Tiphanie is a musical instrument maker, a rare profession in France

The Chamber of Trades and Crafts of Nouvelle-Aquitaine organized, this Thursday, December 5, 2024, the first edition of the Exceptional Trajectories, both rewards for some of its actors and promotional showcase for the sector. Among the various prizes, a Coup de Cœur awarded to Tiphanie Le Gal, repairer and maker of wind instruments in Limoges (Haute-Vienne).

“Being rewarded for your work is always nice.” A few hours from being awarded a favorite by the Chamber of Trades and Crafts of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, this Thursday, December 5, 2024, Tiphanie Le Gal did not hide her satisfaction. If this prize, and the others of the Exceptional Trajectories, marks the ambition of the consular establishment to reward the best of its representatives and to create THE annual meeting of the sector, it is for the young Limougeaude the recognition of a journey that began almost fifteen years ago.

Saxophonist since the age of eight, Tiphanie Le Gal did not see herself becoming a professional musician. Playing in a band, doing concerts, yes, but only for fun. However, she didn't see herself moving away from the world of Music, which is still her passion. And it was at the University that she discovered her vocation.

“I wanted to find a profession related to my passion. And I discovered instrument repair when I was at university. There is only one school to learn the profession in France, the Institut European technology for music professions (END), which is at Le Mans (72). So I threw myself into it.”

Tiphanie found an apprenticeship master and completed two diplomas, a CAP in wind instrument repairer, and a BMA (brevet des professions d'art) in wind instrument making. Her training completed, she moved to Limoges twelve years ago, creating her brand A wind of Passion.

“There aren't many of us in France, around a hundred, it's really a small niche, but there are a lot of musicians. And above all, people don't realize it at all, but wind instruments have needs a lot of maintenance, at least once a year. There are a lot of wearing parts, there is a need for a lot of adjustments. And then, there are also instruments that are subject to shocks, so we are there for it. repair and we also carry out restoration on old instruments.

Behind the shop with its gleaming instruments, Tiphanie's workshop clearly shows the two almost antagonistic aspects of the profession.

On one side, the work surfaces, lined up with a multitude of tools, screwdrivers, pliers and others. As with any good craftsman, most have been reworked and reshaped to meet the requirements of the trade. This is the world of smallness and precision. “For everything that is wood, for small parts, small mechanics, you need a lot of attention to detail.” And good eyes!

On the other side, there are lathes, vices and above all, impressive and heavy shapes for denting and straightening the brass. This is the realm of strength. “C“It's the side, let's say more robust, where we do soldering, dent repair, where we put the brass back into shape.”

And what does Tiphanie prefer? ? “I like the little bit of detail, but sometimes it's good to let off some steam and straighten out a little copper… [rires] “.

The wind instrument family is undoubtedly the largest in the orchestra. Woodwinds and brass, flutes, bassoons, oboes, clarinets, trumpets, saxophones, horns… The list is not infinite, but almost. And the repairer, especially the postman, must master them all.

“There are repair standards, but each instrument is really different, and we adapt each time. In fact, we discover and learn new things every day.”

And even more, you also have to know how to play these instruments, or learn. As we have said, Tiphanie is a saxophonist. But if necessary, the transverse flute or the oboe can, for the duration of a trial, pass through his fingers and under his breath.

“We know how to maintain or repair the instruments. But once the operations have been carried out, at the end, to be sure that everything works, the only thing to do is to try the instrument. So little by little, yes, we learn to play from everyone. But sometimes, to be really sure, we call on a colleague, or a musician friend. Here, in my workshop, I am with two employees. Everyone has their own specialties.”

And that’s without counting the rare pieces, even collections, that customers bring.

“We are lucky in France to have some, if not the best wind instrument manufacturers in the world. So from time to time we see very, very beautiful, recent pieces. But we also see very old pieces passing through the workshop, from collections, sometimes almost from museums. We had magnificent saxophones, very old, Adolphe Sax [NDLA : l’inventeur du saxophone] ! We are also lucky to have a collector of very old flutes, which we are restoring little by little.”

As we have said, the profession is rare in France, although Limoges has two brands. “Yes, but I'm the only postman“, underlines Tiphanie, without vanity, but with pride. “But I rarely say it, because people think I work at the Post Office“. His experience and know-how therefore attract many clients, well beyond the Limousine capital alone.

“We have all types of clientele: musicians from the Opera, from the conservatory of course, music schools. We also have a lot of orchestras, harmonies, bands. We also work almost like emergency doctors, when musicians have problems just before a concert. This could have happened to me at the Éclats d'Émail festival, for example. And then there are individuals, who come from the three departments of Limousin and even Dordogne, Vienne or. of the Charentes. As there are very few of us, we have a very large sector.”

A recognized know-how therefore, and now rewarded with a favorite from the Chamber of Trades and Crafts of Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

“It rewards the fact that we are still here, twelve years later, and that we continue to grow. And to evolve. Before, I had two employees, but one of them has just left to fly on his own in the Basque Country So for the first time, we have a boy in the workshop! And like me, they all went through ITEMM. I also hope that this prize will introduce people to our profession. don't realize that the instruments need so much maintenance, and therefore it allows the doors of the workshop to be opened a little.”

Where, finally, know that we repair in music. Music where there are not necessarily wind instruments. But if, driven by a wind of passion, you walk through the doors of the workshop, don't hesitate to hum some funk or salsa. And Tiphanie will smile more than usual. Because before being a postwoman, she is a musician, and these are the tunes she prefers to play !