Learn To Your Level
Start with the Emergency Repair Guide or jump in at your level of interest.
Learn from my 30+ years of experience and know you're doing things right.
Level 1: Emergency Repair Guide
A free guide on emergency repair. Everyone should start here! Get yours today.
Level 2: Shop Visitor
Short course on a specific topic of your choice. A great option to get started in repair.
Level 3: Shop Assistant
Get GOOD at common repairs by learning the fundamentals on each instrument. 3 sections (each taking about 3 hours to complete) with 1 hour of college credit available.
Level 4: Prep Tech
Get equipped to fix most anything. Courses available for string instruments, flute, clarinet, saxophone, piston and rotor instruments. General courses are also available for the band / orchestra director. Each course has 6 sections (each taking about 3 hours) and 3 college credits available.
Level 5: The Apprentice
Become a professional Repair Technician with 12 months of in-shop, hands-on experience so you are prepared to be a full-time repairman.
1. Emergency Repair Guide
A free guide meant to instruct you on how to fix an instrument the night of the concert. Get your's today
2. Shop Visitor
Step into my virtual shop for one hour & learn how you can make specific improvements to your instrument. Choose one of several topics
3. Shop Assistant
Start getting your hands dirty by learning the fundamental mechanics of each instrument, how to maintain them, and how to fix a little bit when things go wrong. There are 3 sections (each taking about 3 hours) and 1 hour of college credit available.
4. Prep Tech
Become equipped with the skills to fix any instrument by taking a deep dive into instrument repair. Learn from my 25+ years of repair and know you're doing things right. There are 6 sections (each taking about 3 hours) and 3 college credits available.
5. Apprentice
Become a professional Repair Technician with 12 months of in-shop, hands-on experience so you are prepared to be a full-time repairman.
BUT IF IT ISN'T BROKEN, DON'T FIX IT
MAINTENANCE MONDAY
Weekly videos designed for the classroom that will lower your repair costs and increase class participation by teaching students to care for their own instrument.
Educate
Students gain knowledge on how to keep their instruments in working condition.
Equip
Every player should have easy, necessary adjustments in their toolbox of skills.
Inspire
Imagine unlocking your students' potential by showing them another layer of this musical world.
Each video is only 2 minutes long so you maximize classroom time.
GET THE LEVEL 1
Emergency Repair Guide
Don't be afraid of fixing an instrument. Learn to do it right.
A huge library designed to equip you with solutions in any situation
Right now, it's FREE!
TESTIMONIALS
What Teachers Say About Repair Masterclass
I would have loved for my school district to pay for it, but I paid for it myself and think it was worth every penny.
As a non-string player and someone who does not typically handle tools and "fix" things, I'll admit I was nervous to take the class, having never even changed a string before last week! Now, I am not only able to confidently change the strings and move pegs, but also sand "Frankenstein" pegs, shape a nut, sand and clean a fingerboard, and make a bridge. I feel more prepared to teach strings after this week, and I am confident that I can do a lot of the repairs myself, saving my district lots of unnecessary costs.
Thank you for all of your help this week. This was a very helpful class and you explained everything really well. The multi-camera angles were particularly helpful in being able to see the micro-adjustments.
Where To Start?
Start at Level 1.
Want more info? Take a Level 2 course.
Be outstanding with Emergency Repairs by taking a Level 3 course.
Ready to jump in? Level 4 Prep Tech courses are for you.
Want a career in Instrument Repair? Our Level 5 Apprenticeship is the finest in the country.
1
get the
EMERGENCY
REPAIR
GUIDE
To The Point Repairs
Don't be afraid to fix your instrument. This guide helps solve pressing emergency repairs. Just look up your instrument, then problem and find a solution.
Designed for every musician
Solutions for every band and orchestra instrument. Huge library of videos and written instructions to get you on stage.
No commitment
This resource is free. You're welcome.
No commitment
1 hour courses and supplies are available.
Pick A Topic
Learn 1 repair that will improve your sound.
Affordable
Courses are only $25.
SHOP
VISITOR
2
2
Become a
SHOP VISTOR
No commitment.
An affordable, one hour, on-demand or live session (your choice).
One topic.
Don't get overwhelmed. Learn one repair technique to improve your playing.
Personal growth.
Become a well-rounded musician..
3
SHOP
ASSISTANT
Designed for directors
Become confident in performing basic repairs.
Breadth of content.
Cover repairs for most band or all orchestra instruments. 3 sections of content.
College credit available.
This course has the option of receiving one college credit to help boost your resume.
4
Become a
PREP TECH
For directors.
Work side by side with a repair technician to learn how to maintain your own inventory, cut costs, and improve students' opportunities.
Breadth and depth.
Cover over 80 unique topics for every band or orchestral instrument in 6 sections of content.
College credit available.
This course has the option of receiving three college credits to help boost your resume and pay scale.
*A note to the individual musician:
You can also take this Prep Tech course for just one specific instrument. This is great for the individual musician who wants the depth that this course offers without the need for the breadth that comes from repairing every type of instrument.
Fix it right.
Study in depth repairs so you can fix any problem.
Breadth and depth.
100's of videos covering every aspect of band or orchestral repair in 6 sections of content.
College credit available.
Receiving 3 college credits to help boost your resume or pay scale.
For the director or individual musician.
2 types of Level 4 Prep Tech courses are available: 1) General course covering all band or orchestra instruments (designed for the music educator) or 2) Instrument Specific Courses, which cover every aspect of any repair you'll ever face, great for the individual musician or aspiring repair tech who wants in-depth knowledge on a specific instrument.
