COMMENTARY: The Weight - The Legacy of Thom Schiff

Memories of a local musician who was the beating heart of Fredericksburg's music community.

Apr 19, 2026

By Cori Blanch
GUEST COMMENTATOR

From left to right, Thom Schiff, Cori Blanch, and Jonathan Paige Brown Jr. Photo courtesy Megan Samples.

On Monday, March 9, 2026, at approximately 9 a.m., frantic calls and texts circulated throughout the city of Fredericksburg, spreading the news that one of the city’s finest human beings, Thom Schiff, had passed away. This was a blow to say the least, especially as the music community is still healing from the passing of his long-time partner, Kathy Douberly, who passed away in December of 2025. Dealing with the reality of the loss of a couple that served as a foundational support system for countless musicians like myself and many of my colleagues has been difficult for many of us to reconcile. Although death is an inevitable fact of life, it is never something that we are ever truly ready for.

Later that Monday at 6 pm, as we had done for Kathy, many friends and colleagues, including my partner, Megan Samples, and myself, gathered to honor his life and his contributions to the community. Thom was the host of a local Open Mic that is held every Monday evening at The Colonial Tavern of the Irish Brigade. Every week, we could talk with Thom, Kathy, and the rest of the music community, share our ideas, build off of one another as musicians, collaborate with each other on our favorite songs, and test our new originals. It was always a safe place to engage in the craft, to receive constructive criticism, and a loving environment for the newer generation of singer-songwriters to share their talents with the audience. No one could give that encouragement better than Thom Schiff and Kathy Douberly.

From left to right: Jeff Covert, Jay Kole, Kathy Douberly, and Thom Schiff. Photo by Megan Samples.

My first connection with Thom was in 2004. I was just out of high school and I got a job at my favorite store in Stafford, Bang! Music. I was just starting to find my way as an independent artist, so what better place to be than at a music shop. There, I learned that Thom was an excellent master luthier. He was a skilled craftsman at guitar repair and would come by about every other week and pick up guitars that customers would leave at the shop. I was amazed at how good he was. There was this one guitar I vividly remember, it was a beautiful, translucent green. The guitar was knocked over while it was placed in a stand in a customer’s home. The headstock of the guitar broke completely off. I remember the distressed look on the customer’s face, unsure if it could be saved. I was unsure myself, but if anyone could figure it out, it was going to be Thom. When he brought the guitar back, it was perfect like nothing had ever happened. The customer was so relieved and so appreciative that Thom was able to save his keepsake.

Before that repair, Thom was just a guy who came by every now and then. But after that, I needed to know more about this man. Where did he learn his skills, and what could I learn from him? I was learning how to do basic instrument repair and began helping with low-level projects so that Thom could focus on the big ones from the music shop. Thom had his own workshop, and Bang! Music was just one of many ways he found work. He has worked on almost every guitar I have owned in the 20-plus years I have known him. I have sent countless musicians to hire his services, and he saved many guitars along the way. I felt proud to be part of that network, helping a friend and supporting my fellow artists trying to stay on the grind. I use those skills today to help those whom I can, but Thom inspired me to dive into the craft, to test my limitations and skills, and to find ways to be better. Thom knew he wasn’t just fixing instruments; he was repairing artists’ livelihoods. He understood that this is how many of us paid our rent and put food on the table. He knew that without that guitar, the working musician would go without. He would often sacrifice his own monetary needs to help the starving artist. Performing music is a craft in itself, and it’s a lot of fun, but it’s still a job.

The Workshop

From left to right: Thom Schiff, Pete Mealy, Bruce Middle. Photo by Megan Samples.

