Prodigal's ramblings
Having just returned home after two back-to-back trips, I'm very much looking forward to spending some solid chunks of time in my workshop building things again.
It was lovely to go to California and meet everyone at the Metzler Violin shop in Glendale, in the LA area. The shop is charming and set up to serve a broad cross section of the music community, and the exhibit of contemporary American makers the Metzlers were hosting was well-organized, well-publicized and, as far as I could tell, well-attended.
With amazing tirelessness, the Metzlers will also take the show on the road, traveling to Las Vegas with about 100 instruments in tow -- hats off to them!
For some highlights of individual instruments being introduced, click http://www.violinist.com/blog/laurie/20174/21113/
After a quick turnaround over the Easter weekend, I packed my bags again to travel once more to Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. This was part of Luthiers sans Frontieres' ongoing engagement with the University of Trinidad and Tobago's music department, specifically focusing on training young musicians the art and craft of violin repairs and set-up and bow rehairs and repairs. I worked with two of our long-term students, Akil Patrick and Ayana Smith. I'm very excited we succeeded in setting them up with two internships in US violin shops for this summer, and are hoping they'll be able to attend a varnish workshop while they're stateside, too ... here's keeping my fingers crossed their visas will come through! Meanwhile, I'll keep them on their toes via Skype lessons. It's quite telling that, as a token of the students' appreciation, I was handed a magnifying glass ....
We did manage to squeeze in some extracurricular activities (a yoga class, a morning at the beach, a dance performance, and some socializing with the generous, caring, and gifted UTT music teachers who, over the years, have become our friends). All in all, a lovely time which has inspired me to now throw myself into my own work!
It was lovely to go to California and meet everyone at the Metzler Violin shop in Glendale, in the LA area. The shop is charming and set up to serve a broad cross section of the music community, and the exhibit of contemporary American makers the Metzlers were hosting was well-organized, well-publicized and, as far as I could tell, well-attended.
With amazing tirelessness, the Metzlers will also take the show on the road, traveling to Las Vegas with about 100 instruments in tow -- hats off to them!
For some highlights of individual instruments being introduced, click http://www.violinist.com/blog/laurie/20174/21113/
After a quick turnaround over the Easter weekend, I packed my bags again to travel once more to Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. This was part of Luthiers sans Frontieres' ongoing engagement with the University of Trinidad and Tobago's music department, specifically focusing on training young musicians the art and craft of violin repairs and set-up and bow rehairs and repairs. I worked with two of our long-term students, Akil Patrick and Ayana Smith. I'm very excited we succeeded in setting them up with two internships in US violin shops for this summer, and are hoping they'll be able to attend a varnish workshop while they're stateside, too ... here's keeping my fingers crossed their visas will come through! Meanwhile, I'll keep them on their toes via Skype lessons. It's quite telling that, as a token of the students' appreciation, I was handed a magnifying glass ....
We did manage to squeeze in some extracurricular activities (a yoga class, a morning at the beach, a dance performance, and some socializing with the generous, caring, and gifted UTT music teachers who, over the years, have become our friends). All in all, a lovely time which has inspired me to now throw myself into my own work!
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