Teaching Band/Orchestra Instrument Repair in the High School Setting
Clinician(s): Aaron Moss
Teaching instrument repair in the public schools as a CTE career pathway has many benefits. 1 – there are not enough repair techs in the country and 2 – this is a trade that most students are not aware exists. This presentation will have two main points. Advocacy and practicality.
Advocacy: The Band/Orchestra repair technician field is very short on qualified technicians. Having a class where students learn the skills in instrument repair, can have a positive impact on band programs immediately. For advocacy, this is a class that introduces the subject matter early to students as a viable career in music that is not performance or education.
Practicality:
Most schools rarely get all the instruments they need fixed every year and especially do not do preventative maintenance on them. This is especially true for rural schools. With a group of students that have a little bit of education and experience, even the small tasks like tenon corks, pad replacement, regulation, and brass cleaning can be done quickly and efficiently. For the short term, this could help out a stop-gap on the technician shortage while the advocacy for the trade becomes more open to the next generation.
Session Handouts