Rob Walsh, our School Program Specialist, is familiar to
many of our customers. He assists in our Newton store and also
conducts monthly service visits to over fifty schools in the
Northeast. Each September, Rob organizes rental nights for
several New England School districts. He makes it possible for
Johnson s to provide customized service for string teachers, who
rely on him to meet the needs of their school programs.
The fourth of five creative siblings, Rob was born and raised
Albany, New York. Anyone who has had the pleasure of hearing
him can attest that Rob is a remarkable singer and guitarist. He
also plays piano, banjo, trumpet, and violin. Before moving to
Boston, Rob worked for four years on Martha s Vineyard as a
general music teacher and truck driver. Returning to the island
to provide service for customers is, of course, one of his most
enjoyable responsibilities. His role as School Program
Coordinator also allows him to pay frequent visits to friends and
family in New York and Maine.
During his seven years at Johnson s, Rob has fitted thousands of
children with violins, violas, cellos, and basses. Working with
children, he says, is certainly the most rewarding part of his job.
Rob wishes everyone could witness the anticipation and excitement
of a child holding his or her first instrument.
When not occupied in his role as a liaison for JSI, Rob can be found
exploring Boston on foot, visiting museums, and standing in line at
the Fenway Park ticket office.
(Rob lives within a mile of the
park, and has attended over 100
Red Sox games since moving to
Boston in 2000.) It is difficult to
imagine how he finds time for
these activities, but Rob says that
living with no car, computer or
television leaves him free to
pursue these interests.
