About Us
Carl & Travis Thacker
 
Members of NAPBIRT 
Carl Thacker began his career in band instrument repair
at age 16 in 1975 as an apprentice at a local retail music
store. He continued to work there for the next 18 years, and
soon into his career became their Service Manager. Carl left
in 1994 to take a full-time position as the repair technician
for Illinois State University's Music Department and has
held this position since. He also started Carl's Professional
Band Instrument Repair in 1994, as a small part-time
repair shop. Carl's Pro Band has grown
tremendously since its inception, and the business is continuing to grow with a strong customer base throughout the midwest. Carl is a Charter Member of the repair organization NAPBIRT.
Travis Thacker began apprenticing
with his father at age 15 in 1997, and has continued in his father's footsteps. Travis graduated from Illinois State University in May of 2004 with a major in Music Business. Upon graduation he embarked upon a full-time career as a repair technician. Travis greatly appreciates having the opportunity to learn from and work with a technician as skilled and knowledgable as his father. He recently partnered with his father and runs Carl's Pro Band, Inc. during the daytime, while Carl is working at his ISU shop. Travis is also a member of the repair organization NAPBIRT.
Cory Starr began apprenticing with Carl & Travis in June 2008, and has quickly picked up the craft. Cory has been a family friend for many years and with his mechanical background and attention to detail, he is a great fit at Carl's Pro Band. Cory is a saxophonist and is currently pursuing a Computer Science degree.
In January 2006 Carl's Pro Band moved their shop to a commercial location at 802 N. Morris in Bloomington, IL. This was in response to a growing customer base and the need for more space. Carl, Travis, and Cory feel their new location will allow them to better serve their customers and offer a broader range of products and services.
Our specialties include woodwind and brasswind
instrument repair and reconditioning. Over the years we have
done work for the 33rd
Illinois Volunteer Regiment Band, and other midwest Civil
War Band Re-enactors' instruments. Many universities, school districts, professors, and performing musicians come
to Carl's Pro Band for repairs, mechanical overhauls, Ultrasonic cleanings, instruments, and accessories for their instruments. We attend NAPBIRT's anual convention and regional clinics to continue to be a progressive, open minded, forward-thinking business that offers the most advanced services and products to its customers.
Our main customer base remains in the midwest, and our focus is to service our longtime
customers and friends to the best of our abilities. We hope
to create new longtime customers and friends through our sales
and service. We have been in business since 1994
and are in it for the 'long haul.' Quality craftsmanship is our primary
goal and our service speaks for itself. Carl's Pro Band is
not a music shop! We only sell or rent instruments, cases, and accessories
that we believe in. We feel it is only right for us to provide
equipment that we can be proud of and can also guarantee.
Accomplishments
Carl Thacker is a Charter Member of the repair organization NAPBIRT, and served as Executive Secretary/Treasurer
from 1996-2002. Carl is currently the Shop Coordinator
for the NAPBIRT Technical Training Center (NTTC), located
in Normal, Illinois, and has been involved in it from its
very beginning stages. The NTTC was designed with advanced
training for technicians in mind, and it hosts training sessions
on innovative techniques and tooling. Carl is a Master Clinician
and has conducted numerous clinics in Alaska, Texas, California, Virginia, and many other states. Bands of America
(BOA) has also contracted him to do clinics at their annual
summer band camps. Carl was NAPBIRT Member of the Year in
1999, and also received the Illinois
State University Distinguished Service Award that year.
Carl is an honorary member of the Illinois State University
chapter of Tau Beta Sigma
music fraternity. He is also an honorary member of the Illinois
State University and Illinois
Weslyan University chapters of the Tubists Universal
Brotherhood Association (T.U.B.A.) - now called, 'International
Tuba-Euphonium Association (I.T.E.A.)' music fraternity.
Travis Thacker graduated from Illinois State University in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in Music Business, and upon graduation received an Honors Award from the School of Music. He has taught brasswind repair clinics at Illinois State Univ. for band directors, at the NAPBIRT Technical Training Center for fellow repair technicians, and attends many national and regional clinics to continue progressing. Travis does repair work for many University Professors and professional musicians. He played lead tenor saxophone
in the ISU Jazz Ensemble I, and has been a member of the ISU Wind
Symphony, ISU Chamber Winds, a 10-piece touring group called Public Display of Funk, and is currently playing with a contemporary jazz group called Lexicon. Travis also directed the Normal West High School Jazz Ensemble from 2002-2007. |
