Repair Technician Profile - Ed Scott

Ed Scott

Repair Technician Ed Scott began working at Chuck Levin's Washington Music center in April 1988, repairing flutes, saxophones, and bassoons.  He was formally trained in instrument repair, having received an A.A. degree in Musical Instrument Technology from the State University of New York at Morrisville.  He also received a B.A. degree in Saxophone Performance from St. Mary's College of Maryland and has performed semi-professionally in big bands for over fifteen years.  He has also been a Powell Technician at Washington Music for the past fifteen years.  His training in repairing Powell flutes began in the late 1990s with a visit to the Powell shop in Maynard, Massachusetts.

Since all Powell dealers are required to have Powell-trained or Straubinger-certified technicians on staff, Mr. Scott first came to the shop for specialized training on installing these pads.  At the time of his initial visit to Powell, Straubinger pads were fairly new.  Now, Mr. Scott will make the journey from Maryland to Massachusetts once again, returning next week for a "repair refresher course" at Powell.  Looking back on his first visit, Mr. Scott recalled that he had always held Powells in very high esteem.  He shared a bit of his impressions with us:

"When I first came to Powell for training, I found it to be a very professional environment.  Everyone was very friendly and helpful.  I really valued the experience.  To me, it was a highpoint -- it was something I worked toward."

Commenting specifically on Straubinger pads, Mr. Scott expressed the benefits technicians can gain from learning how to install these pads:

"Straubinger pads are extremely flat and consistent.  They are easy to work with and a good way for technicians to develop a light touch -- because you want the pads to be sealed with the lightest touch possible.  As a repair technician, the light touch is the biggest asset to have.  Overall, the Straubinger pads are a very good thing.  Flutists who have these pads installed on their flutes should not run into problems as long as they are careful and take care of their instruments."

Mr. Scott is looking forward to his next trip to Powell, which will be on Monday, May 20, 2013.  We look forward to seeing him and hope he enjoys seeing all that is new at the Powell shop!