An amateur luthier visits Cremona, Italy

Intimidated by Stradivarius

An amateur luthier visits Cremona, Italy

-by Andrew Ryan Henke

     When I was seventeen and trying to figure out what the heck I was going to do with the rest of my life, I made the decision I was going to be a public high school string orchestra teacher.  I was getting ready to go to music school when I visited Andy Stetson's luthier workshop called the Bass Cellar in Cincinnati Ohio (http://www.basscellar.com/luthiers.html).

     I had purchased my string bass from Andy Stetson and I was, on this day, returning for him to glue a seam.  He welcomed me down to his workshop to show me how.  We walked down into the cellar (hence the name) and I saw my first luthier workshop.  Several basses were in various states of repair and construction, there were tools everywhere, and for some reason, I was in awe.  I've always been a creative person (writing, painting, etc.) and I saw something that I instantly knew I'd love.

     However, I had a problem.  I was so sure I wanted to be an orchestra teacher.  I was going to college.  Where would I learn to be a luthier?  Was this strange, rare field of study even remotely practical from a life and financial point-of-view?

     I took the practical approach and went to college to be an orchestra teacher.

     Fast forward many years and I found myself hating teaching.  I had classes of 70 and 80 regularly, 7 classes a day, many bad students that the administration refused to do anything about, and I dreaded every single day.  I was a very good teacher.  The vast majority of my students loved me.  However, I realized I was sacrificing my sanity, time, and life outside of work for a profession that I dreaded.

     Seemingly randomly, one day I got a flash from my former dream to be a luthier.  One of my teacher friends forwarded an email from a local luthier who had studied with the masters in Cremona Italy.  He was offering lessons on making violins.  I did not hesitate and signed up.  I had completed my first violin 5 months later and loved every second of making it.

     My luthier teacher, Okkyum Kim (http://www.okkyumviolin.com/), moved to Las Angeles after 5 months and I felt stuck.  Life got in the way over the next few years and I only dabbled in violin making.  I started a second violin, but only got as far as the ribs and back.  I dreamed of visiting Cremona, Italy and seeing the birthplace of Stradivarius and visiting the best luthiers int he world.

     This year, I quit teaching.  I couldn't take it any more after 9 years.  I am now working for Ronald Sachs Violins and loving every second of it.  I manage the Marietta/East Cobb store and get to do minor instrument repairs (https://www.ronaldsachs.com/t-marietta.aspx).

     I just returned from a trip to Italy with my fiance'.  We went to Rome, Florence, and, of course, Cremona.  I figured the world of amateur violin makers might be interested to hear my experience and maybe make the pilgrimage as well some day.

     So you know how in the regular world you feel like no one really gets string players or the craft unless they're one themselves?  You say you're a musician and people say, "Are you in a band?"  You clarify and usually get a flat, "Oh," or an overly cheerful response of how much they love fiddles or Canon in D or that one pretty cello song (Bach cello suite no.1).  Or you might say how you play a string instrument and get the response of, "Oh, I played x instrument in band in high school," and that's the end of the conversation.

     In Cremona Italy, I assumed people in the town would know about the history of violin making and even maybe know that there was a luthier school and luthiers in the town.  I was blown away at how much string instruments and luthiers are a part of the town.  Everywhere you look there are things violin-related in Cremona and everyone (I mean EVERYONE) knows about the history of the luthiers in their town.  More often than not, shop windows are decorated with violins, violas, and cellos.  The street signs include arrows toward luthier's workshops.  My hotel was completely violin themed.  There was even a DJ festival the first night we were there called the "StraDJvarius" festival.

     For the first time ever, I felt like I was in a place that understood this crazy thing I love so much called violin making.

     Another preface to this story.  Okkyum Kim, my teacher, was SERIOUS about violin making.  I assume you have to to be as good as he was.  He yelled at me a few times in his workshop when I'd make mistakes.  So I was understandably very nervous to visit the world-renown luthiers of Cremona.  I told my fiance' a week before our trip that I wasn't going to visit any luthiers because "they don't want amateurs bothering them," and, "they probably get amateurs like me in their shops every day and have to shoo them off."

     Lucikly, I gathered my courage and contacted several luthiers and violin making schools.  Several responded with excitement for my visit.  I got to see three different luthiers' workshops and talk shop with them.  Every one was incredibly nice, encouraging, and helpful.  They did not treat me like an amateur to placate or get rid of.  They treated me almost like an equal, often showing me instruments they were working on and even in one instance asking my advice (thought that had to be just him being nice).  I met Michele Dobner (http://www.micheledobner.com/), Valerio Ferron (http://www.violinaio.it/welcome/), and Maestro Piergiuseppe Esposti.  Michele Dobner told me about a local luthier tools shop that he got a large planer from.  I immediately went after my visit.  Many times in the past I've ordered tools online and not received what I thought I was getting.  At the tools store, I was so happy to finally get to hold in my hand every tool so I knew I was ordering what I wanted.  Kid in a candy store much?  I also went through the violin music with my fiance'.  She loved it and felt like she understood me and what I do much better, so feel free to bring a significant other!

     I did not hear back from the major school in Cremona until I had already left unfortunately, but I did get to tour a private violin making school called Academia Cremonensis (http://www.academiacremonensis.it/en/).  They let me tour their school and talked with me for a good three hours.  They even let me see their private stock of wood, let me comb through all of it for the best wood, and purchase several pieces.

     I showed pictures of the violin I had made to Maestro Esposti and he was very encouraging and positive about what he saw and the method that I'd used to make it.  I was offered to apply to the school and, after seeing my work, said I wouldn't even possibly be able to enter a year or two ahead of a standard beginner.  I don't know if I'm going to take that big of a plunge into this world any time soon, but I was very flattered and tempted.

     In the end, I want any beginner, amateur, intermediate, or even expert luthier to not be intimidated to visit Cremona.  The city is amazing to visit even without the luthier side of things.  Everyone was extremely nice and encouraging to me.  If you have a passion for this crazy thing called violin making, repair, bow making, or even just the history of the art, do not be intimidated to visit Cremona and visit with the world-class luthiers there.

By Andrew Ryan Henke
http://www.ronaldsachs.com

Andrew Ryan Henke is the manager of the Marietta/East Cobb branch of Ronald Sachs Violins.  He has played string bass for 22 years and was a public school orchestra teacher for nine years.  He also is a fantasy author of the epic trilogy "The Lumin Prophecies." www.andrewryanhenke.com