Employee SPOTLIGHT

Since the beginning, every harpejji sold has been designed and built by hand in the U.S.A. by people who take pride in their craft and strive to make every customer happy. This week we would like to highlight one of our valued and very talented employees, Crosby Cofod.

Crosby in the Harpejji Paint Booth

Q & A with Crosby Cofod

Q: What did you do before coming to work at Marcodi Musical Products?

A: Before coming to work at Marcodi, I was on tour with The Dirty Grass Players playing fiddle mainly on the East Coast for 6 months. We played bluegrass standards and various cover tunes. It was a really cool experience and I got to visit cities like Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and all around in North Carolina.

Q: What is your job position and what do you enjoy most about working at Marcodi?

A: My job position is Assistant Manager at Marcodi Instruments. The thing I enjoy most about working at Marcodi is getting to remain so closely tied in with the music world. When I'm not at work here, I'm out playing guitar and violin at shows. Being able to take a break from the actual playing, but still getting to feel that sense of fulfillment within the music realm is a really nice thing. Getting to the last stage of building a harpejji and seeing it become a fully functioning instrument all of the sudden is awesome.

Q: When you were a child, what did you want to be when you "grew up"?

A: When I was a child I only wanted to be an engineer of some sort. Where I grew up, you either became an engineer and worked on the naval base, or you joined the military. I got into UMD for Aerospace Engineering, but made the last minute decision to study music instead and went to St. Mary's College of Maryland. I graduated Cum Laude and am thankful for the head start that education gave me in the gigging world in terms of music theory and understanding the business side of things.

Q: What are some of your favorite activities outside of work?

A: Outside of work I really just play music. Even on work days, I make sure to practice at least 2 hours of guitar or violin when I get home. I may be dead tired from a long day of sanding or filing down frets, but I have to maintain my skill on both of those instruments and that pretty much takes up my whole life.

Q: What is your favorite band and/or style of music?

A: I tend to vacillate between singer-songwriter material that features violin and some harder rock stuff. Mandolin Orange is a great folk-acoustic duo that I listen to in the mornings or when I am just in a chill mood. Andrew Bird is another violin based group that I like a lot. He loops the violin and creates a very atmospheric sound. Lately I've been into a group called White Denim that plays high energy electric music. I've been getting more into guitar for the last year so more guitar based music has made it's way onto my Spotify playlists.

Q: What are some of your other hobbies?

A: My other hobbies include audio engineering, running, and taking photographs when I have the time. If I'm not playing an instrument I can often times be found not too far from the music doing the actual recordings. I gained interest in recording in High School and the constant desire to become a better recording, mixing, and mastering engineer followed soon after. I would definitely call myself a gear head. Microphones, tube amps, guitars, you name it, I'm always trying to build up my home studio as I grow as a musician. Having the tools to record at home has allowed me additional income, the ability to add orchestral parts to other people's songs, and unlimited creativity.