011, Lee has been working full-time as a luthier and band instrument repair technician, bringing his diverse skills from the world of luthiery to the band instrument repair (BIR) field.
Lee's background in luthiery has given him a unique perspective and expertise that he applies to his work in band instrument repair. He has been a continuous member of NAPBIRT (National Association of Professional Band Instrument Repair Technicians) since 2012. His involvement in NAPBIRT includes roles as a regional and national clinician, instructor for Strings University, Region 2 Director, and Vice President of the organization. Lee's career reflects a deep commitment to both his craft and the growth of the band instrument repair profession.
"Fixin” on a Shoestring: A Guide to Budget Violin Resuscitation
Joel R. Smith Money is always scarce in a school system, especially repair money. We, the repair technicians, are constantly
forced to make instruments funcƟonal for the least cost possible. Add in the fact that many of the orchestra
instruments we work on are of dubious quality to start with, it becomes a perfect storm: not much to work
with, can’t spend much time (or money), and, oh by the way, can we have it back in two days for our concert?
For the last 41 years, I feel like I’ve been performing “Meatball Surgery” so to speak and have developed a
series of techniques and processes for the quick and inexpensive resuscitaƟon of the school/student-owned
orchestra inventory. This clinic is designed for the band instrument tech who is coerced into working on lower
end school/student-owned orchestra instruments occasionally. Would I use these techniques on a really nice
violin? Certainly not, but when there’s little to no budget, little to no time...meatball surgery it is.  I am currently the owner, repairman, road rep, web guru, bookkeeper, and janitor at Joel Smith Music,
located in Salisbury, Maryland. I am mostly a repair shop, but also sell music and accessories to schools and
students in my area. I graduated in 1983 from the now defunct Eastern School of Musical Instrument
Repair, located in Irvington, New Jersey. I have no formal training in orchestral repair, other than making a lot
of mistakes along the way.
I am married to an amazing English teacher, have a seven-year-old son, two cats, and a dog. When I’m not
repairing orchestra instruments badly, I enjoy woodworking, sewing, and tormenting my seven-year-old.
Travel Information Washington Music and the clinic location are within easy walking distance of the Wheaton Metro Station. If you choose to arrive by amtrack, commuter rail, or airline you may then transfer onto the Washington Metro system to navigate to the Weaton Metro stop located on the Red Line. The use of our robust public bus system is also easy to navigate and will meet all your travel needs while visiting the area.
https://www.commuterpage.com/ways-to-get-around/
https://www.wmata.com/service/bus/
https://www.wmata.com/service/rail/ Hotels: Unfortunately, we do not have any hotels within walking distance of the clinic location but we can vouch for these accommodations
https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/dcasggi-hilton-garden-inn-silver-spring-white-oak *indoor pool
https://www.thehotelsilverspring.com/ *Metro Rail accessable Travel:
Washington Music (Chuck Levins) address: 11151 Veirs Mill Rd, Wheaton MD 20902
Address of clinic location (our larger shop dedicated to rental and contract work a few doors down from the retail store: 2500 Ennalls Ave, Wheaton MD 20902 (Paid Public Parking at this building) Food:
We are in a particularly diverse community and thus have many excellent restaurants within easy walking distance of the clinic location. Some of our favorites for lunch include:
https://www.terramarerestaurantbar.com/ *Next door to clinic space*
https://www.welovethischicken.com/
https://filipposdeli.com/
https://www.franksburgersatwheaton.com/
https://saigoneserestaurant.com/ *Great Banh Mi
https://sabormixteco.com/
I’ll stop here but there are many many more great spots If you chose to extend your stay in the area an extra day or two, in addition to the well-known Smithsonian/DC site seeing mainstays you may find additional activities to consider here:
https://washington.org/things-to-do-this-february-in-washington-dc
Non-Member Rate: $135.00
Early Bird Rate: $90.00 (Ends January 10th, 2025)
Regular Rate: $100.00 (Starts January 11th, 2025)
- All registrations are to be completed electronically using this website.
(We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express) - You must be at least 18 years of age.
- You do not have to be a member of NAPBIRT to register. However, you will need to create an account with us in order to process your registration.
- If you are a current member, make sure you are logged into the system. Otherwise, you will end up re-typing a lot of information that would automatically be inserted into the registration form.
- If you are a previous member or you have attended a NAPBIRT clinic in the past, your name should already be in our database. Click Here to request your login information.
Waiver:
By registering for this event, I give my permission for NAPBIRT, Inc. to use, without limitation or obligations, photographs, film footage, or tape recordings which may include my image or voice for the purpose of promoting or interpreting NAPBIRT programs and services.
I waive all claims for damage and/or loss to my person or property which may be caused by an act, or failure to act of NAPBIRT, it's officers, directors, agents, or employees and the hosts and clinicians. I understand that there are inherent dangers in working with tools and repairing instruments and I assume the risk of all dangerous conditions in and about such clinics and waive any and all specific notice of the existence of such conditions.
Clinic Etiquette:
Hand held audio recorders and still cameras are permitted providing that you do not disrupt the session and you have the permission of the clinician. Video cameras and other similar equipment are not permitted without advance written authorization from NAPBIRT.
Cellular phones and other electronic gadgets must be turned to OFF or SILENT during all scheduled events including tours, meals, and clinics.
Our goal is the free exchange of ideas and techniques. Please remember that the clinicians are your colleagues: feel free to ask questions and participate during clinics. Questions asked during clinics are often very valuable: be respectful of those asking questions, whether they are new technicians or seasoned veterans. We would also ask that you remember that there are different ways to achieve a desired end, and that not all technicians always agree on the same techniques or tools. If you find yourself in a position in which you disagree with the clinician, we would ask that you be respectful to the clinician and your fellow audience members and not be disruptive in the clinic.
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