About me..

I attended the Chicago School of Violin Making, working evenings at small local shops.  My first full time job was working with Michael Becker at his shop in Park Ridge.   Mike put me to work on learning instrument restoration - everything from necksets to soundpost patches to bassbar replacement.  However it soon became apparent that the shop needed a new bow guy and that guy was me!  I began to learn how to rehair and do other basic bow work.  I quickly realized how important good bow work can be for a violin shop and decided to seek further training. After approaching Mike with my idea of attending a seminar on bow work, he suprised me by offering to send me out to New York City to work with well known bowmaker and director of the Oberlin College Bowmaking Workshop, Yung Chin.

Working with Yung was an eye-opener.  I had to retrain myself and re-think my approach to my craft.  I also became painfully aware of how much I still had to learn - an experience which, while humbling, served to further motivate me.   Yung was upfront, honest and open with his advice and teaching.   He challenged me.  I saw his skill, intelligence and, most importantly, the trust of his customers, aquaintences, and colleagues.  Sitting next to Yung at the bench was  intimidating,  but it was also immeasurably rewarding.  The entire experience served to bolster my determination to improve my work and to succeed as a bowmaker.   I have continued to work with Yung at his shop every year since that first visit, learning more with each stay.

A friend of mine had been working for Kenneth Warren & Son which had reciently decided to liquidate its in-house shop.  He asked me if I'd like to come and work with him in his new shop several floors down from the Warren's.  The opportunity to get involved in the downtown "scene" was of course enticing, so I took the chance and accepted the invitation.

After working together for more than half a year  doing mostly work for Warren & Son, I decided to create  my own workshop.   Violin makers Micheal Darnton and Bernardo Gutterman had shared a space on State Street for a number of years and were looking for a suitemate. 

Both Michael and Bernardo have years of experience in the violin business in Chicago, from working with such shops as Bein & Fushi in restoration as well as sales to making violins at  William Harris Lee Violins with makers such as Will Whedbee, Tetsuo Matsuda and Gary Garavaglia.   Their expertise, generosity and  mature  insights  into what can be a complex and confusing business have formed  an indispensible learning experience.