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At a special meeting Monday afternoon, the Southwestern Michigan College Board of Trustees approved the addition of a one-year musical instrument repair certificate to be offered beginning in Fall 2027.

“There are only a handful of colleges in the whole country that offer this,” Chief Academic and Assurance Officer Dr. Jeff Freels said. “Where they have them, there are waiting lists to get in, but a lot of community colleges don’t have music programs” as developed as SMC’s.

Conn-Selmer, the Elkhart musical instrument manufacturer, and other local businesses have job needs as their longtime workers reach retirement age and leave the field.

“We’re fairly confident there are enough jobs in the region,” Freels said. Offering a framework for 10 night classes would make them available to area band directors, working professionals and alumni. “There’s a great deal of interest in this. This adds enrollment without reducing our current music majors.”

The instrument repair program would be housed in the Dale A. Lyons Building’s former ceramics studio, and the course sequence still needs formal accreditation approval from the Higher Learning Commission.

“The other institutions offering this type of certificate are in Washington state, Minnesota and Iowa,” Freels said. “It seems like a nice fit with our music program, with local jobs that graduates can help fill.”

SMC Board Chair Tom Jerdon underlined that "This offering is another good example of a technical career and specific workforce development.  It provides a great opportunity for students to have a high return on their education investment - a good-paying job with an affordable cost and lower time commitment to obtain the credential." 

 Director of Bands Mark Hollandsworth said, “The Quinlan and Fabishes of the world and other music supplier companies serving schools desperately need people to come work in their industry. If we add this, we’ll be on the cutting edge. Grand Rapids Community College and Indiana State University have considered similar programs given the forecast need. There are not many programs right now because there has been a good supply of workers for decades, but that’s changing.”

Dean of Arts, Science and Business Robin Shipkosky, whose four daughters played in bands and orchestras, said, “Every time I have spoken to someone about the program, like an artisan at the Krasl (Art Fair on the Bluff) this summer” in St. Joseph, there has been a reaction.

“There was a gentleman there who makes art out of old instruments,” she said. “I believe he must have been a band director at one point in time. When I mentioned we were thinking about doing this, he was so excited. Having the ability as a director to quickly repair instruments that break, like at band camp, would be invaluable. This region is rich with school bands, brass and woodwinds — no strings quite yet — that we could be servicing. We anticipate having two adjuncts,” with Hollandsworth receiving some professional development at Minnesota State next summer to back them up.

This fall, Minnesota State’s program reached capacity and started a wait list.

Hollandsworth, who surveyed high school teachers sending students to SMC to gauge local interest, said, “I feel we’re hitting an audience that isn’t really being tapped — high school students coming here, studying this as a trade and going to work. They play in band, but they don’t want to teach or perform at that next level, but this is a way into the industry. I’ve been asked about it from Chicago to Grand Rapids. There is interest and I’m excited about it.”

Trustees also adopted their annual resolution spelling out SMC’s strategic value to the community.