ABOUT ME
I grew up in a musical environment shaped by professional string playing, chamber music, teaching, and time spent in a family luthier’s workshop.
Much of my early experience of sound came from being around rehearsals, lessons, performances, and the everyday work of making and maintaining instruments. Listening – closely and repeatedly – became the natural way of understanding what was happening.
Alongside my work as a luthier, I am a string player, teacher and composer. My understanding of instruments begins from that perspective – as someone who has spent years inside the experience of playing, listening, and adjusting to response in real time.
Taken together, these experiences shape an approach grounded in both playing and making, with a consistent focus on how instruments respond in use.
WORKING PRINCIPLES FOR MY PRACTICE
These are the principles I want to return to as I train and work as a maker and restorer of violin family instruments. At the core of my work is a simple approach: detailed, collaborative, and rooted in a lifelong instinct to listen closely – to the material, to the process, and to the people I’m working with. Everything else flows from that.
1. CRAFT BEFORE STATUS
My first responsibility is to sound, playability, and reliability. I am making tools for musicians, not luxury objects for display or speculation.
2. TRADITION AS A RESOURCE
This craft carries centuries of accumulated knowledge. I study it carefully and respectfully. Tradition is a starting point for learning, offering deep insight from generations of makers. I aim to build on that knowledge thoughtfully, guided by skill and understanding, while questioning practices that exclude, obscure, or don’t stand up to scrutiny.
3. SLOWNESS AS RESISTANCE
In a culture of speed and financial abstraction, I choose attention, patience, and care. The time I take learning, observing, and refining shapes the sound, the feel, and the integrity of each instrument.
4. THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB
I am not committed to tools for their own sake. I will use whatever method best serves accuracy, efficiency, and quality. In violin making, this often means hand tools.
5. COLLABORATION WITH MUSICIANS
Whether making, repairing, or adjusting, my work is in partnership with the player. Listening to the musician matters as much as technical expertise. The instrument exists to support expression, and its voice emerges through shared attention and dialogue.
6. TRANSPARENCY AND PLAIN DEALING
Where possible, I will be open about process, materials, labour, and pricing. Skill deserves fair compensation. I prefer clarity over esotericism, and direct communication over mystique.
7. ACCESS AND WIDENING THE CIRCLE
I recognise that fine string instruments often sit within systems of privilege. Where I have room to act – through education, pricing structures, outreach, or mentorship – I will try to widen access rather than narrow it.
8. INTEGRITY OVER FASHION
I will not chase trends, prestige, or elite approval at the expense of sound workmanship and ethical practice. A steady reputation built on care is enough.
9. WORK THAT FITS THE MAKER
My workshop will support my authentic way of being. I will structure my practice to allow sustained focus and careful attention so that my work reflects both precision and presence.
10. LIFELONG LEARNING
This is a long craft. I expect to remain a student of wood, sound, and musicians for as long as I work. As my skills and understanding evolve, I will revisit and refine these principles with intention and care.