The beauty of an acoustic musical instrument lies in it’s proper maintenance. That is only when you’re guaranteed high quality sound from the instrument at all times. Many pianos and other wind instruments like saxophones, clarinets, flutes and some string instruments like violins, banjos and sitars are prematurely abandoned due to a poor maintenance culture. Not being part of Nigeria’s musical culture, the technology of these instruments transcends the knowledge and practice available in the country.
It is however interesting to know that a Nigerian is making his mark in this highly technical aspect of music. Bond Osinomumu is a shining light that has recorded many firsts and has proudly flown the Nigerian flag high, as he displays his craft all around the world and builds a new generation of technologists.
A little background about Mr. Bond Osinomumu:
Bond is a Piano Tuner, Repairer and Music Consultant. His professional competence extends to Piano A-Z maintenance, String Instrument Maintenance including Wind Instruments. He has had the privilege of witnessing how Piano, Wind and Violin family of musical instruments are manufactured and refurbished in the best factories in Europe & USA.
Bond studied Music Education, Music and Psycho-acoustics at University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and attends several workshops in Europe to update his knowledge with modern technics and technology in the music repair industry. He has served as Lecturer/Musical Instrument Technologist in Anambra State College of Education (1986-1995), MUSON School of Music (2005 – 2014) and Babcock University (2014-2016) before he decided to establish his own Institute of Musical Instrument Technology where students are fully nurtured in adequate maintenance of musical instruments with respect to our climatic demands. Since his appointment at MUSON School of Music, as MRC (Maintenance, Repairs and Construction of Musical Instruments) teacher, this virgin music vocation has produced piano tuner technicians, wind and string technicians. Maintenance and Repairs of the School’s orchestral instruments was also an integral part of his official assignment.
Today, BONDITEK INTERNATIONAL SERVICES Nig. is the First registered Multi-Musical Instrument Repair Company in Nigeria. The name Bonditek meaning Bond-de-technologist was generated by the students of Anambra State College of Education Awka in 1986 due to his skill in the maintenance, repairs of the departmental instruments. The construction of diatonic and chromatic Xylophones, Ogenephones and Metallophones for music teachers’ on teaching practice made Bonditek a household name in music education.
Bond belongs to several professional bodies including NAMIR(Association of Musical Instrument Repairs in United Kingdom. Bond is a 2-time National Award Winner for Music Education Technology Exhibitions in 1987 and 1990 respectively. In 2013, he received and award from VCONNECT for best services in musical instrument repairs. He is also the first Nigerian Professional Musical Instrument Technologist to visit factories in France and U.K. where Wind and String Instruments including Pianos are manufactured and refurbished.
Bond was at the Balanta Academy of Music, Sierra Leone in May 2017 with support from British Council to tune painos and repair other wind and string instruments. His visit was reported on a national daily; Awoko Newspaper, where Dr. Kitty Fadu-Deen noted that it was the first time they had a piano tuner from Africa. In his words; “It’s good they link with people from Africa who do such things because they understand the conditions better and are sympathetic to what happens in Sierra Leone.”
According to Bond Osinomumu; “a piano that is in tune will sound even and clear, with a rich, resonant tone… when a piano is tuned, all the notes of a chord will be clean and defined, it will have a responsive and balanced touch and it will be a pleasure to play and listen to.” Same goes for your saxophone, clarinet, violin and any other acoustic instrument for that matter.
So a friendly advice from someone who knows… don’t be so quick to throw that your piano away. There is yet hope that rich music can flow from those piano strings.
Connect with Bond:
Facebook: http://facebook.com/Bonditek
Skype: bond.chibuogwu
Yahoo! Messenger: BONDITEK SERVICES
Address: Suite 57, Abraham Adesanya Complex, Onipanu, Lagos, Nigeria
