Philosophy
I was asked what I get out of this work by the brilliant saxophonist Andrew D'Angelo. He asked me, "The question I have for you is - in what way do you receive. I'm talking about making someone's instrument express in its' most proficient form. It must be difficult, but for you, what's the reward?"
I said, "I find meaning in doing this work. I believe in it. There is beauty in it, and I can't get close to the beauty unless I have done my job exceedingly well. I love the intersection of mechanics, science, art, and history. And in the end the machine makes a sound that you can get lost in. A sound that can facilitate a profound meditative state, but evaporates once the sound stops. It is very powerful. It can't be touched, but being close to it is spiritually fulfilling.
I was asked what I get out of this work by the brilliant saxophonist Andrew D'Angelo. He asked me, "The question I have for you is - in what way do you receive. I'm talking about making someone's instrument express in its' most proficient form. It must be difficult, but for you, what's the reward?"
I said, "I find meaning in doing this work. I believe in it. There is beauty in it, and I can't get close to the beauty unless I have done my job exceedingly well. I love the intersection of mechanics, science, art, and history. And in the end the machine makes a sound that you can get lost in. A sound that can facilitate a profound meditative state, but evaporates once the sound stops. It is very powerful. It can't be touched, but being close to it is spiritually fulfilling.
History
I began playing the saxophone in New Haven CT, in the 1980s. I moved to Chicago in the late nineties to join the explosively creative music scene. There I began a more comprehensive study of saxophone tone production, exchanging ideas with all the great horn players there at that time. Those years helped shape my understanding of the saxophone experience. I wrote music for, and played with, various groups, including Him, Orso, The Boom, and Icy Demons. I toured with these groups and performed in every major city in the United States and Europe, and participated in over thirty professional recordings. When my first child was born I made the decision to study instrument repair.
I moved to Elkhorn, Wisconsin to apprentice at Badger State Repair with Ed Strege, focusing primarily on woodwind restoration. The training at Badger was administered one-on-one, by master technicians with over thirty years experience. Those apprentices that made the cut worked under much scrutiny, learning to complete each job with the greatest attention to detail and quality.
After the birth of my second child, I moved to Seattle. Since 2006, I've been providing musicians in the Puget Sound area with expert repair and restoration of flutes, clarinets, and saxophones.
I began playing the saxophone in New Haven CT, in the 1980s. I moved to Chicago in the late nineties to join the explosively creative music scene. There I began a more comprehensive study of saxophone tone production, exchanging ideas with all the great horn players there at that time. Those years helped shape my understanding of the saxophone experience. I wrote music for, and played with, various groups, including Him, Orso, The Boom, and Icy Demons. I toured with these groups and performed in every major city in the United States and Europe, and participated in over thirty professional recordings. When my first child was born I made the decision to study instrument repair.
I moved to Elkhorn, Wisconsin to apprentice at Badger State Repair with Ed Strege, focusing primarily on woodwind restoration. The training at Badger was administered one-on-one, by master technicians with over thirty years experience. Those apprentices that made the cut worked under much scrutiny, learning to complete each job with the greatest attention to detail and quality.
After the birth of my second child, I moved to Seattle. Since 2006, I've been providing musicians in the Puget Sound area with expert repair and restoration of flutes, clarinets, and saxophones.