Monks, which began as a pop-up listening room, has evolved into a state-of-the-art audio and video recording studio and event space in the heart of East Austin. Our curated concert series features the best improvisational jazz groups and musicians the region has to offer.When the pandemic hit in early 2020, we pivoted immediately, streaming shows live from a single camera in our founder Collin’s living room. Before long, Collin found a space for rent that was not only suitable for his piano repair business, but was large enough to regularly host livestreams from full bands. The East Austin Piano Shop, and the home of Monks Jazz, was born. The Monks studio has since relocated to a literal brick and mortar space, which was our dream from the beginning.Monks was voted “Best Virtual Listening Room” by Austin Chronicle readers in 2021, and our in-studio experience is singular. The venue offers an intimate but casual alternative to loud bars and high-cost performance halls. We aim to foster an environment where all people can enjoy the rich culture of jazz.

Composer, Band Leader, Manages Multiple Contracts to Provide Entertainment at Private/Public Events and Music Venues. I successfully self produced my Debut trio recording "Derivatives" in the Spring/Summer of 2012, and am currently in the midst of producing album 2, "Tucson Quintet" featuring 8 original compositions for quintet. “The Desert” (2015) is the second release under with my Quintet ft. Mike Moynihan, Tim Rachbach, Max Goldschmidt, and Dylan DeRobertis. Currently booking and reworking the trio in Austin, Tx.

Collin has been an avid student of piano technology since moving to Austin in 2006, tinkering on 3 of his own (and a few of his friends uprights) between 2007 and 2010. He joined part time at Hachenberg and Sons Pianos in Tucson under the apprenticeship of Kirby Tucker in Tucson AZ (2012), often putting 4-6 hours of a full overhaul on trade-in uprights and concert grands out of the box!Since returning to Austin in 2014, he's tuned and prepared pianos for ACL (2016&17), TSU School of Music (San Marcos), Utopia Festival Good Times Stage, The Paramount Theatre, One World Theatre, Music Masters Pianos, Steinway Austin, Strait Music, Historic Scoot Inn, Whislers, Dozen Street, Elephant Room, Eddie V’s, Lambert’s, Perry’s Steakhouse, Dozen Street, Skylark Lounge, The Townsend, Jazz TX (San Antonio), Cezanne Jazz Club (Houston), and many other rooms in Central Texas. Radiohead, Mumford and Sons, Dr. John, Father John Misty, Elvis Costello, John Scofield, George Winston, Robert Glasper, Kiko Matsui, Gregory Porter, Jenny Lewis, Andrew McMahon, Rich Harney, Kevin Lovejoy, Dr. Joe, Bob Schneider, and many notable Texan pianists are among his accolades of clients.

Overseeing the entire Back-Of-House operation for festivals including Austin City Limits, FunFunFun Fest, Old Settlers Folk Fest, Float Fest (San Marcos), Day For Night Fest (Houston 2016).Duties include managing and training first-timer staff, assigning roles, managing inventory of raw juice and produce, coordinating prep into Aguas-Frescas and Smoothies, organizing and FIFO-ing prepped beverages, dispensing, as well as setting up temporary kitchen/shelving/serving stations and breaking down following event.

Primarily tuning pianos on the floor of the showroom, assisting in action regulation/refurbishing, odd jobs around the piano shop.

Apprenticing under Kirby Tucker, President of the PTG Tucson, I cleaned and regulated many of the trade-in grands and uprights, rental pianos, as well as final touches on the factory grands and uprights before display on the showroom. Learned skills such as Regulation, Repair, Voicing, Cabinet Work, Tuning, Key Leveling, Troubleshooting, and performed various house calls representing the shop. Taking a break in Fall of 2013 to pursue music in France, Netherlands, and Germany, and traveling subsequently, I work in the shop each time I am back in Tucson. Left this job when I relocated to Austin TX.

Collected weekly orders from Tucson Cafes and International Customers, roasted small batches of coffee (21 lb. max) in our Probat P-12, bagged, and delivered/shipped. As this was my uncles' business, we took pride in making great, quality coffee with much detail and care.