Music is Lucas’s language, whether he is at the piano, on Bb or Eb clarinet, or down in the low register on his low‑C bass clarinet as a 2026 Florida all‑state bass clarinet player. In these photos, he is polishing keys, fitting pads, deep‑cleaning the bores, gilding the logos, and most importantly regulating each clarinet so the tone and key action are as effortless and expressive as his own playing. Over the past year, Lucas has learned to refurbish vintage wooden clarinets with guidance from his online mentors Steve Sklar and Wes Lee, studying their repair work, reading books on woodwind restoration, and applying that knowledge to a growing collection of instruments he has acquired and overhauled himself. Each screw he adjusts and pad he seats reflects a deepening love not just for music and woodwinds, but for the craft that keeps these instruments singing for the next generation.
