I am very interested in developing a new range of instruments designed expressly for playing modern music. I don't want to take the path towards extra keys and new gadgets to increase the range or dynamics of the instrument, rather I hope to make good sounding instruments that work well with the existing alternative fingerings and playing techniques. In particular I would like to design a very good bass recorder, using a slightly new construction method to make playing on the knee easier and with direct blowing to the front of the instrument. A lot of time is necessary for such design work and the pity is often that once I have made a few of these instruments, I often prefer to move on and develop something new, rather than make more of them. I still make more boxwood baroque altos in a=415hz than anything else and I suppose that if I have any bread and butter work, this must be it.     

CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS
I once wrote a paper on the relationships between instrument makers and their clients and had hoped that would spark a debate on the subject. Nobody ever commented on it though and I felt that perhaps I had been misunderstood. It's a shame because I have never felt that making and selling musical instruments and especially recorders, was quite like any-thing else. There was so much magic involved that I felt normal commercial rules shouldn't apply. I thought that each party needed the other so much, that a different relationship was required, with less commerce, more feeling and understanding. Of course this applies to the sausage maker too, if you like sausages. Now looking back, I'm not so sure about the whole idea but I would at least like to give my side of the story.
I think that when I am making an instrument for somebody, I am also giving away part of me and in return, I ask for a certain amount of understanding. I have never wanted to make my business larger, employing people or machines to work for me and to increase my capacity, because I feel that if people want my instruments, then a large part of that reason is that I am the person making them. If I delegated some of my work to other people, I would lose some of the control I have over my work and my customers would sooner or later realise that the quality was not the same. I have seen this happen to several other small workshops that have had a degree of success and thought immediately about expansion. I suppose in the end I just don't want to spend all my time on the telephone and organising other people, I enjoy the making too much. The result of this has been that for the last fifteen years, I have had a considerable waiting list. I can only make a set number of instruments per year and if the demand is large enough, then there is really no alternative. This has often been more of a burden than a pleasure. Of course it's nice to have a lot of work, but organising and the responsibility of working to a timetable are not the most agreeable things to have in an 'artistic' profession and because of my working methods this can sometimes lead to problems and misunderstandings.
I like to work closely with my customers and over the years many of them have become more like friends. I still find it hard however, to keep up with frequent address changes, order changes and general organisation.