Pipe Organ Technology
By Kantor.JH - Kantor.JH, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Living in Atlanta, I was hired by David Whittier as a key holder in 1991. During six years as an apprentice, I engaged with the essential elements of the pipe organ trade: fluid dynamics, low-voltage electricity, woodworking, care and voicing of reed and flue pipes, leatherwork, and tuning an aural temperament.
Concurrently studying music at Georgia State University, I became a freelance tuner, collaborating with Michael Paine, Tommy McCook, Phil Parkey, A. E. Schlueter, and John Hendrickson. This period offered me a view of the living connection of the instrument and the congregations of nearly 100 churches in Atlanta and throughout the Southeast.
Relocating to New York City in 2002, I spent seven years in the crews of several pipe organ firms active in the metropolitan area. We performed seasonal tunings and off-season restorations, provided on-hand tech for recording dates, and answered emergency calls as they arose.
Currently I focus on the maintenance of regular-use instruments in urban areas. Among the services I offer are tuning, flue/reed voicing, re-leathering, water damage assessment and mitigation, combination-action troubleshooting, and upgrades.
Unlike with pianos, very few tasks in effective pipe organ work can be achieved by one person working alone. A coordinated, knowledgeable team is essential. In my passion for pipe organ technology, I am interested and available to act not only as a principal service provider but also as a team member. Beyond the skills described above, my experience in the installation and dismantling of organs has given me an acute sense of how to be useful to a project no matter how simple or complex a task might be.
Recent Contracts
- Seasonal tuning and reed restoration in Swell Division of the Holtkamp in Union Theological Seminary, NYC;
- Maintenance/tuning of the Thomas Kuhn organ in Alice Tully Hall;
- Re-leather and reed restoration of the Schantz organ at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Harlem.
Get in Touch
I welcome inquiries about your instrument. Please feel free to reach out.