26 FAQs

Another Birthday Update -

Wednesday, October 2nd, 2024

Here are 26 questions I typically get when out at events or socializing with a new person:

  1. What got you into violin making?

    2. So when COVID first hit I was in between jobs and eventually, while I was still in school, landed a part time job working at Voss Violins. I initially thought I was mostly going to be doing clerical and sales stuff, but they needed someone to work on their rental inventory. After learning minor instrument repair on the job, and slowly becoming unconfident in my MusEd degree, I started thinking about going into a violinmaking school and seeing how it's done.

  2. How are you liking Chicago?

    3. I did not like the winter and I was told it was one of the milder ones. That cold was unnecessary, and quite frankly, anti-black. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ But other than that, I'm right in the city, there's a ton of stuff to do, there's a HUGE number of black classical musicians and just musicians in general that I've been connecting with. I'm having fun.

  3. What are your plans after school?

    4. What are you my mother? I don't know what I'm doing tomorrow.
    To answer your question, still not sure. I might stay in Chicago for a year or so to work and save up, but I do eventually wanna return to at least the southeast and either find work in a shop or go about it on my own. The dream is to get a van a make and do repairs for schools and music programs that way. Who knows man.

  4. So you like…actually make the violins? By hand?

    5. ...yeah, man.
    (I always get this, and every time I never know how to respond lol.)

  5. That’s so fascinating. I never considered that people actually make the instruments.

    6. Not a question, but okay. Yeah, modern makers are out here doing incredible things. While technology has advanced and manufactured instruments have gotten better, nothing compares to instruments made with a human's touch. The cool thing about the American violin making schools is that pretty soon, likely within the decade or so, we're going to have a batch of American violin makers trained by makers who were trained in America. Kinda cool if you think about it.

  6. So what makes an instrument worth millions of dollars?

    7. The name. Strad's instruments are worth a lot because he made good instruments and was formative in its development as the instrument we know today. He wasn't using special wood or bespoke rib bending water, no "secret ingredient" in the varnish recipe. (...I mean, there could be, we don't know for sure.) Even with living makers: your paying for their education, knowledge, time, labor, and materials. Of course a finely made instrument with high quality materials and workmanship can sell for a lot, but the answer you're looking for in asking this is on the label inside.

  7. Have you ever seen a Strad?

    8. Yes, a few in fact. Most recently the Harrison Strad up close, and most most recently, I saw, from a distance, the first Strad viola being played by Tamestit with the CSO. The VSA will also display a bunch of rare instruments by Strad, Amati, Guarneri, and the likes at their conventions in November, and seeing those fiddles provide a lot of insight into what I want my making to look like eventually.

  8. So what do you do other than music and violinmaking?

    9. Gods I hate this question. I've made "music" my entire personality since middle school. Something I've been trying to get out of by figuring out my hobbies. I love going to live shows (still music, yeah I know) and there's a lot of them in Chicago. I've been getting back into D&D and TTRPGs in general. (Which reminds me, I want to try a solo adventure at some point.) Making this website and feeling like a true coder/web developer has been pretty fun. Been getting real into podcasts recently; ask me about NADDPOD (don't sing yet), D20, Midst, Candela Obscura, Dungeons and Daddies, 3BH...I'll likely have an answer for you. I made sure to enjoy Lake Michigan before it gets cold, because I gotta feel the wind chill before I get old.(If you got that without googling it, I love you <3)

  9. What instrument do you play? Are you in the CSO?

    10. Viola. And I'm flattered you think I have the mental and/or technical capacity to be in major American orchestra, but nah man. I do, however, play pretty often with my friend Ahmed's orchestra, the South Loop Symphony Orchestra... ya know when a concert doesn't fall on a date I have another gig or I'm not out of town lol.

