Welcome to our Repair Shop

E-mail: skinnard@paigesmusic.com

Position:Director of Repair Services

Start Date: November, 2017

Training or Education:
Studied Music Education at Indiana University

Where are you from originally:
Kokomo, IN

What instruments do you play:
Guitar, Dobro, Bass, Saxophone

What groups do/did you play with:
I have played for many original singer songwriters as well as several rock, blues, and jazz cover bands in central Indiana. I currently play guitar and dobro for Chris Wilson and the Heresy.

What do you enjoy most about being a technician:
I like working with my hands and seeing a completed project once everything is done!

What is your most memorable musical experience:
I’ve had the privilege to play with a variety of artists in a variety of styles and venues. But probably the most memorable have been the opportunities for improvisation and spontaneous collaboration. Whether playing solos in jazz and blues bands or playing unrehearsed off the cuff songs live in the moment, I love those "high-wire without a net" moments. The exhilaration of an ensemble feeling its way together through a song, following a vocalist or instrumentalist lead, listening to each other and feeding of each other as a song takes shape, and improvising as a group. 

E-mail: brubin@paigesmusic.com

Position: Woodwind Repair Coordinator/Woodwind Technician

Start Date: November, 1994

Training or Education:
- Bachelor of Music Education- Indiana University
- Band Director for 7 years
- Apprenticed in repair 30 years experience as a repair technician.

Where are you from originally:
Bloomington, IN - Graduated from Bloomington High School North.

What instruments do you play:
Principal Instrument is Trumpet

What groups do/did you play with:
Played with the Indianapolis Brass Choir for 15 seasons.

What do you enjoy most about being a technician:
The daily variety of problem solving opportunities.

What is the most unusual repair you’ve had to deal with:
I remember one saxophone on which a customer attempted to use super glue to reattach a post, and it looked like the tube burst open. It required much time and patience to do what was necessary to restore the finish as possible, and resolder the post. Needless to say, it would never look new again.

What is your most memorable musical experience:
There have been many great moments, from a trip to a musicfestival in Holland, to playing in the Rocky Mountains at the firehouse of Silverton Colorado.

E-mail: sguyer@paigesmusic .com

Position: Brass Repair Tech.

Start Date: June 1, 1998

Training or Education:
Went to Redwing Technical school and studied instrument repair

Where are you from originally:
Danville, IN

What instruments do you play:
I am a Vocal Tenor

What groups do/did you play with:
Union Station Track Side Troop

What do you enjoy most about being a technician:
I like the hands on work of solving problems and making things look right again and play right again.

What is the most unusual repair you’ve had to deal with:
I installed a trumpet bell on an old recording Violin in order to replace it’s original bell.

What is your most memorable musical experience:
Seeing Simon and Garfunkel in concert together.

Position:
Stringed Instrument Repair Coordinator/Technician

E-mail: tmay@paigesmusic.com

Start Date: July 15, 1985

Training or Education:
Bachelor of Science in Music (Voice) and Stringed Instrument Technology: Indiana University 1985. Further repair training: Peter Horn, 1998; Bow making: University of New Hampshire Summer Institute, 2004.

Where are you from originally?
I was born in Columbus, Indiana. My family moved to Odessa, Texas when I was one year old. We lived there until my ninth grade year, at which time we moved to Corsicana, Texas for two years (freshman and sophomore years of high school). My junior year was spent back in Columbus, Indiana; and I finished off my senior year in North Vernon, Indiana. Indiana University happened after four years playing with real Tonka trucks in a crushed stone quarry in Jennings county, Indiana. IU was fun and interesting as a 21 year old freshman. Happily, the string technology degree program was there for me to begin a life’s work. At the present time, I am grudgingly growing up in Noblesville Indiana with my wife and watching my three kids surpass my understanding of the world in their various college endeavors.

What instruments do you play?
I play violin, viola, and cello: minimally. Stringed bass and guitar: preferably. I can play the piano the way I want to--not necessarily how classically trained pianists would choose to play, but it pleases me and suits my purpose. I still sing with gusto, and the ukelele is still just fun. Other instruments perhaps...I just haven’t had the opportunity to try yet.

