About Us

Ed DeVaney (He/Him)

Ed began his instrument repair journey in 2000, right out of high school, apprenticing with David Laws. After training at Minnesota State College Southeast Tech, he returned to Bellingham, where, in 2005, he purchased the shop he’d been working in and renamed it The Repair Shoppe. By 2011, after expanding within the same building, he rebranded the business as Bellingham Wind Works, now a bustling shop that serves musicians throughout the region.

Though Ed’s a trumpet player at heart, he’s developed a soft spot for woodwinds with ‘personality’—whether it’s an oboe, a Heckelphone, or a contrabass saxophone. His favorite musical is West Side Story, he’s been told his beard has its own zip code, and in his spare time Ed hunts bears. With a slingshot.

Kat DeVaney (She/Her)

Kat earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education from Western Washington University in 2005 while studying bass clarinet. After teaching band and orchestra in western Washington for two years, she returned to school and graduated from the Musical Instrument Repair Technician program at Renton Technical College in 2007. Kat began working at Bellingham Wind Works in 2009 as a woodwind and brass technician, and has graduated to running the retail side of the shop as well as coordinating events, handling customer relations, and managing IT. Her primary instruments are bass and soprano clarinet, ukulele, and tin whistle, and she looks forward to learning harmonica and accordion. Kat’s favorite song is a tie between Alan Hohvaness’s “Prayer of St. Gregory” and Stan Kenton’s version of “The Holly and The Ivy.” Kat spends her free time reading fantasy and sci fi, gardening and eating soft cheeses made from cow’s milk.

Dave Payne

Dave Payne was invited to bring his extensive knowledge and experience of music retail to manage the Wind Works team in 2013. A professional musician and luthier for 40+ years, Dave is a Fender, Gibson, and Taylor certified repair technician. As a lifelong bass player and having worked in local music stores for nearly 30 years, Dave brings his skills to Wind Works with a smile and a thumbs up. He is the third David to join our team, and at the shop, usually goes by Dave to differentiate himself. He can often be found playing bass with local musical theater groups. Dave’s favorite color is green and his favorite music is the Beatle’s White Album.

Andrea Paulson (They/Them)

Andrea came to us in 2017 with the expansion of our school liaison/delivery driver position. In addition to their normal delivery duties, they are building Wind Work’s relationships with local school districts, and has taken on the role of event coordinator for guest artists. Outside of their regular position here, Andrea teaches voice and performs in the community. They hope to learn as much as they can in this position, and regularly uses their clarinet skills to assist with petting zoos, clinics and other events with schools. Their favorite pieces are Heitor Villa-Lobos’s “Bachianas Brasilieras #5,“ and they happen to be an avid lover of Jurassic Park and dinosaurs in general.

Spencer Le Huquet

We hired Spencer in 2017 as a sales associate and all around helper/good egg. He is always ready with a cheerful word and likes to listen to happy music. Spencer plays French horn, harmonica, and trombone, and is eager to learn brass repair to further expand his already prodigious skill set. Spencer came to us as from a career as an auto mechanic, and thus maintains the Wind Works van (and frequently volunteers his help to his co-workers). He hunts mushrooms on the weekends and can wiggle his ears. Spencer is an accomplished head-patter/tummy-rubber. Free high fives given at request.

David Decker

David picked up a saxophone when he was in 5th grade and never put it down, taking his playing all the way through a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in saxophone performance at WWU. After finishing school at Western Washington University in 2015, he went to Renton Technical College where he studied musical instrument repair and has been working at music stores repairing instruments ever since. David is an active performer around the Pacific Northwest, having played with the Equus Saxophone Quartet, the Whatcom Symphony Orchestra, the Tacoma Concert Band, the Portland Wind Symphony, the South Sound Saxophone Ensemble, and was featured on Seattle’s KING FM with Equus. In his free time, David tends to his house and patio plants when he isn’t playing Breath of the Wild (the best game ever made, according to David).

Robin Elwood (He/Him)

We had always been aware of Robin as an accordion repair person, and we were delighted when he put in his application in 2021 for our brass repair technician spot. Robin’s repair journey began in 1997 when he bought a broken accordion and realized that no one in town could fix it, so he would have to do it himself. In 2000, he graduated from Fairhaven College with a degree in feminist theory and grassroots politics, which helps him to make sense of the world. Robin is primarily an accordionist (button and piano), singer, and guitarist, and also plays trumpet. Robin is open to all music, but the English folk tradition will always be dear to his heart. In his free time, Robin raises his kids, plays in local bands, gardens, sails, tends to his many chickens, makes sauerkraut and pickles, and rides his motorcycle.

Marcel Helland (He/Him)

As with many of our staff members, Marcel was a customer prior to becoming an employee in 2019, and he owns an incredible private collection of rare and unusual saxophones. He plays and teaches saxophone and clarinet, with a Bachelor’s degree in both and a Master’s degree in saxophone performance, with a preference toward the Rascher-school style of classical saxophone. Marcel considers himself a jack-of-all-trades, and when not playing music, he finds the most fulfillment in learning new skills. Marcel helps us as both a saxophone expert and as our Director of Operations.

Alexandra Doumas (She/They)

Alexandra has been in Bellingham since 2010 and joined the Wind Works team in 2023. She is an enthusiastic multi-instrumentalist and music nerd, enjoying a little bit of everything…but most especially saxophone, drums, guitar, and musical saw. She performs with local chamber pop group Traesti Darling, formerly known as The Living Arrows, and hosts open mic night at the New Prospect Theatre. Her other favorite things include knitting colorful garments for loved ones, singing in harmony, wandering forests and beaches with her offspring, and watching birds do bird stuff. She can often be found giving spontaneous amateur haircuts to friends and strangers and listening to the same bands she has loved since 6th grade.

