Violins Violas Cellos Basses
I was introduced to my craft by one of the world’s premier violin makers (Milan “Mike” Trbovich) whom I hired for two consecutive summers in 1964 and 1965 while I was director of instrument inventories at the world renowned National Music Camp and Interlochen Arts Academy. He also visited the Academy three or four times year for repair work.
Over the years I have honed my craft as a sideline. For several years I did repair work in the Traverse City area. During my masters studies at DePauw University from 1967-69 I had no time for repair work, and my consequent years as a steel painter
(painting tanks, towers, and bridges) and then as a touring musician also curtailed my repair activities.
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Once I was back in higher education, teaching at Brenau College from 1974 through 1985, I reopened my shop, doing small jobs on the side.
During my stay in Columbia, SC doing doctoral studies in 1985 and 1986 I secured the repair contract for the Richland County school system through Taylor Music Company of that city.
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In 1987 I came to Augusta to chair the music department of Paine College, and immediately set up shop. For a number of years starting in about 1988 I had was hired to repair all of Richmond County’s string instruments during the summers after school let out.
Eventually I found myself too busy composing and conducting to do much repair work (still did special work for friends) and in 2000 retired from nearly all my musical teaching and activities to build the Augusta Fencers Club, to which I devoted nearly all my time and effort. I still did occasional work for teachers and students from Richmond County and the Suzuki Strings of Columbia County.
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In 2011 I was invited to be a clinician for the 2011 GMEA convention in Savannha, GA, to speak on end-of-school-year procedures for checking string instruments before packing them up for the summer.
Now, in 2016, the fencers club is in its new location and is doing very well, I’m back in music getting my pieces published and composing new ones, and my interest in promoting my string repair business has been rekindled; give me a call and give me a chance to work on your instrument.