In tune even when musical instruments aren’t

Tag : air tools & instrument
Irondequoit, N.Y. -
A guest musician, Rob Verdi, who was performing one Saturday inFebruary with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra as part of thejazz band The Side Street Strutters, stopped by an Irondequoitbusiness that day to have some work done on his saxophone.

“He sat right next to me while I worked on it; it was prettyexciting,” said Jennifer Nicoletti, who operates Thomas Musicwith her father, Russ Thomas.

“We do everything from minor to custom repairs on brass andwoodwind instruments for everyone from beginners throughprofessionals,” Nicoletti said.

What friend and part-time employee Steve Weber of Irondequoit calls“a little niche business” can trace its roots back tothe 1960s.

Thomas — who retired after 34 years as a band teacher,including nine as marching band director, in the East IrondequoitSchool District — said he started the business 40 years ago“out of necessity.”

“I wanted to learn minor repair to keep the kidsgoing,” he explained. “I was finding that instrumentswere gone too long for repairs.”

He found a supplier in Wisconsin that sponsored a repair school, soloaded his family up for summer camping trips there and spent hisdays in school.

While he was teaching, and particularly during those nine yearswhen he led the Lancer marching band, Thomas found little time topursue the business outside of working on his own students’instruments.

The business still continues to grow, particularly so since Thomasretired from the school district about 10 years ago. “Peoplekeep discovering us,” he said. In addition to doing work forindividuals, Thomas Music has contracts with area school districtsand music schools to repair their instruments.

“We’re not trying to usurp the whole area, but thereare certain things we can do that others can’t,” Thomassaid.

What sets them apart, Nicoletti said, is that Thomas Music isstrictly a repair shop. It doesn’t do rentals, sales orlessons.

Their philosophy is to be state-of-the-art, Thomas explained, whilealso “doing a good job at a reasonable price ... and nottaking too long about it.”

As far as they know, they’re the only repair facility in thearea that has an ultrasonic cleaner for instruments, Nicolettisaid. They also do everything from replacing pads in instruments totaking out dents.

“They (instruments) get dropped,” Nicoletti said.

Thomas said some instruments are also the victims of what he calls“the father syndrome.” Dads try to fix an instrument,he said, and end up causing more damage.

Repairs are generally completed in no more than three days.

Thomas, 67, now prefers not to work on flutes or piccolos, becausethe parts are so tiny, Nicoletti said, but that’s where shecomes in.

While she has a degree in sociology and criminal justice from SUNYFredonia and worked in the human resources field for 10 years, shegot “on-the-job training” from her father.

“As Dad says, I took to it like a duck to water,”Nicoletti said. What started as a part-time job to help out herfather during the busy season, from summer through September, hasevolved into a career change, a full-time job and partnership.

She and her father also still attend, and sometimes teach, nationaland regional classes on repair techniques.

For fun, they call Thomas the CEO, while Nicoletti is the COO andWeber, who helps out with the pickup and delivery of instruments,is “vice president of transportation.”

A retired human resources manager, Weber said he likes theatmosphere.

“There’s no pressure; we’re more like family;everyone is friends,” he said.

Due to the continuing growth of the business, Thomas Music recentlyrelocated from Russ Thomas’ home to larger, separate quartersat 1908 E. Ridge Road.

Not surprisingly, the three are also musicians. Weber plays thetrombone, Thomas the trumpet and Nicoletti the French horn.

A veritable “man about town,” Thomas also is directorof the Irondequoit Concert Band; writes and arranges music,particularly for the band; sings in the choir at IrondequoitPresbyterian Church; is a past Irondequoit Cable Access Televisionvolunteer; is current president of the Irondequoit Arts Council;and has been a volunteer firefighter with Irondequoit’s PointPleasant Fire Department for 40 years.

With his daughter now involved in the business, he’s morefree to answer fire calls, Thomas said.
“Fire calls are a priority,” Nicoletti said with asmile, “as are the New York Yankees.”

Weber, Thomas, Nicoletti and West Irondequoit music teachers DanPiato and Dennis White have also recently formed a brass quintetthat will be rehearsing at Thomas Music.

“It’s all fun,” Thomas said with a grin. “Idon’t do anything I don’t enjoy ... I thinkthat’s what retirement’s about.”

Sure, there’s a lot of physical work in dealing withinstruments like a tuba or oboe, he added, “but it kind ofkeeps you in shape ... My philosophy is that you’ve got tokeep that blood going.”

The father and daughter are also respected in the industry.Nicoletti is vice president of the National Association ofProfessional Band Instrument Repair Technicians, a now worldwide(though the title hasn’t changed) group and will be presidentas of July 2009. Thomas was a charter member of the organization.

Thomas and his son-in-law, David Nicoletti, have also becomeinventors. David, an electrical engineer, designed an LED tool hiswife and father-in-law could use to help find air leaks ininstruments. It was such a hit with other repair colleagues that itis now in the process of being manufactured and marketed.

Thomas also developed a tuning slide lubricant for brassinstruments that is now made at Thomas Music and sold worldwide.

For him, one of the plusses of the business, Thomas said, is thatit’s in a town he loves.

“We’re totally committed to Irondequoit ... We thinkit’s the best place, and any kind of influence we can have tobring people into town to do business — well, that’s aplus,” he said.

That commitment to community is a key reason the IrondequoitChamber of Commerce tapped Thomas Music as its Business of theMonth for September.

While the business has no specific plans to grow, demand for theirservices does keep growing.
“Four or five days a week, we have new people in thedoor,” Nicoletti said.

She couldn’t be more delighted.

“Plus, I get to work with my Dad everyday,” she said.

Contact Linda Quinlan at (585) 394-0770, Ext. 350, or atlquinlan@messengerpostmedia.com.