Hello, my name is Chad Bailey.
I started school band in the 5th grade playing tenor saxophone, it was nearly as big as I was! My first music teacher was Mr. Casey. From then through Junior College my heroes were always my band directors, Mr. Douglass, Mr. Reeves, Mrs. Hritz and Si Yates. It was through them I learned how music can bring happiness and improve the quality of life for children and grownups alike. I truly don’t know where I’d be today if not for their guiding influence.
I have been fixing things since I was big enough to hold the light while my dad fixed our rusty Ford Pinto. Later that took me to the United States Army, where I learned to repair everything from Humvees to M1 Abrams tanks. I earned my GI Bill and left the Army to pursue my goal of studying music at the University of Tennessee with the great Jazz Educator Jerry Coker. After moving to Knoxville I was thrilled to learn there was a military band right down the road at McGhee Tyson Air Force Base. I transferred to the band and have been a proud member of the Air National Guard Band of the South (formerly band of the Smoky Mountains) since 1999.
After completing my degree in Studio Music & Jazz at UT I moved to Nashville to see what music city had to offer. I spent a few years gigging, teaching lessons and working at a music store where I began to take an interest in instrument repair. I was lucky enough they had a stock of old rental horns that were no longer in use, and my experiments began. Before long the phone calls to repair technicians Richard Newby and David Dyer were lengthy and numerous. Those calls led me back to Knoxville to learn from Richard directly. Sadly, just over a year into my apprenticeship, Richard passed away, cancer had taken my mentor. Aside from the personal loss, this meant many long nights in the shop learning for myself things Richard couldn’t show me. Luckily, my friend and co-worker Bruce McCall was willing to help fill in many gaps or I might not have made it through those formative years.
Now, nearly 10 years later I am still experimenting and learning. I am proud to say many of my best friends are local musicians and band directors who are still my heroes, because I know the importance of their work. If I can accomplish anything with Bailey’s Band Room, I want to do my part and keep kids from quitting band due to poorly performing instruments. I look forward to working with you and helping your instrument play to the best of it’s ability.