Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Spring break has ended, well it ended a while ago actually, but I am just now writing again soooo.....at school I am on rib assembly two and three. I will work on these two at the same time until they are to the point of my first and then continue all of them from there with knecks etc. Overall my spring break was great.
Today I started working on fitting a bridge for the fiddle I play now. I recently got a pickup and knew it was about time for a new bridge also, so I bought some from Taylor USA and today Brian finally let me begin. I just began working on the back side of the bridge and planed two flats, one that tapers to the top of the bridge, it was easy going too which was nice. I don't know how long before I get to put the new bridge on, but I am definitely looking forward to it.

We have moved on to reading The Violin-Makers of the Guarneri Family (1626-1762). It is good, interesting for the most part and a little easier to read than the Strad book from last semester.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

work work and PARTY!

Ok so I believe I left off with graduating the maple.......well, my first violin body is finished :) and I am very happy. What we do now is put it away and start two more at the same time. Then when all three are done it is scroll, kneck, and varnish time :). Right now, all I have been working on is making my own forms and templates a painstaking, necessary evil. I have two templates and almost two forms completed after filing on them for the better part of two weeks. I have an Amati and a I believe the year was 1710 Strad.

Well I have some good and bad news on the music seen. I have been playing with a fellow musician lately by the name of Scott Kirby, and I have never loved music this much before. I remember the first time playing with him I was sooo in to it that I was messing myself up. And all he does is play music literally. It is great and I have been playing every Saturday night with him at Otto's in downtown Minocqua. Well I was leaving the gig yesterday when some very drunk guys hit my car. I was still parked! Farther down the road, it sounded like they wrecked pretty bad too. I keep telling people, this is what I get for playing at bars. Total idiots!

And now on a more positive note. I am going to be playing with Scott and the band for the title of band of Wisconsin. I am excited! But it also means I need to hurry up and carve a bridge for my fiddle and set-up a pickup.

So school is going great. Oh almost forgot. We threw Brian, our teacher, a surprise party at school on his birthday and who is the mastermind you ask......me of course! It was great, a total hit. Of course Brian is too humble to tell us when his birthday is cause it's no big deal and all, but of course I found out ;) and interestingly enough, he had a dentist appointment on this day of his birth.lol. So first I quietly told a fellow student of mine, Linda. And then came the plan of attack (or surprise). All in all a complete success. And let me tell ya....we really decked out the shop, streamers, balloons, the works. And for dessert, cupcakes.
Do I have some pictures to show you......which will be on facebook......