What groups do/did you play with?
The Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, Edyvean Theater pit orchestra, Carmel Symphony, Elizaville Baptist Church orchestra and handbell choir, Noblesville Methodist Church Community theater and pit orchestra, Tipton Community theater.

What do you enjoy most about being a technician?
Repairing the violin family instruments. It is still a challenging and fullfilling vocation.

What is the most unusual repair you’ve had to deal with?
Restoring two specific violins: one, which was sound fortified with rattlesnake rattles, and the second, on which the back, neck, and ribs were carved from a single solid piece of maple.

What is your most memorable musical experience?
The most memorable was a one month rehearsal and performance of Handel’s Messiah with the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir and The Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Robert Porco from Indiana University. The second most memorable is the season spent with the Carmel Symphony.

E-mail: wtincher@paigesmusic.com

Position: Repair Department Office Manager

Start Date: December 2010

Training or Education:
Indiana State University- Bachelor of Science in Music Business

Where are you from originally:
Terre Haute, IN

What instruments do you play:
Tuba, Euphonium, Trombone

What groups do/did you play with:
Indianapolis Symphonic Band, America’s Hometown Band, Henry County Community Band

What do you enjoy most about being a technician:
Getting to witness first-hand the repair work done by my coworkers. It is amazing to me how they can make a (seemingly destroyed) instrument play again.

What is your most memorable musical experience:
Days after the September 11th attacks, the city of Terre Haute called on the ISU Marching Sycamores to play a service. With a days’ notice, the whole band cleared their schedule to perform. It was the most emotional performance I have ever been a part of.

E-mail: troberts@paigesmusic.com

Position:Repair Department Office Assistant

Start Date: June 2017

Training or Education:
Saint Joseph’s College- Bachelor of Arts in Music Education

Where are you from originally:
Indianapolis, IN

What instruments do you play:
Clarinet, Saxophone, Ukulele

What groups do/did you play with:
Indianapolis Symphonic Band

What do you enjoy most about working in the repair shop:
I enjoy being able to help customers who want to give their student a rewarding experience through music. I also think that some of the repairs my coworkers do are amazing and it’s impressive how talented they are at their craft.

What is your most memorable musical experience:
When I was at St. Joe our choir was invited to tour in Rome, Italy and sing at many different churches. One of those included St. Peters Basilica where we sang for the Pope. My favorite band memory would be playing the Star Spangled Banner at ISSMA Marching Band State finals with a brass choir from St. Joe.

E-mail: jvanderha@paigesmusic.com

Position: Brass Technician

Training or Education:
Apprenticed at The Windsmith in San Diego. Attended San Diego State University and Butler University for Music Performance. Graduated from Minnesota State College-Southeast Technical Red Wing studied Band Instrument Repair.

Where are you from originally:
Carlsbad, CA

What instruments do you play:
French Horn

What groups do/did you play with:
Currently I play with the Indianapolis Brass Choir, Kokomo Park Band and Kokomo Symphony. I am a sub with the Carmel Symphony and the Indiana Wind Symphony. I also freelanced in San Diego and Minnesota.

What do you enjoy most about being a technician:
I enjoy being able to solve problems and making an instrument play better than when it came in.

What is your most memorable musical experience:
I was fortunate enough to listen to the Gewandhaus Orchestra play Beethoven 9 on New Year’s Eve in Leipzig, Germany. I also was able to hear Phil Meyers perform Mahler 5 when The New York Philharmonic played in Chicago.

E-mail: srichards@paigesmusic.com

Position: Brass Technician

Training or Education:
I graduated from Marian University in 2014 with bachelors degree in music education.

Where are you from originally:
I come from rural Jay County Indiana, somewhere between the cities of Bryant and Portland.

What instruments do you play:
Tuba

What do you enjoy most about being a technician:
I enjoy the challenges that every day seem to bring and learning how to deal with them.

