Workshop Information
Violin Making with Michael Darnton
2012 Dates
- Session 1: Monday through Friday, June 4-8
- Session 2: Monday through Friday, June 11-15
- Session 3: Monday through Friday, June 18-22
Students may register for one, two, or all three sessions. Fifteen slots per week are available. This year, there will be a special one-week workshop, running concurrently with Session 3, especially for complete beginners. Beginners must get clearance from the workshop organizer in order to attend the other sessions.
Daily Schedule
Workshop hours are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm with a lunch break at noon. The facilities are open in the evenings and on weekends for participants who wish to continue working on their own.
Format
Each day features a lecture by instructor Michael Darnton. During the rest of the day, he circulates among all participants as they work on their own instruments to provide guidance, answer questions, demonstrate techniques, and troubleshoot. Each week, every participant receives a 30-minute individual session with Mr. Darnton to discuss any violin making topic of his or her choice. This loose structure allows participants to work independently at their own pace and serves them equally well whether they are beginners, intermediate, or advanced.
Lecture topics follow the outline below:
- Week 1: Outline and purfling, rough arching
- Week 2: Final arching, graduation, f-holes, bass bar
- Week 3: Carving the neck and scroll, setting the neck, and setup
Other topics addressed include tool making, sharpening, and use; choosing a model and designing the templates and forms; aesthetic considerations of the outline and corners, purfling, f-holes and scrolls; and tonal effects of arching, graduation and setup.
Note that participants are welcome to come with work at any stage, at any time, no matter what the lecture themes are for that week.
Intro to Violin Making for Complete Beginners
2012 Dates
The Intro to Violin Making workshop will be held Monday through Friday, June 18-22, concurrent with Violin Making Session 3.
Daily Schedule
Workshop hours are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm with a lunch break at noon. The facilities are open in the evenings and on weekends for participants who wish to continue working on their own.
Description
We will start at the very beginning, looking at several different sources for selecting a model and discussing the reasons for choosing particular models. Having selected a model, we will then proceed to make the necessary templates and a mold, which we will use to construct a rib garland. Finally, we will start the back and top and get as close as possible towards the stage where purfling can be done and arching refined.
This will constitute a week's work and will provide the proper foundation for the next summer's regular sessions. While individual abilities vary, each participant will have the opportunity to make significant progress on his or her first instrument. If they are industrious, students can use the open sessions in the evening to move ahead faster and to observe more experienced participants at work. Subsequent to the session, participants will have access to the online workshop forum, which is a great source of information throughout the year.
The beginner's session is slated to be led by skilled violin maker and workshop coordinator Jim Brown, who in conjunction with this role has successfully guided many newbie violin makers through the basics. Students will have access to Michael Darnton's demonstrations and informal lectures as well.
Bow Making with Lynn Armour Hannings
2012 Dates
- Session 1: Monday through Friday, June 4-8
- Session 2: Monday through Friday, June 11-15
Students may register for one or both sessions. (Note: This year, Bow Making Session 2 will start on a Monday, not a Saturday.) Ten slots per week are available.
Daily Schedule
Workshop hours are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm with a lunch break at noon. The facilities are open in the evenings and on weekends for participants who wish to continue working on their own.
Format
In this hands-on workshop, participants learn about the entire process of bow making. The workshop covers design, weight/balance, materials, tips, tool usage, finishing, and more.
Workshop Photos
View a slideshow of photos from the workshop!
