Repair Philosophy
My approach is based around taking the time to do things the right way, preserving the mechanical and acoustical integrity of the instrument. This usually involves correcting a lot of damage done by previous "repairs." This may surprise you, but the way most typical music stores handle repairs actually further damages the instrument because they are more concerned with quantity than quality and are usually only setup for working on cheap school instruments. Taking your instrument to a real craftsman (who is also a professional player) is a much different experience. I run my own repair shop and I am the only one here doing the work. This allows me to take my time and treat each instrument with the care and respect that it deserves. Every single repair job I perform, from a simple pad replacement to a complete overhaul, ends with a thorough play-test to confirm that my work is done. It should go without saying that the play-test is only as good as the player and that's just one more reason to take your horn to a specialist. If you really care about your instrument, you want to talk face to face with the person doing the repairs and discuss all of your concerns in depth. You also want to know that the work will produce the musical results you're looking for, and that requires a repairman that is also a sensitive player. For me, it's all about the sound!
About Me
I was fortunate to have some really great saxophone teachers in high school that inspired me to pursue a music degree. I studied with Bill Street at the University of Southern Maine for my first two years of college. Bill is obsessed with tone so he was the perfect teacher for me since we have that in common. He was always making mouthpieces for me and I'd play them and ask him to make certain changes. I was amazed at how he knew exactly what to do with the mouthpiece to get me what I was looking for.
After studying for two years at USM, I finished my degree at University of Northern Colorado and studied with Roger Greenberg for my final two years and graduated Cum Laude with my Bachelor's in Music Performance. Although my main interest has always been playing jazz, I studied the classical saxophone repertoire in my lessons there and I feel that it really allowed me to develop my control and sensitivity on the horn. Roger was a student of the master himself, Joe Allard of Julliard. Through Roger, I learned Joe's approach to embouchure and tone production and spent a lot of time working with overtones which I still do to this day. I use these ideas in my own private lessons now.
After completing my degree, I moved back to Portland and jumped back into the music scene and eventually began an apprenticeship will Bill Street to learn the woodwind repair trade. Bill has been, and continues to be, an enormous help with his endless wealth of knowledge and experience. I feel grateful and lucky to have had such a dedicated craftsman take the time to teach me this complex and sensitive craft.
I spend my days repairing instruments but I also still keep up an active performing schedule. I'm usually playing in a handful of groups at any given time, from Afro-Cuban to Jazz to Bluegrass. If you get a chance, you can catch me playing lead alto with The Fogcutters.
After studying for two years at USM, I finished my degree at University of Northern Colorado and studied with Roger Greenberg for my final two years and graduated Cum Laude with my Bachelor's in Music Performance. Although my main interest has always been playing jazz, I studied the classical saxophone repertoire in my lessons there and I feel that it really allowed me to develop my control and sensitivity on the horn. Roger was a student of the master himself, Joe Allard of Julliard. Through Roger, I learned Joe's approach to embouchure and tone production and spent a lot of time working with overtones which I still do to this day. I use these ideas in my own private lessons now.
After completing my degree, I moved back to Portland and jumped back into the music scene and eventually began an apprenticeship will Bill Street to learn the woodwind repair trade. Bill has been, and continues to be, an enormous help with his endless wealth of knowledge and experience. I feel grateful and lucky to have had such a dedicated craftsman take the time to teach me this complex and sensitive craft.
I spend my days repairing instruments but I also still keep up an active performing schedule. I'm usually playing in a handful of groups at any given time, from Afro-Cuban to Jazz to Bluegrass. If you get a chance, you can catch me playing lead alto with The Fogcutters.