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 partnered in business with his father in 2008 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. He has done a tremendous amount of work on the Carl's Pro Band computer system and inventory/invoicing programs. Cory is a great asset and we look forward to working with him each day.
Austin Thacker began apprenticing with Carl & Travis in 2006, and has also quickly picked up the craft. Austin is Carl's youngest son (Travis' brother) and he has been progressing in the craft with his family. Austin manages our weekly school delivery route to the Peoria area and visits with band directors for deliveries and pick ups. He is an integral part of the expansion and growth at Carl's Pro Band.
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 and Travis feel their new location offers them the ability to better serve their customers and offer a broader range of products and services.
Our specialties include woodwind and brasswind instrument repair and reconditioning. 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 do quite a bit of work for the 33rd Illinois Volunteer Regiment Band, and other midwest Civil War Band Re-enactors' instruments. We attend NAPBIRT's annual repair convention and regional repair 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, however it has been gradually growing throughout the US. Our focus is to service our longtime customers and friends to the best of our abilities, and 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, Minnesota, and many other states. Bands of America/Music For All 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 a College Honors Award from the School of Music. He has taught brasswind repair clinics at Illinois State Univ. for band directors. He is also a very active NAPBIRT clinician, having taught repair clinics for fellow technicians at the NAPBIRT Technical Training Center and at NAPBIRT Repair Conferences in Arizona, Texas, Florida, California, and Minnesota. Travis attends many national and regional conferences to continue progressing and learning all he can from other great technicians. Several instrument repair colleges have requested use of Travis' clinic on french horn repair (from his presentation at the 2010 NAPBIRT Annual Repair Conference) for their classes. 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.