The longer version has 5 more minutes that describes further detail mainly of the forming and operations of a music advocacy committee. The longer version on youtube is at:

After reviewing all the material available for music advocacy operations, there is tons of studies and articles on the importance of music in terms of research done and testimonials, but all this seems to fall on deaf ears sometimes. This video goes into the inner political workings of the school systems and how it’s usually as simple as just becoming involved in the political process. The structure is set-up for the people’s involvement.

Please send any comments or questions to mary@goldenmusiccenter.com

The Italian word for Luthier is Liutaio.

Golden Music Center will host a lecture by Liutaio Robert Gasser “The Cremonese Violinmaking between Tradition and Modern Style” at the store at 7 pm on Tuesday, January 24th in conjunction with an exhibit of dozens of Italian violins in the store on Tues-Wed Jan 24th- 25th, and Sun-Mon Jan 29th-30th; the Exhibit also will be at the Golden Music Center booth in Colorado Springs at the Colorado Music Educators meeting on January 26th, 27th and 28th.

Why are Italian Violins so revered? Come to Golden Music this January to find out…

We recommend making an appointment and would like to get a count on lecture attendees, but feel free to drop in also.

This luthier and violins are from the “Consorzio Liutai Antonio Stradivari Cremona.” This organization was founded in 1996 for the purpose of promoting Cremonese violin making, which upholds an ancient artisan tradition. Much as food at its best in Italy, so it is true with instrument making. It takes generations to build up the traditions that can lead to a quality that consistently rivals the best in craft and artisanship.

Violinmakers from Italy are considered by some to be the best in the world.

Golden Music will also have Italian Luitaio Carlos Roberts working with their luthier staff from January 10-February 21, 2012.  All are welcome to bring their violins for a free check by him.

Take a few minutes and enjoy this short video and you will be able to move forward with your playing with confidence and understanding.

The student learns how to care for the instrument as if he or she owns it. Caring for the instrument includes changing the bow hair and the strings on a semi-annual basis (every six months). By maintaining a rental instrument, the student cultivates the habits needed to maintain a high quality stringed instrument.

• NEVER do home repairs: one false move can destroy the value of your instrument. We strongly recommend that all repairs be done by a professional.
• Keep the instrument away from radiators. It’s best to keep it in a humidified environment in the winter as dryness can cause cracks. (As an alternative to expensive electrical humidifiers, try using a “Dampit.” These small accessories are extremely affordable and fit right in one’s case.)
• Never leave the instrument in the trunk of your car. Summer heat can actually cause varnish to bubble or melt off. Glue also dissolves in heat, leaving one’s instrument vulnerable to open seams. It goes without saying that one should never (ever!) expose an instrument to bright sun.
• Never leave the instrument in plain sight in the passenger part of your car. This can be an invitation for a thief.
• Always loosen the bow after playing.
• Use a natural fiber cloth to wipe rosin off the instrument whenever you’ve ceased playing for the day. Too much leftover rosin is bad for the sound, as well as the finish.
• Periodically check your bridge for straightness (or have your teacher check it). A warped bridge will eventually fall over and/or crack.
• Occasionally check any fine tuners to make sure they are not wound too tight. If they are, loosen them and retune with the pegs. It is possible for tuners to get stuck; in some cases the tension can cause a string to break.
• When you need to change an entire set of strings, do not remove all of the old ones at once. You will lose the proper placement of the bridge, and the lack of tension may cause the soundpost to fall down.
• Be careful not to tap the tip of your bow against anything solid (even gently). This very delicate part of the bow breaks easily and is very difficult to repair. If any parts of the bow should fall off (such as the ivory button or slide), hang on to them and take the bow in for immediate repair: these are very expensive to replace.
• If you use a shoulder-rest, be sure to remove it before closing the case over your instrument. Forcing a case closed could crack the top of your violin or viola.
• Always check to see that the case is fully latched and zippered before you pick it up.
• Cellos should be carried in an upright position against the body – not down like a suitcase.
• In crowd situations, put your instrument in an out-of-the-way place so that no one will sit on it, step on it, or trip over it. Cellos in soft cases are particularly vulnerable.
• Label the instrument case with your name, address and phone number, just “in case.”

TEMPERATURE

As far as possible, try to avoid exposing the violin to sudden changes in temperature and humidity. Do not expose it to the sun, and don’t place it close to a radiator or vent. NEVER leave the violin in a car in extremely hot or extremely cold weather.

