TubaForum.net

Hey all,

I am currently a music educator in Kentucky, but am trying to figure out if there are any places I could work as an instrument repairman. If not, how hard would it be to start my own mobile business doing simple tuba/euphonium cleanings? Just doing some shines/buffs, assuming I have the equipment. I don't have a degree for instrument repair, but I have worked in a collegiate repair shop for 1.5 years, doing simple cleanings and operating an ultrasonic. I am always okay with being trained, but I just want to see if there are any jobs where I do not need a degree to learn about instrument repair and do it well.

Thanks in advance, everyone!

The best resource I've seen for repair jobs is the NAPBIRT classifieds section. You don't have to be a member to access it either. Aside from that I've seen listings on some of the Facebook repair groups and regular job search sites like Indeed.

A repair degree isn't required by any means. There's shops out there that want to see it and shops that prefer to train people from scratch. It's a bit of a crap shoot what kind of shop you'll be applying to. I'd wager most just want to see you've got some experience and aptitude for the craft. School is one option or if you've got the time and money you could start picking up instruments and working on them yourself. There's pros and cons to both school and being self taught and I wouldn't say either option yields a better tech. Like most things it all depends on your attitude and aptitude. I've worked with a number of self taught and school trained techs and there were some who were great and some who weren't.

I went to a napbrit Clinic to try to rub elbows and ask about apprentice opportunities. All the techs I asked said they were too busy to teach.

But that was just my experience I hope you can find something.