Thom’s Workshop could be found on Airport Ave in Fredericksburg next to the legendary Wally Cleaver’s Recording Studio. In the Late 90s, one of Thom’s jobs was working with a well-known figure in the music community, the late Mike Chafin, and his guitar shop Apple Music. There he met a yet another a well-known musician and studio engineer in the Fredericksburg area Jeff Covert, and worked out a deal for extra warehouse space tied to Wally Cleavers which became the workshop. Thom would be working out of this location for next 30 years. It became a staple in the music community, along with the numerous guitars he could be working on at any given time. It was also a bit of a time capsule of equipment spanning the decades. Full of various tools, music equipment, and listening devices. In the back of the shop is a practice space that Thom gave the music community access to. Every Sunday, a small group of musicians would meet in the practice space to play their favorite songs and originals, and they would record these session using all the various equipment that was shared between Thom and his friends. This event is known to the music community as “Sunday Church”. We don’t know what’s going to happen to the workshop at this time, but i hope the music community can find some way to keep it alive in some way.

Thom’s workshop was more than just a workspace. It was a place of safety, counseling, and community. So many community members and friends visited him there just to talk and see how he was doing. Thom held many conversations with people there while tooling away on his latest client’s guitars or building unique small electronic devices that he used at shows his live shows and open mic. The workshop became the primary place where Thom gave counseling and support. A place where the lost musician can go and talk with someone who’s going to help them find their way back to the best path for them. Some of my friends are still among the living today because Thom took the time to connect. No matter how late in the night, Thom was there to help.

The Man

Thom was born on November 20th, 1956, in Sacramento, CA. He was a man of Jewish Quaker background and often talked about how this part of his heritage was foundational to how he saw the world and how he treated people. Thom had an interesting perspective on family connection as he was adopted at a young age. He moved around quite a bit as a young man. He went back and forth from the West and East Coast. Living in various places from California to Buffalo, NY, Charlottesville, VA, DC, Richmond, VA, and even Fredericksburg in his travels. Thom finally decided to come back to Fredericksburg in 1982 and officially laid down his roots in the city.

No matter where Thom lived, he always made it a point to connect with the local music community. He understood that it was one of the best ways to get to know a place by building relationships with the people who have committed themselves to performance and self-expression through art. Thom was a guitar player and music enthusiast who loved to share his favorite music with the community, as well as learning about the music that inspired others. So when Thom had the opportunity to start an open mic at Orbits, now Colonial Tavern, in 1998, it was a perfect fit. Thom had the opportunity to be the hub that he often searched for in his travels.

Eventually, Thom needed a break, and the event was handed off to Andrew Hellier in the early 2000s. In about 2004, the late Dorian Clevland became the host. This was about when i first started playing music in the city. Dorian eventually had to move and has since passed away in 2021, handing it over for a short stint to Dustin Connelly in the 2010s, the front man of the well-received band at the time, Buster Brown and The Get Down. Dustin had to abruptly end his tenure, and Thom stepped back in 2012 to keep the open mic alive. Thom understood the importance of what this open mic meant to the music scene in Fredericksburg. This time however, Thom had a partner in Kathy, and together they were an amazing team. They didn’t just run a community event, but it became their vocation one of many ways they served this community. After almost 30 years, the open mic has become a gathering of more than just musicians, but a beautiful collection of extended family members. Thom and Kathy went out of their way to scout the crowd for newcomers, asking about their favorite songs, seeing if they played any music, and encouraging them to get on stage and share the gifts with the family.

The Legacy

Thom Schiff’s legacy was service, activism, mentorship, compassion, and empathy. For some, he had played a vital parental role. He volunteered in many capacities throughout the city in the many years he called Fredericksburg home, including serving on the board for Fredericksburg Social Services, supporting nonprofits like Downtown Greens, Empower house, and FAHASS, among others. He also embodied this legacy in his personal relationships, be it through encouraging young or new musicians, or sharing sage wisdom of his activism and deep a commitment to our collective humanity. Thom spent a great deal of time with Megan and I at our little shop, Curitiba Art Café, in what we came to lovingly define as ‘Thom Time’. He would come by for a late-night latte and spend hours with us talking about the world, about the mechanisms of poverty, about protecting our communities, and how to live a life of purpose. Thom would leave these long, late into the night talks and head to his workshop, and on the way out would often say, “Here we are solving all the world’s problems”, partly in jest, but more so in a shared solidarity of what it means to walk a humanitarian path rooted in our collective experiences.

