ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!

The rumors are true.

I'm quitting my life as a land lubber luthier, and running away to sea (like my father did before me - he was a first mate of a ship and had glorious adventures, and even though I'll only be a cabin boy, I aspire to be as cool as him even though he left me at a young age and I never saw him again. Some role model.) (I'm just kidding, I think that was Treasure Island.) (I digress.)

At the beginning of April, I will be signing onto Celebrity Solstice with my string trio! Most of you know that I hold a Bachelor's degree in violin performance, so like most people who went to school for music, my goal in life was to play for a living. I detoured into a more practical career, to my day job fixing violins and bows, but I'm back on track to play the violin full time.

The goal in life is to make a living playing the violin. The huge perk is that I'm getting paid to go places that I would never be able to afford to go to otherwise. I will be starting in Sydney, Australia, only to immediately cross back over the Pacific (by way of French Polynesia) to Hawaii. The summer will be spent going back and forth between Seattle and Alaska (my long time readers will recall I spent the summer of 2010 doing those same Alaska runs - I'm looking forward to going back!) and then back to Hawaii in the fall, before signing off in October.

FAQ:
How much will you be working?
A few sets each evening, which is a couple hours a day.

Oh wow, that's the ship your boyfriend is on! Is that why you're doing this?
No. Yes, I'm very excited that I get to spend so much time with him working together in the same place, but I've been wanting to get a job on a ship since I got off my last ship job in 2010, and I only met Boyfriend in 2012.

Do you get to actually get off the ship when you're in those cool places?
Yes. My job is to entertain guests, and when the ship is in port, the guests are out in port too. There is no point in having live music when the audience is out snorkeling, so most of the time I'll be able to go to the cool places!

Can I fit myself into your luggage and come along? 
Unfortunately, we're not allowed to have pets on board. Also, my luggage space is pretty limited, as I have to pack 6 months worth of stuff into two suitcases, including my sheet music.

How can I follow where you go and what you're up to?
Well, I'll be writing some adventures into this blog, AND/OR you can go like my group on facebook (by clicking HERE) . We will keep that updated with blurbs and pictures in case you don't want to read my pompous ramblings interesting stories on here.

december happenings

So. I like to go to new places, and I am in a lot of weddings this year.

These patterns will continue over the next couple weeks, but first I'm traveling to one of my favorite places to go back to, good old Maryland. I'm driving up there this Monday for Christmas! Hooray, I love Christmas! What I love about Christmas is that my family has done exactly the same thing every Christmas morning my entire life. I know that will change, possibly drastically, in the next year or two, so I've got to hold on to it while it lasts.

Right after Christmas, though, I'm roadtripping down to the furthest South that I've ever been in the U.S. (Apart from Florida, which is more south, but less southern). My second of four big weddings that I'm a part of this year, this one I will be honored to be the maid of honor! What fun. Fortunately, a super cute bridesmaid dress that I get to wear (that I've already shortened so that I can wear it later!)

Right after the wedding, though, I'm roadtripping straight back up to Maryland. That's right, I'm a yo-yo. Why wouldn't I be going back to Nashville at that point? It seems like it would be on the way from the bottomest part of Alabama to Maryland. Nope. I've got a super  awesome  nerdy string quartet gig with the Triforce Quartet, for MAGFest (Music and Gaming Festival) in DC, at the beginning of January.

Right after MAGFest, though, I'm coming back to Nashville. For a bit. I suppose. Stay tuned! I'll take some pictures.

Take your Blog to Work Day

Let's talk about what I do for a living. Whenever people ask me what I do, I always hesitate for a second because I don't know what to say first. The most concise explanation I usually answer with is, "I play the violin and I fix them." ("and I teach violin and I make bows and I travel a lot and I do whatever else I can to pay my bills") People are usually/always boggled when they find out that I am a luthier. The fact that something like that exists as a career is such a funny small corner of music, people just don't think of it.

But, that's what I do. And it's pretty fun. It has its ups and downs, like any job.

The biggest part of my job is rehairing bows. I usually compare it to getting your oil changed in your car. It has to be done every few months (or years, depending on how frequently you play). I think there's an official number of playing hours on horse hair, but it's really up to the player if they feel that they need some new hair. Or every 10 months. Whichever comes first.

