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Day in the Life of a Pipe Organ Company - John Dunn
FOX 17 News – By: John Dunn
The only thing more amazing than the sound of a beautiful pipe organ, is all the work that goes into building one.
Thousands of hours are spent on each instrument that even after hundreds of years never fails to impress.
The pipe organ is a powerful and moving instrument.
It’s proven with each note inside the First United Methodist Church in Murfreesboro.
Most of us will only see the organ from the church pews. You probably have no idea at what the instrument really looks like.
Inside the organ’s chamber you’ll find more than 2000 pipes.
Some are large and some are small.
"These are spotted tin pipes," says Todd Milnar.
The Milnar Organ Company, based in Eagleville, built this instrument.
They will tell you it all starts with wind.
"This is what we call a blower," says Todd Milnar.
It takes an extraordinary amount of work to build an organ for a church.
That all happens inside the Milnar’s shop.
“We enjoy it, we literally enjoy our work," says Dennis Milnar.
Dennis Milnar is the patriarch of pipes.
He founded the company and now his fours sons work for him…Derek, Jeff, Todd, and Greg.
"Take everything apart, clean everything, and then one by one, put them back together," says Greg Milnar.
The Milnars have been building organs for 40 years.
"Something I've done since I've been a little child, about 6th grade or so," says Jeff Milnar.
No two organs are the same – each is unique.
For the people who build them the pipes can take on their own personality.
"You spend 40 years on an instrument, it's almost like something alive," says Dennis Milnar.
As we quickly found out, organ building involves lots of processes.
There are valves to build, reeds to tune, wood to saw, electronics to arrange.
"We build everything to where if another good organ builder would go in the chamber he would be proud," says Derek Milnar.
The work can be very tedious.
"And it's all done by hand," says Todd Milnar.
But the results are incredibly rewarding.
When the Milnars install an organ, their work often continues.
Twice a year they recommend a full tuning, and service.
They want to make sure all the pipes are working correctly.
Organ building requires work with your head, your hands, and your heart, but the sound of the final product speaks directly to your soul.
The family tradition continues for the Milnars.
Derek’s son Ryan is now an apprentice for the company.
That means three generations of Milnars are now building organs in Rutherford County.
Day in the Life of a Pipe Organ Company - John Dunn
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