Harbor Pipe Organs
Our Story
Harbor Pipe Organs LLC opened on March 8th, 2020. While we looked towards our focus being to create exquisite new instruments such as our reconstructions of Portative Organs - we also saw a desperate need for quality tunings and repairs in Maryland, D.C., and Virginia. Opening one week before stay-at-home orders, both these goals have continued to complement one another as we shift projects on the shop floor from creations one week to repairs the next - everything flowing smoothly. We continue to grow steadily as everything re-opens and I am excited to use all the skill sets acquired over the last 25 years. I provide my usual unparalleled tunings while training others to do so, as well as having established this team to provide the best quality service and new instruments possible.
​
​
​
​
1994 - 2002
2002 - 2005
I started working in this business in Roanoke, VA at age 12 as a simple "key-holder" for tunings with Betty Mory of Mory Pipe Organs Services. I quickly saw the current needs and problems for owners and players of pipe organs in the 1990's with so many churches closing, budgets slimming, and questionable work that we came across even from new instruments. Naturally I began to wonder about both the future of this instrument as well as its history, eventually learning of its role in and creation Greece and then on to Rome (even a famous touring organist named Julia!), onto to Syria and Medieval Europe, through the Renaissance, and even into movie theaters and concert halls and of course nearly every church.
My mother Sharon Silcox, a librarian and art historian, also worked part time for Betty Mory after they met in Choir at a new Lutheran Church we had becomes members of. They became great friends and I met her son and my friend Alecs, who I grew up with from then on. Betty Mory and my mother Sharon Silcox nurtured my musical, art, and engineering interests and skills, providing support alongside others. Their support and my determination was strong enough that my skills in woodwind playing landed me 1st seat on every competition and youth orchestra throughout the southeast that I applied for. I even won an expensive new Natsuki Orchestral Flute awarded through the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation's Solo Awards Program. After High School and some training as a Graphic Designer at the local community college - I set out to be an apprentice pipe organ builder with the dream of one day becoming a master craftsmen of this instrument and others - learning to play them and their music along the way.
I was very fortunate that within the first year of my full-time apprenticeship I landed a job a QLF - Custom Pipe Organ Components in Rocky Mount, VA - just south of my hometown Roanoke, VA. I learned woodworking, metal working, leathering, basic electronics, and pipe organ building and design there from the late Patrick Quigley. After one year there I was introduced to voicing by Paul Fulcher of Lively-Fulcher Organs, one of the owners of QLF. I helped with the installation of their instrument at Christ Church, Nashville, TN as well as being onboard fully for making (even the 32' Bourdons), installing, and tonal finishing of their instruments at Visitation Parish, Kansas City, MO and Christ Church, New Haven, CT. While at QLF I also learned CNC operation and programming and took over that position there in just 6 months - complementing tremendously my position as apprentice as from then on I was involved in nearly every project that went through.. It was so enlightening to be making components for about a dozen other prestigious organ builders - their casework, consoles, wooden pipes, pneumatic wind-chests, regulator after regulator after regulator, tracker wind-chests, and more!
​
2005 - 2009
From there I went on to apprentice under Bruce Fowkes learning basic metal pipe making and advanced voicing (he is arguably the best and a fantastic teacher and individual) at their instrument in Scottsdale, AZ. I then relocated to both Raleigh and Charlotte, NC apprenticing under John Dower (from Noack and of John Dower and Associates at the time) for many years. I learned the finer points of church and organ design, nearly all my skills at repairs, and finely polished my voicing skills as hundreds of ranks came and went in the shop for their first voicing or repairs to instruments of all types and ages. John graciously let me come and go as I learned from legendary builders and repairmen such as Daniel Angerstein and Gerald Piercey.
