Jay Wright:
Jay Wright is the manager of the repair department of The Music Shoppe. He has held this position for 9 years, and has been a repair technician for 12 years, all with The Music Shoppe. His specialty is general woodwind repair. He graduated from Red Wing Technical College (Minnesota) in June of 1997 with a 4.0 GPA. He studied with Ken Cance and Greg Beckwith. Before that he taught instrumental music in the Putnam County (Illinois) school district. He taught beginning band and high school band and choir for seven years. That is where the interest developed for doing repair. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education (Psychology minor) from Western Illinois University in 1989, where he played bass trombone in Wind Ensemble, Jazz Studio Orchestra, Marching Band, and Symphonic Orchestra.

Jay has been married to Rose for 16 years, and have two sons, Aidan (6) and Sean (4). They live in Mackinaw, where Rose teaches K-3 general music and junior high band and choir. Favorite pastimes include anything with family, cross-country skiing, hiking, and St. Louis Cardinal’s baseball.

Scot Danner
Scot started working for The Music Shoppe in July of 2005. During that time he had the honor of apprenticing with Matt Reich. Scot enjoyed what he was learning and wanted to expand his skills and knowledge in this field. In the fall of 2009 Scot attended repair school in Red Wing, MN where he was privileged to study with Lucas Pemberton, John Huth, and Greg Beckwith. Scot graduated from Red Wing in May of 2010 with High Honors. Scot has been member of NAPBIRT (National Association of Professional Band Instrument Repair Technicians) since 2006.

In his spare time Scot enjoys working with his High School’s marching band where he has been on staff since fall of 2003. He also likes giving lessons to beginning percussion students. He loves to follow DCI and Cardinals baseball.

Chris Chambers:
1986-1994 - Worked with Nash Mondragon (former student of world renowned restorer Hans Weishaar) at Cremona Violin Makers and dealers of San Francisco.

Undertaking repairs, full restorations, new making and bow rehairing.

1987 - Attended exhibition of Stradivari instriments in Cremona, Italy

1988-89 - Spent two consecutive summers at Oberlin College' violin restoration program at Oberlin Ohio. Teachers included, Vahakyn Nigogosian, Ken Summers and other leaders in the field of restoration.

1986-1994 - Self built 5 violins and 1 guitar.

1992-1994 - Worked in the shop of VSA gold medal winner Thomas Oliver Croen, of Walnut Creek Ca, making new instruments.

1998-present - Working in the Music Shoppes repair dept. making high quality and practical repairs available to the average musician and aspiring students, as well as meeting the needs more demanding needs of professionals and teachers in the community.

Andrew Thomas:
Andrew R.Thomas graduated with honors in 2007 and in 2008 at MSC-ST Red Wing with degrees in Stringed Instrument Repair, Guitar and Violin specialties, and instrument construction certificate. In addition, Andrew holds a degree in Wood Finishing Technology from DCTC in Rosemount MN (2009, honors) which he enjoys putting to use in surface restoration and touchup. He has built several stringed instruments, and enjoys playing them casually with friends. As the newest member of the repair department, Andrew is pleased to be a part of the talented crew at The Music Shoppe.

Aaron Garcia:
Aaron is a first year repair tech at The Music Shoppe. He has been here since June of 2009. He has been working as a band instrument repair tech for the past two years. Pryor to him working at The Music Shoppe he worked in a music store in Peoria IL after he had graduated from school. Aaron is a graduate from Minnesota State Southeast Tech. band instrument repair program, class of 2008. Aaron is a well rounded repair tech. in brass, woodwind and some strings. Before going to school at MN he lived in East Moline IL where he was born and raised. He grew up playing in the East Moline music program and went on to play at Black Hawk College. Aaron has been a musician for 14 years with his main instrument being the trumpet, with a musical preference for Jazz, Funk, R&B and Jam.

In his free time Aaron enjoys spending time with his four year old son and staying active with sports and music.

Scott Gauthier:
Scott Gauthier graduated from the Band Instrument Repair program at Minnesota State College Southeast Technical in 2003 with honors. He was blessed to work his first three years out of school at a well know custom brasswind shop, the Brass Bow in Arlington Heights, IL. There, he had the opportunity to learn from some of the finest repair technicians in the field taking his school training to a level worthy of repairing for musicians from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and many other professionals. After the Brass Bow closed it's doors Scott pursued his Bachelor's degree from Trinity International University in Deerfield.

The location of his wife's school has brought him down to the Bloomington/Normal area and he is happy to be working at the Music Shoppe's top notch repair facility.