Austin has always had strong music programs and a community-wide interest in music. However, the services for musicians have been fairly sparse; there simply aren't many places where one can purchase an instrument or have it repaired, book a music group for a wedding or record an original album.

Until now.

Cut Time Musical Services of Austin was recently started by Nathan Wradislavsky and though the business is starting small, he has big plans for its future.

Currently, Wradislavsky, an Austin native and graduate of the Red Wing Technical College instrument repair program, has started his business as a repair service but is working at adding a singing telegram service, along with instrument sales, pipe organ tuning and repair, establishing a recording studio and a booking service for people who want bands for weddings or other occasions.

Wradislavsky says he developed the business to fill a void in the community that has existed since he was younger. "I've been playing music since I was 10 and throughout high school, I noticed that any time repair work needed to be done on an instrument it would be set out and someone from somewhere out of town picked it up and then you'd get it back in a week or two," he says.

When Wradislavsky went to college, he wasn't sure what to do, but he knew he liked music and realized "nobody in Austin who does repair work on instruments. There are two piano tuners, but we just added that as an extra service."

He's hoping to develop the other services over the next year and is looking for people to help. "We're looking for people to do (singing telegrams). We're looking for musical groups that are looking for gigs so people can call us if they want a band for a wedding or something," he lists. Next year, Wradislavsky says he hopes to establish a recording studio for area musicians who are part of "small combos to big bands."

He says Cut Time also "is looking at trying to provide assistance for music programs. We want to start donating musical instruments to programs in danger of being cut or to people who cannot afford instruments."

He tried contacting VH1's Save the Music program for help, but was told the program wasn't interested in this part of the country, so he's hoping to "create a strong musical support system in southeast Minnesota and northern Iowa," on his own.

For more information about Cut Time Musical Services, call Nathan Wradislavsky at 433-8812.

Amanda L. Rohde can be reached at 434-2214 or by e-mail at amanda.rohde@austindailyherald.com