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What level
of repair training can I expect?
How is the repair information
presented?
How often will the website be
updated?
How can I communicate
with the AMERA office?
Can I request information
on a repair, tool or process not listed?
How will you choose where
hands-on clinics will be given?
Will clinics
and repair material on brasswind, woodwind, strings, and
percussion all be included?
Can I serve on the Advisory Board
or Board of Directors?
How is AMERA different
from other organizations to which I belong?
Will AMERA assist me if
I am having difficulties with a repair shop?
Will AMERA
try to sell me tools?
Can you offer assistance
with my budget?
AMERA strives to provide you with PRACTICAL
repair information skills you can use on a limited budget
in real-life educational settings. AMERA has something to
offer everyone, regardless of prior knowledge and skill
in instrument repair.
Even though a novice may not feel comfortable replacing
a clarinet tenon cork, reading about the procedure will
facilitate communication with the local repair technician
and provide insight into the prices charged for this job.
On the other end of the spectrum, a teacher with more mechanical
ability and experience can benefit from detailed diagrams
when repadding an entire clarinet.
Although you cannot become a professional repair technician
through AMERA, you can choose how far you want to go in
repairing and maintaining the instruments in your music
program.
The invaluable information provided by AMERA
is offered in several formats - on the web, in person, and
on paper.
Our unique website contains a wealth of
concise, detailed, user-friendly information all related
to actual band and orchestra repair procedures, supplies,
tooling, budgets, maintenance contracts, and resource
links. Our easy accessibility and comprehensive format
will make the AMERA website your number one choice when
searching for repair information.
AMERA is proud to have expert technicians
who are eager to share their repair knowledge with music
educators. Hands-on clinics on a variety of subjects are
presented around the country. These inservice workshops
allow you to actually practice repair techniques under
the guidance of a master technician in a controlled setting
with all necessary tools and supplies. The website calendar
of events is kept current to allow you ample planning
time so you can attend the sessions most valuable to you.
AMERA can even provide Continuing Education Units (CEU’s)
for clinic participants.
Printed descriptions and diagrams detailing
techniques, supplies, parts, and tooling are provided
at all clinics and are conveniently available on the website.
Log on, print what you need, and go to work!
As a member in good standing, you will have
a username and password, which will allow you access to
www.amera.org. This is your site. We have been setting
the site up since December, and we will be adding to it
on a regular basis. This could be several times a week.
The development of the website will be an ongoing process
for several years.
Phase I is complete. The basic structure of the website
is in place, so that we can add more material as it becomes
available. The secure area has been set up for administration
purposes, member registration and to allow members to
edit their profile. Other areas in place include a members
only forum, staff forum, classifieds section, a one-on-one
List Support chat, and of course, the repair resource
section, to name but a few.
Phase II focuses on the resources portion of the site
- adding many more tutorials along with many pictures
to demonstrate the processes. Our goal is to make
www.amera.org the most complete resource center for the
dissemination of band and orchestra repair information
for the music educator of today. Our aim is to have
phase II completed by the end of 2003.
Our webmaster
has a direct email address. If you need clarification,
want to suggest a possible addition to the site, or if
you simply have a comment, please contact us. You should
receive a reply within hours.
Our web site is the main communication tool we have with
you, and it should be considered your key resource center.
These two facts make our web site the most important item,
which is why we put it at the top of our "to do"
list.
Small in numbers, but faster than a working
trill key, our staff members and volunteers stand ready
to assist you at all hours. We understand music education
is not always a 9-5 job, so we are there when you need
us. Until mid-year our regular office hours will vary.
We have voice mail or a telephone answering machine set
up 24 hours a day. Office hours or not, urgent calls are
returned right away.
As we grow, we will keep a current list of all AMERA contacts
on the web site. Everyone listed understands how important
communication is, so contact us when the need arises.
To keep you updated with the most current information
available, we will also send you our quarterly email newsletter.
We don't believe in filling your email inbox with junk,
but we will send email bulletins as the need arises. Remember,
AMERA works for you, and without you we are nothing.
Sure. Your AMERA resource center will have
repair procedures, suggested tools, supplies, and other
appropriate information posted for you in the form of
written text, so you can make a hard copy for your personal
library. We will also have short videos on the same subject
matter. If there is something you need which is not listed,
let us know. We will do our best to add it to the list.
AMERA has an advisory board for woodwind, brass, string
and percussion. These boards consist of music educators,
technicians and experts in the field who are associated
with manufacturing the instruments. Each board reviews
all material and procedures we list.
All "road sessions" will be scheduled
well in advance, so you will have ample opportunity to
attend. The clinics will be held in a variety of locations
including school band rooms, universities, hotel meeting
rooms, and music stores. We will contact members from
time to time and see if they can host a clinic.
If you would like to host a clinic and know of a few educators
in the immediate area who would attend, let us know. We
will do our best to work with you. The number of clinics
will increase as time goes on.
All clinics provide the tooling, supplies, and instruments
required for the agenda topics listed for the program.
We usually provide coffee breaks with time for lunch on
your own.
The variety of educational sessions will be very diverse
and you should have no trouble finding something for your
needs.
Certainly. We have nationally known
educators, technicians and experts in the field already
working on planning clinics. All areas are covered.
We would welcome you with open arms, especially
now when we need input the most. Contact us today at amera@amera.org.
We only specialize in repair and maintenance
of band and orchestra instruments, so our time is not
spent on hundreds of different issues. We concentrate
on only one thing, and then we go out and do that one
thing well.
AMERA believes contact with other organizations is important
to your professional life. We encourage you to belong
and take part in any organization which benefits you.
We know AMERA will be at the top of your list.
AMERA will assist members when called upon
to do so. Before jumping into the "frying pan",
we will do whatever research is necessary before trying
to assist in resolving issues in a fair manner.
NO! AMERA will make lists available of tooling,
supplies, and sources where you can purchase what you
need, when you need it. We will also include "tool
reviews" in our educational materials, so you can
make wise decisions when purchasing. In the future, AMERA
may consider co-op purchasing of supplies if the interest
is sufficient.
Years of experience with our on-board staff
and experts in the field are all available for you. Information
on far more than budgets is available. In most cases,
we will offer confidential tutoring in selected areas.
Although we specialize in repair of musical instruments,
part of our mission is to assist you in raising money
to pay for these services. It is important for all of
us to have top quality playing instruments, whether it
is time to rent/lease, purchase new ones, or have the
old ones repaired. Assistance is available on a couple
of fronts - planning and working within budgets; fund
raising; understanding repair price lists and the terminology
used in them; scheduling repairs for the shop; understanding
when it is time to "pull the plug" on those
older worn-out instruments; what tools and supplies should
really be in a repair kit and finally, what kind of maintenance
can be done to stretch a budget.
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