What is the most unusual repair you’ve had to deal with:
Although I’ve not had to deal with anything too out of the ordinary yet, I’ve been warned by my coworkers that my day is coming...

E-mail: bnash@paigesmusic.com

Position: Brass Technician

Start Date: May 2019

Training or Education:
Bachelors in Music Education from Drake University in Des Moines, IA
Band Instrument Repair Diploma from Red Wing (Minnesota State College – Southeast)

Where are you from originally:
Pekin, IL

What instruments do you play:
Trumpet

What do you enjoy most about being a technician:
I love the variety of instruments and repairs I see. No two horns are the same, no damage is the same and it’s my job to find the solution.

What is the most unusual repair you’ve had to deal with:
Finding fuzzy mold on trumpet pistons is always fun, but I think the most interesting thing I’ve witnessed is a trombone slide that not only had a pencil shoved all the way down to the crook, but also a battery. Needless to say, the slide had to come apart. Yikes.

What is your most memorable musical experience:
In college, a group of us decided to pile in a car (a car that couldn’t go faster than 55mph without shaking) and drive the 6 hours to Chicago to watch the CSO play a Sunday matinee of the Rite of Spring. It was fantastic.

E-mail: bparrott@paigesmusic.com

Position:String Technician

Start Date: June, 2017

Training or Education:
Graduated from Indiana University School of Music in 1999 with an A.S. in String Instrument Technology. Worked in Philadelphia at Paul Stevens Violins until 2000. Worked for Casa Del Sol Violins until I started working for myself as a full time violin maker in 2001.

Where are you from originally:
Franklin , IN

What instruments do you play:
Classical guitar, violin and a small amount of cello.

What do you enjoy most about being a technician:
I enjoy helping an instrument play to its full potential which also helps the player reach their musical goals.

What is the most unusual repair you’ve had to deal with:
Most unusual would have to be the 18th century violin that had the top crushed from a falling bottle of water.

What is your most memorable musical experience:
Listening to, and talking with Janos Starker about his cello in the shop. He also mentioned his classical guitar to me several times that was given to him by Andres Segovia.

E-mail: jsturm@paigesmusic.com

Position: String Instrument Prep

Training or Education:
Attended Millikin University in Decatur, Ill & studied Commercial Music. Graduated from Lawrence North HS.in Indianapolis, IN.

Where are you from originally:
Lawrence, IN

What instruments do you play:
Trumpet, piano/keyboard, electric & acoustic guitar, drum set

What groups do/did you play with:
The Sturm Family Band (bluegrass), The Middle Men (ska band), church praise band, various jazz bands, jazz combo groups, concert bands, Indianapolis trumpet choir, brass ensembles, accompany my son on guitar for his bluegrass fiddle music competitions.

What do you enjoy most about being a technician:
The camaraderie of the repair shop - we really enjoy our work and each other!

What is your most memorable musical experience:
Playing trumpet for my sister's wedding. That was such an honor and it meant a lot to me to be a part of their day.

E-mail: fwithrow@paigesmusic .com

Position: String Instrument Prep

Start Date: October 2010

Training or Education:
Studied string bass as a music performance major at Indiana State University and University of Indianapolis. Apprenticed in string repair with Eugene Crouse in South Bend, IN and Tom May at Paige's Music.

Where are you from originally:
I was born in Elkhart, IN and grew up in South Bend, IN. I moved to Indianapolis in 1978.

What instruments do you play:
I play string bass and electric bass.

What groups do/did you play with:
I have been a professional musician for my entire adult life, primarily freelancing. I have been fortunate enough to play with most of the top musicians in the area.

What do you enjoy most about being a technician:
I enjoy the entire process of making an instrument as attractive and playable as possible.

What is the most unusual repair you’ve had to deal with:
I mostly address the simpler repairs on the instruments that cross my bench, deferring to Tom or Derek on the tougher cases. But it never ceases to amaze me what I might find inside a violin or cello...mostly items that don't belong there...gum wrappers, etc.

What is your most memorable musical experience:
I had the good fortune to tour Japan for two weeks in 1999 with a really good big band out of Chicago.

