Violin Forum/Message Board

Catgut · Junior Member Joined: 11 Mar 2011 Posts: 13

I did a search for apprenticeship and didn't find anything so here goes.
I live in the sf bay area and I am looking for a master (insert castro referenced joke here). I have allot of experience working with wood and building musical instruments and I worked building pipe organs for a few years.
I am working on pouting together a violin building space and I am making my own tools. If you know of a luthier in san francisco that can take on an aprentice please let me know. Thanks.

FiddleDoug · Member Joined: 08 Sep 2007 Posts: 227 Location: Hilton, NY

You may want to improve your writing skills a bit. If I were a luthier, looking for an apprentice, I might be turned off if I received a letter like your post.
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Michael Darnton · Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2011 7:26 am Post subject:

I was thinking that, but I wasn't going to say it. I get a few letters and emails from people wanting to work in my shop, and a good letter goes a long way. The other day I got an email from someone, something like "i want to work in your shop. do you have any jobs.", unsigned, no name, no phone, no capital letters [someone who can capitalize "I" consistently should know that "Castro", "San Francisco", and "SF Bay" deserve the same], no greeting, no closing, no information about the person's situation or experience.

The first thing I want from someone I hire is brains. I can teach them how to do all of the manual things that are required, but I can't teach them to be smart. My first job in the violin business was at a very important shop, and I later found out that I was hired because I was smart enough, was stable (owned a house, had a wife, etc.), and did NOT know anything about violin work (they didn't want to have to retrain people who'd already learned things wrong).

"Smart" goes beyond book stuff--everyone wants an employee who knows what the right thing to do is in any situation and finds a way to get it done. A job application is one of those situations. I don't care if someone's book smart if they can demonstrate that they're street smart. If you can't write, get help when you do; that's the smart thing.
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Lemuel · Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2011 9:19 am Post subject:

Catgut · Junior Member Joined: 11 Mar 2011 Posts: 13

Michael Darnton · Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2011 9:38 am Post subject:

Michael Darnton · Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2011 10:08 am Post subject:

Catgut · Junior Member Joined: 11 Mar 2011 Posts: 13

I'm sorry, I didn't realize that I was submitting a letter to the National Conservatory. if I knew that I would of been more careful. this was an informal letter of my intent. most of the typos were done through the spell check in my phone which is what I typed this on. You are right, I didn't put the proper spacing between paragraphs, but I also made the same mistake EVERYONE else makes, I haven't put double spaces after my periods. I think it's because the internet has done for us all down (present company included). For instance, I misspelled the word putting and used the word allot instead of "a lot" because it slipped by me. But one thing is for sure, I know how to view context in a sentence and I at least know not to ask the definition of words like "allot" and don't have to ask the person who I just insinuated was stupid, for that definition. But since you asked, (it means; to dole out,
to present an allotment. It has its roots in the word "lottery". I think it's kind of quaint that you called me stupid and then asked me for the definition of a very simple word.
Anywho, I wouldn't trade my life experiences, my knowledge of woodworking our what I've learned about acoustics for any amount of money in the world. If I have to do that to learn to build violins then forget everything I've said.

Catgut · Junior Member Joined: 11 Mar 2011 Posts: 13

Michael Darnton · Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2011 10:52 am Post subject:

Actually, you're out of date. Two spaces after periods was for monospaced typewriters. It's not been done that way since computers. And the new (30 years or so "new") format for paragraphs is double-spacing between, but you didn't do that, and you didn't indent, either.

I think you are going to have a very hard time getting a job. Precision is extremely important in the violin world. As they say, it's a poor workman who blames his tools (or his phone).
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Catgut · Junior Member Joined: 11 Mar 2011 Posts: 13

Michael Darnton · Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2011 10:56 am Post subject:

I don't have to comment on her grammar, because it's perfect. Nor do I have any criticism of her attitude. Things like that make all the difference.

You, however, directly asked for tutoring, and now that you've been given it, it appears that you really didn't want it, doesn't it?

You are really missing the point here.
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new blog at my site! http://darntonviolins.com/blog
my work sites: http://darntonviolins.com and http://darntonhersh.com

Catgut · Junior Member Joined: 11 Mar 2011 Posts: 13

Catgut · Junior Member Joined: 11 Mar 2011 Posts: 13

it comes down to this I'm a damn good woodworker and unless you're a master luthier asking me to send him or her a letter formally introducing myself and what I can bring to the table, then you really don't have anything to offer me.
If you aren't my master then you are just another bored person on the forum who gets no better thrill than when they are picking someone apart to make themselves look superior.
Lets put it this way. I don't take crap from anybody but my master. Unless you are the one that I will call master, then keep your comments to yourself please.

Catgut · Junior Member Joined: 11 Mar 2011 Posts: 13