FAQ:

So it's actually real horsehair?
Yes. They have not come up with anything that is better than the real thing. The best hair is off of living horses, it apparently makes a huge difference. My shop gets the best hair that is available! (and you might be surprised at how much it costs, but think of all the sorting that has to be done to get a whole pound of good hair with no kinks or blemishes or bugs)

Where do you even go to learn something like this?
I started out at the Minnesota State College Southeast Technical String Instrument Repair Program, which is where I learned to rehair, but there wasn't much focus on bow repairs, and I knew I was coming back to a job being a bow luthier, so for further study I went to the bow repair workshop with Lynn Hannings and George Rubino, and later studied bowmaking with Lynn.

And you actually make a living doing this?
Well, I also teach violin, which is really helpful, and I gig around town doing weddings and playing with bands and other stuff. So between everything, I usually get my bills paid. :)

Doing the same thing over and over, don't you get bored?
Yes. Actually, rehairs are a funny thing, and not many luthiers like to do them. It's a bad combination of hard to do, easy to mess up, and very repetitive. So once you're good at them, it's no big deal, but I have to say after 400 or so, you start to want to do other things with your life.

grand life update:

Beloved Readers, (both of you)

I apologize again for leaving you hanging for so long. I bet you've been dying to know what I've been up to.

Let's see.

At the end of April, I gave a recital. It went well! I was very pleased with how I played, I think the most comfortable I've been with any solo recital I've given. Here's a video (even though all of my blog readers were either at the recital, or I've sent this to you already)


Also I looked very pretty: (if I do say so)

The day after the recital (since I apparently like to plan things in rapid succession so that I never have time to sleep or think about anything), I drove 900 miles north to Minneapolis. I had been planning a trip up to visit my old Minnesota buddies for a while anyway, and it was a much-needed week vacation. I saw everyone that I hadn't seen in a year: Favorite ship friends, favorite luthier school friends, favorite not-ship-or-luthier-school friends. It was a good week, filled with  large amount of happiness and good food and good music.

As soon as I got back to Nashville, I started packing up my life to move to a new house. I painted my room (because it was green, the whole thing, even the ceiling, and it was like living in a christmas box, which seems like it would be fun at first, but I'm sure it would get old) Anyway. I painted it a color called "Castle Path," which I will leave to your imagination, as I'm sure it is much more exciting in there than it is in real life.

And so with this, that, and the other, I moved. I love my new place. One roommate, who is also a luthier, and a dog. and a back porch. It's a little bit perfect. And close to work. And did I mention perfect?

Isn't she a darlin?

Oh - the most important part of Minnesota, I fell in love. With a violin. It's beautiful, and sounds so great. Made just a few months ago by a maker in St. Paul. It took me weeks to figure out a way to pay for her, but I did, and its mine, and I love it. Here's a shameless glamour shot I took of it on my bed the other day.

Sexy, right? I like big bouts and I cannot lie. 

Which brings us to my latest musical endeavor. I found the most wonderful pianist, and together we kidnapped a cellist to join us and we've started a piano trio. It's at the very beginning, but stay tuned for the unveiling of a website and some recital dates later this summer in Maryland, Tennessee, and Kentucky.

The last bit of exciting news is that next month I am heading out on a grand adventure, my annual pilgrimage up the East Coast. I love it, and I can't wait to see everyone. Flying to Maryland, driving to Boston, driving further to New Hampshire, learning how to make some violin bows, driving back down to Maryland. Driving south to Virginia to see the little munchkin who will be out of the oven by then! I'm pretty excited.

After that we've got some quartet recording endeavors, which I will update you on as soon as I know things.

Oh, and I'm pretty obsessed with this piece. Have a listen:

mlergh.

Something so simple as a cold can turn even the bravest heart into a sad, whiny baby.

Today I am a sad and whiny baby. I wouldn't even be at work, except that the other luthiers all happen to be out of town this weekend, and someone needs to be at the shop in case of any emergencies. String instrument emergencies, don't laugh, it happens.

Yesterday, a violinist called up and needed her bow fixed immediately - the silver winding had come undone, and her senior recital is Saturday. Not something that you can drop off and leave for a week.

