The TEAM

The first thing percussionists notice when they open the shipping container of a new MOPERC is how well-constructed the drum is. The seams are tight. The hardware is smooth. The skins are perfectly mounted. Precision all the way around. And, when the first tones are coaxed from the new drum, it becomes immediately clear that the warmth of the opens, the crack the slaps and the depth of the bass notes combine with that precise construction to create what most accept to be perfection in a hand drum.

When Michel Ouellet began making drums more than 30 years ago he went through a lot of trial and error, continually refining his processes by making drums for his friends and a few customers, and by the time Francis purchased the MOPERC Business in 2018 the shop was producing nearly 100 drums annually. However, with Francis’ keen acumen for worldwide marketing and his drive to grow the business by 300%, the need for skilled employees who could keep up with the demand while maintaining unequaled quality grew exponentially.

Today, in 2022, the MOPERC team consists of 4 experienced and enthusiastic young artisans who come to work daily with a passion in their hearts to handcraft some of the best sounding and most highly prized Afro-Cuban drums in the industry and I thought you might like to meet them. They are MOPERC’s most important asset.

Francis Mercier

MOPERC artisan and Owner

After several years studying percussion in Cuba, MOPERC drums have been part of my daily life. My friendship with Michel Ouellet allowed me over time to constantly get closer to this company, until I came to work in the workshop in the summer of 2017. Immediately, the call of the drum was felt and my journey confirmed; I made it a point to learn everything I possibly could from my master because I knew it would become my life project. It was a bold step requiring me to move from the city I loved but it also brought me closer to the wide open spaces of the countryside I knew as a child.

 

I am very proud to have the chance to carry the MOPERC torch and I will continue to take every opportunity to raise the reputation of the drums we make as high as possible.

 

I would also like to thank our customers and our employees, who, through their immense support, play an important role in the sustainability of this great company.

Marie-Pier

MOPERC artisan

Marie joined MOPERC in 2008, and learned the art of making shells from Michel Ouellet, the master. As a highly skilled woodworker, she is meticulous and consistent in all that she does, and she leaves her mark of perfection on every drum that leaves the shop. Moreover, it is her love for music, dance and the visual arts that creates a greater sense of contribution for Marie as she utilizes her skills daily to turn out unsurpassed musical instruments. After nearly 15 years with the company Marie is experienced in every phase of the MOPERC process and it is no coincidence that she is a strong pillar for the brand

Yanik Boutin-Cayer

MOPERC artisan

By 2021, MOPERC was selling 200 drums yearly into 25 different countries and needed help in the form of a new worker who met our quality standards and who could surpass himself daily. Yanik answered our classified ad because the “one-of-a-kind” job really appealed to his senses (as it would for most drummers). He quickly found his place with our team.

Yanik is versatile and his positive, nothing-can-hold-me-back attitude has shortened his learning curve of every manufacturing stage and with a priority of quality control, nothing escapes his perfectionist’s eye.

Michael Poulin

MOPERC artisan and shop manager

An important milestone was reached by MOPERC in 2022. After 4 years of continual growth, and with Francis regularly putting in 80-hour work weeks, the company needed a shop manager who could provide direction to improvement projects and oversee the production of our ultra-high quality drums.

Our newest employee, Michael Poulin checks all the boxes: he’s organized, he’s passionate about turning wood on lathes, he loves metal working and his desire to continually improve makes him the perfect addition to our team. Since his arrival, we have already made great strides and MOPERC is certain for sustained success and growth with this talented young man.

Andres Mercier

MOPERC artisan

How many people do you know who have continued to finger paint beyond their first year of elementary school? You know, that classic art-form that required a fire hose to clean up after we scribbled “I Love You” to a pet goldfish in gooey, sticky paint onto huge glossy paper? Well, we only know of one and MOPERC is immeasurably grateful to have André Mercier on the team using his finger (and brush) painting talent to create one-of-kind finishes on the drums that most consider already to be works of art.

His sculptures and paintings have sold worldwide and the Andres Hand-Painted series of MOPERC drums can be found in New York, Toronto and Los Angeles, so it would be easy to assume that an artist with that sort of notoriety might be aloof, perhaps pompous. But the truth is that André is humble, and unpretentious. He’s an incredibly talented artist who approaches his work with the same love and compassion that goes into the construction of every MOPERC drum.

Could a MOPERC Andres Hand-Painted drum exhibit at the Louvre Museum be a future possibility? Who knows, but one thing remains certain, it’d sound and look much better in your studio.

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