These times were deeply special, and also because he gave his time and his counsel so generously to many people in our community, as did Kathy. Sharing space with them both, was profoundly impactful, and also a great deal of fun, through backyard gatherings, sipping daiquiris, chatsts at gigs, or late nights of sharing coffee at the shop, so many in our little city got to feel the warmth and honesty of that mentorship and support. The strangers who became fast friends, who got to know him over a cup, of coffee in the various coffee shops that have come and gone throughout the decades, all have fond memories of connecting with Thom throughout the years.

The Weight

One of our favorite songs we would always ask Thom to play was The Weight by The Band. It was one of his favorite songs too, whether it was at an open mic or at a show with his band, A Fred Not, he ran with Kathy, this song was very representative to who Thom was as a person. A song about different aspects of community engagement and kindness. A traveler looks for a place to rest, connecting with community members, serving one another, just giving an old friend an ear, or offering a moment of peace. The chorus of the song goes...

Take a load off, Fanny.
Take the load for free.
Take a load off, Fanny.
You can put the load right on me.

This was so symbolic of his willingness to connect with people of all stripes and beliefs, serving as a friend, a counselor, and an advocate. A man who put the weight of the world’s problems on his shoulders and did what he could to help bear the burden of our community’s issues while being intentional in how he responded to them. He held himself accountable when he was wrong and would definitely let you know when he was proven right. He was unapologetically human. And understood it. And he sought out humanity in others and cultivated it, he nurtured it, and even when you felt like you had nothing left, he would supply it. I was able to find myself in this city because of people like Thom, who helped me find my own path. The Saturday before Thom died, Megan and I didn’t know it was going to be our last “Thom Time”. He told us he wanted to come by and visit with us because he didn’t want to be alone that night, so he came to Curitiba because he knew he would be seen.

We will never forget that. Many of us have had similar experiences with Thom. The big and small acts of love, reciprocity, and mutual respect. One of Thom’s small acts in my life led me down a path where I would meet my loving partner, Megan and words will never express the real impact he had not just on both of us, but on many others. The weight of Thom’s death can only be outweighed by how he lived. So many people have been touched by his presence, and now we are forced to move on without him. But don’t forget what he taught us. How he looked out for all of us, whether you were a friend or a stranger, you could always put the load right on Thom. To my friends in this city, to all the people that has been fortunate to feel the warmth of his compassion, it is our turn to pay it forward. I know i will do my very best as I am now the new host of his long standing Open Mic. As I’m sure we all will work to keep his legacy and lessons alive. Finally, to our dearest friend, take a load off, Thom. Your time to rest has come, and you will be sorely missed.

Thom Schiff is survived by his son, Buck Olson Schiff, his brothers, Charles Andrew Olson and Frederick Richard Schiff, five nieces, two nephews, and numerous great nephews and nieces, his Aunt Kathy and several cousins. He is also survived by Nancy Buck the mother of his son and his “Marianne” Reed, who he said was too young to be called stepmom. Surviving him as well are the children and grandchildren of his longtime partner Kathy Douberly who hold Papa Thom close to their hearts. He is preceded in death by his parents, Jacqui Lee and Charles Olson, his father, Morris Schiff, his partner of twenty-five years, Kathryn Pierce Douberly, and his niece Crystin Alice Schiff.

I want to take the time to thank all the people in the community who helped me with some of the details of Thom’s life. If you are on this list, it is because you gave direct info, helped find the person that had the info i was looking for, or inspired some of my words in this article in our conversation about Thom. Buck Schiff, Jen Dodge, Keith McConnell, Young Devereaux, Jenna Kole, Joelle Colleen, Hannah Bloodgood, Megan Samples, Bruce Middle, Dave Robinson, John, and Mary Vreelend, Andrew Hellier, Jeff Covert, and Marianne Schwartz Reed wrote the survived in his obituary. Also, a very special Thank you to The Fredericksburg Advance for allowing us to honor our dear friend.

Cori Blanch sits on the board of the FXBG Advance.