2009 - 2017
After completing over 10 years training full time at nearly a dozen different companies, I'd obtained more than enough skills and knowledge to build and design every aspect of my own instruments. I sought for and worked at a few companies where change of ownership was upcoming that would work out well for both myself and the company. I was fortunate to meet Dr. Teddy Geurrant at this time, who over four years tought me to play the pipe organ, its tonal design, and to understand its music from the 16th century onward. Having only learned all woodwinds (specializing in piccolo, flute, and ocarina) and most percussion - it was a significant challenge to learn the pipe organ and was exacerbated by my stage fright. Teddy stuck with me, completely curing my stage fright, and I pushed through, eventually landing position for a time at the United Church of Christ in Annapolis as Music Director and Organist. Meanwhile, no company I was at or talking to was going to work out and things nearly took a turn for the worst. Almost unfortunately, I had to take significant time away from the business - forced on me due to a 2-year non-compete clause from an employer that had unceremoniously changed ownership in such a way I did not foresee. Although employment there was the worst situation I experienced in the industry with calculated gas-lighting and bullying - yet it was much the same of what I had been dealing with along the way since leaving Roanoke with unmentioned companies. Over the years it became less a plan to grow as a person, musician, and craftsman, to create in the name of and for the glory of God, and enjoy life and this craft, but more how to survive and wonder where I had gone wrong (which I had not).
2017 - Present
One lunchtime conversation during the non-compete in 2017 with my friend Troy Tower, PhD (Medieval Italian Poetry, JHU), I was reminded of my fascination about and attempts early in my apprenticeship to recreate those handheld organs I kept seeing in stain glass windows. I recalled how in the early 2000's dozens of organists and organ builders laughed and scolded my interest in this. I still made several attempts at making pipes as a first year apprentice - but gave up in dismay and shame. "How ridiculous! And I was so passionate about recreating those instruments!" I said while talking with Troy. By then my skills had long since surpassed what was necessary to make these instruments so we quickly got to discussing how I could gather information and resources to finally make this happen. Not a year after I found myself assisting with the instrument building course for undergraduates at Peabody Conservatory of Music, eagerly reading books in the George Peabody Library about the history of the organ, reaching out to colleagues and musicians worldwide who were and still are thrilled to help, even though I was met and still am met with new criticism and scorn. My fascination was then kindled for all pipe organs from the Hydraulis to Orchestrations, Theatre to Symphonic Organs, and possible new pipe organs for modern music mediums such as video game music as well as many other instruments. Harbor Pipe Organs LLC was then conceived and opened so that these instruments and more can have a shop to be created in over time.
​
My mother Sharon Silcox, upon retiring in 2021, joined Harbor Pipe Organs LLC to return to work starting as an experienced key holder and assistant. She has been quickly learning in-shop restoration and repairs. She is also managing our office as well as research and assisting development of portative organ reconstructions.
We are thrilled to be continuously researching all types of pipes organs, telling all their stories in old and new light as we tune, restore, and maintain current instruments to the highest standards - all while supporting the dream making reconstructions and creating a new type of modern organ.
I can't express enough gratitude to all who've helped me along the way, but particular recognition for help in creating and supporting this company must be given at least to Betty Mory, Paul Fulcher, John Dower, Stephen Spake, Daniel Angerstein, Brittnee Robertson, Bruce Fowkes, Troy Tower, Susan Weiss, Sharon Silcox, Daniel Compton, Jeffrey Miller, Brandon Wallace, Betsy Lord, Jon Donahue, Kurt Eckhart, Summer Morris, Kira Levitsky, Jimyo Lin, Frank Dunhuber, Dwayne Blair, Lisa Meyer, Ethan Hart, Jack Rappazzo, Kimber Wiegand, Teddy Guerrant, Kevin Sterling, Randall Sheets, the Baltimore Gamer Symphony Orchestra, and last but not least - the late Patrick Quigley and all our wonderful clients.
​
​
​
- Asher Hammond
Get to Know Us
Harbor Pipe Organs LLC is a team of Organ Builders, Technicians, Apprentices, and Crafts-persons. Our shops, established resources, and skill set enables us to repair and build pipe organs of all sizes. We look forward to helping our clients maintain their instruments with as clear and thorough communication as possible. We offer maintenance guidelines as well as explaining about and plans for correcting any maltreatment their instrument may have suffered - all while building some of the finest new instruments.
​
We are thrilled to be continuously researching all types of pipes organs, telling all their stories in old and new light as we tune, restore, and maintain current instruments to the highest standards - all while supporting the dream making reconstructions and creating a new type of modern organ.