Some of my most popular items have been my wood music stands. I am now into double digits with my stands with them residing all over the country! Several were commissions, and I would be happy to talk to you about creating a special stand for you! I have also built some desktop stands (I call them music stands, but they would certainly work as a book or iPad stand). Drop me a note!

Music Stand #28 (Pablo 2)! A commission by the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra (ROCO) here in Houston, delivered August 2023. The recipient is a 'cellist, so this one is a little shorter. Thank you Alecia for the commission, and Drew I hope that you enjoy the stand!

Another shot of the hardware, and there is also some fantastic grain in the walnut on the main shaft.

Music Stand #25 was a different direction - a prototype for a conductor stand. This one is white oak with a desk of shop sawn veneer and is 27"x20". This will likely be donated to the orchestra that has podium #1.

Number 26 (poorly lit...) is one of two conductor stands for The College of New Jersey (see the Podiums page to the podiums they go with). This one is white oak with a dark cherry stain for the Mayo Hall.

Music Stand #24! A special commission for a long time choral director of a Eastern Orthodox Church. One of the members commissioned this stand for the director (and his Godmother). Thanks, Tyler!

#24 is cherry, with a 'bloom cross' inlaid into the desk. The cross is Alaskan yellow cedar (Cedar of Lebanon turned out to be pretty much impossible to get). The contrast is wonderful.

Music Stand #23 - The Pablo! Walnut with cherry, maple, and African mahogany, this is the first of what will likely be a series in this style. This one will debut at the BAM! First Saturday Arts Market on August 13th. SOLD! Thanks Lisa!

cherry and maple accents added to the walnut hardware pieces to give a little extra pop. Maple for the tilt mechanism, cherry of the shaft bolts.

Music Stand #21 in cherry. It had been a while since I had built a stand with a cutout, and wanted to get back to that even though I did go a little different direction with the design. Debuted at the Woodworkers Club of Houston January meeting and the February First Saturday Arts Market. SOLD at the May First Saturday Arts Market! Thanks Meredith!

Music Stand #18 is a special commission from a band director colleague. The lumber, music desk, and some other pieces were salvaged from an old reed pump organ that was a family heirloom. White oak with a black walnut stain (after removing the old brown stain/paint). Thanks Mark!

While I did not do anything to the music desk other than refinish, all of the mechanism for tilt was added. One of the fun features was using the original organ stops for the hardware.

Stand #17 - a conductor stand in cherry as part of a commission for Strake Jesuit High School in Houston. 24"x20" with eight height settings.

No. 15 in cherry! Ready for TMEA 2020! Some beautiful rich cherry with pronounced grain throughout, including the base. SOLD! and on its way to California! Thanks Dmitri!

No. 15 in cherry. Not quite this dark (fancy photo setup someday) with a cut out. The sides are actually straight and parallel.

Stand #14 in cherry is part of a commission for Gonzaga University (see the 'podium' section for the rest!). It is a conductor stand for their new PAC. It is 27"x20", and has a range of c.34"- c.54". Since it is a conductor stand, the tilt also goes all the way to flat. Because of the added size and height, I beefed up the base and shaft for stability.

Music Stand #11 in walnut and maple! A different direction on this one! Different style in the legs, and there are maple accents on the hardware as well. SOLD July 2021!

Music Stand #11. Different direction with this one! The desktop is a frame and panel construction in walnut and maple. There are also maple accents in the hardware. SOLD July 2021!

Music Stand #10 in cherry! A little more subdued grain, but beautiful depth and color. Another that will be at TMEA 2019. SOLD!

Music Stand #7 in cherry! Beautiful, even grained desk with lots of curly cherry in the base! The pics are a little dark, but it has been in front of my back yard windows enough to have a deep cherry color. This went to a new home at the November FSAM!

Walnut, with the woven pattern including cherry, maple, ash, makore, and white oak (because River Oaks...). The hardware also has contrasting plugs in maple and cherry.