One time, Edgar Meyer had a broken tuning gear on his bass, and called up frantically saying he had Bela Fleck and a bunch of other people over at his house right then to record and needed it to be fixed right then.

Another time, Elvis Presley said the world would end if we didn't glue up an open seam on his viola.

Two truths and a lie. My point is, I'm snuggled in a blanket and eating soup and being very anti-social, but at my bench instead of on my couch, and I feel very crappy. And yes, in my brainworld, Elvis is secretly a violist. He'd probably be mad that I've outed him on my blog. To all two of my readers.

a day in the life

Outside my window… greywhite sky, gravel parking lot, alleyway, old houses, Music Row.

I am thinking… about what I will be doing the rest of the week.

I am thankful for… this job. It is easy to take something so great for granted, but doing what I love pays the bills, and I'm luckier than most.

From the kitchen… hot soup and hot lemon tea. Perfect for today.

I am wearing… a new purple shirt, jeans, and boots.

I am creating… order in a world of broken, dirty chaos.

I am going… to Dickson tonight to play string quartets with some of my favorite people, and drink prosecco by a large fireplace.

I am reading… The Contributor, a newspaper by homeless people.

I am hearing… Beethoven's 7th. Cold blah days make me want to listen to Beethoven.

Around the house… violins, string instruments, tools, horse hair.

One of my favorite things… my old scuffed up violin mug.

A few plans for the rest of the week… a friend's birthday tomorrow, a chocolate martini party on friday, irish music on saturday!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing…

doors

Would you like to know what I like best about my job?

There are many reasons a luthier career is perfect for me - a blend of music and art and science. It's not just making things pretty (although that's important too!), its making things exact. It's nice for someone whose brain is made up of squares instead of circles. I also enjoy the flexibility the job allows. I am here all day every day, but if I'd like to take a long lunch out with someone, or leave early for a rehearsal or something, I can do that as long as I stick with the deadlines given to me by the customers, and depending on how much work I have to do (which, on the other hand, sometimes kicks me in the foot when I have too much work to do, staying late or working all weekend). I pretty much live here - I have better food on my shelf at work than I do at home. I learn a lot, new things come in all the time. New little problems and challenges to fix. New little emergencies, someone is in town just for a few hours and needs something fixed quick.

But what I like best about my job is my door.

I have a glorious door that I can close whenever I want to, and I play music and work on my projects and rarely be bothered. I still come out to talk to my customers, when they drop off their bows and instruments and when they pick them up, but it is just the right amount of customer interaction for me.

violin lessons!

Tomorrow, I start up my spring semester of violin lessons. I'm excited! I have a really good slew of students this year. I've never til the recent couple years thought of myself as the teacher type, but when it's good, it's good.

This sort of thing helps:

adorable.

But I still like teaching adults best. Even though they get discouraged initially - because learning the violin sounds terrible at first, and they know it (where a 5 year old has no idea how bad it is, and forges ahead no matter what) - adults learn so much more quickly, and blow through the easy things pretty quickly. Once they understand that it'll take some time, they can joke about it, and get through it. I always admire when someone works hard even when it doesn't sound good, and won't for a while. (and I know when that 13 year old kid is stalling and trying to distract me from the fact that he didn't practice. can't foo me! I've been there!)

In other news, has anyone ever noticed how many cheese-related commercials there are on television these days? As if I need motivation to eat more cheese. Psh.

.magical extra day this week

This morning, I was very stressed.

I got to work feeling very sick and very cranky. My annual sinus infection is in full force, making me not sick enough to take any time off, but sick enough to be entirely miserable.

I have a handful of bows to get done by the 6th. I planned on doing them all today. But I also had some overflow work from yesterday. And I had a guy call ahead and bring me a bow to do a same-day-rehair on. (Which I found out via sticky note, whoever took the note down did not ask me if I was able to do it)

I had no idea how I was going to get everything done by tomorrow.

Then I looked at my calendar, and realized today is the 4th, not the 5th, and now I have two days to get done everything I thought I had to do in one day.

I wish I had the ability to add an extra day of the week whenever I need it, because this was certainly nice!