Instant Repair

Halpin Music, based out of Alton, IL, has a “repair” truck that they drive to our school every other week for on-site repairs. We have an agreement that they will fix our school instruments as needed, along with offering a personal instrument service.

The mission of this initiative is for students to ALWAYS have a working instrument. We are fortunate that students can walk up to this repair truck, and if the repair is minor, they will have their instrument back momentarily, and they are right back in the action of rehearsal. Many students play on broken instruments and equipment; therefore, their experience will not be as successful. This initiative with the repair truck ensures our students greater success, along with maintaining the quality of our instruments.

Students are the number one focus. Having a working instrument affects their music education experience.

Parents are the number two focus. Having a repair truck on site, allows students to get a repair efficiently without the need for the parent to go to a shop and having to rent an additional instrument in the meantime.

Teachers are the number three focus. We are able to provide our students with successful working experience, along with saving the longevity of our instrument inventory. Through this, we are also teaching students to take care of their instruments.

Spring of 2024 – Discussion with Halpin Music about how to assist with the longevity of instruments and how to increase the efficiency of repairs for student use.

May of 2024 – Budget meetings – Halpin had to purchase a truck – an old ambulance – to outfit.

June of 2024 – Start of the program and date selection for the arrival of the truck.

Director of Bands

Owner of Halpin Music

Repair Technician

Halpin Music spent numerous hours with their budget, buying a truck, fitting the truck out, and creating a schedule.

Halpin Music and I worked in conjunction to come up with a budgetary plan that would work for their business and our school.

Since this innovation/new project, we have used our Facebook site and word of mouth locally on how convenient this service has been. I am planning to put together a promotional video that highlights the services of Halpin Music and their excellent care of instruments.

We pay $6,000.00 into the service.

The truck cost $20,000 and $5,000 to outfit. Plus Halpin pays their employer (repair technician).

Working out a budget that worked for both parties took a while since Halpin Music had a lot of initial expenses. Everything else has been streamlined.

We are tracking data on the wear and tear of instruments and how the students are treating them after the repair.

We are tracking data on extensive repairs beyond the repair truck services.

We are tracking students.

The number one thing that has positively impacted our program is that we have instruments that are working almost 100% of the time. Students are learning to take better care of their instruments, which will result in longer instrument longevity. Over time, this will help our budget and long-term spending as we plan for the program’s future growth. In addition, our students are connecting with others who are invested in music education. They are also seeing the music business side of things as an additional career field.

First, it would be finding a local music dealer to invest in a repair truck that can travel and has funds to have a repair technician on site. I am hoping that this model can be replicated throughout the country so students do not go long periods without an instrument.