Maxwell Lemke (He/Him)

Maxwell Angelo Lemke is a musician, composer, arranger, artist, and band leader living in Bellingham Washington. He is previously known for his role in playing with Beautiful Freaks, an art rock group that has risen to prominence in the past several years, and has performed on the popular Seattle radio station KEXP. Currently he leads Analog Brass, a contemporary New Orleans style brass band that is known for touring regionally from Vancouver British Columbia to Eugene Oregon, releasing new art that pushes the boundaries of the brass band genre, and has even shared a stage opening for the world class touring band Lucky Chops. On a warm day you can find Maxwell rehearsing with his band, working up new music down by the water!

Eli Yost (He/Him)

Eli joined us during the summer of 2020. He had been visiting us as a customer long before his employment, before we expanded the shop. He plays euphonium, trombone, and guitar. Eli is currently attending Western Washington University for a major in Music Education. His favorite musical artists are Cory Wong, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Mac Demarco. When not playing his instruments, he can be found on Mt. Baker backpacking in the summer and skiing in the winter.

Lucas Webster (He/Him)

Lucas originally came into our shop in 2014 looking for a new trombone mouthpiece, bought a trombone and various tuba equipment over the years, and joined our team in July 2020 as our resident percussionist! He is currently studying a double major in Percussion Performance and Music Education at Western Washington University, where he also works as the Band Instrument Librarian. Lucas loves everything to do with hitting things musically, and can usually be found on the far side of a marimba. He carries a passion for teaching music, learning new instruments whenever possible, and listening to as many styles of music as possible. On the rare chance he is not percussion-ing, Lucas likes competing in disc golf tournaments, writing out his own arrangements of music, and playing video games with his friends.

Pace Rubadeau (He/Him)

Pace joined Wind Works as a sales associate in Fall of 2021 and ascended to the role of Assistant Manager in Fall of 2024. As a trumpet player and veteran of the Army Band, he's traveled across four continents and performed in all fifty states. As a producer, he's inspired by fashion and dance of the early jazz era. As a community advocate, he's drawn to learning from and contributing to the surrounding scene. Pace has called Bellingham home since 2015 and is grateful to all the friends who welcomed him in. He lives at Lettered Streets with his dream partner, near a magic parking lot that became a therapeutic spot to serenade the neighborhood during a difficult time.

Derek Stephenson (He/Him)

Derek joined our team in 2022 as a woodwind repair technician. Specializing in double reeds, Derek has been playing oboe for more than twenty years and is looking forward to branching out and exploring the rest of the woodwind family. He has a degree in oboe performance from Western Washington University and completed the Instrument Repair program at Renton Technical College. Derek enjoys orchestral music with oboe features such as Bachanal from Samson and Delilah. In his free time, he plays DnD, makes oboe reeds, and spends time with his feline children.

Aster Lebitz-Braden (They/Them)

Aster started repairing instruments at Wind Works during summer 2021, and then attended the Band Instrument Repair program at Renton Technical College, graduating in 2022. They work summers in the repair shop while attending the Evergreen State College during the school year. Aster plays trombone, ophicleide, and mellophone and enjoys learning about, playing, and collecting unusual musical instruments. Aster likes a large variety of music, especially experimental and noise.

Cori Holquinn (She/Her)

Cori began her musical journey at the age of 9 on violin. After a year and a half of wanting to throw her violin across the room, she switched to cello and has never looked back. With music as the focus of study throughout her educational career, Cori has obtained an Associates of Arts and Sciences degree with a focus in music from Whatcom Community College (2013), and a Bachelor's of Music in Cello Performance from Western Washington University (2018). After graduating WWU, and being thoroughly exhausted from a rigorous performance program, she decided to pursue her interest in lutherie and contacted local master luthier Barry Hembree to ask to be his apprentice. He gave her a small hand plane, said, "sand these three sides until they're smooth and square, and bring it back to me." Three days of sanding and two very sore arms later, she returned the plane and upon inspection he says, "okay let's get started!" When Cori isn't playing, repairing, or apprenticing, she can often be found knitting several projects at once and most likely buried in yarn. Her cat and ball python are concerned about this hobby, but mostly just want to be fed.

Shirley Hutchison

Kat’s mother Shirley serves as part-time office manager, acquisitions, HR and bookkeeper. She is a retired manager of public health programs funded through federal, state and local revenues, and has additional experience as the interim Executive Director of a small nonprofit. Shirley’s favorite music depends on the time of year. In December, she enjoys the “Messiah,” and during the rest of the year enjoys Copland and hearing her son-in-law play-test instruments. She looks forward to seeing how many window displays Kat and Spencer can devise in a year, and when at home cultivates oysters, orchids and a Meyer lemon tree.

David Laws

David worked in music stores for eighteen years, from Federal Way to Marysville. In 1990 he opened West Wind Instrument Service in Marysville, and moved his repair shop to Bellingham in 1993. A prize-winning clinician at national repair conventions, he accepted the teaching position at Renton Technical College’s Musical Instrument Repair Technician Program, and retired in 1999, returning to Bellingham. As our Repair Technician Emeritus, he assists with repairs when we get overwhelmed. As with all of us, David’s favorite music changes regularly, but he continues to come back to the 1945 original video for Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.” A lifelong scholar, he hopes to learn how to be more disciplined in his playing, listening and practicing. He plays saxes and piano, and is working on playing flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone and melodica. He was once shot at by a candidate for Seattle City Council, and confirms the words of Sir Winston Churchill: “It is exhilarating to be shot at without result.”