I began working as Doug’s business manager on January 2, 2008—the exact moment that the bottom fell out of the violin market. The financial meltdown of 2007-2008 was well underway. What had been a vaguely predictable pace of business evaporated,…
Sharing the Craft: Ethan Brossard
Ethan Brossard, a high school senior at the Academy of Charlemont, has been spending time in the shop with me on recent Saturdays learning about the craft of violin making. Ethan is a woodworker and cellist who plays in a…
Opus 1000: The Materials
Now that I have chosen a pattern for my thousandth instrument, it’s time to make decisions about materials. As with my choice of pattern for this special instrument, I’m using wood that is typical of my work. I like to…
Opus 1000: The Pattern
Fifty-two years after beginning my apprenticeship, I remain deeply engaged in my craft of making fine violins and violas and committed to placing those instruments in the hands of serious musicians. I will soon begin working on my one thousandth…