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My dear friends,
Welcome to my blog!
Most of you reading this already know that I am taking 2 months to go to Big Rapids, Michigan to take a course in guitar building and repair at the Galloup School of Lutherie. This has been an interest I have dabbled in for many years, beginning with maintaining and tweaking my own instruments... and then volunteering at Bob Zatzman's store for a while and learning from him, realizing I needed some woodworking skills and taking classes with Sally Willowbee, building an octave mandolin (in the picture) at a workshop with Don Kawalek, and then this past summer attending another workshop on instrument repair with Bob Smakula. Squeezed in around the edges of a full and busy life, I felt relegated to learning by trial and error (mostly error). I need to find out if this is something I want to try to develop into more than a hobby and can't know that without more training... so I'm off to do that.
I am in between jobs right now... so a little nervous about that... but very excited to pursue this thing I've always wanted to learn. Playing fretted stringed musical instruments has been profoundly rewarding and important in my life... has brought me many of the best things, skills and people and ability to express deep aspects of myself that come out in no other way. Creating and maintaining instruments that can do that for others feels like an almost sacred act. I don't know yet if I'll enjoy doing this every day, or if I'll be any good at it... but I sure hope to find out.
8 weeks away from home will be a challenge. Being away over Passover. Missing my own bed, my dogs, my friends and beloveds, will be hard. But I am looking forward to being immersed in this study, and off on my own in a new place with new people and lots of time to rest and think and digest and reflect.
So many of you have been so extraordinarily supportive of my taking this risk and pursuing this dream... I am deeply grateful to all of you and feel buoyed up by your encouragement, gifts and help. Thank you all... and stay tuned to this channel. I will try to post every couple of days. I leave on Friday, will arrive on Sunday and start classes on Monday... I promise pictures. Leave comments if you feel like it... or feel free to email me.
Welcome to my blog!
Most of you reading this already know that I am taking 2 months to go to Big Rapids, Michigan to take a course in guitar building and repair at the Galloup School of Lutherie. This has been an interest I have dabbled in for many years, beginning with maintaining and tweaking my own instruments... and then volunteering at Bob Zatzman's store for a while and learning from him, realizing I needed some woodworking skills and taking classes with Sally Willowbee, building an octave mandolin (in the picture) at a workshop with Don Kawalek, and then this past summer attending another workshop on instrument repair with Bob Smakula. Squeezed in around the edges of a full and busy life, I felt relegated to learning by trial and error (mostly error). I need to find out if this is something I want to try to develop into more than a hobby and can't know that without more training... so I'm off to do that.
I am in between jobs right now... so a little nervous about that... but very excited to pursue this thing I've always wanted to learn. Playing fretted stringed musical instruments has been profoundly rewarding and important in my life... has brought me many of the best things, skills and people and ability to express deep aspects of myself that come out in no other way. Creating and maintaining instruments that can do that for others feels like an almost sacred act. I don't know yet if I'll enjoy doing this every day, or if I'll be any good at it... but I sure hope to find out.
8 weeks away from home will be a challenge. Being away over Passover. Missing my own bed, my dogs, my friends and beloveds, will be hard. But I am looking forward to being immersed in this study, and off on my own in a new place with new people and lots of time to rest and think and digest and reflect.
So many of you have been so extraordinarily supportive of my taking this risk and pursuing this dream... I am deeply grateful to all of you and feel buoyed up by your encouragement, gifts and help. Thank you all... and stay tuned to this channel. I will try to post every couple of days. I leave on Friday, will arrive on Sunday and start classes on Monday... I promise pictures. Leave comments if you feel like it... or feel free to email me.
2 comments:
best wishes! looking forward to reading more about your journey
Thinking of you today. Hope you got off to a good start. I look forward to your blog and to the instruments you'll be bringing home.
J
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