E-mail: jchin@paigesmusic .com

Position: String Instrument Prep

Start Date: 2006-2009, December 2018

Training or Education:
Indiana University - 2003 AS in String Instrument Technology - 2004 BS in Biology and a Chemistry minor

Where are you from originally:
Indianapolis, IN

What instruments do you play:
My main instrument is viola, but I also play violin. I learned a little bit of cello for my degree requirements in college and played alto sax in high school.

What do you enjoy most about being a technician:
The skill level needed to do repairs. Sometimes you have to get a little creative when clamping.

What is the most unusual repair you’ve had to deal with:
In my current position, I focus more on the major repairs in stock. I see the “accidents” done to string instruments.

What is your most memorable musical experience:
Making my first violin.

E-mail: bbruemmer@paigesmusic.com

Position:Woodwind Technician

Start Date: September, 2016

Training or Education:
BA in French Horn performance – Bob Jones University

Completion of the Red Wind Technical College Band Instrument Repair program

Where are you from originally:
Nelson, MN

What instruments do you play:
French Horn

What do you enjoy most about being a technician:
I enjoy the challenge of figuring out how to repair the instruments that come in because they often come in broken in very unique ways. I also enjoy always trying to improve how I repair instruments and the quality of my repair.

What is your most memorable musical experience:
When I was in college, I was playing in the orchestra, and the director used to be a principal violinist in Germany. We were going to be performing Beethoven’s 5th symphony. The director held us all to a very high level of performance and also inspired us to want to play the best that we could. We all practiced the music as well as we could and the best performance we had was the dress rehearsal. We were all very focused on the director and together in our timing. The music and the experience of being in that orchestra was amazing, and the actual performance in front of an audience was also very well done and enjoyed very much by all.

E-mail: kchan@paigesmusic.com

Position:Woodwind Technician

Start Date: December 2018

BA in General Music and BS in Physics from the University of North Texas
Band Instrument Repair Diploma from Red Wing (Minnesota State College - Southeast)
Spent a year and a half as a repair technician in the Atlanta area

Where are you from originally:
Born in Hong Kong. Spent most of my life in Dallas, TX

What instruments do you play:
Clarinet primarily, but I'm slowly teaching myself flute and piano.

What do you enjoy most about being a technician:
It has always been my belief that the arts, not just limited to music, teaches us a discipline and learning process that can't be gained anywhere else. I enjoy the idea that others get to experience learning an art form through my repair work. Not to mention how entertaining it is to see all the interesting things kids can do to their instruments!

What is the most unusual repair you've had to deal with:
While I was at Red Wing doing my repair training, I had to fix leak light systems as part of my work study. Many of them were simply blown fuses or dead bulbs that needed replacements and a small bit of electrical soldering, but there was one that had a loose connection which turned the entire housing of the circuitry conductive. Not knowing this, I went to plug in a new fuse with one hand while my other hand was holding the housing. Thankfully it was a very minor shock, but my instructor (and employer) probably had a bigger shock when I told him I was electrocuted.

What is your most memorable musical experience:
The memories that pop up most to me always include the people that I was making music with. Marching band competitions, performances, chamber rehearsals, jam sessions... whatever it is, the most memorable experiences are always the people I build connections with.

E-mail: sgrimes@paigesmusic.com

Position: woodwind repair technician

Start Date: June 30, 1993

Training or Education:
a few years of college, Band Instrument Repair course at Red Wing Tech- graduated class of ‘93

Where are you from originally:
Minneapolis Minnesota area

What instruments do you play:
Euphonium, trombone, voice

What groups do/did you play with:
Army Band experience: 74th Army Band, Ft. Benjamin Harrison; 2nd Infantry Division Band, Camp Casey, Korea; 34th Infantry Division Band- Minnesota Army National Guard, 38th I.D. National Guard Band, Indiana. Current member of Circle City Sound Barbershop Chorus, Indianapolis IN chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society.

