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Shawn SandersOwnerMr. Shawn Sanders, owner, has been working on pipe organs for over 40 years.
Shawn began as a key holder and apprentice in 1982 working with Mr. Paul Jernigan and the Texas based Casavant Freres Incorporated, doing installations of new instruments for that firm, and routine maintenance on pipe organs of all makes, sizes and actions in Texas and south Louisiana. Upon graduation from high school in 1985, Shawn became a full time employee for over a year until being accepted into Texas A&M University to study engineering. Shawn returned to work with Mr. Jernigan in the summer of 1987 and helped with the transition from Casavant to the creation of Pipe Organ Technicians in the summer of 1990. Shawn has installed pipe organs in New York, Pennsylvania, California, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. He inherited the business upon the death of Mr. Jernigan in March of 2015. Shawn is an Eagle Scout, is married to his wife of 30 years, Gina, has two talented daughters, and five furry grandchildren, and beloved pets, enjoys trains, model railroads, and amusement parks. |
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Paul ButtChief Technical AssistantMr. Paul Butt joined our team in the summer of 2015.
A native of Portland, Oregon, Paul completed his undergraduate studies at Lewis & Clark College. A graduate of Rice University with a Masters Degree in Organ Performance, Paul is currently chief assistant technician and assists with all matters relating to our business. Paul is Organist at First United Methodist Church in Houston, TX and primary accompanist for the International Voices Houston. He also has a small studio of piano and organ students in the Houston area. Mr. Butt has previously served as organist at several Houston area churches including First Church of Christ, Scientist, The Woodlands United Methodist Church, and most recently as Organist-Choirmaster of St. Timothy Episcopal Church, Lake Jackson, TX. On various occasions, especially Rosh Hoshanna and Yom Kippur, Paul is organist for the Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism. Paul is an audiophile, with a high appreciation for tube operated stereo components and a vast collection of recordings of various media. In addition to his audio interests, Paul has a passion for collecting mustard. |
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John GearhartConsultantMr. John Gearhart joined our team in 2016 as a consultant in administrative and organ design, and assists with tuning and general service calls when necessary.
John currently serves as Principal Organist at St. Martha Catholic Church in Kingwood, Texas, and serves on the music faculty at Lone Star College- Kingwood Campus. Prior to his tenure at St. Martha Church, John spent three years with family in Australia. Previous organist positions include, First United Methodist Church of Houston, First Presbyterian Church of Kingwood, and Organist-Choirmaster- Director of Music at the Episcopal Church of St. John the Divine, where he was instrumental in the design of their 5 manual Letourneau pipe organ. Prior to his arrival in Houston in 1993, John served in organist positions in Mobile, AL, Philadelphia, PA, and Williamsburg, VA. Mr. Gearhart holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music from The College of William and Mary, a Masters Degree in Organ Performance and Choral Conducting from Temple University, and additional education from Westminster Choir College, and University of Texas at Austin under Dr. Gerre Hancock. John has two daughters and three grandsons, and is a proficient harpist. |
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Kelli Christene SandersExecutive AssistantMiss Kelli Christene Sanders has been a part of the Pipe Organ Technicians family since birth.
Her first service call of note was to Congregation Emanu El, Houston, while her daddy (Shawn) touched up tuning on the reed there. Since then, Kelli has been assisting on service calls and major projects, at one point because her hands were the only ones small enough to reach into a Moller primary! Kelli graduated from Paul Mitchell School of Cosmetology, and is now a stylist at Village Cuts in The Woodlands. In her spare time, she currently assists with this web site and other administrative duties. |
Paul Jernigan- Our FounderPipe Organ Technicians was founded in 1990 by Mr. Paul Jernigan, Jr.
Mr. Jernigan began his career in pipe organs with the Reuter Organ Company of Lawrence, Kansas in 1966 where he worked in the flue pipe shop and began travelling with the service crew. In 1967, Mr. Jernigan was called to be drafted and entered the United States Navy, where he served aboard the USS Forrestal on 3 Atlantic voyages and worked on military aircraft guidance and radar systems. Upon completion of his military service in 1971, Mr. Jernigan entered the University of Houston, where he completed a Bachelor degree in Music. While at UH, Mr. Jernigan unknowingly began an organ service career when he was able to redeem the campus organs and students began using his services at their own churches. For a short time Mr. Jernigan worked with the local Wicks Organ Company representative, Mr. Jack Wyatt, who also became a partner in the Visser-Rowland Company until his death. Upon the passing of Mr. Wyatt, Mr. Jernigan joined the VR firm working in their shop, making service calls and installing new instruments for them as far away as Bar Harbor, Maine. In 1978, Mr. Jernigan was contacted by Mr. David Marshall of Casavant Freres Incorporated, a Texas based service subsidiary of the Canadian builder Casavant Freres Limitee, to be the Houston area representative. Together they installed Casavant organs in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, New York and California. In 1990, Mr. Jernigan started Pipe Organ Technicians with Shawn Sanders as his assitant. Paul and Shawn were members of St. Matthew's United Methodist Church in Houston, where Paul was organist from 1973-1993. Both were instrumental in the church having the pipe organ there now, namely to Paul for acquiring and installing it in 1980. Shawn assisted when able until joining CFI in 1982. Together they built the gallery organ at St. Matthew's UMC in the summer of 1987. Mr. Jernigan was active in the business until his sudden death of apparent heart attack in March of 2015. He was a good mentor in the business and a true friend to all who worked with him. |
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Background
Based in North Houston, Pipe Organ Technicians has been serving the greater Houston area and most of Southeast Texas for 32 years. In that time we have built, installed, relocated, maintained, rebuilt, tuned, and rewired over 150 pipe organs in Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana.
For over 30 years Pipe Organ Technicians has been working to bring world class instruments into the lives of many. Whether it is a major recital instrument or practice organ on a college campus, an organ used for church or other religious services, or a house organ used for performances and practice, we have made them sound exceptional. We also service pipe organs in funeral homes and a hospital!
We look forward to having you as a part of our client family!
For over 30 years Pipe Organ Technicians has been working to bring world class instruments into the lives of many. Whether it is a major recital instrument or practice organ on a college campus, an organ used for church or other religious services, or a house organ used for performances and practice, we have made them sound exceptional. We also service pipe organs in funeral homes and a hospital!
We look forward to having you as a part of our client family!