January 9, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

All in a Day's Work

Repairing Instruments is Their Trade, Sweet Music is Their Reward

Instrument Repair Technicians Forest Stewart (left) and Tom Parle perform a method called "rebounding" on this brass instrument. The process is used to take dents out of metal.

They specialize in body repairs, tune-ups and overhauls. But you'll never hear the roar of engines coming from their shop.

Forest Stewart and Tom Parle are instrument repair technicians in the Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools' (KCKPS) instrument repair shop located at the Integrated Arts and Resource Center (IARC). Their job is to repair and restore all district band and string instruments, which is no small feat. KCKPS is one of the only school districts in the state that provides instruments to students, according to Jean Ney, coordinator of fine arts and physical education. She estimates that 99 percent of the instruments used by KCKPS students in band and orchestra are district provided.

"We are very fortunate that our district has made this commitment to the arts. We believe our kids deserve those chances to learn and perform and so we provide instruments for them to use," Ney said.

But that usage requires maintenance and repair, and that's where Stewart and Parle come in. The two work to "keep things running as long as possible" according to Stewart, who specializes in band instrument repairs. Parle is the strings technician.

Their shop is filled with drum rims, bows, mouthpieces, strings and a wide range of other instrument pieces. And their tools include an assortment of carpentry and plumbing tools, and even dental tools. Some tools are ones they have created themselves to meet specific needs. The centerpiece for their shop is an old bathtub, which is used for cleaning the instruments, of course.

While their primary goal is to ensure that each instrument is, "up to PC" (or in good playing condition), they spend just as much time making sure that the instruments are visually appealing.

"We want students to not only have an instrument that works well, but also to have it be in top shape so they're proud to use it," Stewart said, as he worked at rounding out the bell on a baritone horn. "If you have an instrument that looks bad, you tend not to care about it as much."

Paint, varnish and lacquer are commonly used to brighten up instruments, and good old cleaning solvent can dissolve deposits inside the brass. Stewart and Parle also use a myriad of tools to smooth out dents and to refinish wood.

While they try to reinforce to students that instruments should either be in their hands or in their cases, they know that accidents happen, and sometimes instruments simply get worn from use.

Parle began working for the KCKPS more than five years ago. Previously he worked for KC Strings in Merriam, where he learned his trade. He has a background in carpentry and woodworking, which comes into play in his instrument repairs.

Stewart has been with the district for one year, but has been in the instrument repair business for about 10 years. Previously he taught high school band. He learned his instrument repair trade at Minnesota State College – Southeast Technical in Red Wing, Minn. He grew up playing the French horn and bass. When he's not working at IARC, he plays the French horn and performs with the legendary singer Ida McBeth.

Getting five or six instruments repaired in a day is not out of the ordinary for both gentlemen. Each instrument that comes in for work is tagged with the date, and instruments are repaired or refurbished in order of arrival. But there are some emergency situations where an instrument takes precedence because of an upcoming concert or festival. Over the summer months, the two instrument specialists ordinarily take in more than 700 instruments to repair.

"Our guys invest themselves wholly in an instrument when it comes in for repair," Ney said. "And they are able to repair almost anything."

Their most trying repairs are those that Mom or Dad has tried to fix. Wood glue is a big frustration. And there's a story still circulating about a parent who tried to use a blow torch to remove a mouthpiece. Unfortunately, that instrument was "decommissioned."

"The basic approach to instrument care is to treat your instrument like a living thing," Stewart said.

So how do they ensure that the instruments are in good playing condition? Why, by playing them of course. Stewart and Parle are skilled at playing every instrument they repair, and then some.

"It's like fixing a car," Stewart said. "You have to test drive a car after you fix it. And it's the same for instruments."