What do you enjoy most about being a technician:
I like the variety I have repairing all the different woodwind instruments. Sometimes I’ll open a case, look at a horn, and think “How did they do that?” Performing normal maintenance is an important part of my job, but when there is damage done to the horn, I enjoy the challenge of making the horn play again.

What is the most unusual repair you’ve had to deal with:
An old alto sax came into the shop with a crushed neck, and a new replacement neck was not available. One of our parts suppliers had an old neck blank (formed neck body) in stock. I was able to fabricate a replacement neck with the neck blank and the parts off the old neck. The customer was delighted to have the horn playing again. That repair was interesting, and challenging!

E-mail: shobson@paigesmusic.com

Position: Woodwind Repair Technician

Start Date: August 28, 1995

Training or Education:
BM Music Education, Jazz Studies minor--Ball Sate University, MM Saxophone performance, Jazz Dept., Graduate Assistant--University of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music

Where are you from originally:
Brownsburg, Indiana

What instruments do you play:
tenor sax, alto sax, soprano sax, bari sax, clarinet, bass clarinet, flute

What groups do/did you play with:
Indianapolis Jazz Orchestra (see indyjazz.org), Jimmy Dorsey and Guy Lombardo pickup gigs, various free-lance jobs with several bands over the years.

What do you enjoy most about being a technician:
I love to fix things that are broken and to improve on them. I am very interested as to how things work (not just musical instruments).

What is the most unusual repair you’ve had to deal with:
I hate working on instruments that have cat urine on them. (Thankfully they are relatively rare.) I have also restored instruments that have been through fires.

What is your most memorable musical experience:
The times spent with my first saxophone teacher. He taught me much more than just music and always treated me as a member of his own family.

E-mail: pmeyer@paigesmusic.com

Position:Woodwind Technician

Start Date: May 21, 2018

Training or Education:
Received Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Indiana University, Studied band instrument repair at Minnesota State College Southeast (Red Wing)

Where are you from originally:
Indianapolis, IN

What instruments do you play:
Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute

What groups do/did you play with:
Indiana Wind Symphony, Philharmonic Orchestra of Indianapolis, Indianapolis Symphonic Band, Voyager of the Seas Orchestra

What do you enjoy most about being a technician:
Seeing unique and interesting instruments frequently

What is your most memorable musical experience:
I was directing the jazz orchestra aboard the Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas. An hour before the start of our evening musical theatre performance, the main theater sound board crashed, making the full scale production impossible. Knowing that we had to put on some kind of show, the orchestra quickly grabbed some big band charts we had aboard the ship and performed a fully acoustic concert to more than 1500 people.

E-mail: btravelsted@paigesmusic.com

Position:Percussion Repair Specialist

Start Date: August 2018

Training or Education:
Graduated from Indiana State University in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and in 2004 with a Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance. Post-Graduate work at California State University, Long Beach in Percussion Performance

Where are you from originally:
Mooresville, IN

What instruments do you play:
Percussion

What do you enjoy most about being a technician:
I enjoy being able to help directors and students get equipment that seems hopeless, back in top shape and playing condition. The process of seeing something old become new again is fantastic!

What is the most unusual repair you’ve had to deal with:
Refurbishing an old Musser M20 practice marimba.

What is your most memorable musical experience:
Performing in college with the Faculty Winds group at the CBDNA conference in California and subsequently getting the worst case of poison oak ever. 

E-mail: dmontgomery@paigesmusic.com

Position: Repair Associate

Start Date: May 2019

Training or Education:
Bachelors in music business and music performance minor from Anderson university.

Where are you from originally:
Anderson, IN

What instruments do you play:
Saxophone, flute, and clarinet

What do you enjoy most about being a technician:
There are so many unique problems that require you to try new things. It’s a constant learning experience.

What is the most unusual repair you’ve had to deal with:
It’s amazing what you can find stuck in an instrument. I have found cleaning supplies, batteries, water bottles, parts from other instruments, but my favorite so far is the pair or shoes I pulled out of a sousaphone.

What is your most memorable musical experience:
Going to the NAMM show in California and getting to meet so many instrument makers and innovators.