

Accomplishments
CARL THACKER
- Charter Member of the repair organization NAPBIRT
- Executive Secretary/Treasurer of NAPBIRT from 1996-2002
- NAPBIRT Member of the Year in 1999
- Illinois State University Distinguished Service Award in 1999
- Currently the Shop Coordinator for the NAPBIRT Technical Training Center (located in Normal, Illinois) and was a driving force in it's inception
- Created an Emergency Instrument Repair course at Illinois State University in the 1990's for future music educators (former students still thank him for the course to this day!)
- Master Clinician having presented repair clinics in Alaska, Texas, California, Virginia, Illinois, and Minnesota to name a few
- Bands of America/Music For All contracted Carl to present clinics at their annual summer band camps
- Honorary member of the Illinois State University chapters of Tau Beta Sigma and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia music fraternities
- Honorary member of the Illinois State University and Illinois Weslyan University chapters of the International Tuba-Euphonium Association music fraternity
TRAVIS THACKER
- Director of the Normal West High School Jazz Ensemble from 2002-2007
- Earned Bachelor's degree in Music Business from Illinois State University in 2004
- College Honors Award from the Illinois State University School of Music at in 2004
- Very active NAPBIRT clinician having presented repair clinics at the NAPBIRT Technical Training Center and at NAPBIRT Repair Conferences in Arizona, Texas, Florida, California, Illinois, and Minnesota
- Attends many national and regional repair conferences to continue progressing in the craft
- Travis' clinic on French horn repair (from the 2010 NAPBIRT Annual Repair Conference) has been requested for use in several repair colleges' curriculum
- Regional Director of NAPBIRT from 2012-2014 and 2018-Present
- Emergency Instrument Repair course instructor at Illinois State University for future music educators
- Former saxophonist in the ISU Jazz Ensemble, ISU Wind Symphony, ISU Chamber Winds, 10-piece touring group Public Display of Funk, progressive jazz group Lexicon. Currently playing with 10-piece soul/stax/funk band JC & The Redemption and modern jazz-rock quartet Disorganizer.