We recently gave a presentation regarding the details of a professional rehair for the Michigan Violinmakers Association.
MVA Presentation: What Goes Into A Professional Rehair
Shopping for a Bow, Part 2
Begin With a Small Selection A shop will set out several bows for you and share some information, perhaps about who made them, their nationality, age, etc. At first, this information may not seem useful but it is worth getting a general knowledge on the bows you are trying. During your first appointment, focus only …
Making a Button
I recently had a number of people interested in my button making process. This article outlines the basic process I use.
Shopping for a Bow, Part 1
Shopping for a bow deserves as much attention as shopping for an instrument. This article will break down the details of each step and clarify some of the more peculiar aspects of violin family bows.
A Case for the Baroque Bow: A Specialist’s Perspective
One of the merits of living in the 21st century is that there is now a plurality of perspectives that musicians can draw upon when playing works of the 17th and 18th centuries. One only has more to gain in exploring this repertoire with a baroque bow. This is not a matter of right or wrong, but why not?
Practice Mutes
With extended stay-at-home orders, musicians are struggling to practice for fear of disturbing roommates or family members now working from home. I've used several different practice mutes over the years and will be suggesting a few that I think work best depending on your instrument and the sound you are looking for. How Does A …
Bow Makers’ Zoom Conference
With many summer workshops and programs canceled and desperate for some sort of interaction with my colleagues, I felt compelled to organize a free online social event among bow makers. We had some wonderful bow makers hosting discussions and included bow makers from France, Germany, Israel, Holland, Scotland, Canada, and the USA. We would like to share our recorded conversations with the larger community of bow makers and musicians who could not attend to hopefully inspire and offer insight to what many of us consider when working with bows.
The Future of Restored Bows
Historical Bows As big name makers such as Sartory, Peccatte, Tourte, etc. are continually raising in value and are pushed out of the the price range of most working musicians. However, a repaired or incomplete example may be obtained for a fraction of the price. I anticipate that within the next decade we will see …
Singing with the Bow
Over the past few years, I have had the wonderful pleasure of working with Eliot Heaton, Concertmaster of the Michigan Opera Theatre and Des Moines Metro Opera, and his bows. The way that Eliot shapes phases and uses his bow is inspiring to any bow maker and much can be learned from such high caliber musicians. We welcome him here on our blog, sharing some insight on how he draws insight from the human voice to produce thoughtful, vocal-like phrases.
Bow Bugs, Eww!
"Bow Bugs" are carpet beetles that find their way into your case. This article describes how to identify and get rid of them.
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