CLEANING

Rosin dust should be removed after each time you play. Use a soft cloth like a piece of flannel or a paper towel to remove the rosin from the strings and the body of the instrument. Never use alcohol, which can damage the varnish.

PROTECTION

Always keep the instrument and bow in the case with the lid closed when you are not playing. Make sure that the hair on the bow is loosened and the shoulder rest removed. The bow should be secured in its proper position.

When you play, do not tighten the bow more than necessary (this can warp the wood). If you are unsure, ask your teacher for advice.

If you for some reason have to decide what size you need on your own, here are some helpful hints:

HOW TO MEASURE WITH AN INSTRUMENT

The student should hold the violin in playing position, supporting the instrument with their chin on the chinrest. Then reach out the left hand and grasp the scroll. If the palm and fingers of the left hand are able to comfortable cup the scroll of the violin, without stretching and while bending the elbow slightly, you have found an instrument of the right size. Make sure the violin is fairly close to the neck and is lined up on top of the shoulder rather than facing in the front.

HOW TO MEASURE WITHOUT AN INSTRUMENT

Persons under five feet in height usually need a fractional size, and over five feet a full (4/4) size. For a child, ask their teacher what size they prefer, as this is also a matter of taste. The following chart will give you an idea: using a yardstick, measure between the neck and the center of the palm. When in doubt, always choose the smaller size.

Let the student extend their left hand fully. Place a yardstick or measurement tape on the shoulder against their neck – just where the edge of the violin hits the body when you play – and measure from the neck to the middle of the palm.

We drove north west to Cologne, or Koln in German. It was less than two hours drive. I had researched the music and violin stores in the area and one came up in particular that seemed to have promise, as it seemed large and I felt they might have some fine and rare violins for sale. It was Sonatina Music.

This workshop specializes in bow making and well as bow and string instrument restoration. We arrived there during the lunch hours (most European businesses close between 12-2:39), so we walked nearby to what happened to be the train station and had lunch. The train station was right next to the magnificent cathedral of Koln.

From Wikipaedia:
The cathedral is a World Heritage Site, one of the best-known architectural monuments in Germany, and Cologne’s most famous landmark, described by UNESCO as an “exceptional work of human creative genius”. It is Germany’s most visited landmark, attracting an average of 20,000 people a day.
Construction of Cologne Cathedral began in 1248 and took, with interruptions, until 1880 to complete. It is 144.5 metres long, 86.5 m wide and its towers are approximately 157 m tall. The cathedral is one of the world’s largest churches and the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe. For four years, 1880-84, it was the tallest structure in the world, until the completion of the Washington Monument. It has the second-tallest church spires, only surpassed by the single spire of Ulm Minster, completed 10 years later in 1890. Because of its enormous twin spires, it also presents the largest façade of any church in the world. The choir of the cathedral, measured between the piers, also holds the distinction of having the largest height to width ratio of any Medieval church, 3.6:1, exceeding even Beauvais Cathedral which has a slightly higher vault.
Cologne’s medieval builders had planned a grand structure to house the reliquary of the Three Kings and fit its role as a place of worship of the Holy Roman Emperor. Despite having been left incomplete during the medieval period, Cologne Cathedral eventually became unified as “a masterpiece of exceptional intrinsic value” and “a powerful testimony to the strength and persistence of Christian belief in medieval and modern Europe”.
We ate at McDonalds – not exactly adventurous, but sometimes food that is familiar (not to mention faster service and cheaper) is needed on a long trip like this. There was a large model train display running in the train station which Siobhan really liked.

Sonatina’s shop was just 5 blocks from all this magnificence!

We walked back and rang the bell on the huge wood doorway. The owner himself came to great us. We explained who we were. He thought a moment, then invited us in. We climbed the cold stairway into his second story complex and we were in the shop. His English was pretty good and we managed to communicate. Siobhan watched a movie on the IPad. Alex and I stepped into the adjoining room and Alfredo started bringing violins out. It was funny, because at first he thought he wouldn’t have anything for us, but then he kept finding things. There were two luthiers working in the next room adjacent to us. He brought out 20 in total. We bought 17 of those. They were all very beautiful! One of the interesting pieces was one we call the Red Violin, as its finish was a rich dark red. There was also a beautiful ¾ violin. We ended up coming back the next day to finalize the purchase and pick up the instruments as we had an appointment that evening that we were late to.