| Beacock Music 1420 SE 163rd Ave, Vancouver, WA 360-694-7134 beacockmusic.com |
Band Instrument Repair is an art requiring great skill and patience to learn, as the intricacies are great. Repair schools require one or two years (studying fall through spring) for completion of coursework and competencies, and apprenticeships can last up to five years to achieve the level of confidence necessary for success. There are no correspondence courses available because learning requires hands-on practice and instruction.
Repair school graduates are not experienced technicians. It is best to consider the repair school graduate as an advanced apprentice. It is reasonable to expect the graduate to be able to repair nearly any common problem, but it will be at significantly slower speed the experienced technician. The concentration of curriculum within the short training time at repair schools does not always allow for the repetition necessary to gain speed.
Many repair technicians enter the craft having first-hand experience in either teaching or performing. A viable alternative music career, band instrument repair offers never ending opportunities to explore both the mechanics and acoustics of musical instruments. Many successful technicians have been trained through apprenticeship, learning the craft from the beginning by working alongside a mentor at a repair shop. This method of attaining skills continues to be viable. At Beacock Music our technicians have over fifty years of combined experience. Our repair department is tops in the area.