PREP
TECH
4
5
APPRENTICE
Become a professional repair technician and get a job anywhere you want. 12 months of in-shop training so you're ready for a career in instrument repair.
Receive a full 12 months of in-shop, hands-on experience and training. Complete overhauls on every instrument, grow a personal armory of tools, and walk away with all 30+ years of repair knowledge I have to offer.
For the individual wanting to walk away with a guaranteed job offer in the instrument repair industry, this course includes the hard skills of repair and the soft skills of working with local stores and educators within the school districts.
Learn cost analysis of repairs and equipment, estimating, ordering supplies, and developing healthy customer relations.
Want to see the course options side by side?
FAQ
All repairs require tools of some sort, and I'll guide you through it step by step and talk about what needs to be in the toolbox for emergency repairs, what's really nice to have, and what the pros use. I'll show you where to get what you need, what to avoid, and how to stretch your budget--all before class begins.
When you purchase a Masterclass Course, you also receive a beginning set of tools and other necessary materials, though expansion tool kits are also available. Prior to class, check out our tools page to learn more about additional tools I'd recommend purchasing.
So... when it comes to tools, I've got you covered!
The Emergency Repair Guide and any on-demand Shop Visitor courses will be sent to your email directly after registration. The Shop Assistant and Prep Tech courses will be released to you on the date you selected to begin. The delay for these classes is to ensure you have time to purchase/receive tools and get properly set up before beginning.
At the beginning of each course, you will receive an email with a link and login credentials to your Repair Masterclass membership portal.
If you have purchased multiple Masterclasses, you will be able to see them all in this portal, which can be accessed from the "Login" tab at the top of this page.
You can access the course materials from any internet browser, including your phone. Although I suggest you take the class from a desktop or laptop computer with a larger screen so you can see in much greater size and detail the repair being demonstrated.
A chemical clean is upwards of $75 for a trumpet and $150 for a tuba. This course will show you how you can clean your own horns. So, after 8 tubas and 8 trumpets, you've paid for the online course. It's even easier to recoup your costs with the orchestra course since it can cost around $300 just to replace a cello bridge.
Here's another way to think about it: after three months of practice and hours and hours of hard work, it's the night of the concert and that amazing student of yours who has come so FAR is standing in front of you with an instrument that won't play. You can fix it, or you can have them waste the last three months of work...how much is the knowledge of how to help them worth in that moment?
Does that seem overstated? I can't tell you how many evenings I've spent on the phone with panicking directors trying to talk them through a repair. So...yeah, I think it's worth it for your peace of mind and especially for that kid.
The Emergency Repair Guide is a simple tool designed to help you handle emergencies. You do not need to go through all the material at one time, but it will be available when you need it.
The Shop Visitor Courses are designed for the individual player who wants to add basic repair skills to their portfolio or step into the instrument repair world without commitment. This is a great low-cost option.
The Shop Assistant Course is tailored for directors to know how to diagnose and solve basic issues. Get that kid back on stage.
The Prep Tech Course is intended for the director. This is a deep dive that will cover the breadth and depth of content to help you maintain your own inventory.
The Apprenticeship is for the individual who desires to become a career instrument repair technician. This is no small commitment, both financially or in time, but the rewarding nature of the program will pay dividends.
For life. Here's why I designed it that way:
1) You'll gain a LOT from going through this course the first time and may want to review years down the road,
2) New materials will be added or refined frequently,
3) You should get the value of this new content and
4) You'll want to review this when a repair comes your way.
Because of this, I want the content to be available to you for life. The subscription follows the person - not the job or school - so if you change positions, districts, or states, your subscription will follow you. Just keep your email updated with me.
You bet there is and you're going to love it! I want you to really get these concepts, so yes, there is homework along the way so I know you're getting the concepts...and mostly so I know I'm teaching them in a way that you're getting it. Assignments are well within your abilities and I won't leave you hanging. Do them on your own time and I promise you'll get more out of it than what you put in.
Most students take between 2 and 4 hours per session to complete the work, or 4 to 8 hours per day each of the 3 days if you're taking a group Prep Tech course. Because of this, you can take a Masterclass course and still keep your day job. Come home, knock out a section and jump on one of your 6 live sessions (or 3 sessions in a Shop Assistant course), show off your work, and ask any questions you have.
Yes! I understand how valuable the knowledge of instrument repair can be in the classroom and how few colleges offer it as a part of their curriculum. For that reason, I partnered with Southern Utah University to ensure that you can receive the credit you deserve. There is a Condensed Repair Masterclass course that includes all the basic repairs you need to know that will award you with one credit, or you can take the full course for three credits.
How does it work, you ask? After purchasing the course (Prep Tech or Shop Assistant) and selecting your dates, you will have the option to be redirected to Southern Utah University's page where you will fill out a form and submit your payment (as a 2nd transaction) to receive credit. Get this: they are only asking $150 per credit. That's a great deal!
I get it. You work for a school district and they have their Purchase Order process. I'm happy to help out. Of course it's easier for us both to make your purchase online with a credit card but if we need to go down the PO process, just click here, tell me where and I'll email you a quote from which you can start the PO process. Once approved I'll send you an invoice and when that's paid, I'll email your login credentials. Easy. Really, it's no big deal, I've worked with school districts since 1995, I get it. Another option is grant writing. Use the same link and I'll send you materials you can download to use for your grant proposal.
Don't see the answers you're looking for?
GET THE Level 1
Emergency Repair Guide
Don't be afraid of fixing an instrument. Learn to do it right.
A huge library designed to equip you with solutions in any situation
Right now, it's FREE!
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