So you want to be a repair technician?

Musical instrument repair is such a strange and wonderful industry. I get requests weekly about whether I have internships or job openings. This industry is struggling right now and while I would love to take all of the people who want to participate in this journey under my wing. I just do not have the capacity for it. I am a huge advocate for education. Pursuing this career is a lifelong dedication to education and learning. You will never know everything and you need to have the drive to continue to pack in all of that information.

Why don't techs take on apprentices anymore? This is a multifaceted question with many answers depending on who you ask. For my specific situation, time is my most valuable resource. Apprentices need constant attention and help. This is a situation my business cannot currently afford. Many apprentices also would like to be paid. How do I pay someone for their time when they are slowing down my production because I am spending the time to help them. My production is already behind because I am operating a shop on a very small scale at the moment, if I stop my production to help someone learn how to become a technician then I end up with longer turn around times and frustrated customers. Turn around times are already a huge issue for our area because of the lack of technicians. So how do we fix this problem for our area?

In my opinion it starts with repair schools. If you or someone you know has an interest in this field look into those repair schools (You can find a list in my FAQ section). They are a great resource and starting point for anyone looking to enter the field. Most people are only educated in their main instrument that they play. Even then, most people do not know the intricacies of their instrument aside from how it plays. Approaching a shop for a job as a technician becomes exceedingly easier if you have this school training behind you. Upon graduating from any of the various programs, you have knowledge of all the instruments, you can do basic repairs on them, you know how their mechanisms work. Your processes won't be refined and you will still have much to learn, but you become a much more valuable addition to the repair shop you want to work for. You wont require constant attention and you have a foundation that the senior technicians can work to expand upon. This is what our area needs the most. An influx of people who have a foundation that the current shops can use and expand upon.

There is also a huge misconception that this is a lucrative career. Maybe some technicians end up in situations like this, but more often technicians are overworked and do alot of free work because at the end of the day we want the students to have an instrument that works the best it can, even when the budget is not there for it. I get asked, Why don't you just charge more for your services? My response is always that if I charge more, then I run the risk of making band even less affordable for families. I want every student that wants to be in band to be able to be in band. My prices are largely based on what it takes to operate the shop and what our materials cost. These costs are increasing across the board because most of our industry manufacturing is overseas. This is a career that can be fulfilling and sustainable, but I find that the most successful technicians are the ones who just love the craft. I love nothing more than coming into the shop in the morning and quietly working on an instrument, finding where things have been worn and bent and slowly piece by piece adjusting and aligning it to put it back into great shape. I would want to do this every day even if I weren't getting paid for it. They always say if you find what you love to do you won't work a day in your life. I have found that love in instrument repair.

These thoughts have been at the forefront of my mind lately because the industry in Louisiana is stretched so thin right now. I see complaints and comments daily about the repair industry and how its current state is affecting the area's band programs. These are the thoughts I have this morning and I hope you all know that I am always busting my butt for you. I want nothing more than to help you all get your instruments back into your hands in a timely manner. I want the time to come and see the work your bands are doing and hear the music you are making. Big improvements, changes and growth are coming to Acadiana Instrument Repair soon, I just need everyone to hold on, be patient and be ready to continue to support us with your business when those changes come!

Have a Happy Halloween!