St. Ignatius band teacher Kendal Baldwin hefts a large black saxophone case from a locker in her classroom and starts undoing the clasps.
One of her students has a saxophone struggling to hit a low C note. The gleaming golden instrument looks wildly complicated, with its maze of levers, valves and buttons.
But “music medic” Jennifer Kirby is there to take a look, and she’s seen her share of saxophones through the years.
“This does seem loose, but it’s supposed to slide like that,” Kirby says, pressing a key.
A few tweaks later, the student gives the sax a try. A few notes ring out strong, then the instrument squeals. Some improvement, but not enough — it needs a full diagnosis back at the Music Medics’ repair shop.
When your trumpet is crumpled or your flute sounds flat, rural western Montana can be a tough place to find a fix. That’s where Music Medics comes in. It’s an instrument repair shop that started hitting the road last fall to keep school bands across the region playing in tune.
For Ms. Baldwin, the service makes the difference between pitch-perfect playing and a frustratingly flat sound for her students.
“Some of the instruments are awesome and in great shape, but just need a little tune-up,” Baldwin said. “And so, to be able to keep them running, having these guys — yeah, Music Medics has been my saving grace this last year.”
The stop at St. Ignatius High School is one of five Kirby makes that day, starting in Polson and winding her way down the Flathead and Jocko valleys back to her home base in Missoula. She picks up clarinets, trumpets and saxophones for repair, drops off finished instruments and brings supplies like valve oil, strings and reeds in a few repurposed boxes.
“I think it’s technically an ammo box, but I put reeds in it,” Kirby says with a laugh.
Kirby provides a crucial service for schools across western Montana, where hundreds of miles often separate small towns from the nearest repair shop. She travels to more than 50 schools over a two-week circuit. Last summer, she says Music Medics fixed more than 900 school instruments.
Kirby made a career in music, teaching band in Florence for 21 years. She joined Music Medics last fall as their new school outreach representative. Kirby says keeping instruments in shape keeps kids involved in music. That can be a lifeline, she says.
“It’s that one thing that they’re able to do for a long period of time that carries them through,” Kirby says. “They find success in it where they might not find success in a traditional academic classroom.”
After running her route, Kirby returns to the “clinic” in Missoula. It’s a shop behind a garage door that opens with a long drone.
“Come on in,” Kirby says.
Behind that door, the instruments pass through the hands of Matt Wilson. He’s been repairing them for more than 30 years. As to why he does the work:
“It suits me,” Wilson says.
“He doesn’t sleep,” Kirby counters.
Wilson chuckles. “Oh, I sleep.”
Wilson says it’s much like maintaining a car — the instruments need regular upkeep to function well. If they don’t get it, trumpet slides can jam, clarinet key pads can come ajar, and the next thing you know, you’re deeply out of tune.
The schools pay Wilson for working on their instruments, as do private clients, but he always prioritizes student bands.
“People don’t realize how poorly their instrument is working until it’s fixed, because they learn how to play past the problems until finally one note just doesn’t want to work anymore,” Wilson says. “And when you fix the whole thing, it’s like a new instrument to them again.”
Wilson expects to fix even more instruments this summer than last — helping bands across the state stay on tempo and in tune.