It tilts through 90 degrees, and has a vertical adjustment to way beyond what will probably ever be needed...For the next two I used a thinner ply for the base of the desk and shortened it by a couple of inches.

Number 27 (equally poorly lit...) is the other stand for The College of New Jersey. This one is white oak with a walnut stain and is for the Kendall Hall.

As this is a special tribute, it has sliding presentation panels that will be signed. The panels are shop sawn veneers in cherry and cedar.

All of my standard mechanism, with the sliding panels. The panels are veneered with cedar on one side and cherry on the other.

I have made a number of this 'woven' style serving boards - which I called the Pablo series - and thought i would see if it would work as the desk of a stand. It did! The added width and much thinner thickness were the questions, but it worked.

Beautiful cherry with a deep chatoyance on the desk.

Music Stand #20 is another special commission! It is mahogany, and (by request) about six inches shorter than what I usually do. Thanks Matt for this special commission!

The person this is for is a clarinet player whose favorite piece is the Mozart Clarinet Concerto. Yes, that is the first motif carved into the desk! Most detailed and intricate carving I have done, and pleased with the result. And yes, this ribbon mahogany is that spectacular!

As with #19, the tilt adjustment handle is African Blackwood, or Grenadilla.

This was a special request for this stand. A little 6" x 4" reed shelf. The bracket is lined with suede, and it can be moved along the shaft and secured. First one of these, and it worked well!

There was even some beautiful quarter sawn white oak under all that old finish which I primarily used in the main shaft.

The base was a little beefier than usual as the parts of the organ that I used for the legs were much thicker. This organ stop was perfect for the base!

The tilt and adjustment mechanism for stand #17. There are little accents in maple on the bolts, and I beefed up where the desk attaches due to the extra weight of the larger desk. The tilt handle is also a little longer since the desk is wider.

No. 16 in cherry, ready for TMEA 2020! A departure on this one with the resin inlay. It goes through, so it is translucent. I love how green and cherry work together. SOLD at the First Saturday Arts Market February 2022!

No. 16 in cherry. The resin is translucent so that the more light hits it, the brighter the green becomes. Note that I refuse to call it a river pour stand...

The Gonzaga stand with the podium in the foreground. The design concept in the hall reflects the Gonzaga's Northwest setting, so the trees and water are reflected in the design.

Music Stand #8, and the first in walnut! That strong light grain streak shows up in the main shaft as well. This one will be at TMEA 2019. SOLD at TMEA! Thanks, Kevin!

Music Stand #8 in walnut. Striking grain patterns, and that light streak shows up in several places on the stand. SOLD at TMEA 2019.

New tilt mechanism incorporated starting with #8. The same range as I've had before, but with a continuous track. It holds very well, and a lot easier to operate than the through bolt.

Five tilt settings and nine height settings - every 1.5 inches from about 34 in - 47in (depending on tilt).

Music Stand #5 in mahogany. Four tilt settings and six height settings.

The stand has a deep, rich mahogany color and is finished with an oil vanish. *This stand found a new home at the January 2018 First Saturday Arts Market!*

The bottom of the desk is at about 36" (depending on the tilt) from the floor, up to 46" at the highest setting.

Mahogany desktop stand. The entire piece is from a single board, so it is a very consistent grain and color.

The desk folds in as well. All of the pivots and parts are wood - no screws or metal rods. I can make this in your choice of wood. Also watch for an upcoming version that folds into its own box.

It folds flat to a little less than 2". The camera can't capture how really beautiful this wood is. Where you see the more yellowish places is a deep gold, almost 3D color and texture.

The stand part is also all mahogany (same board) and folds up. The pivot connection on the bottom allows the bottom of the stand to rest flat and completely on the table - no rocking! Oh yeah, Schipperkie not included...

'Desktop stand in a case' All cherry, with maple door panels and box bottom panel. The case is 18" x 14.5" x 2.5". SOLD!

There are five angle settings for the desk, from this nearly vertical setting to nearly horizontal.

The door pulls are long enough to allow the doors to sit flat so that they can be used as small desks beside the stand.

