Our volunteers are the heart of the Museum of Making Music, and many of them go above and beyond in ways that our visitors may never see. John Denny is one of those people. As our go-to luthier, John keeps the instruments in the interactive spaces playable, taking on repairs that would otherwise sideline them for good.

John has repaired a number of MoMM’s Sit & Play instruments for us over the years. His most recent project was an acoustic guitar that had seen better days. After a few too many accidental drops, the top had pulled away from the body and pieces of wood were missing altogether, leaving a large hole near the bottom of the instrument. John rebuilt the missing sections, refinished the entire top and repainted it. The guitar looks good as new.

Repairs like this matter more than they might seem. The interactive instruments are meant to be picked up and played, which means they take real wear over time. Thanks to John, instruments that might have been retired are back in visitors’ hands where they belong. We are grateful for his skill, his generosity with his time, and his willingness to say yes every time we show up with something broken.