About Us
Trevor Head offers specialist training courses in all
aspects of "Musical Instrument Repair and Maintenance".
Training courses are available in: Brass Instrument Repair, Tool making,
Woodwind Instrument Repair, Guitar Making and Repair, Saxophone repair, Violin repair and Bow Re-hairing.
Courses are available from COMPLETE BEGINNER TO ADVANCED, and for many of our courses NO previous experience is necessary.
For full details of our 2009 courses please contact Trevor.
TREVOR HEAD
Trevor, is the director of courses and works with a team of experienced and well qualified subject tutors.
He is a qualified teacher who holds a professional qualification in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering.
He has over 35 years experience in providing training in musical instrument repair and making.
His achievements to date are:
Studying trombone and piano at the Trinity College of Music in London.
Studied brass instrument making and repair with Henry Keats (North London).
Lecturing in Musical Instrument Technology at Merton College,(South London), where he taught Brass Instrument Repair and other Engineering subjects from 1972 until 2001.
President of the National Association Of Musical Instrument Repairers.
"I play the tenor trombone in a local jazz band and occasionally with the Knighton town silver band and am currently learning to play the drums" Trevor Head.
COURSE VENUE
The Courses are held in the idyllic Llangunllo School, originally the village school built in 1862. The school closed in 1982, with only a few children still attending and three members of staff. The BBC made a documentary on location here on its final day where the current children were present and so too were as many old pupils as could be located. The program was entitled: ‘Goodbye Village School’.
Luckily that wasn’t the end of the Village School. The Church in Wales sold the school to an antiques dealer
in Llandrindod Wells and Trevor purchased it in 1986, where he now lives and runs the courses.
WORLDWIDE POPULARITY
We constantly see an increase in the number of students attending from overseas, which we welcome and enjoy immensely.
This in itself is a credit and testimony to British craftsmanship, quality of training available and our fine heritage of musical instrument manufacture and repair.
It is said that we here in the UK are a nation of 'menders'. We do not like to be beaten when it comes to finding the problem and coming up with a repair solution.
Elsewhere it is often more common practice to replace damaged or worn parts. This of course is largely where we differ, and is what sets us apart from our many colleagues overseas. Through this approach to repair work, the repair technician will hone his/her diagnostic skills to a level unsurpassed anywhere else in the world.
FAQ’s
Does the course lead to a qualification?
Answer: No. Students completing a course receive an attendance certificate; this is not an accredited qualification. Training here at the school in llangunllo is of the highest standard and is highly regarded by the repair trade.
Where will I stay when attending the course?
Answer: Most students stay in local b&b’s. There are about four in the village of Llangunllo, which is ideal if you have travelled by public transport. For those with their own transport there is a greater choice, taking in the market town of Knighton.
Is there Public transport to the school?
Answer: There is the station of Llangunllo which is situated about 2km from the school. This is on the ‘Heart of Wales line’ operating between Swansea and Shrewsbury. We can usually arrange transport to and from the station.
Do the course fees include the cost of accommodation?
Answer: No. Once enrolled on a course you will be sent a list of local, recommended accommodation which you arrange yourself. Overseas students can request this be organised for them. No charge is made for this service.
Do I have to bring instruments to work on?
Answer: If possible, we do prefer you to bring your own instruments to work on. However, we do appreciate this is not always easy or possible. If given sufficient notice we can usually help with this.
Where do we have lunch?
Answer: Lunch is provided each day at no extra cost. This is usually a hot meal and is taken in the workshop as we have no separate dining area. We like to know in advance of any unusual or vegetarian requirements.
Do I have to bring my own tools and materials?
Answer: No. All tools and materials needed for the course are provided. The school will contribute £5.00 towards the cost of materials that you use in the repair of your instruments. You will be charged trade price for amounts above this, which is paid direct to the tutor. If you do have your own specialist tools, you may of course bring them.
Can I attend an advanced course, with little or no previous repair experience?
Answer: We do not usually recommend this, as you can easily find yourself ‘out of your depth’ Some who are self taught may be using techniques that are not tried and tested, or indeed approved of. Skills are built upon and extended when undertaking advanced work. Poor or no basic training makes this very difficult and may render a course to have been a waste of time. Request a course itinerary or make contact for further information as to what is covered on a course. You can then see if there are any gaps in your knowledge.
Do I need to play an instrument in order to attend a course?
Answer: This is not essential, but it helps when fault finding and testing after a repair has been carried out.
How many students are there on a course?
Answer: A maximum of eight, but usually between four and six.