Once again some wonderful cherry with vivid grain and very deep chatoyance! As with #21, this was a return to the 'cutout' style of desk, and a return to the more Art Nouveau/floral look. The grain of this desk is so distinctive however, that I was hesitant to do much so the pattern is somewhat minimal.

Music Stand #19 is a special commission by a clarinet playing couple for their tenth anniversary! Walnut, with tilt through 90 degrees and eight height adjustments. It is also the first I have built with a double shelf. Thanks Meredith for this special commission!

Since they are clarinet players, a surprise feature I added was that I did the tilt handle and the bolt centers in African Blackwood, which is known as Grenadilla for instrument making. Most wood clarinets and oboes are made form this strong, stable wood.

That straight grain in this walnut board even allowed me to make the grain lines pseudo wrap around the shaft.

Music Stand #13 - a commission in walnut! Commissioned as a gift for a choir director at a class reunion.

Music Stand #9 desktop. Amazing grain and color (a lot lighter than the picture) in this one! UPDATE: SOLD and in its new home in Pasadena! Thanks Shanna!

Music Stand #12, and the first in pecan (actually the first time I've used pecan on anything - but not the last!). Also different feet to allow lots of the beautiful grain patterns to remain. Last of the group for TMEA 2019!

A desktop stand commission by Andy S for an outgoing Executive Board member of TMEA! Wasn't sure about this cherry board when I opened it up, but it turned out beautiful!

It has four tilt angles (plus flat as shown).

Music Stand #6 - a commission for a retired Houston Symphony violinist. Oil varnished maple with a cherry border on the desk. The 'S' is a resin inlay (no, I do not do CNC routing and not going to start - a friend did the routing of the S for me).

Larger handles for the adjustment mechanisms than I usually do to make it easier on her hands. I am going to incorporate the tilt mechanism into future stands.

The cutouts seem to be getting more elaborate...

Music Stand #22 in cherry! Lots of very prominent grain in this one, including in the base. This one will debut at the BAM! First Saturday Arts Market show on August 13th.

The couple met while at Kansas University, so the desk front has hand carved wheat.

The back includes their anniversary date.

The grain in this walnut board was very straight throughout.

My usual construction plus the addition of the two sliding panels.

The panels slide out to reveal the two signature panels, which are maple veneer. It will be signed at the reunion and presented. Thanks Kathryn for this special commission!

Music Stand #9 in cherry! The color is actually a lot lighter, with lots of contrasting color in the grain. Also at TMEA 2019.

Music Stand #12 in pecan. The color and overlapping grain colors are stunning. So much so that I decided to leave this one without a cutout. SOLD! Thanks Manny - enjoy!

The desk is about 13" high and 18" wide with a 2.5" folding shelf.

The base is a 'lazy susan' and the knob on the left locks it down so it doesn't spin when you turn pages!

This stand has a wider range of heights, from 32" to 50". The client teaches all ages of string players, so she needed that range.

Music stand number 4 - again in cherry! Seven height adjustments and five tilt angles. It will spend a couple of weeks in front of my big windows to take on more of its final color. UPDATE! This stand found a new home during the First Saturday Art Market in May!

Third music stand, a commission by the Dallas Baptist University Chorale for their director after their performance at TMEA.

Mahogany stand (beautiful coloring!), with five tilt settings and three height settings (by request since it would only be used standing).

Special feature of this one are the panels on the back...

They slide out to reveal the signatures of the members! It is hard to see in these pictures, but there is also hand carved lettering "DBU Chorale TMEA 2017" across the top.

Cherry stand #1. A shot in its new home in Michigan!

Second music stand, this one in cherry. This one was purchased at TMEA and presented to the All-State Symphonic Band conductor. Very exciting!

Beautiful figured cherry desk. Finished with an oil varnish.

There are five angle adjustments, from vertical to nearly horizontal.

The first of a series of music stands. This one is all maple with a oil varnish finish. The base comes off, and is secured with two pins. There are six height settings and four angles for the desk. The desk is about 24" x 14".