I’M LINDSEY MCCHORD AND I’M SO GLAD YOU’RE HERE!
I grew up in Maine, surrounded by the various rescue farm animals my parents took in at their farm sanctuary. Coming from a family full of artists and musicians (one grandmother was a piano prodigy while the other has had great success as a painter specializing in watercolors) it seemed part of my destiny that I would follow in their footsteps in some way or another.
As a small child I took up piano but once I had mastered it I got bored and moved on. It was then that I took up the flute. My days were spent studying flute in every way I could – through recordings, books and through lessons with as many professional flutists as I could find that would teach me.
My senior year of high school I made a piccolo out of a pencil for a science project, boring a little hole down the center and placing holes where they would traditionally be. I even made a tiny embouchure hole and used part of the eraser to seal off the end like a traditional cork would. I did it out of curiosity at the time but looking back on it this was the beginning of a lifelong passion for me.
I continued to hone my skills as a flute player, earning bachelor's and master’s degrees in flute performance. I taught a lot, I practiced even more and I performed all over New England in groups with my music major friends from college. I really loved performing but I never really felt fulfilled by it.
I continued to read about and study all things flute and started following all of the blogs and social media pages of the various flute makers around the world. I loved reading about what they were making, how they made things, what new innovations they were coming up with. One day while browsing online I saw a job listing for a finisher and headjoint maker at Powell Flutes in Maynard Massachusetts. I decided to apply, got the job and the first day I started working there I knew I’d found something really special.
I worked hard and climbed the ranks quickly, finishing flutes while also managing the headjoint department. I was innovative in my finishing, always finding better ways to make the flute play better and be more stable, and at the same time I was always tinkering with headjoint designs, ultimately singlehandedly designing many of the headjoint designs currently in production there today. I relished every moment of my time there, but when a family emergency necessitated that I move closer to my family in Maine, I was sad to suddenly have to say goodbye to so many of my great flute making friends. Over time, and as things calmed down, I ultimately came to the conclusion that it was time to shift my focus into building a business of my own based on the foundation of skills I had been honing for many years.
Starting with a supportive community of artists, flute making mentors and highly skilled machinists guiding me, I built a business steeped in the old ways of headjoint making while keeping in touch with the modern innovations of today. I craft every headjoint with care and precision and I approach every flute repair with the goal of restoring it to its original glory.
As a builder and a technician it is my privilege to help you discover your best sound and to help you reach your full musical potential.
I’D BE HONORED TO WORK WITH YOU – CONTACT ME TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT I CAN DO FOR YOU!
Since I’m juggling three active businesses and keeping up a busy travel and performance schedule, I typically aim to get back to inquiries within 48 business hours, but will get back to you sooner if I can!
“I love the recut you did on my headjoint! Thank you so much!!!”
– R.B.
“My flute is playing so much better – how did you do it?!”
– S.L.
“You are a delight to work with and I love how my old headjoint plays after you worked your magic on it – bravo! I’ll never play anything else!”
– C.L.
Please fill out the contact form below to get started on a project with me.
You can also reach me directly at lindsey.mcchord@gmail.com