Hey just wanted to know how eveyone got to work with flutes or other instruments? Patrick I know you work with/for Jupiter and I know Kara repairs flutes and piccolos so I just wanted to know how you got there? What I mean is I would love to play professionaly but I think flute and instrument design/manufacture/repair is a more realistic goal.
I just wanted to know what courses you did in college or if you did any at all? Would it be easier if I go for a music degree or engineering? The courses that I'm applying for only have music for teaching or music preformance and they don't have engineering in music at all! so I'm a little worried that I might be cutting out some career choices if I go for the wrong one. Please any advice would be helpful.

Leprachaun

I spent a lot of hours in the summer a few years back watching a friend of mine repair flutes and learning. I just started off on junk flutes off of ebay and learned off of them. As time went on, I got better and better at it.

As far as making crowns and key extensions for the flute ext..
I started doing that just for fun and used my own imagination. No schooling here. I got tired of poor fixes from lazy repair techs that were done on my flute that I didn't trust anyone with my flute anymore. That is when I decided to do it myself, so I knew that the job would be done right and my flute wouldn't come back to me dented or scratched anymore.

I love to make flutes like new again. I just can't resist a dirty and out of adjustment flute. I love working on them. The out come when you have it in your hands and you can play it perfectly is the biggest satisfaction!

<Added>

Why not do both? You can still play professionally and work on flutes. I do it and LOVE it, though I only do both part time. I must add thought, I am lucky enough that I don't have to rely on it as a living and it is more just for fun.

My story with getting to Jupiter is pretty long and involved, feel free to visit my site and email me there
www.patrickandfriends.com, I would be happy to tell you how I have gotten where I hope to be

Key Kara,

I am interested in knowing some more info on your crowns. Do you make the crown itself also, or are they refurbished and upgraded crowns? Also, does it matter what the metal of it is (i.e. does a gold crown affect timber or tone?) I am interested in helping another flute player succeed in their ambitions also. Also, do you make double flute stands...not flute/picc? I don't like to play picc, but I like switching my flutes depending on which piece I am playing. Thanks for the info!

Hi Dennis,
I just used existing crowns and set my own gemstone then in them.

I have never noticed a difference in sound when using different metals or weight for the crown. I just make gemstone crowns for looks and do not think that it changes the way the flute plays. Some people may disagree but that is my take on it.

I have only ever made a few flute/piccolo stands. I started off making one for myself because I switched between flute and piccolo so much and when other flutist saw it, they asked me to make them one. That is kind of how the crowns got started too.

I have been more busy repairing flutes now that I haven't made a stand in over a year. I suppose I could make different ones, but I don't have anything but a flute and piccolo to go by for measurements when making them.

Several people keep on asking me about them and want me to start making them and putting them on ebay, but I really am not sure if they would sell for much. I have seen someone else selling some and they didn't go for much money at all.

Patrick, I am sure that we would all love to hear your story on here. That is what a forum if for. Sharing.

Here's a NAPBIRT article on repair education:
http://www.napbirt.org/schools.htm

One of the schools on that NAPBIRT page has a course outline and video:
http://www.witcc.edu/programs/details.cfm?id=45

On that video though...
I can't believe they noted that one of the teachers students married his daughter and is now his son in law... pointing out that the teacher is like a father figure to his students.

My favorite quote is "Ideally a student has a love of music, preferably musical ability, but it is not mandatory"

<Added>

I just noticed that all the schools, except for the last, have clickable links to their course descriptions. Though no videos. lol.

Actually, I was working in an orchestra in europe with a horn player who did some consultation work for Jupiter, he gave me the name of the person to contact and I did so, they like what I had to offer and we got the ball rolling, it took awhile but I eventually started doing some lectures and recordings for them

One bit of advice for young people, make a good CD, have good photos and PR, get as much experience performing as you can and always always go to the head of any company to get yourself known