  10. What’s the difference between a violin and a viola?

    11. Yeah that's usually the next question. So the viola is the better and superior stringed instrument and the coolest people play it bigger and deeper in tone than the violin. It's tuned a fifth lower than the violin and the ribs are also slightly taller. You see, the viola is an imperfect instrument; for the range it plays in, acoustics and physics say that it should be a lot larger than it is to optimally produce sound, so there are many different sizes and shapes the viola can be to try and mitiga— hey, wait come back!

  11. What kind of music do you listen to?

    12. Another question I never have the answer to. Recently? A lot of indie/alternative music by black and POC artists. I don't pay for Sp*tify anymore, but this playlist is essentially the vibe these days.

  12. What are you working on in school right now?

    13. Scrolls.

  13. Who made your website?

    14. Me.

  14. So how much does a good violin go for these days?

    15. Like I said, depends on the maker. The only metric I've heard somewhat recently is that most makers right out of school can sell a fiddle around 5k-9k, and I've seen more experienced makers sell their work for 30k-40k. It's all relative.

  15. Are there any other black makers?

    16. Yes.

    And also yes.

  16. Who’s the best luthier?

    17. What are you my little brother? But to answer your question, Cecilio/j

  17. What’s your favorite color?

    18. Red

  18. What’s one of the coolest things you’ve seen a modern maker do with a violin?

    19. Check out these scrolls, dude. I simply must know how this was done.

  19. Do you ever miss Atlanta?

    20. All the time, baby. Not so much the city but the community I had there. Though, like I said, I'm finding a great community up here, too.

  20. You know they can 3D print violins now?

    21. Yes! And while that is impressive, it's usually not much more than that: impressive. Don't get me wrong, I think innovations in technology have great use in the making process. There are plenty of decent CNC instruments out there commercially. But having something done by something with a heartbeat will always have a little more care taken in making it.

  21. Can I ask you something?

    22. You just did.

  22. My [insert family member] used to play the violin and they said it was it really hard. I want to learn how to play but, I don’t know, how hard is it to start learning?

    23. Yeah it's a bit of a learning curve. Nothing about playing the violin feels natural at first, just look at the standard playing posture. Though if you can get past sucking for the first year, you can get pretty decent. It's never too late, some of my favorite students were adult learners.

  23. What’s something you want to see more of in modern violin making?

    24. Innovation. Personality. Everyone wants to make a Strad copy, and, no shit, I'm in school: of course I'm gonna copy the masters and make it like they did. But wouldn't it be nice if you could look into an orchestra's string section and see the various shapes and designs of every instrument? Already, I'm thinking about how I want to set apart my making from other makers on the scene. There are folks doing fun colored varnish that doesn't look like an "Amazon Special," interesting takes on ff holes and scroll design. Itzel Avila pinta arte debajo del diapasón de sus instrumentos, que me encanto! There are so many ways to make a violin if you break away from the monotony.

  24. What if it doesn’t work out? What’s your plan B?

    25. Geez, you are my mother. Idk man we'll cross that bridge if we get to it. But unlike how uncertain and self-doubting I was when I thought I was gonna be a music teacher (which I could still see myself doing eventually, just not right now), this does feel right.

  25. Are you on socials anywhere? How can I follow your violin making journey?

    26. Yeah, I'm mostly active on Twitter, not "X," mind you. I've also got an Instagram that I post to when I remember I have an account, and I have a Ko-Fi page, where you can help me pay tuition and buy tools for school. Did I design that question mostly for the Ko-Fi plug, yes, but only because I could really use some tuition and tool money, violinmaking is expensive.

    Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com
  26. When’s your birthday? Are you gonna do anything fun?

    27. Today. Or depending on when you're reading this, the date at the top of this page, which should be today if you're reading it on October 2nd. And not much, I've got D&D and some live shows to go to, and that's all I could really ask for. ☮︎ ♡ ♫


    Other than, of course, for you to visit the Ko-Fi page and any GoFundMe or fundraising efforts that may come up for other young black luthiers in the near future... 𝄂

    Hindemith bust with a Birthday Hat E Sharp Logo

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