Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Need a Change?

New decade... and perhaps you are thinking about trying something new?

After all, you are never too old to learn something new if you set your mind to it, right?

While the scene above looks quite old, it actually is a fairly recent bit of art painted on the side of a building three blocks from where I work.

It serves to advertise the business that is undertaken inside the building's wall.

Quite eye catching advertising, no?

Inside the building: a violin making school.

Bet you've never seen one of those before.

Bet you never even thought about such a school before.

Bet you are now sort of thinking about how it would be to be a violin making student.

You'd sit at a bench....


Working with wood and glues and shaping tools.
I imagine that while focusing on the task at hand time would disappear...
Each completed instrument would feel like part of you. Your memories of the time in which you created the instrument would arise every time you saw it. You would remember selecting the wood, making sketches, applying the stain color to the grain that would suddenly come to life.

The profession of violin making is centuries old. Modern technology has figured out why some violins have such remarkable sound each time they are played, century after century, while other violins, while equally well made, deliver a less lush tone.

(Hint: it has to do with the growth ring size of the tree that the wood comes from....)

Next door is a shop where violins and similar stringed instruments could be purchased.
While the school does not allow visitors, the shop is happy to show you around.
The tiny child size violins are just amazing...barely larger than a paper back book.
They look like toys...but they aren't. They are finely crafted musical instruments, and are priced to reflect that fact.
Next door to the shop...well, why not a recital hall?
The musical artist needs a place to demonstrate their skills, or to debut new musical compositions before family and friends, and interested music lovers.
I'll be watching for the January calendar to be posted.
A short walk over a lunch break and maybe I could take in a recital from time to time.
Just for the joy of listening to those who choose to play.
I'm not looking for a career change to violin maker this year (although SLC has TWO such schools...image that!)
But I do think I would benefit from more live music.
I think that would be a change I could really enjoy.

11 comments:

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

Yes, you should do it....attend a recital or two on your lunch break!

I wonder of the violin makers also made the sign for their shop...I notice that each letter is perfectly and gently concave...somehow I missed that when I saw it in person!

Thoughts on Life and Millinery. said...

Wow Sara...I missed that too and I drive by it just about every day. You and Chris really "see" your world.

Vicki said...

After reading Sara's comment, I had to go back to look at the sign...I missed it, too.

I'll second that...attend recitals and concerts whenever possible! Doc's playing this coming Sunday...

Willow said...

If you attend a recital, I do hope you'll tell us all about it! This morning one of our students told me that her hobby is playing the harp! I had no idea!

Judy said...

I love this post...since I have an uncle who picked up a second career after he retired...and that was violin-making. He never went to any school...just is a super talented independent learner. He has made over a dozen...and learned to play the instrument as well. Maybe I'll take you on a blogging tour to his place some time.

Lovella ♥ said...

Well .. I actually know two violin makers.. My sister in law Heidi's Dad was quite a famous violin maker and passed it on to his son who lives in the valley here.
I see Judy knows someone too . .again. . you never know what we can do ..and you know who I mean when I say "we".

Lovella ♥ said...

I'm back with my research. .
http://janzenviolins.com/opus229.htm

Just a little something from Judy said...

My FIL played the violin and two of my friends are quite accomplished violin players. This was so very interesting to me. I know I would enjoy stepping into a shop like this, and the privilege of hearing a recital would thrill me. Great post!

Barbara said...

The violin store is interesting as I visited one last Summer not too far away in Suffolk. Looked just like yours inside but much smaller and oldie worldy shop.
If you want to check it out then go to 'Suffolk' under labels and you will find it under "Woodbridge".

I liked the mural painting too. They do lots of that in Bavaria (Southern Germany)

Marg said...

I'm coming over right now...We have two violins in our home...I just want to attend all the recitals.
That's what keeps me going back to Europe, to sit in some of those Recital Halls listening to the music from those composers.

Anneliese said...

I feel like this kind of shop belongs in Europe... a quaint little romantic shop hidden away somewhere with the most beautiful sounding violins. How neat that you have one close by.Both of our girls began playing at age 4. We've had every size in the house... and we do have one old one that came from Europe... wondering what history it holds.
My father-in-law made his own violin and left it in South America because they have "everything you need in Canada... and much nicer too." So goes what could have been a family heirloom.