Hi All, In the spirit of telling stories about our violins, pull up comffy chair and your favorite hot/cold drink and I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours. My story is about the country mouse coming to the city when compared perhaps some of your violins which has a rich history of ages gone by or of  violins handed down from a master violinist.  Having built furniture without electricity and interested in music I somehow got it in my head to make my violin.  Little did I know either what I had gotten my self into nor the pull of violins would have on me.  Is it a very nice violin-no but the colour did come out exactl y what I had in my mind.  There are many mistakes on this violin not the least of which in the curing stage of the varnish blackflies and no-see-ums decided to land on the violin for a breather.  As it turned out a long breather.  Yes, there are plans for making another, perhaps before coming to Austin for the gathering of the clans.  For all it's mistakes I am glad that I made this violin.

Hello Beth.  Firstly thank you for providing this excellent website.  I am an adult beginner and have had 3 months of weekly lessons but the information on your site is really helping to fill in a lot of gaps for me.  I am having real problems with my left hand in the first position where the first and second fingers are very close together.  I find it very difficult to get these 2 fingers very close - I don't have a problem getting this where the second and third fingers are together.  Is there anything you could suggest to assist/

Many thanks and kind regards

Jan